may 2015: your health today

MAY

201

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YOUR HEALTH

Judy Knoch is getting back to doing the things she loves.

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LEVEL 1STROKE CENTER

as designated by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Recovering from stroke

AROUND ST. ANTHONY’S

Stroke Care by VideoSt. Anthony’s Stroke Team has a new tool to help get faster intervention and treatment.

COVER STORY

Stroke Recovery is in the CardsJudy Knoch can’t say enough about her care at St. Anthony’s newly designated Level One stroke center.

MOVE IT!

Get on the BallStability balls offer a good and challenging workout that’s fun!

HEALTHY HABITS

Cool Meals for Hot Summer NightsNo need to fire up the hot stove to enjoy some easy, no-cook recipes this summer.

FEATURE STORIES

One Step at a TimeAfter treatment for a stroke, Steve Kovach’s rehab and recovery serves as an inspiration to others.

Back in ClassTim Zambo, coach and P.E. teacher, is making great strides on the road to recovering from a stroke.

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Web ExtrasArticles with this icon have more information on our website.

2 | YOUR HEALTH TODAY | MAY 2015

2015MayYOUR HEALTH

today

Go to stanthonysmedcenter.com and click on Your Health Today.

St. Anthony’s delivers top-notch stroke care

Beverly Bokovitz, M.S.N., R.N., NEA-BC

W

As a veteran nurse, I’ve cared for many patients in crisis. I know that, for the majority of patients, few crises are as scary as a stroke.

Stroke attacks subtly, often out of the blue. The death of brain cells due to an obstruction of blood flow to the brain, stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death in the United States.

That’s one of the reasons I’m proud to be Chief Nursing Officer and a member of the Office of the President at St. Anthony’s. We’re among a select group of hospitals in the St. Louis region accredited by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services as Level One Stroke Centers. This means we provide the highest level of care available for our stroke patients – from clot removal and aneurysm coiling procedures, to surgery for bleeding strokes and aneurysms.

The Level One certification is part of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services’ Time Critical Diagnosis System. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, our caring stroke team is at the ready: two neurosurgeons, two interventional radiologists, four neurologists, specially trained nurses and EMS support teams.

In this issue of Your Health Today, you’ll read interviews with a few of our stroke patients, including Jeanne Moore, who underwent a thrombectomy procedure with Interventional Radiologist B. Kirke Bieneman, M.D., for a brain-based blood clot. “You gave me back my quality of life and I will be forever grateful,” Jeanne wrote in a letter to Dr. Bieneman.

Jeanne understands the importance of seeking medical help fast if anything seems amiss – from facial droop to arm numbness or weakness, to problems with speech or vision, to dizziness or disorientation, to loss of balance or a severe headache. If you experience any of these symptoms, please don’t dismiss them. Call 911 immediately.

Yours in good health,

Beverly Bokovitz, M.S.N., R.N., NEA-BCOffice of the PresidentChief Nursing Officer

aspirin

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in good health

aspirin

or visit heartspecialty.comCall 314-ANTHONY (268-4669)

Step lively, live longerA new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

indicates a 20-minute daily walk may help boost your lifespan by up to 30 percent. Researchers at the University of Cambridge recorded measurements and the self-reported physical activity of 334,000 men and women in Europe. Following up 12 years later, they discovered that moderate daily exercise (burning 90 to 110 calories per day) can lower a person’s risk of death by 16 to 30 percent.

Those with normal weights observed the greatest gains, but overweight and obese people still noticed a boost in lifespan. The scientists found that inactivity is almost twice as deadly as obesity (676,000 deaths versus 337,000 deaths, respectively).

The down side of the miracle drug

Millions of Americans take a low-dose aspirin daily to help prevent heart attack or stroke, and it’s a good habit for those who have heart disease or who are at high risk for it. But a recent study by cardiologists from Baylor College of Medicine concludes that for everyone else, there is little if any cardiovascular benefit – and popping an aspirin a day puts users at risk for gastrointestinal bleeding. It also increases the risk for brain bleeds, which are a type of stroke.

The researchers say aspirin use should be based on a person’s 10-year risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke: it should not be taken if that risk is less than six percent. Consult with your physician to determine your own best course of action.

If you need a cardiologist, St. Anthony’s Heart Specialty Associates offers a growing group of board-certified cardiologists affiliated with St. Anthony’s Medical Center, with convenient office locations in South County, Kirkwood and Shrewsbury.

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Hydrate with H20 this summer

Whether you’re playing sports, working or just sitting in the sun this summer, it’s crucial that you drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration and the resultant heat-related problems that range from headaches to heat strokes. The American Heart Association recommends drinking plain water, which helps the heart pump blood more easily and aids the muscles in working efficiently. If you’re thirsty, experts say, you’re already dehydrated. The color of your urine is an excellent indicator: pale and clear means you’re well-hydrated, dark-colored means you need to drink more fluids.

Those who perspire heavily will need to drink more, as will people with medical conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, and those who take medications that can act as diuretics. Water is superior to fruit juices or sugary drinks, which can be hard on the stomach; or caffeinated drinks, which can act as diuretics.

Source: Heart.org

Video system speeds stroke care video system now being used at St. Anthony’s is improving the assessment and door-to-intervention time for patients with life-threatening strokes. The system allows Stroke Team and Rapid Response neurologists, physicians and nurses to collaborate in real time on neuro exams and is improving the speed and quality of care to stroke patients.

The system allows treatment with the clot-busting drug tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) to be started more quickly, or for the patient to be transported more quickly to Interventional Radiology for endovascular care.

“Our four on-call neurologists can see what’s

going on before they come to the Emergency Department,” explained Marsha Enchelmaier, M.S.N., R.N., Manager of St. Anthony’s Stroke Team. “They can direct the nurse to get the exam needed, and we can get the treatment started in a much faster manner.”

The nurses appreciate having the expertise of the physician as they use the National Institutes of Health stroke scale to quantify the patient’s impairment.

“It makes us more knowledgeable and improves our assessment skills as well,” said Lisa DeVore, R.N., Stroke Nurse with the Rapid Response Team.


Lisa DeVore, R.N., with Marsha Enchelmaier, M.S.N., R.N. as a simulated patient, demonstrates the new video system in use by the St. Anthony’s Stroke Team.

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St. Anthony’s Family Birth Center has been honored as a bronze-certified Safe Sleep Hospital by the Cribs for Kids® National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program. This program recognizes hospitals that demonstrate a commitment to reducing infant sleep-related deaths by promoting best safe sleep practices and by training and educating parents and families on infant sleep safety.

St. Anthony’s provides a SleepSack wearable blanket to each newborn in the Family Birth Center. The SleepSack replaces loose blankets in the crib that can cover baby’s face and interfere with breathing, and it provides a cozy blanket that can’t be kicked off.

“We are thrilled to be able to give back to our community in this way,” said David Morton, M.D., Office of the President and Chief Medical Officer.

Grant program furthers medical missions

Each year since 2011, St. Anthony’s Emergency Department nurse Jerry Power, R.N. has devoted a week of his life to venture into remote areas of Haiti with the medical mission group Aid for Haiti.

“Seeing the need once makes you want to come back,” Jerry said. “We appreciate the help we’re receiving from St. Anthony’s.”

Jerry and his team returned to Haiti in April with financial assistance from the St. Anthony’s Medical Mission program. Launched in February, the new grant program supports the approved mission trips of St. Anthony’s employees, medical staff members and medical staff residents by providing up to $500 in funding for various needs, up to $500 in medications, and up to $325 in other supplies. The mission can be anywhere, including St. Louis.

“Many of our physicians and nurses participate in medical mission trips each year,” said Charles Lewis, R.N., executive director of Emergency Services and Ambulatory Care, who initiated the program.

St. Anthony’s also has donated items to organizations close to home. A few years ago, the medical center donated older, no-longer-usable beds to a couple of homeless shelters in St. Louis, noted Jim Gleich, Director of Supply Chain and a member of the Medical Mission Committee.

Family Birth Center earns Safe Sleep status

W For more information on St. Anthony’s Medical Mission program,

visit the St. Anthony’s Charitable Foundation website:

www.sacf-giving.org/grants


LEVEL ONE STROKE CENTER DESIGNATION MEANS TOP-NOTCH CARE

For Judy Knoch,

STROKE

is in the cardsRECOVERY

As part of St. Anthony’s Level One Stroke Center certification, an in-house stroke team is available 24 hours a day to assess patients immediately and start on treatment, said Maheen Malik, M.D., Medical Director of St. Anthony’s Stroke Program. “We have two interventionalists, B. Kirke Bieneman, M.D., and Jay Albovias, M.D., who are trained to remove clots mechanically, coil aneurysms, and work on other vascular problems of the brain,” Dr. Malik said. “Working through the groin and into the brain’s larger arteries, they use micro-catheters to remove clots. They also can inject thrombolytic drugs to dissolve clots.

“And our neurosurgical team (Fangxiang Chen, M.D., and Bassam Hadi, M.D.) is skilled at handling a hemorrhagic stroke, aneurysm or spontaneous brain bleed,” Dr. Malik said. “About 20 percent of all strokes

are bleeding strokes; the others are caused by clots or plaques.”

Every four minutes in the United States, someone dies of a stroke, defined as the death of brain cells due to an obstruction of blood flow to the brain. Only heart disease, cancer and chronic lower respiratory diseases are deadlier.

When paramedics notify the Emergency Department of an incoming stroke patient, St. Anthony’s Stroke Team is activated immediately: caregivers work closely with emergency crews, and communicate by telephone and use privacy-compliant software to send photos and video prior to their arrival in the ED.

“We have a very strong support team at the hospital and a very good relationship with EMS crews; we provide education for them at the firehouses,”

Judy’s cardmaking and other activities are good exercises for her fine motor skills.

LEVEL ONEStroke Care

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LEVEL ONE STROKE CENTER DESIGNATION MEANS TOP-NOTCH CARE

is in the cardsRECOVERY

When Judy Knoch of Millstadt woke up one morning last November, she

couldn’t walk straight. Her husband, Karl, brought her to St. Anthony’s immediately.

“That was a total surprise,” said Judy, a retired housewife, mother of two and grandmother of four, who was in good health otherwise and continues to make strides with her recovery. “I could not have asked for better care. Everybody was perfect, from the doctors and nurses to the techs.”

“My whole left side didn’t work until the Acute Rehab staff worked with me,” Judy notes. “I pushed it. They worked with me and they gave me time to rest: they didn’t work me to where I was totally exhausted.”

St. Anthony’s is one of only a few hospitals in the region to be certified by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services as a Level One Stroke Center, or the highest level of stroke care available. Judy, then 73, had suffered an ischemic stroke, which accounts for 87 percent of all stroke cases.

These days, Judy walks without any assistance in her home and uses a cane when she goes out. She’s also returned to her hobbies of counted cross-stitching, cardmaking and scrapbooking, and has come a long way since her stroke.

Dr. Malik said. “That’s important, because stroke victims who receive fast treatment are more likely to recover without permanent disabilities.”

Because the clot-busting drug tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is administered based on weight, the ED has a special scale able to weigh patients on stretchers. EMS patients who meet certain criteria for stroke will not stop in the ED, but will be taken straight to Radiology for a CT scan, which usually is read within 24 minutes. If needed, this will be followed with advanced imaging techniques that detect salvageable brain tissue.

“From the basics to the most sophisticated interventions to treat stroke, we provide the highest level of care for stroke patients, comparable to that provided by the best medical centers in the country,” Dr. Bieneman said.

The Level One certification is the result of a state law that provides the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services the authority to create designated stroke centers that meet standards to provide definitive and timely treatment for stroke patients. The department’s Time Critical Diagnosis System brings together the 911 emergency response system, hospitals and first responders to provide a more efficient continuum of care for trauma, stroke and heart attack victims.

“One of the things that sets our program apart is the way our nurses and our doctors work together,” said Marsha Enchelmaier, M.S.N., R.N., Manager of the Stroke Program. “We’re the southernmost hospital in St. Louis that has a Level One certification.”

The SCOOP on TIAsA transient ischemic attack (TIA) produces similar

symptoms to a stroke, but usually lasts only a few minutes and causes no permanent damage.

Often called a mini-stroke, a transient ischemic attack may serve as a warning. According to the Mayo Clinic, one third of people who suffer a transient ischemic attack will eventually have a stroke, with about half occurring within a year after the transient ischemic attack.

• Four neurologists

• Two interventional radiologists

• Two neurosurgeons

St. Anthony’s STROKE TEAM:

24/7On Call

[ ] • Board-certified Emergency Department physicians

• Specially trained nurses

“Mini” strokes:

Did you know? St. Anthony’s is involved in several research protocols.

It’s the only hospital in St. Louis, and one of 100 around the

world, to be involved in MISTIE-III, a five-year clinical trial

launched by Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 2013 to

confirm the safety and long-term efficacy of thrombolysis

in the treatment of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).


troll the halls of St. Anthony’s Acute Rehab unit on any given Thursday and you may encounter Steve Kovach. He helps transport patients with disabling injuries to the physical therapy room and follows therapists with a wheelchair as patients practice walking. Steve also plays a larger role: that of providing hope to recently diagnosed stroke patients in need of encouragement.

“Steve is such a nice guy, so personable,” said Geri Tyrey, Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) in Acute Rehab. “He gives patients hope: you see a change in their attitudes. He lets them know there is so much to look forward to.”

That’s because Steve, 55, is an Acute Rehab alumnus. He suffered a major stroke in early 2013, causing problems with the peripheral vision in his left eye, leaving him unable to sit up in bed without falling over, and able to move his left foot only slightly. An information technology specialist for IBM, the once-proficient mathematician had problems performing simple subtraction. He selected St. Anthony’s Acute Rehab unit because it was close to his family’s Oakville home and because the unit allowed pet visits. Steve had just finished a lengthy hospital stay and missed his dog, Chloe.

St. Anthony’s Acute Rehab facility is one of only four in the metropolitan area to be accredited by the international, not-for-profit Commission on Accreditation for Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). The process is extensive and arduous, with more than 200 compliance measures.

“The CARF accreditation is the gold standard of the rehab profession,” said Jennifer Page, M.D., Steve’s doctor in Acute Rehab. “Through the continuum of care we provide at St. Anthony’s, Steve has been able to continue his progress. He was extremely motivated and worked hard to achieve his goals. I think it’s a real testament that he wanted to give back to the community and serve as a volunteer.”

Steve Kovach serves as ambassador of Acute Rehab


If you or a loved one have been affected by stroke, St. Anthony’s offers support when you need a helping hand or someone to talk with about your situation.

You’re not alone

Initially, Steve required a mechanical device to get him into a standing position. By the time he left Acute Rehab, one month later, he was walking 400 feet.

“The therapists here, to put it mildly, were phenomenal in treating me,” he said. “I continued my therapy with St. Anthony’s outpatient program from March to September, going through all aspects of therapy.”

Despite a battle with depression, common with stroke patients, he succeeded in maintaining a positive outlook and was willing to work hard to recover, said Kathy Kovach, Steve’s wife of 29 years, who provided much support to her husband.

Today, Steve is back to playing golf, drives familiar routes in his car, works out, and is active in aerobics and other exercise courses. He’s also active in St. Anthony’s Stroke Club and as a volunteer “to try to give back and help those patients who are going through what I went through.

“If they say you’re going to go home in a wheelchair, don’t accept it,” he advises stroke survivors. “Set your goals high.”

Steve encourages stroke patient Joseph Bruns after transporting him to the Acute Rehab gym.

When he’s not taking patients to and from their therapy, Steve keeps busy with his own workout routine.

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Continuum of care:

St. Anthony’s Stroke Team

(Emergency Department)

St. Anthony’s Acute Rehab Unit (Inpatient)

St. Anthony’s Sports and Physical Therapy

(Outpatient)

To learn more, call

314-ANTHONY (268-4669)

STROKE PANELThis group of experienced stroke survivors-

turned-mentors is an excellent resource for patients and their families who are trying to understand the effects of stroke. The group meets the first and third Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to noon in the Acute Rehab Unit multipurpose room. Call (314) 525-4561 for information.

STROKE CLUBSponsored by St. Anthony’s Acute Rehab Unit, the

Stroke Club is 65 members strong and meets at 10:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month in the eighth-floor hospital conference room. The group offers support for caregivers and survivors. Special events are planned in the spring and fall and during the holidays.

“It is the most welcoming group of people I’ve ever encountered,” said Geri Tyrey, Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) in Acute Rehab. For more information, call Geri at (314) 525-4561.

10 | YOUR HEALTH TODAY MAY 2015

It couldn’t have been a stroke. Tim Zambo was 32, a physical

education teacher at Seckman High School. He kept fit and recently had completed a tough-as-nails obstacle race known as the Tough Mudder. So when he woke one morning in December 2013 to find his left arm and hand numb and useless, he phoned his mom, Linda. She advised him it was probably a pinched nerve and recommended he visit the urgent care.

“Looking back on it, there were some symptoms I just overlooked or didn’t realize were as severe,” Tim recalled. “I went into work to try and get someone to cover my classes. Once I got there I had this almost drunk feeling…off-balance and kind of loopy.”

Because he didn’t feel safe behind

P.E. Teacher is

After Stroke


the wheel, Tim skipped the urgent care and went home for a nap. When he awoke and stood, he collapsed to the floor, hitting his head on the nightstand. After struggling for his phone, Tim called his mom, Linda Zambo, a now-retired school secretary.

“I could hardly understand what he was saying, his speech was so slurred,” Linda Zambo recalled. “I just called 911 immediately and police officers and paramedics responded to his house and took him to St. Anthony’s.”

At the hospital, Linda and her husband, Bob, learned their son had suffered a stroke.

“We were just flabbergasted: was he going to get better again?” Linda Zambo said. “Everyone there took really, really good care of him.”

REBOUNDINGI couldn’t have had a better situation or group of people to comfort and treat me.

TIM ZAMBO

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After Stroke

IN ONE HOUR

Stroke symptoms?

Face drooping – Does one side of the face droop?

Arm weakness – Is one arm weak or numb?

Speech difficulty – Is the speech slurred, or hard to understand?

Time to call 911

F

A

S

T

Any of the following symptoms is a warning to get to the hospital immediately. Record the time when the symptoms first appeared.

Act FAST!

Shortly after she rose one morning in December 2012, Jeanne Moore felt a sharp pain on the side of her head. She reached

over to grab a Kleenex, but her hand wouldn’t do what she was telling it to do. Her left arm and leg were useless; her face was drawn. She realized she was having a stroke.

Her husband had gone to work. Slurring her words, she called to her son, “Ryan, I’m having a stroke.”

She was rushed to St. Anthony’s Emergency Department, and within the next half hour was taken into the Operating Room, where Interventional Radiologist B. Kirke Bieneman, M.D., performed an intracranial thrombectomy procedure through the arteries of her groin to remove a blood clot from her brain. The results were immediate: Jeanne regained total use of her limbs and her speech returned to normal.

“Jeanne’s prognosis is excellent: she has had a full and lasting recovery,” Dr. Bieneman said.

“My family and I were so impressed with the quality of

care I received at St. Anthony’s,” Jeanne recalled. “Dr. Bieneman gave me back my quality of life, and I will be forever grateful. My husband and children were moved by Dr. Bieneman’s concern for me, not only as a patient, but as a wife and mother.”

Back to normalTim had suffered an occlusion in his right middle cerebral artery and was past the window of opportunity for tPA. Interventional radiologist B. Kirke Bieneman, M.D., and his team performed a mechanical thrombectomy to remove the clot.

When he entered Acute Rehab after four days in the hospital, Tim required assistance from two people to stand and could walk only eight feet at a time with support from parallel bars. A month later, when he was discharged, he had progressed to walking 200 feet with crutches and supervision.

“I couldn’t have had a better situation or group of people to comfort and treat me,” Tim said. “It amazes me how special these individuals are and their passion for their job to help everyone get better.”

Tim was young and physically fit prior to the stroke, and motivated: all these factors weigh into successful outcomes, said his Acute Rehab doc, Jennifer Page, M.D. “Fortunately, he came to a facility that is stroke-certified and able to meet his stroke and rehab needs in a timely fashion,” Dr. Page said.

Tim continued his therapy on an outpatient basis, and in August, he returned to teaching. His outlook on life has changed.

“Don’t take things for granted, because in the blink of an eye your life can change,” he said. “Appreciate everything you have and all the people who invested in your life because they are valuable sources during the downtimes and dark days.”


healthyhabits

Summer is coming, and no one wants to be slaving away in front of a hot stove cooking dinner. The solution? No-cook recipes that rely on summer’s bounty.

Gardens thrive during the summer months, and fresh ingredients show up right in our back yards,

notes Heidi McClintock, a registered and licensed dietitian at St. Anthony’s. An abundance of fruits and vegetables are in season and reasonably priced at farmers markets and grocery stores. Consuming more raw and cooked vegetables may improve your health by reducing your risk of heart disease, helping you maintain a healthy weight, and improving your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Heidi recommends these quick and cool recipes, which are easy to make for one person or a whole family.

forCOOL MEALS

HOT NIGHTS

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W SAVE TIME with make-ahead veggie prep

To learn more from dietitian Heidi McClintock on preparing veggies ahead, and find additional recipes, visit: stanthonysmedcenter.com and click on Your Health Today.

For dressing: In a blender, combine cilantro, lime juice, and oil. Season with salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.

PREPARATION: In a large bowl, combine chicken, cabbage, bell pepper, and scallions. Season with salt and pepper. In another large bowl, toss lettuce with 1/2 cup dressing. Divide among four bowls and top with chicken mixture. Drizzle all with remaining dressing and sprinkle with cashews.

NUTRITION FACTS: 518 calories, 27 grams fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 152 mg cholesterol, 575 mg sodium, 15 grams carb, 6 grams fiber, 39 grams protein

Black jack tacosINGREDIENTS:8 whole-wheat tortillas 2 cups canned black beans, rinsed and drained 8 tablespoons low-fat, shredded cheesesalsacumin cream (see recipe below)lettuce or cabbage, shredded (red or green)cilantro leaves

PREPARATION: Top each tortilla with ¼ cup beans and 1 tablespoon cheese. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute until tortilla and beans are warm and cheese is melted. Top each taco with salsa, cumin cream, shredded lettuce or cabbage, and cilantro.

Cumin cream:1/4 cup low-fat sour cream1/2 tsp. cumin1 tsp. lime juiceWhisk all ingredients together. Season with salt and pepper. Store in fridge, can use as dip for veggies.

Asian rotisserie chicken saladINGREDIENTS: 2 cups cilantro 1/4 cup lime juice1/4 cup canola oilcoarse salt and ground pepper 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded (about 4 cups)

1/4 medium red cabbage, thinly sliced 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced 2 scallions, thinly sliced 1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped 1/2 cup cashews

Serves 4

Serves 4

NUTRITION FACTS: Serving size - 2 tacos: 300 calories, 6 grams fat, 1.5 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 356 mg sodium, 48 grams carbohydrates, 9 grams fiber, 15 grams protein

COOL MEALS

HOT NIGHTS


Want a challenging workout that’s

fun?

Get on the

BALL!

move it!

(Repeat each 12 to 15 times)

Squat/ball-raiseWorks all areas, particularly thighs and glutes.

Standing, with feet hip-width apart and toes pointed forward, hold the ball at waist level, hands on either side. Sit into a squat at a 90-degree angle from the floor, while raising the ball overhead. Be sure to keep arms straight and shoulders down. Look forward, not up, and try not to arch your back.

PlankWorks all areas, particularly the abdomen. Not recommended for those with shoulder problems.

Kneel with the ball in front of you. Bend your elbows and place your forearms on the ball, keeping your belly and chest at a distance. Straighten your legs, feet apart, and hold the position as long as possible, keeping the back straight. If this is too intensive, push the ball against a wall and try again.

Push-upWorks all areas, particularly the arms, chest and back.

Easy version: Legs together, hands flat on the floor, rest your pelvis on the ball. Then bend your arms at the elbows and lower your chest to the floor, keeping back and legs straight.

Advanced version: Perform exercise as above, but this time rest only your thighs, or calves, on the ball.

Jean Curtis teaches Stability Ball for Strength Tuesday evenings in St. Anthony’s Body, Mind, Spirit Center, 12700 Southfork Road, Suite 240.

Register today:

314-ANTHONY (268-4669)

Exercises to try

Inexpensive and colorful, stability balls provide a better muscle workout than floor exercises. They’re also easier on the body, especially the joints.

“The advantage to the stability ball is you’re always on an unstable surface, which makes your muscles work harder,” said Jean Curtis, Certified Personal Trainer through the National Association of Sports Medicine (NASM). “You’ll have a larger range of motion, work more muscle groups, and have greater flexibility.

“Exercise balls are great for strengthening the core (trunk) muscles, which improves our balance and posture,” adds Jean. “The reason a lot of us fall is because our core muscles are weak.”

BALL!

Staying safe

• Always work slowly to avoid falling off.

• As you exercise, keep your feet flat on the floor and focus on a stationary focal point.

• Doing ball exercises while resting on the floor? Use a yoga mat to support your body.

• Feeling unstable? Push the ball against the wall and use it as you would a chair until you feel more comfortable.

Choosing a ballMany stability balls are available for under $20 in sporting goods stores and online. They’re sized by the user’s height – your thighs should be parallel to the floor when you’re seated on one:

To 5’7” tall: 55 cm.

5’7” to 6’2”: 65 cm.

6’2” and up: 75 cm.

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MISSION

St. Anthony’s, a Catholic medical center, has the duty and the privilege to provide the best care to every patient, every day.

LEVEL 1STROKE CENTER

as designated by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services

Our in-house stroke team is on call 24 hours a day to provide the highest level of stroke care available.

St. Anthony’s is a

St. Anthony’s Medical Center10010 Kennerly RoadSt. Louis, Mo. 63128

stanthonysmedcenter.com

DATED MATERIAL—PLEASE DELIVER PROMPTLY

may 2015: your health today

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