February 9 is National Fall Off the Wagon Day, the average date all those well-intentioned fitness resolutions tend to fall apart. Don’t be another statistic. Take inspiration from these dedicated Louisvillians who have managed to find the joy in a regular workout routine. It’s never too late to find your strength!
Cheri Bauer is a happily married stay-at-home mom of three beautiful daughters ages 23, 20, and 17. But you would never believe that by looking at her. Cheri could easily pass for twenty years younger than her actual age of 53. She has been a Lakeside swimmer since she was nine years old and still enjoys aerobics and spin classes. Cheri looks inside and outside herself for motivation to keep fit. “The people you surround yourself with make all the difference, the friends you have and the friends you meet that keep you sociable and accountable.” Cheri also works out to be a good role model for her children. “And I do it for myself, too!”
Baptist Health/Milestone Wellness Center is a hub of activity for Cheri, where she takes spin classes three days per week and works out in a group of three with personal trainer Kenny Hodges for one hour twice a week. Cheri manages to fit in a gentle yoga class once a week and TRX on Saturdays. According to the Milestone website, “TRX is a form of suspension training that uses bodyweight exercises to develop strength, balance, flexibility, and core stability simultaneously. It requires the use of the TRX Suspension Trainer, a performance training tool that leverages gravity and the user’s body weight to complete the exercises. Great for intermediate/advanced fitness levels.”
Cheri’s fitness goals are to maintain her weight and strength. “As we get older, we lose muscle tone. If you could see what he (Kenny) puts us through! But he keeps you working with a smile on your face.” Cheri encourages others to get and stay fit as well. “You only have one life to live. Make it the best you can. Stay healthy and be active!”
Dr. Bradley Calobrace began his plastic surgery practice in Louisville in 1997. He has since added offices in Lexington and Floyds Knobs, Indi- ana, and was joined by associate Chet Mays in 2016. In addition to managing CaloAestheticsR Plastic Surgery practice and CaloSpaR Rejuvenation Center, Dr. Calobrace travels the world lecturing, continues to publish extensively, including a plastic surgery textbook with Dr. Mays this year. He has always been athletic, spending his youth on tennis teams and as a gymnast. He went on to coach and judge gymnastics and has enjoyed snow skiing, water skiing, golf, tennis, and running through the years.
Now 58 years of age, Dr. C found extra motivation to get into shape upon his 40th birthday. He began working with a personal trainer to build muscle and get in some cardio exercise. “As we get older, resistance training is important to build muscles which support the bones. It’s all connected.” For over a decade now, he has trained five days a week with trainer Kenny Hodges at Baptist Health/Milestone Wellness Center. They work on muscle training and cardio while still being cautious to avoid injury. “CrossFit is a little too injury-prone for me. We do interval training instead. Having a conscientious and skilled trainer is the key, and Kenny Hodges is the best.”
Outside the gym, Dr. C supplements workouts with his Peloton bike and running. His current fitness goal is to stay lean and muscular and still indulge once in a while. “I am 5’11” and 175 pounds and try to keep between 8% and 10% body fat - 5% if I’m really trying to cut down for summer. A lot of that is through diet, but I do like wine, Italian and Mexican food, so that is my daily challenge. I try to eat healthy most of the time so that I can occasionally cheat and live a normal, happy, and full life.” Dr. C also keeps what he calls a “ceiling weight” of 180 pounds to keep his health in check.
After quarantining last year due to the COVID pandemic, Dr. C felt himself slowly getting out of shape. “It hurt when I came back. So my advice is to always stick with your workout plan, and you’ll always feel healthy and in shape.” He also recommends working out in the morning. “Consistency and routine are important. Get it done before life gets busy. Crank your metabolism for the whole day!”
Anne McCollom retired from her nursing career in 2013 while in her early seventies. Now 81, Anne has been married for 56 years. The husband and wife team has kept in shape together since the late 1970s when he began exercising at the local Y. Anne is a former smoker who quit with the help of a group of coworkers supporting each other, another motivating factor in her wellness journey.
Inspired to start running decades ago by an upcoming Thanksgiving Day 5K, Anne convinced a friend to begin a three-month training program with her. That friend still runs New York marathons to this day. Anne remembers a time when running shoes made for women were not available, forcing women to buy them in equivalent men’s sizes. In addition to running outdoors, Anne also took exercise classes and ran the track at the St. Matthews YMCA.
Anne’s current fitness routine involves walking 21⁄2 to 4 miles per day, five days a week. Anne and her husband meet with friends to walk outside, weather permitting. In bad weather and often in the winter, they use the 1/11th-mile walking and jogging track at Baptist Health/Milestone Wellness Center. “We talk so much that we forget we’re walking!”
Spending time with her husband and developing a social network keeps Anne moving. “Find something that you like, that makes you feel good and is enjoyable,” she says. “If you have other people, that helps. Keep with it until you feel the positive feedback.”
