St. Louis In-Home Fitness|Personal Training

January 10, 2017
" I am writing this letter to tell you about my story and how Bob Kessen helped my recovery. In October of 2014 I was diagnosed with a very rare AVM of the cerebellum. This resulted in 3 life threatening brain surgeries and 6 weeks in the Neuro ICU at Barnes hospital. After that, I was in the rehab hospital for months followed by outpatient therapy at both Mercy for PT, OT, ST and then to SSM Day Institute where I was a patient for almost a year. After SSM discharged me, saying they could no longer see progression and the insurance would not cover my therapy. My wife decided to investigate other options for me. We found Bob Kessen, a Personal Trainer who specializes in balance issues and other physical disabilities. Of my many issues after brain surgery, balance was one of my worst as far as resuming any daily activities. After working with Bob twice a week with his balance and core therapy program, my progress and confidence is greatly improved. I am so much more confident and capable of assuming my personal daily life activities. My wife feels more comfortable taking me to a movie or out to lunch because I can walk and balance myself much better. I am now walking without a cane or any other device around the house which is a huge step after being in a wheelchair in my own home for many months. The fact that he comes to my home and brings all the equipment with him is such a plus for my situation which makes his therapy possible. I encourage you to use Bob Kessen if you have balance problems. You may call my wife, Faith Rasch at 314-443-4608 if you have any questions."
Harold L. Rasch - 69 yrs.

February 28, 2016 - Health News - Don't delay the day. It is so tempting to hit the snooze button when your alarm goes off in the morning. However, falling back to sleep could be interrupting the hormone cycle which can make it harder to get your day started. Also, artificial light helps optimize the body's wake-up processes. Open the blinds or turn on the lights to help you start your day. If you have a cup of coffee and a bagel, you get a quick stimulant followed immediately by a drop in energy. Add lean protein and healthy fat which takes longer to digest. This will help you make it through the early morning hours. If your energy level dips between 2:00 and 4:00 in the afternoon, the spike that gets you through the morning is leveling off depending on what you ate for lunch. Give in to a protein and fiber snack to help your blood sugar. To end your day, avoid alcohol two hours before. It causes restless sleep. That late night craving means you are sleepy, not hungry. You have stayed awake too long and your brain needs a glucose hit to stay up. Go for something light and easy to digest at least an hour before going to bed.

February 14, 2016 - Health News - Many people with the "broken heart syndrome" known as stress cardiomyopathy end up in the ER convinced they are having a heart attack and 90% of these people are females. Stressful events liking giving a presentation at work, fighting with a spouse, death of loved one or being in an accident triggers a surge of stress hormones that rush to the heart temporarily paralyzing the muscle. This causes symptoms such as chest pain and shortness of breath. But unlike an actual heart attack, that permanently damages the heart muscle, broken hearts return to normal (at least physically) with a week or two.

February 7, 2016 - Health News - Approximately one-third of weight lost on a diet is regained in the first year. People can lose 5% to 10% of their weight in the first few months of a diet; however, two- thirds of them regained more weight than they lost within 5 years. When you lose weight, muscle tissue is also lost from your body. Muscle tissue is needed to help your body to burn calories. Long-term weight loss is accomplished with both proper diet (not starving yourself) and regular exercise to maintain muscle mass.

January 31, 2016 - Health News – Medicine and Science in Sports & Exercises found that Americans do not walk enough when compared to people in Australia, Switzerland and Japan.

January 24, 2016 - Health News - A study published by the Academy of General Dentistry found that increased consumption of energy and sports drinks are causing irreversible damage to teeth. The drinks high acidity was shown to erode tooth enamel. Energy drinks caused twice as much damage as sports drinks.

January 17, 2016 - Health News – Heart patients with a positive outlook regarding recovery were 30% less likely to die over the next 15 years regardless of the severity of their symptoms. A patient’s attitude towards their disease impacts their ability to return to a normal lifestyle. Positive expectations not only make you feel better but can potentially help you live longer.

January 9, 2016 - Health News – A report from George Washington University School of Public Health found the individual cost of being obese is $4,879.00 for women and $2,646.00 for men. Additionally, when the authors factored in “the value of lost life” (premature mortality), the cost increased to $8,365.00 for women and $6,518.00 for men.

January 2, 2016 - Health News – According to research in the Archives of Internal Medicine (2010), older women my need only 20 minutes of daily home exercise to avoid hip fractures and improved balance.

June 9, 2013 - Health News – Pre-exercise "static" stretching may hamper athletic performance according to the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (2010). A superior method to warm up your muscles is performing "dynamic" stretching prior to playing sports.

April 3, 2013 - HEALTH NEWS - Once considered a danger to our health and mortality, smoking will likely pale in comparison to the threat of obesity according to the New England Journal of Medicine (2009). In the past 15 years, smoking rates have declined by 20% but obesity rates have increased by 48%.