Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/44746
Clockwise from above: the exterior of the Corinthia Hotel, ESPA's relaxation lounge and the indoor pool. quite alert and ready to meet friends for dinner at Massimo Restaurant and Oyster bar, one of two dining establishments at the hotel. Better yet, I slept incredibly well and awoke well rested. Which was good, because my first appointment of the day was a fitness evalu- ation with Ross Gillanders, one of the spa's personal trainers. His version of a fitness evaluation was very different from the "how many push ups, sit ups, step-ups can you do in a minute" sort that I was used to. This was more a test of flexibility and balance, using a system called Functional Movement that included evaluating my form when I did squats, lunges and a few other exercises. He recommended stretches, most using a foam roller, to loosen up my tight hamstrings, calves and glutes and even that pesky IT band. He then relayed his findings to Bhart Shemar. Mr. Shemar is the spa's resident Osteopath and spoken of in hushed, reverential tones. He is quick, efficient and very to the point, repeating the mantra "Remember, we're thinking of your body in a decade or so!" During our consultation he scrutinized every aspect of my stance, from my clenched jaw to rounded shoulders, leg length discrepancy and pronation. He then used neuromuscular techniques to improve my muscle alignment (which involved quite a bit of resistance work on my part while he stretched me), did medical acupuncture on trigger points in my upper back, some spinal manipulation that one would expect from a chiropractor, and a bit of neuro- muscular massage. I was sweating afterwards. Shemar also sent me away with a to- do list—his included speaking with my dentist about the grinding, re-thinking the ergonomics of my computer set-up, getting better running shoes, and a regime of stretching to work on improving posture. All these to-do lists were making my head spin. Thankfully the next treatment involved lying on a heated bed while receiving an Age Defying Enzyme Peel facial, followed by a blow-out in the Daniel Galvin salon and a much-needed pedicure. That night, over dinner of organic duck at The Northall, my dining companion asked if I was in love. The reason? My facial-induced very natural glow. For me, this was the ultimate urban spa experience, in that I checked in and did not leave the property for two days. It was a truly relaxing retreat and, as it turns out, impeccably timed. Within a week of my return, New York City experienced two earth- quakes and a hurricane. But I was oddly calm. My balance, it seemed, was restored and, temporarily at least, unshakeable. Now I just need to work on that posture. 78 BAL HARBOUR THE TAKEAWAY "Younger Next Year" teaches us a new mantra to live by. While a day—or week—at the spa will certainly do wonders for your peace of mind and leave you cocooned in dewy bliss, you may find that spa glow fades within days of leaving the premises. If you're looking for a way to truly give your life a hard reset, you may need to explore some options beyond blissing out at a five-star spa paradise. It takes a lot of chutzpah for a book to claim to be able to change your life, but the authors behind "Younger Next Year," Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge, M.D., have more than chutz- pah backing up their claim. With a set of basic rules to follow— most importantly, exercise six times a week—Crowley and Lodge tackle life after 50 by arming its readers (or some may say, disciples) with advice that promises to make you "function- ally" younger each passing year. And, with the success of the first book, the authors have re- cently come out with a special edition tailored specifically for women entitled "Younger Next Year for Women." The new edi- tion, with a foreword by renowned author Gail Sheehy, has sec- tions dedicated to issues like menopause and osteoperosis, but the crux of the message remains the same. As it turns out, unlike disease, health is gender neutral, and so are the means to achieving a healthier life—for life.