The duo behind Saldare spa

In its various forms and usages, the Italian word "saldare" connotes firmness, surety and unity. Hence it is the ideal name for Saldare Body Therapy and Wellness Studio, a business partnership between two women with distinct personalities who hold common goals, values and approaches to their mutual passion of maintaining health and fitness and sharing it with others. Along with the independent contractors who rent space from them, Susan Reardon and Jennifer Menzer, best friends for 10 years and partners in Saldare for almost four, provide a comprehensive range of health, fitness and beauty services to men and women of all ages and wellness levels. Menzer and Reardon, who specialize in fitness training, nutritional guidance and healthy living practices, coach clients in general fitness and in specialized situations including injury rehabilitation, pre-marathon training, pre-natal and post-partum mothers, and "bridal boot camp". Their associates offer esthetic services and healing arts such as massage therapy, Reiki and acupuncture.

Meeting Reardon at Saldare's modern, airy street-level studio at 12 Clarendon Street, across from the Boston Ballet, I encountered a woman whose love of fitness is evidenced in her enviably taut body, but with a disarming charm that moderates her temperance. Reardon, who often starts her work day at 6:15 AM and concludes around 7:00 PM, mentioned repeatedly her need to balance her zeal for her work with her personal life, which includes her fiancé and wedding plans. Describing her approach to dietary counseling, she espouses moderation and eschews diet regimens that prohibit specific foods or types of food, recommending instead a balanced diet with careful attention to food additives and fat and sugar content. Reardon recalled that her mother was "always on a diet", but despite that, served a variety of foods and snacks to her children. While Reardon did not grow up with anxiety about food or calories, adolescence brought concerns about weight control. She observed, "There's the pressure of society that we all feel as women to look a certain way. I went through a phase where I restricted my eating and there were definitely some food issues there, and that is what motivated me to become a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach: figuring out the balance for myself. Then I discovered exercise, which helped a lot." Although she is not an avid participant in sports, Reardon started exercising as a teenager her stepmother and became increasingly hooked.

A few years after she started her career as a human resources professional, Reardon began a side business as a fitness instructor in 1997, steadily building a clientele until she took the leap of faith to partner with Menzer in Saldare. She recalled, "I left corporate America and became self-employed and it was really scary. I don't know how to manage my taxes and track my income, all these things you take for granted. I built up my training business, but there are only so many wonderful people you can see in a day, and Jen, building up a client list and running this place, she could only take this place so high. I was at my ceiling and she was at hers. We decided to join forces and work together to get to a different level, and work smarter, not harder."

Along with a third healthy-living guru, Jennifer Campoli, Reardon and Menzer are also partners in Boston Health Coaches, which offers comprehensive counseling for smarter eating. Their multi-faceted approach includes nutritional education; recipes and cooking tips; assisting in goal setting and achievement; and kitchen-design and shopping tactics to reinforce healthful eating. "What I preach to my clients is balance. Ninety percent of the time, eat healthy, take care of yourself, and ten percent of the time, have a cheeseburger, have French fries, have ice cream, have pizza. I'm like, 'Well, was it worth it?' if they say, 'Yes', I say, 'There you go.' Make it worth it." She continued, "Jen and I practice mindful eating with our nutrition clients, sitting down to eat, which is something we often don't do. We snack standing up or pick while we are cooking, and you don't think about what you are doing. Carve out that time for yourself; have a beautiful plate of food and a big glass of water. Enjoy what you are doing." Returning to the theme of moderation, Reardon eschewed some popular notions about food avoidance for weight control, such as the thinking that people who want to lose weight should cut out fruit juices to avoid "drinking their calories". Reardon said, "There are things you can do. I cut my orange juice with seltzer water. There is great nutritional value in that if it's portion-controlled, natural, fresh-squeezed orange juice without sugar added. I'm not into deprivation, it's calorie awareness. I'm into knowing what you are eating and eating good quality, not commercialized, packaged junk." Addressing the great bugaboo, sugar, Reardon advised, "Just try to moderate your sugar intake. Sugar is okay in the right form; fruit over a candy bar. It wreaks havoc with your body. That's where I try to educate people."

Reardon's and Menzer's intake with new clients begins with interviewing them to identify the individual's starting condition, needs and abilities. Reardon explained, "Jennifer and I offer a complimentary health assessment for all new inquiries. We have each prospective client complete a health and medical history relevant to injury, chronic conditions such as diabetes, prior surgeries. We then sit down and review the questionnaire. All of our prospective clients complete a physical fitness assessment which involves testing around cardiovascular health, flexibility, balance, core and abdominal strength and body fat percentage testing. We do ask for a note from their doctor if they are currently injured or if they are under current care."

Starting at $50 per half-hour for personal training and $50 per half hour or $100 per hour for nutrition coaching, Saldare's services, while within range for Boston, require a financial commitment as well as physical and mental dedication. While insurance does not cover any of the services Saldare offers, some clients are able to utilize other cost offsets. Reardon said, "I do want to mention that a lot of our clients utilize their Section 125 plans for non-reimbursable expenses. Also, many of our clients' employers offer complete or partial fitness reimbursements for personal training and other wellness services." Some savvy employers give Saldare sessions as incentives to workers. "We have companies such as asset management, real estate firms, tech companies and a representative from the Newport Jazz Festival who have gifted or awarded gift certificates to their employees."

Reardon's and Menzer's collaboration works well because of their uncommon compatibility. Reardon said of her friend and partner, "We were separated at birth and we share a brain. We are sisters from another mister." When Menzer arrived during the interview, she repeated the 'sisters from another mister' comment and finished one of Reardon's sentences. Their shared outlook no doubt sustains them through the uncertainty of maintaining their own business and the pressure of working long and hard, side by side. Reardon mused, "Jennifer and I have been working together since late 2010 and it has been a fun ride thus far. It's ironic because we are very different in our demeanors but completely on the same wavelength in the way we think and in the way we conduct business. We share a deep and undying love for all things health and wellness and we also share the same work ethic. Our expectations are high for our staff but our expectations for ourselves and each other are higher."

United as they are in their passion for their work, they reinforce in each other the importance of personal needs and relationships. "Sometimes we both need to practice what we preach and incorporate a little more balance, 'me time', into our personal lives, and we're really good at reminding each other of that. Balance in life is truly the key to happiness and success and we keep each other balanced." The strong bond between Reardon and Menzer seems to set the tone at Saldare. "It's a very fun, friendly atmosphere, chatting and laughing while you work out. It's a relationship, a friendship. I am very friendly with my clients. You get to know someone, like going to the hairstylist. I love it here, and I think we are pretty unique in how we are structured and it works," Reardon said proudly.