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Stress, distraction, unhealthy use of technology and rising rates of mental illness life is increasingly tough for teenagers today, and educating them is a challenge at best. But researchers at UC Santa Barbara have found success in a new program to address those four themes, which stand out as struggles for the majority of high school students in the United States.

A new, evidence-based, online course that provides students with personalized attention training is being developed at the Center for Mindfulness & Human Potential (CMHP), part of the universitys Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. The course teaches students to focus their minds and manage their emotions so they can succeed academically.

Twenty-five high schools around the country are currently using the course.

We are quite encouraged by the enthusiasm that our program has received from both students and teachers. We are also heartened by preliminary findings of benefits for students who participate in the program, said Jonathan Schooler, CMHP director and a professor of psychology.

In one study, published in the journal Education Sciences, the researchers surveyed 190 high school students before and after they completed the 22-day course. They found that students improved their ability to manage stress and regulate emotions. The study also revealed that students came to view their ability to focus as a trainable skill, and they felt more motivated and confident to train this ability. We found that among the 82% of students who initially reported paying attention in class less than they felt they should, classroom focus significantly improved following our intervention, Schooler said.

Teachers everywhere are reporting that its increasingly hard to get students to actually pay attention, noted Michael Mrazek, CMHP research director. Weve interviewed more than 200 high school teachers and principals over the last two years to understand their biggest challenges as well as their perspective about current challenges for teens. Theres a palpable sense of concern around increasing distraction, stress and mental illness. Individually, those are each distinct and important problems. Yet a lot of research has shown that mindfulness-based attention training is an elegant solution that can help address each of those issues. Thats why were so excited about finding the most effective way to bring this training into high school settings.

The project is primarily funded by a development and innovation grant from the Institute of Education Sciences, the research arm of the U.S. Department of Education. The goal of the grant is to use empirical research to iteratively refine a digital course that can ultimately scale to provide evidence-based training to millions of high school students in the United States. The online course includes not only four 12-minute lessons and daily 4-minute exercises for students, but also a teacher interface that makes it easy for teachers to enroll students and monitor their progress.

We deliberately designed this resource so that teachers dont need to become topic experts to be able to share attention training with their students, Mrazek said. When a teacher creates an account, they get access to facilitator training as well as their own personalized 22-day course. Time is a precious resource for teachers, so the course is largely plug-and-play.

Music plays an important role in most of the daily exercises. As Alissa Mrazek, a senior postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Psychology and Brain Sciences, explained, the researchers have partnered with dozens of famous musicians to create training exercises for students. Students learn to focus their attention by listening deeply to music that is personalized to their preferred genre. We ask students to try to keep their attention focused on the sounds they hear, she explained. Then when distractions arise, as they inevitably do, its an opportunity to practice letting go of that distraction and coming back to the music.

Music plays an important role in most of the daily exercises.

Keeping the students engaged in the lessons is critical but also challenging, noted Michael Mrazek. Were constantly striving to use all of the best practices from educational psychology that optimize learning, and to implement them in fast-paced videos that resonate with a teenage audience, he said. Its a delicate balance, and its forced us to develop a unique style that can both captivate and educate.

I was skeptical initially, just because I thought that pairing a digital format with mindfulness is kind of antithetical, that digital programs are really one of the largest distractions for our teens, said Gabriel Villegas, a teacher at Central Coast New Tech High School in Nipomo, which uses the course. The program soon won him over. I tried it with some of our students, and they loved the music options that were chosen and they loved the lessons.

In Santa Barbara, San Marcos High School teacher Jeffrey Bailey is also a fan. The feedback that I got from the students was that they felt, especially when they had a stressful day, the program helped them to recalibrate and refocus, as well as to be able to notice their emotions a little bit more without judging themselves.

Each exercise is designed to help students achieve a mental state of calm and focus. What weve heard from students and seen in some of our data is that these 4-minute exercises give students an immediate way to relax, Alissa Mrazek said. Weve also had teachers say that when they start class with an exercise, students are suddenly more present and receptive to learning because theyve let go of some of the anxiety that they had before class.

Center for Mindfulness & Human Potential (CMHP) app.

The exercises help you relax in the moment, she continued, but they also train underlying skills that can be used to regulate your focus anytime you start getting worked up about something.

The program is designed to be a tier-one universal intervention that can teach preventative techniques to every single student in a high school, Alissa Mrazek said. All students experience stress and emotional challenges, and they all need access to evidence-based tools that help them understand and care for their own minds.

Noted Villegas, I think there is a movement in schools to be teaching the whole child, kind of a more holistic style instead of just academics. Were realizing that hasnt worked very well with all of the anxiety, depression and suicide rates.

But how would training your focus improve your mental health? Most people think about attention in terms of how long you can concentrate, but its much more than that, Michael Mrazek explained. Attention is a fundamental cognitive capacity that works like a spotlight, influencing what you actually experience in any given moment. If you train that fundamental skill, it not only allows you to focus better on a test but also gives you much more influence over how you relate to your entire inner world.

I'm so excited about this project, he continued. What were trying to accomplish is very challenging, but all of my life I wanted to do something that really makes a difference in the world. When we were awarded this grant it was the first time I felt like we had a genuine opportunity to do it.

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Surviving the Era of Unlimited Distraction - The UCSB Current

Among devout Orthodox Jews, the intense study of Talmud is no longer just a man's world. Women are increasingly delving into this central religious work, and American expats in Israel are at the forefront of the trend.

They're following a custom called Daf Yomi, Hebrew for "daily page," which involves reading a page a day of this centuries-old, multivolume collection of rabbinic teachings, debates and interpretations of Judaism. It takes about seven years and five months to read all 2,711 pages.

In early January, as Orthodox Jewish men held gatherings to mark the end of the cycle, called Siyum HaShas, Orthodox women in Israel held their own large-scale Talmud celebration for the first time. Some 3,000 women of all ages cheered in a Jerusalem convention center, according to the event's organizers, Hadran.

"I never thought I would live to see this day," said Tamar Stern, a Chicago native, sitting in the second-to-last row at the celebration. She attended Orthodox Jewish schools in the 1960s and 1970s, never allowed to learn Talmud with the boys.

Sitting in the first row, Sherri Saperstein, 49, was beaming. She grew up in New York and Boston and now lives in the Israeli town of Ramat Beit Shemesh, home to a community of ultra-Orthodox Jewish men who avoid contact with female strangers and still see Talmud as a man's pursuit.

"I was sitting in the post office," Saperstein recalled. "Two men behind me, who would probably never talk to me, were sitting behind me. They were talking about the 'Daf.' I knew exactly what they were talking about because I am in this process, I am learning the 'Daf'!"

The women's Siyum HaShas was co-organized by Michelle Farber, 47, a New York native who teaches a daily Talmud class for women from her living room table in Raanana, a quiet suburb north of Tel Aviv.

Men wrote the Talmud and, for centuries, it has mostly been men who have studied it. Today, Talmud study groups and even related podcasts are almost all exclusively delivered by men.

"Because they're given by men, they're not actually kind of seen from a woman's perspective," said Farber. "When I teach, I think a lot about the women's issues on the page."

One part of the Talmud discusses the ancient practice of dedicating money to the Temple in Jerusalem, in which Jews should give an amount relative to what the text considers to be their individual worth. In her classes, Farber notes the historical context. "This was written in a time where women were valued as less because women weren't educated and women weren't working," Farber said.

The modern-day Reform and Conservative movements of Judaism have long embraced a more egalitarian approach, ordaining women as rabbis and allowing equal participation in leading prayer and study. Some progressive Orthodox communities in the last few decades have widened women's roles in leading prayer and participating in Talmud study, and women are expanding the boundaries more and more.

American immigrants like Farber are helping lead the push for women's Talmud study in Israel, in part because many were exposed to Talmud early on. Some Orthodox schools in the United States began teaching the sacred text to girls in the 1950s.

At 8:15 a.m. on a recent Tuesday, a dozen women, mostly U.S.-born, pored over Talmud books as Farber used a whiteboard to explain the day's page: a complex discussion about women's menstruation, which, according to Orthodox practice, affects when a woman may have sex with her husband.

Each page of Talmud is a small block of mostly Aramaic text surrounded by commentaries, which are nestled in yet another layer of commentaries.

"A brain workout, right?" said Geula Zamist, who flew in from New Jersey to attend Farber's class and the big women's Talmud celebration. "It's such a great way to start a day. It's such a spiritual exercise to use your brain in such a completely different way."

Farber hosts a daily Talmud podcast called Daf Yomi For Women, in English and Hebrew, with about 250 subscribers. Her aim is to make the Talmud more approachable for women.

One of her podcast listeners is U.S.-born Ilana Kurshan, the author of a memoir about studying Talmud. Even with their dated assumptions about gender and class, she says, Talmud stories are worth learning.

"There is a story about a man who mistook his wife for a prostitute. A story about a man who was so engaged by his Torah study that he neglected to come home to his wife for years and years. They're stories that just make you think differently about so many aspects of human experience, and in that sense these texts are really timeless," Kurshan said in an interview at her home in Jerusalem.

The new trend of Talmud study is not limited to Orthodox women.

Nonreligious "secular yeshiva" programs in Israel teach Talmud, while the organization Svara runs a Talmud camp in U.S. cities for "queer, straight, trans, aleph bet beginners, experienced Talmudists, secular, religious, Jews [and] non-Jews."

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Orthodox Jewish Women Take A New Lead In Talmud Study In Israel - WAMC

The average American spends as much as 90 percent of their day indoors. Modern lifestyle doesnt give us a lot of opportunities to naturally spend our time outside. This means that we need to make conscious decisions to go outdoors.

For someone in recovery, its essential to spend at least 20 minutes outside each day. Nature therapy is considered to bring significant benefits for people in treatment for drug or alcohol addiction. It helps them manage many of the issues that can put them at risk of relapse.

NATURE ACTIVITY OPTIONSNature therapy (also green therapy or ecotherapy) is some kind of free drug rehab centers: no-cost facilities. Nature is everywhere and available to everyone. The fresh air, the light wind, the natural light, and the sounds bring us a sense of peace and freedom. Incorporating outdoor activities into your daily routine will encourage your sobriety and improve your overall well-being. Here are a range of activities to try:

Getting outside in the bad weather may seem a bad idea. Dont let the cold temperatures force you to stay indoors. In winter, you can enjoy other activities:

Ask family members and friends who support your decision to quit drinking or taking drugs to participate in these activities with you. Spending time together will help to restore trust and improve your relationship that might have been ruined during the time of abusing. If you are still getting free drug addiction treatment in some rehab, there may be some outdoor activities included in the program.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF SPENDING TIME IN NATURE DURING RECOVERYAddiction affects the body, the mind, and the spirit. Thus, recovery requires a complex approach that focuses on physical, mental and emotional healing. Nature therapy leads to improvements in these three aspects which decreases the risk of relapse. They are as follows:

1. The immune system strengthens.If a person stays indoors all the time, their immune system is exposed to the same threats. Without exposure to new ones, the body cant develop new forms of resistance. Spending time outdoors helps to build stronger immunity, which is one of the main goals of any free drug rehabilitation center.

2. Being outdoors encourages exercise.Being outside will encourage you to move walk or run around, or at least stroll and check things out. Physical activity has been shown to reduce withdrawal symptoms in people who have an addiction to alcohol, illegal drugs, and nicotine. Besides, doing physical outdoor activities and exercising is an excellent way to get into better shape.

3. It improves the quality of sleep and makes you more energetic.Individuals with addiction are 5 to 10 times more likely to have sleep disorders. And green therapy can help to deal with this problem.

Our circadian rhythms are naturally linked to the suns schedule. So, much exposure to natural sunlight, particularly early morning rays, can fix our natural rhythms.

4. Spending time in nature helps to manage stress.In 2014, Swedish psychologist Terry Hartig conducted an interesting study. At first, the participants had to complete a 40-minute sequence of cognitive tasks designed to reach mental fatigue. After that, they were randomly asked to spend 40 minutes walking in a local natural environment, walking in an urban environment or sitting quietly while reading a magazine and listening to soft music.

As a result, the group who had walked in the nature settings reported less anger and more positive emotions than the other two groups. Ecotherapy is included in free substance abuse programs because it teaches people to cope with stress.

5. Brain function improves.Another Terry Hartigs study revealed that a simple walkthrough nature can have a restorative effect. Researchers from Stanford University found out that walking can promote creative thinking. And Australian scientists found that spending time outdoors improves focus, cognitive function, and problem-solving skills.

THE RISKS OF SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME INDOORSStaying indoors for long periods is associated with several dangers. They may include the following:

Though traditional treatment methods like behavioral therapy are more researched and there is substantial evidence on their effectiveness, you shouldnt underestimate the power of the holistic approach. Nature therapy is relatively an emerging field, but many free rehab centers incorporate it into their programs. In some cases, especially when clients have problems with socialization, it can be even more helpful than conventional therapy.

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Recovering naturally: how spending time in nature can help recovery - The Yucatan Times

Apple has partnered with four gym networks in the United States for the implementation of Apple Watch Connected. This connection will allow Apple Watch owners to track their workouts and ultimately receive rewards for their exercise efforts.Basecamp Fitness, Crunch Fitness, Orangetheory and the YMCA will be involved in the program, and it became available last week at certain locations. There is no fee for the participating gyms, but they must meet requirements from Apple, including having an Apple Watch app and accepting Apple Pay, among others.According to a CNBC report, Basecamp Fitness will institute the program at all its locations over the next year and give users an Apple Watch Series 5 GPS model that can be paid off by participating in three classes per week for a year.Crunch Fitness is rolling out this program at a pair of New York City locations. Crunch has CrunchTime Active Rewards, which allows members who complete weekly fitness goals using Apple Watch to save on monthly dues.Crunch is thrilled these New York locations are part of the Apple Watch Connected program. An overwhelming majority of our members choose iOS as their mobile platform of choice and we're seeing widespread adoption of Apple Watch by members in our club, Chad Waetzig, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Branding at Crunch, said in a release. With the convenience and great fitness and activity tracking features of Apple Watch, we feel we're able to bring our members next level integration by building an entire experience around this device.And we're fully intending to expand the Apple Watch Connected program across more Crunch Signature and Crunch Fitness gyms in 2020 and beyond.Orangetheory, according to CNBC, will implement Apple Watch Connected in all its U.S. clubs in 2020 and offer Apple and Nike gift cards to users who meet certain goals.The YMCA started the program at its Minneapolis/St. Paul facilities last week. The YMCA Twin Cities will put your efforts toward a good cause, saying that through participants reaching certain achievements, young people are given free enrollment in programs like Swim Lessons, Camp, Sports and Youth in Governmentall of which offer opportunities to learn lifelong skills and make meaningful friendships.

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Apple Watch and Gym Partnerships Will Reward Exercise Enthusiasts - Loyalty360

LACONIA Lakes Region General Hospital is ending its affiliation with its two wellness centers as the hospital prepares to merge with another health care organization, Dick DeVivo, co-chair of the advisory board for the Community Wellness Center in Laconia, said Thursday.

The other facility is the Winnipesaukee Wellness Center in Moultonborough.

The Laconia center, which serves about 200 people, will remain open as the advisory board sets up a non-profit organization to run it, obtains liability insurance, rehires staff, finds its own suppliers and arranges to maintain athletic equipment.

DeVivo said he learned of the changes in a meeting with hospital officials last week. He said he was not told the name of any organization with which LRGH may be planning to partner.

Hospital Vice President Cass Walker confirmed the changes.

"As LRGHealthcare continues to actively seek partnership, Kevin Donovan met with the Community Wellness Center in Laconia and the Winnipesaukee Wellness Center in Moultonborough to discuss future planning and has encouraged them to form their own independent organizations," she said.

"These Wellness programs provide a vital and rich array of services to their communities. LRGHealthcare has been proud to be part of these partnerships."

DeVivo said the $55 monthly fees paid by members will allow the center to continue to operate.

The center has cardiovascular machines, stationary bicycles and free weights. An emergency medical technician is on hand. Among those served by the center are people who are exercising on doctors recommendations.

A sign outside the Community Wellness Center, 22 Strafford St., bills it as a Department of Lakes Region General Hospital.

The LRGH website describes the wellness centers in Laconia and Moultonborough.

Fitness programs are tailored to the individual needs and capabilities of people with chronic disabilities, or those whose doctors feel could benefit from a supervised exercise program, it states. Staffed by registered nurses and exercise specialists, our number one priority is helping our members to maintain and improve their health and quality of life.

DeVivo said the Laconia center was founded 20 years ago and has operated at various locations.

For more than a year, LRGH has been seeking a merger with a larger health care system to remedy financial problems stemming from its heavy debt load and the payment difficulties affecting community hospitals nationwide.

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LRGH to end connection to its wellness centers | Local News - The Laconia Daily Sun

The city of Chandler is on a mission to ensure its aging community remains active and connected to the resources it needs, Chandler Community Services Director Andy Bass said, but city officials have realized existing amenities and programs may not meet the needs of the growing number of active adults in Chandler.

Chandler is embarking on a study to look into the feasibility of a multigenerational center in the city as well as capitalizing on new programs at the citys existing senior center.

When you talk about seniors today, its really like two dynamic and different groups of seniors, Bass said. You have people who are between 50 and 75 who dont necessarily fit with what we traditionally think of as a senior. Then you have a 75-plus population that may be more traditional seniors.

Bass said the population of seniors in Chandler has grown substantially over the years. The Chandler population over 55 grew from nearly 16% in 2010 to 21.6% in 2018, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureaus Annual Community Survey. That is an increase of 17,497 people over 55 in Chandler.

"That trend is only going to increase, Bass said. So we are trying to rewrite what it means to age and what we do in the city in terms of programming. We are trying to meet the needs of super active adults and trying to break down the barriers for 55-plus age groups.

According to the latest data available from the U.S. Census Bureau Annual Community Survey, Chandlers population in 2018 between 55 and 74 years old was estimated at 44,462 with an additional 35,183 people between the ages of 45 and 54.

City officials project that by 2032, the active adult population over 55 will become the highest age segment in Chandler, making up nearly 27% of the citys total population.

Chandler takes pride in being an inclusive community, said Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke. We have services and programs in place to serve Chandler residents of all ages including children, students, millennials, middle-aged adults and seniors. Our City staff and my colleagues on the Council work closely together to ensure that as our demographics shift, we are flexible and able to provide needed services.

Meeting the needs of the future

At a Dec. 12 City Council meeting, council approved an agreement with GreenPlay LLC to conduct a multigenerational recreation center feasibility study. According to the supporting documents on the council agenda, city staff felt based on the results of the Senior Needs Assessment that the current senior center is unlikely to sufficiently address the needs of Chandlers population over 55 years of age in the future.

The feedback from the assessment was that we should look into doing a modern multigenerational-type center, Bass said. He said the goal would be to create a space where residents from all generations participate in activities and programs together. Bass said he would like to see a little less separation in age divisions for programming.

Its not just the older generation interested in pickleball, Bass said. We are seeing those who are retiring are younger, and younger and that cross-generational interaction benefits all people. It passes down knowledge to the younger generation and keeps older generations young.

In addition to the multigenerational recreation center feasibility study, Bass said the city is planning to continue to improve the existing senior center by adding more programs and services.

Barbara Mullins, a member of the mayors committee on the aging, said she has lived in Chandler for just under two years and is excited about the things the city is doing and plans to do for seniors.

Mullins said she was excited that city staff is looking to add more fitness equipment at the center, such as treadmills and free weights.

It is a wonderful facility and really reflects how active the community is, Mullins said.

Chandlers existing active adult amenities

The city offers a variety of programs and services for seniors, Bass said.

The city offers arts and crafts, opportunities to serve on boards and commissions, billiards, cards and games, congregate meals, dances, educational classes, employment services, excursions and trips, exercise programs, financial services, groups and clubs, housing services, information resources, legal advice, medical services, public meeting spaces, quilting, special events and volunteer services.

Most services are run out of the senior center, which is located at 202 E. Boston St. in Chandler, but Bass said there is senior programming at libraries and at Tumbleweed Recreation Center in the city.

Bass said the city has also recently worked to improve the senior center.

Its been a lot of face-lifts, Bass said. New paint, new flooring; we have really been looking at how the facility looks and feels.

The city announced in December that it was partnering with televeda, a Phoenix-based company that offers live online wellness, educational and recreational programs, to offer classes aimed at combating isolation in older adults.

One of the fastest things that will kill you is isolation, Bass said. This program allows you to get on the web with a camera, you can join in on recreation programs and fitness. People doing this are trying to combat isolation and create stimulated minds and bodies.

Mullins said she is grateful that the city prioritizes the well-being of its senior population.

I go to the senior center pretty much every day, and Im excited about the changes theyve made there, Mullins said. When I lived in Oregon, I went to the senior center there a couple times, and it was very bleh. They didnt seem to have a lot of things for people to do. It didnt have as many activities as the center here. Our center is beautiful and so much fun. They try real hard to do special things for us on holidays and try and get people involved and active. They are very invested in us, and I appreciate that so much.

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City to focus on growing active adult population - Community Impact Newspaper

By Len Lear

There was a time when new mothers were regarded as delicate flowers who should not move around much to avoid harm to the anatomy. Not anymore. We know now that a post-natal exercise regimen is a boost for the physical, mental and emotional health of new mothers. And our areas foremost proponent of this philosophy is Crystal Widmann, 36, a highly regarded yoga instructor who has carved out a special niche for herself with Y2B Fit Yoga & Barre, which started as a virtual fitness program and is now a studio at 7101 Emlen St. in West Mt. Airy.

A certified personal trainer, Widmann specializes in helping new mothers regain core strength and pelvic stability through her mommy + me programs. I just checked the 14 most recent customer reviews on yelp.com, of which 12 were five-stars and the other two were four stars.

For example, Whitney S. wrote on Dec. 16: I tried the Y2 Barre 45 class today after work with Lauren (Leavell) as my instructor, who was great. I was pushed to my limits today after not working out for a couple of months, and I honestly feel great after class I will be back on Thursday to get my butt kicked again, LOL!

Jess G. recently wrote: I absolutely love attending barre classes at Y2B Fit! I have been coming here for a year and a half, and I keep finding new things to love about it ! The teachers strike the perfect balance between keeping the classes consistent (so you can practice and get better at the moves) and dynamic (so you never get bored). I have taken classes at several other barre studios and have never felt as comfortable and at home as I do here. I would recommend Y2B to anyone!

Widmann is a health and post-natal fitness expert, specializing in barre and yoga training with over 11 years of experience in the yoga and fitness industry. She won the 2016 Philadelphia Family Magazines Love Award for Best Personal Trainer for Families.

Widmann graduated from Temple University with a BA in psychology and a masters in education. She earned a second masters degree in exercise science & health promotion from California University of Pennsylvania. The knowledge gained there, combined with Widmanns personal experience as a new mother, helped her develop her innovative BYO Baby Barre technique that targets the specific needs of post-natal women. The program fuses barre technique, traditional fitness training principles and physical therapy elements.

Although the purpose of Y2B fit is to engage mothers in a fitness routine, the classes are open to everyone. Most clients now are not new moms, and some are men. The programs offered include yoga, barre, post-natal fitness training and health coaching through either private sessions or online videos and live-streaming.

While I was getting my degree in psychology, said Widmann, I was also doing yoga training, I took a yoga course for a fitness requirement, and that sparked my interest in becoming a teacher. I loved yoga, barre and exercise, and I knew that after I had my son (Nesh, now 5), I wanted to help other new mothers with fitness.

Widmann developed BYO Baby Barre when she was post-partum with her son, utilizing her background in exercise science (masters degree) to modify the workout to make it safe for the postnatal body. Being a mother myself, Widmann said, I know how challenging it can be trying to exercise, let alone do anything without your newborn child, so I wanted to share fitness with new mothers through online videos. I later found an open space available that looked great for a studio, and it led me down a whole new path that I never imagined happening.

When the business opened three years ago, it was just Widmann as the teacher and a handful of students. It has since grown, however, to a staff of eight teachers (plus Widmann) and a solid membership base. In addition to barre and yoga, they have also added more cardio and strength-based classes including Tabata and TRX.

Are there any plans for the expansion of Y2B? We have been exploring options for expansion but are still in the planning phase. Im not sure what this will look like yet. Hopefully, well have more details soon!

What is the best advice Widmann has ever received? The best advice Ive ever received is to trust your gut and slow and steady wins the race.

For more information about Y2B Fit Yoga & Barre, call 267-278-6251 or visit y2bfit.com.

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- Just what the doctor ordered for post-natal fitness - Chestnut Hill Local

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. It is imperative that your body has the proper fuel before and after a workout.

In today's On the Menu segment, registered dietitian Tara Martin from Mercy Health shares some healthy recipes will get you ready to sweat and with provide all the necessary nutrients when your workout is over.

"Everybody is different and chances are your level of physical activity may be different than those around you," Martin explained. "However, there are some common themes that are good to remember surrounding nutrition and exercise."

Martin says the human body stores glucose from carbohydrates in the form of glycogen. When we exercise, our body uses some of that glycogen storage. Therefore, eating some carbs before a workout will ensure your body is rebuilding those stores and giving your body the energy, or fuel, it needs to get through the workout. Most people find it best to eat a small meal or snack anywhere from 30 minutes to three hours before a workout.

It is also important to get good nutrition after a workout. Again, you need some carbohydrates for glycogen repletion, but also getting some protein is very important for muscle recovery. Protein is what rebuilds and repairs our muscles, especially after strength training. You can also find foods that have electrolytes, since we lose some when we sweat. Typically, it is best to eat within an hour of your workout.

When you skip eating before or after your workout, you can end up fatigued and your body may not be able to recover as well.

Lastly, staying hydrated before and after your workout is extremely important.

Some examples of pre-workout snacks might include multigrain toast with almond butter, strawberries and chia seeds, which has some complex carbohydrates for energy and some protein for muscle building. Greek yogurt with granola is another example, because Greek yogurt tends to have more protein than a regular yogurt.

Some ideas for post workout snacks include a simple banana milk smoothie. The banana has some electrolytes and the milk has a great ratio of carbs to protein along with helping to aid in hydration. You can even add a scoop of protein powder if desired. A turkey wrap with veggies and hummus is a lean protein that has a good balance of carbs as well; this is an easy lunch idea even if you have not just worked out. Lastly, hard boiled eggs are great on-the-go snacks that offer about 6 grams of high biological protein each.

Check out these recipes that are the perfect workout fuel:

Fruit-topped multigrain toast2 slices multigrain sourdough bread (or any you prefer)2 tablespoons almond butterStrawberries, sliced1 tablespoon chia seeds

Greek yogurt parfait1 cup of Vanilla Greek Yogurt cup granola

Banana Milk Smoothie1 Banana1/3 cup Milk (white or chocolate)Optional: 1 Tbsp peanut butter, 1 scoop protein powder of choice, sprinkle of cinnamon

Turkey Wrap1 whole grain sandwich wrap3 pieces deli turkey2 slices provolone cheeseTomato, slicedSpinachAvocado2 Tbs hummus

Information and recipes courtesy of Tara Martin, RD.

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On the Menu: Fueling your Workout - WZZM13.com

During the height of tensions with Iran last year, the United States conducted an unprecedented series of war games. Over five months, from May until the end of September, 93 separate military exercises were held, with forces operating continuously in, above and around 29 countries.

The games, which practiced everything from ground platoon tactics to cyber warfare, weren't held in the Mideast and weren't directed at Tehran. They were directed against Moscowand constituted the most intense uninterrupted set of drills since the end of the Cold War.

The activity was the culmination of a buildup that began after Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014. Though American armed forces were fighting several "hot wars" and engaged in crisis deployments in response to both Iran and North Korea, the shift to practicing "high end" warfare tasks dominated. The focus was also undeniably anti-Russia,with the number of European games ten times the number of China-related drills held at the same time.

"In the shadow of the deteriorating European security environment, the size and scope of NATO and Russian military exercises have increased significantlyeven dramatically," a NATO parliamentary committee reported in October. The committee worried that NATO doesn't possess sufficient ground troops in Eastern Europe to deter Russian inference or attack. It also pointed to Moscow's own high-profile war games, many involving scenarios that include the use of nuclear weapons in a European war.

While the conventional view is one of Russian advantage, the new figures show that the United States and its European partners far outstrip Moscow. These "persistent heel-to-toe" operations, as the military calls them, where one exercise begins as another ends, emphasize rapid aircraft deployments and dispersal to forward bases. Much of the emphasis last year was on fighter aircraft and bomber scatterings, showcasing Western geographic advantages while also demonstrating combined air operations refined in two decades of Middle East fighting.

These operations and exercises, then-NATO Commander Army Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti told Congress last Spring, were meant to "introduce operational unpredictability to our adversaries." The question is: at what cost? That is, are we provoking the very thing NATO hopes to avoida new Cold War? Or more concretely, in putting the two sides on a path where escalating military exercises and the intermingling of forces increases tensions while also providing more and more opportunities for miscalculation.

'100,000 Tons of International Diplomacy'

From the day former national security advisor John Bolton stepped to the microphone last May to announce that B-52 bombers and the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln were being rushed to the Middle East because of "troubling and escalatory indications and warnings" coming from Iran, Europe was already on pace to break all records regarding military activity.

The Lincoln was in the Mediterranean Sea and was operating with the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis, the first time two carrier strike groups had conducted dual operations in the Trump administration. On the day of Bolton's announcement, Lincoln-based F/A-18F Super Hornet fighters flew 700-mile bombing runs to targets in Romania. The next day, Super Hornets flew again, this time 1,000-mile missions from the Ionian Sea west of Greece and traversing Eastern Europe to Lithuania.

There, the Navy strike fighters worked with ground spotters to practice bombing, less than 500 miles from Moscow. "We are showing the world that we ... are prepared and capable of executing missions in our allies' airspace on short notice," said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Stephen Gay, coordinator of the exercise.

U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon M. Huntsman Jr. was on the Lincoln during the operation. "Each of the carriers operating in the Mediterranean at this time represent 100,000 tons of international diplomacy," the former Utah Governor said.

Finished with its mock bombing of Russia, the Lincoln canceled a scheduled port call in Croatia and set sail for the Persian Gulf. By the time it steamed south through the Suez Canal and around the Arabian Peninsula to take up station off the Iranian coast, no fewer than seven separate NATO war games were held: Arrow and Bold Quest in Finland, Spring Storm in Estonia, Formidable Shield off the coast of Scotland, Immediate Response in Croatia, Hungary and Slovenia, Stolen Cerberus VI in Greece, and Erciyes in Turkey. And in those two weeks, a dozen Florida-based F-16C fighters arrived in the United Kingdom and the newest F-35 Lightning II jets deployed from Utah to Northern Italy, the latter for the first time.

No European deployments were canceled or delayed because of Iran, according to a senior European Command official who was not authorized to speak on the record. And not only were U.S. aircraft operating close to Russian airspace. Starting in May, the air forces of nine different NATO nations deployed to forward bases in the Baltic states, Poland and Romania on "air policing" missions.

The exercises and deployments were taking place under an umbrella Pentagon program called the European Deterrence Initiative (EDI). Started after the Crimea crisis, EDI has built up a NATO ground presence in the three Baltic states and Poland, enhanced the air defense of the Baltics, southeastern Europe and Iceland, and accelerated air deployments from the United States under both "bomber assurance" and "theater security" programs.

Last March, the Trump administration requested $5.9 billion to fund EDI, a 10 percent reduction from the previous yearwhich some observers saw as a sign of Donald Trump's personal softness on Russia. Calling the Russian threat to Europe "real and growing," Army Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, the outgoing top officer for NATO, told Congress that he was "not comfortable yet with the deterrent posture" on the continent.

"We're looking at increased burden-sharing," Pentagon Deputy Comptroller Elaine A. McCusker told reporters, echoing the president's many statements that the rich European nations should contribute more towards their defense, lessening the American bill.

But the fine print showed that there was no real reduction. The cut was actually the result of completed construction and other "nonrecurring" costs that stabilized EDI at a steady level. And the amount dedicated to exercises and training more than doubled from the previous year, from $291 million to $609 million.

On December 4, after a marathon eight months in the Middle East, the USS Abraham Lincoln transited the Strait of Hormuz to return home. The Iran crisis was still brewing and would further escalate with the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani a month later. The crisis deployments Bolton had announced included a total of six bombers in two groups, both of which had come and gone. A battalion-sized Marine Corps force had also left the region. Emergency ground deployments totaled fewer than 10,000 troops, the majority in Patriot anti-air and missile defense units. Air Force aircraft had augmented the Lincoln's air wing on the scene. Three squadrons of F-15E Strike Eagles, F-35A Lightning IIs, and F-22 Raptors, constituted the totality of the anti-Iran movements.

During the same time, nine American squadrons of fighter aircraft deployed to Europe for anti-Russian war games, according to Pentagon documents. During the third week in June, when Iran shot down an American drone, exercise Anatolian Eagle was in full swing in Konya, Turkey. Though Turkey abuts Iran, the exercise, funded by the European Defense Initiative, had a wholly NATO European focus.

As two oil tankers were hit with limpet mines in the Persian Gulf, special operators from ten nations were skulking about as a part of exercise Trojan Footprint 19, one that took place across Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and in the Black Sea. In northern waters, Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) brought together 50 ships and 40 aircraft of 18 NATO nations, plus Sweden and Finland. A total of seven NATO war games were underway, including Iron Wolf in Lithuania; Dragon 19 in Poland; Swift response in Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania; and Strike Back and Saber Guardian in Bulgaria.

Overall, more than 50,000 NATO and allied military personnel were in action against Russia. U.S. Air Force F-35 fighters deployed to both Finland and Norway for the first time. Joining them were Louisiana-based B-52 bombers that had forward deployed to England and flew mock bombing runs against Russia simultaneously over the Baltic and Black Sea regions.

Heel to toe, exercise Dynamic Mongoose commenced in Norwegian Arctic waters with the completion of BALTOPS. Exercise Sea Breeze also got underway in the Black Sea to augment Dynamic Mongoose. While Ukraine was on everyone's lips in Washington because of House impeachment hearings, a total of 32 ships and 24 aircraft from 19 countries were operating in and around that Black Sea nation.

None of this took place without a Russian response. The very week of Bolton's Iran announcement, a Hungarian fighter operating in Lithuania intercepted a Russian Federation Air Force plane flying without a transponder signal. Russian sent its own bombers to fly along the western coast of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. At the end of May, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow was concerned about NATO's increased activities near its borders.

Russian news agency TASS reported that the number of Russian air intercepts had increased ten times over the past three years. Meanwhile, NATO scrambles had increased 300 percent, according to classified U.S. Air Force documents. When a Russian Su-24 Fencer fighter-bomber dangerously buzzed a Spanish Navy ship operating in the Baltic, NATO issued a vigorous protest.

As the May exercise season started, Air Force Gen. Tod Wolters took over command of NATO from Gen. Scaparrotti. One of his first orders of business was to sit down with the Russian Chief of General Staff, General Valery Gerasimov to discuss "deconfliction" of military activity. Wolters told reporters just days before the Spanish incident that American "deterrence" activity had tempered Russian behavior, that there had been a reduction in Russian "unprofessional behavior.

The two generals met again in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, on July 10th for what were more sobering talks, according to military officers who were privy to the discussions. That same day, the Ukrainian Navy reported that a Russian destroyer intruded into the Sea Breeze restricted area during live-fire artillery drills, creating "an emergency situation." When NATO radioed the destroyer with a warning, according to a Ukrainian Navy's statement, the Russian ship "pretended to be experiencing communications problems." Russia's Black Sea fleet said Ukrainian claims were untrue. The Cold War was back.

Excerpt from:
Exclusive: While The Press And Public Focus On Iran, US Military Prepares For War With Russia - Newsweek

Naps, salads, open dialogue and leading by example are great places to start, says a leading workplace wellness researcher

January30, 202011 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Over the past decade, wellness has ballooned into a $4.2 trillion business. In the crowded marketplace of self-improvement, hardcore health innovations jostle with softcore supplements in the jade egg domain. Meanwhile, hustle culture has spawned a kind of work worship that has many people burning out and questioning how much they should really expect to get from (or give to) their jobs. In the midst of all this, workplace wellness is on the rise; more than 80 percent of large companies and 50 percent of small companies have implemented such programs. Despite their pervasiveness, big questions linger over what, exactly, works.

Thats something that Dr. Ron Goetzel has devoted his career to studying. Goetzel is a senior scientist and director of the Institute for Health and Productivity Studies at Johns Hopkins, as well as VP of applied research for IBM Watson Health. He says the first idea worth considering is how we think about what works. Traditionally, the measurement for success has been return on investment (ROI), or what a company saves on lowered healthcare costs and reduced absenteeism given how much theyve invested in wellness initiatives. Goetzel does plenty of these analyses. Since 1994, hes run The Health Project, which gives a yearly award to companies with demonstrably effective wellness initiatives. He led a recent study showing that over a 14-year period, a portfolio of 26 of these companies significantly outperformed the S&P 500. The 26 companies that truly invested in wellness delivered a stock return of 325 percent, versus the S&P 500s 105 percent. Data suggests that wellness programs done right do, in fact, pay dividends.

Even so, Goetzel says that more and more researchers in his line of work are considering something called value on investment (VOI) over ROI. It's hard to put a dollar value on happiness and motivation, on attraction and retention of talent, he says. So a lot of companies are now thinking about value on investment. If theyre spending money, and keeping people healthy not just physically but mentally, socially, financially, intellectually, spiritually whats the value? Often the number one thing companies care about is engagement. You know, are people coming to work and loving their job, their coworkers, their boss? And ultimately, am I lowering health care costs?

Its notable that in America, 60 percent of people say their jobs are bad or mediocre, yet most do have a job (many people have more than one). Employment is at an all time low, but rates of suicide, depression and addiction are climbing. It stands to reason that if Americans are going to work, thats one place wellness initiatives can reach them. As Goetzel told CNBC last year, The younger workforce is beginning to ask for how their company is socially responsible, and this is one other element of that. How you treat the health of workers and the footprint in the community, and handprint on the community, has quite a bit of impact on reputation and consumer confidence, and it will become much more important.

So workplace wellness initiatives arent just hot air. But for an entrepreneur starting out, or a small business owner looking to scale, it can be difficult to know where to start. What, in the vast array of wellness offerings, is worth the expense? Dr. Goetzel offers some suggestions for thinking about how to integrate health and wellness into your business.

Offering health insurance is only the first step. Wellness initiatives that actually work dont conceptualize their plans as a program or classify a package of offerings and perks as distinct from the actual job. They view wellness as intrinsic to the company culture. You cant expect people to get healthy when you mandate unreasonable hours or excessive levels of output. You cant simply offer employees one-time health assessments and leave it at that. And you cant just pay for a health plan and direct employees to the website, to navigate on their own. Goetzel says that if you actually want healthy employees, you have to consider every aspect of their well-being: physical, emotional, intellectual, financial, social, spiritual. (He clarifies: Spiritual to some people means religion, but to others it means having a sense of purpose or mission in life and asking, Can all aspects of my life align with that mission?). Goetzel says its easiest to think of structuring wellness initiatives into three broad categories: policies, programs and environmental supports.

To create a comprehensive culture of health, policies function as guidelines, like flexible scheduling and parental leave, or feedback processes that give workers a sense of agency. Programs are optional perks like financial incentives for health goals or even classes (cooking, exercise, tech tutoring, etc.) and professional services offered (nutritionists, chronic disease specialists, financial advisors, etc.). And environment refers to the effort made by an employer to surround workers with healthy options: water versus soda, stairs versus elevators, natural light versus artificial light and so forth.

It starts at the top. Leadership commitment is the first step in taking a culture of wellness from theory to reality. And one of the biggest ways a boss can foster a healthy culture is by encouraging workers quality of life outside of work. If the leader is sending emails at 4:00 in the morning, saying, I need you to do this by 6:00 a.m., thats not good, Goetzel says. Whereas I know its true for me that when a boss walks around the office at 6pm and says, Hey everybody, 6:00 go home to your family, go home to your friends, get out of here. If you need to show up tomorrow morning bright and early to finish this, that's fine. Do your work. But right now it's your time. A boss who sets that kind of tone makes a difference.

Communication is absolutely essential in making sure that health initiatives are well-received and helping who theyre intended to help. For small businesses in particular, Goetzel recommends simply asking employees what they need. The first thing you want to do is get baseline data, he says. Figure out what you and your workers would like to know about. Is it how to prepare healthy meals? Is it how to get a good workout? Is it how to manage your stress, how to meditate? Do they want yoga sessions or do they want aerobic exercise? So before you even introduce a program, go around, talk to people individually, in groups, or even in surveys. Then that can be the foundation for: Here's what we heard from you. Here's how we're going to respond to that. And here are the steps we can take.

To that point, Goetzel advises not to stop communicating and evaluating, by whatever means you can. With small companies, quite honestly, they can't afford big studies. You know, we do a lot of very large studies for large companies. But just having qualitative data What do you think of the program? How satisfied are you with its offering? What would you change? Does it improve your morale? Does it improve your satisfaction working here? You know, if you had another job offer tomorrow, would you take it? Those kinds of questions, I think, are meaningful.

Environmental influences can have a sizeable impact on peoples moods and decisions. A healthy workplace is made up of lots of small choices. Obvious policies are things like no smoking, Goetzel says. But having healthy food choices in the cafeteria and at company gatherings in fact, making them less expensive than the unhealthy choices is really important. One company I went to had a salad bar sitting right at the entrance of their cafeteria, and it looked delicious. You want a hamburger or cheeseburger? Well, you've got to go to the grill and wait 30 minutes for them to prepare for you. Do you have cookies at the checkout counter or fresh apples? Is it easier to get a water than a Coke?

Giving people space and permission to move around is another of Goetzels suggestions. If you have an outdoor campus, walking trails are fantastic. If you only have indoor space, treadmills are great. If you have stairs, Goetzel recommends making them more attractive. Instead of having people go up and down elevators all day, open up some stairs and make them inviting with carpeting and paintings and music, he says.

Some of the most famous workplace environments are in Silicon Valley. But Goetzel says he doesnt usually point to the big tech companies as beacons of true corporate wellness because the point of the perks is often to keep people at work longer and thats a mentality we need to move away from.

I visited Google and, you know, it's like Disneyland, he said. It's paradise. They've got massages and fitness centers with classes going on all the time. Theyve got bicycle rides. They have free food, smoothies. But people also work their asses off largely because they're brilliant and they love doing it. But eventually it does burn them out.

Still, there is one buzzy workplace trend that Goetzel approves of: nap rooms. There are now large companies offering napping rooms or meditation rooms for their workers, and Im a big proponent. Taking a 30-minute break absolutely makes sense, especially in safety-sensitive occupations like medicine or transportation. But even for a stockbroker or a journalist, you know, a half hour break is probably going to boost your productivity. He reiterates, however, that sanctioning naps shouldnt be contingent on workers getting in at 6 a.m. and leaving at 9 p.m. You have to give people a sense of work-life balance.

Theres an endless variety of health services that you could offer to your employees to build a wellness culture. But Goetzel says you cant just cobble together a network of outside vendors e.g. lifestyle coaches, financial advisers, nurse lines, disability managers, conflict negotiation experts, workers compensation specialists and so on and then walk away. Disparate vendors can easily overlap in their services or fail to see the larger organizational problems at the root of the symptoms theyre treating.

If you decide to hire an all-inclusive health plan provider, make sure they bring the receipts. My advice would be to go to a player out there who has a track record, says Goetzel. Theyve been around, have good references. Can they actually show data that they've made a difference? They can have the most beautiful brochures, but that just means they have a great marketing department. If nobody's using your service and if nobody's actually getting any healthier, why bother?

Once youve chosen a provider, Goetzel says, thats just the beginning of the journey. For small companies, I would go to the health plan first, he says, but know that they're going to be, quite honestly, very superficial and transactional and they may not know what is needed for your particular company. You have to keep skin in the game. You can't just hand off to a vendor, whether it's a health plan or anybody else, and say, Make my people healthy. You cant say, Call me when you're done.

Go here to read the rest:
Workplace Wellness Isn't Just for Big Corporations. Here's How Small Businesses Can Build a Culture of Health. - Entrepreneur

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