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A 90-year-old great grandmother who can deadlift 25kg like she's picking up packed suitcases has a new lease on life thanks to the University of Southern Queensland's (USQ) Sport and Exercise Clinic.

Margaret Loveday's main form of exercise used to be a gentle walk around a sports oval, up until she joined the Ipswich clinic at the start of the year as part of her rehabilitation for a badly compressed spine.

She had never stepped foot in a gym, but within a year of joining the clinic, she's now able to deadlift half her body weight, squat while wearing a 10kg weight vest, and shoulder press with a 5kg dumbbell in each hand.

Margaret said increasing her strength, balance and movement have had a dramatic impact on her daily life.

"The fall I had more than 12 months knocked my confidence quite a bit because I was worried I would never feel well again, but going to the clinic has helped my state of mind, as well as my body," she said.

"These exercises have done wonders for the pain and given me a lot more confidence in my abilities and what I can do. It's changed my life."

Margaret attends the clinic every week and said working out makes her feel stronger and happier.

"It's what I look forward to every week," she said.

"Exercise is something everyone should do, no matter how old you are - it's never too late to start."

Helping her every step, lift and squat of the way has been USQ fourth-year student Frazer Turner, who she credits for the confidence she gained both inside and outside of the clinic.

The pair recently had their last session together, as Mr Turner has now completed his studies and is set to graduate with a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science honours degree in Clinical Exercise Physiology next year.

During his degree, Mr Turner undertook placements at the clinic, where he performed supervised assessments and exercise programs for a wide range of clients, including Margaret.

He also works as a resource manager at the Enoggera Army Barracks in Brisbane where he runs exercise programs for soldiers.

They're a far cry from the workouts he puts Margaret through, which have been adapted to accommodate her health needs and physical abilities.

Margaret Loveday with USQ Sport and Exercise student Frazer Turner during their final session together.

However, Mr Turner said Margaret's determination and dedication was unmatched, and an inspiration to young and old alike.

"Margaret is hands down one of my favourite clients," he said.

"She turns up on time, every time, and has only missed two sessions since she started in January.

"She makes progress every week and is always prepared to learn. At 90, you need to be eager to learn new things, not only to get yourself physically active but also to keep your brain active at the same time.

"Her face lights up every time she walks in because she knows that despite how hard the session might be for her, she can see the benefits and feel the rewards.

"One day when she told me she was no longer in pain really made my day because that's the main reason why I do this."

Margaret Loveday with USQ Sport and Exercise student Frazer Turner during their final session together.

Margaret turns 91 on December 23 and while she has a new student leading her program, she has no plans to slow down.

"I will continue to go until I feel 100 per cent again, and at my age I will probably never be 100 per cent, so I won't be giving it up," she said.

The USQ Sport and Exercise Clinic provides the University's students with the chance to develop and practice their skills while providing the community with a low-cost exercise rehabilitation service.

For more information, contact 3812 6104 or visit http://www.usq.edu.au/hes/school-of-health-and-wellbeing/sport-and-exercise-clinic.

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How this great-grandma got in to deadlifting at 90 years old - Queensland Times

On a drizzly day last week, AARP celebrated the opening of a tiny, but mighty senior fitness area on San Antonios South Side.

Its on the grounds of Normoyle Park, which is tucked into a low-income neighborhood off of Zarzamora Street alongside a community center that offers senior programs.

The city park features a childrens playground, picnic tables, an outdoor pool and a skate ramp that can be used by other wheeled vehicles, among other amenities.

Now it has an AARP-sponsored FitLot pad that features stationary fitness equipment geared to senior citizens. FitLot is a New Orleans-based nonprofit that creates and equips outdoor spaces for use by people with wide-ranging fitness levels and abilities.

Normoyle sits in a predominantly Mexican American neighborhood that has traditionally been under served and includes a fair share of 50-plus residents dealing with preventable illnesses.

For AARP, the national organization that advocates for middle-aged and elderly Americans, all these characteristics fit its own check list for the new initiative: FitLots in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands.

AARP picked San Antonio for its Texas site, the groups 15th FitLot for 2019. It will build 21 more in 2020, and the final 17 in 2021. Each will get multiyear grants to launch the fitness sites with trainer-led classes.

Officials wouldnt say what each FitLot costs, only that its investment will allow San Antonio to hold a minimum of 54 classes each year for several years.

The outdoor, canopy-covered exercise spot is open for business and promotes movement thats safe on joints, builds core strength and increases flexibility. Its a Christmas gift to South Side seniors who cant afford to buy such equipment to use in their home or to join a gym.

With each elliptical machine AARP places throughout the country, it hopes to encourage seniors living nearby to keep moving and improving their physical and mental health, which curtails isolation and depression that can impact disease.

This one effort, or 53 of them, wont cover the sizable U.S. population block at risk, of course. The number of people in the United States 65 and up will double from about 52 million to 95 million in 2060.

Life expectancy gains are still high but slowing; and the best educated will outlive poorer, less-educated Americans.

Data has prompted experts to say that better health outcomes may depend less on medical intervention than on policies that address healthcare access.

In the backdrop of all this are other challenges. Women arent necessarily living longer as the longevity gender gap is closing. The number of traditional family caregivers will shrink as marriages decline, divorce remains popular and fertility rates fall.

So, a lot of data is driving AARPs efforts, however modest.

Senior parks are an international trend. Theyre being called senior playgrounds for play and leisure. China is credited with the concept that has spread to Japan and parts of Europe. Some are known as nursing-care prevention parks.

Way to put it.

Morie Smile, vice president of AARPs office of community engagement, says the initiative was born of a challenge from CEO Jo Ann Jenkins to mark AARPs 60th anniversary. The goal was to add strong tangible value to a community, Smile said. The first FitLot was in St. Petersburg, Florida.

This lady wandered through, Smile recalled. She was a resident for over 40 years and had brought her children and grandchildren to the park. As Im talking to her, this young guy, probably all of 20, was running past and stopped to do a couple of chin ups.

It pretty much exemplified what we really hoped, she said. I love the parks and think that the United States is catching up to what we are seeing in Europe.

Perhaps some day senior playgrounds might become a real thing. No monkey bars, of course, but I can see the swings now.

Elaine Ayala is a columnist covering San Antonio and Bexar County. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | eayala@express-news.net | Twitter: @ElaineAyala

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San Antonio gets AARPs only senior playground in the state - San Antonio Express-News

AMHERST, Mass. Imagine the impact on first-year college student-athletes in highly competitive programs if you could teach them resilience if they learned skills to cope with high expectations, challenging academic courses, rigorous training and physical injuries, homesickness and even the stressors of life beyond college.

In newly published research, a unique and expanding program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has been shown to improve decision-making and emotional awareness, lower perceived stress and build resilience among diverse and sometimes at-risk college athletes, according to survey data reported by the student participants, compared to a control group of student-athletes. Part of the research was supported by funding in 2017 from the National Collegiate Athletic Associations (NCAA) Innovations in Research and Practice Grant Program, which is designed to improve the psychosocial well-being and mental health of the student-athlete.

Participants gained skills key to victory on and off the field, including a sense of belonging, persistence, leadership and the ability to negotiate for the resources they need, says lead author Genevieve Chandler, a mental health nurse and UMass Amherst nursing professor who developed the innovative program from studying the effects of resilience for two decades.

The new study, published in the Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, focused on 47 first-year football players and 15 womens basketball players in Division 1 programs at UMass Amherst between 2016-2018. The participants were 18 or 19 years old; 66% were African American, and the rest were non-Hispanic white, with the exception of one Hispanic participant. The control group consisted of student-athletes who did not receive the training because they arrived later on campus.

Resilience the ability to persist through challenges and recover from adversity is no longer considered a character trait by researchers but a practiced interaction between person and environment, the study points out.

Negative thoughts stick to us like Velcro, Chandler explains. We have to train our brain to hang on to the positive things. We are experts in stress, so we need to practice building up the calm side of the brain, the focused side.

Chandler developed the resilience-building workshop as a one-credit academic course called Changing Minds, Changing Lives to address the predictable stresses students face as they adjust to college life especially those with a history of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). ACEs emerging from a childs social experience within the family and community have a tremendous impact on future violence victimization and perpetration, and lifelong health and opportunity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Initially offered to nursing students, Chandlers class caught the interest of psychiatric social worker Jim Helling, a UMass Center for Counseling and Psychological Health senior clinician who was then working in the Athletic Counseling Office. Helling thought that in a predominantly white university, black student-athletes in particular could benefit from a new kind of support system better suited to helping them cope with chronic stress exposure. We needed a new approach, a psychological wellness program that would be culturally resonant for students of color, Helling says. Ginnys work focuses on strengths, celebrates resilience and empowers black athletesto express themselves in their own voice. This modelhas beena game changer for our students.

Together, they began teaching the course to first-year football student-athletes, who in turn used their newly developed leadership skills to mentor high school football players in nearby Springfield.

In 2018, Chandler and Helling added basketball players, and interest has now spread across campus to target student groups facing particular stress, such as female and minority engineering students in a program traditionally dominated by white males. They have been featured at conferences and conducted resilience course trainings across the country so other educators can teach the curriculum.

Chandler points out that the 50% of study participants who reported ACEs showed greater increments of positive change in emotional awareness scales than participants without ACEs, illustrating the distinctive importance and benefits of resilience training for an at-risk group. An estimated 60% of the U.S. population has at least one ACE.

Id hope that its a class that everyone could take, honestly, says Caeleb Washington, a UMass Amherst defensive lineman from Melbourne, Fla., who took the resilience course and later served as a teaching assistant.

The course is interactive and experiential. The content focuses on what Chandler calls the ABCS: active coping, such as exercise or meditation; building strength by focusing on and advancing ones aptitudes rather than weaknesses; cognitive awareness, which involves being aware of automatic thinking; and garnering social support. To gain the neuroplastic benefits of repetitive practice, each class follows the same format. It begins with each individual describing a positive practice exercise they did as homework. Breathing exercises and yoga poses follow. Relevant research is presented and then students, as well as teachers, complete a five-minute, deeply personal writing reflection related to the research. The writing is read aloud, after which class members share feedback about what they found strong in the writing. Class ends with each participant sharing an affirmation, appreciation or appraisal about that days class.

This class has taught me how to breathe. It taught me about leadership and it taught me how to just stay calm, says UMass Amherst senior Vashnie Perry, a health administration major from the Atlanta area and co-captain of the womens basketball team. Its the best advice Ive had since Ive been in college.

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Training the Brain: Resilience Program Helps Student-Athletes Cope with Pressures and Adjust to College Life - UMass News and Media Relations

Whether you're into yoga, running or weights, there are plenty of online exercise programs and apps to help you get started or work towards a goal.

They're a great option if you don't like gyms, or find it easier to exercise at home, and many are available for free.

But how can you find an app, video class or exercise program you'll stick to? And how can you avoid signing up for a dud?

To find the answers to these questions and more, we spoke to an exercise physiologist and an exercise psychologist.

If an exercise program is focused on a particular body part, it's probably designed to cash in on a fad rather than promote fitness and health, says Eric Drinkwater, a sports scientist at Deakin University.

"Your body doesn't work in individual parts. You can't lose weight just around your belly, you lose fat from across your body as a whole. You can't spot reduce body fat," he says.

"Anything that's focusing on a single body part is probably an indication that the person who is running it is capitalising on a pop media trend and doesn't know what they're talking about."

No matter what your fitness interests or goals, there will be programs promising big results in a short period of time.

If your fitness goals for the year are to stay healthy and maintain your fitness, here's how much exercise you'll need.

Dr Drinkwater says it's important to remember that exercise should be an ongoing endeavour not something to do for 12 weeks then forget about.

"Time constrained goals can be useful, but keep in mind that once you're done with the program it doesn't mean your fitness is done," he says.

If your goal is to lose weight, keep in mind that progress can be slow going. Instead, it can help to focus on performance goals, Dr Drinkwater adds.

If you're running a bit further or faster or doing more push-ups than you could last week you're making progress.

Ben Jackson is an exercise psychologist at the University of Western Australia.

While it can be helpful to post and participate in online fitness communities, he says it can also be isolating and even demoralising to see people making difficult things look easy.

"When we see someone who has posted that they've been for a 10k run at 5:15am telling us about how great they feel and how they have got their life together, you wonder why those people are doing that," Dr Jackson says.

"We're actually more connected to others than ever before but in some ways we can feel more isolated when the messages we're seeing make us feel bad about ourselves.

"The message isn't that any social support is valuable, it's that the right kind of social support is valuable."

We'll come to what that looks like in a sec.

Just like the gym tries to lock you in with contracts, online exercise programs can involve large upfront costs.

It's why Dr Jackson suggests trialling a program before you commit to paying for it.

"What I'd encourage people to do there is to do their research. Look at what's involved in the program and whether it fits with what you think you'll need, or want or enjoy," he says.

It's also helpful to think about your exercise deal breakers.

Maybe you hate chirpy reminders telling you you're not reaching your goals. Maybe you don't want to be bombarded with daily exercise programs that feel unachievable.

It's helpful to find something that you can watch while you're doing the activity.

"With something like yoga, you can have [a video] playing on the screen while you're doing it," Dr Drinkwater says.

"Yoga also has the added advantage that it is a solo activity, so you're not dependent on having a lot of equipment or a lot of people around you to help you."

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Dr Drinkwater suggests looking for an app or program that provides options for different exercises or workouts.

You're not always going to want to do an intense workout, so it's helpful to have an easier option. Also, variety can help you stay on track with your exercise goals.

If you're looking to start a new exercise program, Dr Drinkwater has a simple message: "You need to find something that you enjoy doing."

"If you're not prepared to keep doing it, then it's not the right program for you," he says.

If it's been a while since you've donned the running shorts and laced up the trainers, should you see a doctor first?

If you're wondering why enjoying exercise is so important (say, instead of something more health related), keep in mind that roughly 50 per cent of people drop out of a new exercise program within the first few months.

It's something Dr Jackson spends a lot of time thinking about.

"For me, as a person who is focused on exercise psychology, that's a really key issue," he says.

"I would be talking to people to find something they enjoy, because it's those activities we come back to ultimately."

If you're looking for extra motivation, having other people supporting you is key.

It's something that can be trickier if you're working out alone at home, which is why many apps and programs use texts and notifications to keep you moving.

While these features can help you stay the course, they will never be as good as having a real life friend doing the program with you.

"I find that social support is really important when it comes to sticking with a program. My suggestion would be to find someone you can do it with, or at least something that's going to give you a lot of peer support," Dr Drinkwater says.

"You can attack a lot of these programs within the first week or two with a lot of enthusiasm but as time goes on that can wear off."

If you can't find a friend, some exercise programs have vibrant and supportive communities on social media and elsewhere.

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How to find an online exercise program that will work for you - ABC News

For those battling pain, even the thought of starting an exercise regimen can be daunting prospect. But Janis Riise believes movement can help relieve pain and is ready to help.

Now an exercise and yoga therapist, Riise worked as a clinical kinesiologist for five years before deciding she wanted to try something different. So, armed with a degree in kinesiology and her accreditations as a yoga instructor, Riise integrated her expertise in both fields to create a unique pain-management program through Universal Movement Recovery.

Ive been able to integrate yoga and kinesiology from the beginning (of my career) and it seems to be working really well, Riise explained. People not only seem to be really interested in yoga, but as they go through injuries their nervous systems can sometimes be really wound up which leads to more pain. So they need to have something (like yoga) to calm them down so that they are able to better see the benefits of the other things they are working on to heal from their injuries.

Universal Movement Recovery mainly focuses on, and is most well known for, its cancer rehabilitation programming some of which Riise does on a pay-by-donation basis.

Using yoga therapy and exercise therapy classes, Riise helps those in her cancer rehabilitation program manage the effects of cancer treatment; she works with clients on recovering lost range of motion, battling fatigue, restoring sensation in their extremities, working through scar tissue and positively connecting with their bodies.

Seeing themselves get stronger in the strength class shows them that they are able to do things after going through a period where they werent able to do anything or a very limited amount, Riise says.

Riise specializes in more than just cancer rehabilitation. She has trained with some of Saskatoons most experienced pelvic floor physiotherapists and has created yoga and strength training programs for women recovering postpartum and after pelvic floor surgeries. Shes also worked with vestibular physiotherapists to extend her understanding of balance problems so she can better help seniors and others dealing with dizziness and balance issues do workouts safely whether it be cardio, yoga or strength training.

Universal Movement Recovery offers both group classes and individual sessions. Riise says that no matter how people end up working with her they can be sure their program is 100 per cent individualized to their needs and goals Riise even creates at-home programs that can be done without having to invest in specialized equipment.

First, Ill have (my client) see a physiotherapist and theyll do an assessment to show what needs to be worked on where they have limits in range of motion and what issues they might be dealing with, Riise said. Then we discuss what the client is interested in and then I would assess their movement patterns to see what they might need to work on so a client who comes in wanting to do yoga might also get some exercises from me on functional conditioning like how to lift a box safely.

Riise doesnt currently have her own space where she can work with clients and currently offers classes out of spaces in Donald Physiotherapy, Nomad Therapies and Ground Yoga. In the future she would like to expand her community-based programming to reach even more people.

I have a lot of knowledge and I just want to share it with people, she said. The clients who do really well with me are open to learning about how yoga can help them to reduce their pain, to become more flexible and to build up strength and stamina.

If you are interested in learning more about Riise and her program, she will be holding a free seminar at Donald Physiotherapy on Jan. 8 at 7 p.m.

Janis Riise, owner of Universal Movement Recovery, in Saskatoon, SK on Friday, November 22, 2019. Universal Movement Recovery is yoga and exercise therapy business in Saskatoon that specializes in cancer rehabilitation and pain managemen.Liam Richards / Saskatoon StarPhoenix

Universal Movement Recovery

Owners: Janis RiiseHours: By appointment or class time.Phone: 306-280-5089Email: yogaandexercisetherapy@gmail.comCheckFacebook

Erin Petrow is a reporter at The StarPhoenix. If you have started or moved a small business in Saskatoon within the last year, contact her atepetrow@postmedia.com

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New Faces New Places: Exercise and yoga therapist helps manage pain through activity - Saskatoon StarPhoenix

Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heartbeat caused by faulty electrical signals in the upper chambers of the heart. In people with atrial fibrillation, the heart beats irregularly and often too quickly.

(A-fib) can result in the heart not pumping enough oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body, which may cause symptoms like heart fluttering, weakness, and dizziness. It may eventually lead to serious complications including and new or worsening .

Contents of this article:

Wearing a heart monitor during exercise enables people with A-fib to check their heart rate easily and reduce the risk of symptoms.

A-fib may reduce a persons ability to exercise. It is generally recommended that people with A-fib do some exercise. However, people with A-fib should consult with their doctor and take proper precautions before starting any exercise program.

In some cases, a heart specialist may not want a person to start or increase an exercise program before treatment for A-fib starts. In other cases, moderate exercise and increases in current routines may be encouraged.

Some general tips for exercising with A-fib include the following:

Increasing exercise slowly

Sudden, drastic increases in exercising can lead to injury. For people who have A-fib, exercise can trigger new heart symptoms or make existing symptoms worse. Instead of starting with high-intensity or long workouts, people with A-fib should start with shorter, lower-intensity workouts. These include walking or riding a bike for 5 to 10 minutes. The key is to build up gradually.

Wearing a heart monitor

Heart monitors have become increasingly popular among fitness professionals and other people who exercise regularly, so they can reach target specific heart rates. For people with A-fib, monitoring their during exercise can be essential to help reduce the risk of flares caused by exercise. People with A-fib should talk to their doctor who can recommend the best heart rate for them when exercising.

Staying vigilant

People with A-fib should remain aware of their symptoms while exercising. If symptoms start to flare, they should stop their workout. Pain, extreme , and an inability to catch ones breath are all reasons to cut a workout short.

Exercising with A-fib can be a very important lifestyle change. However, because A-fib is related to the heart, it is important to take safety tips very seriously.

The best exercise routine involves moderate exercise. This type of exercise is one at a level where people are able to talk during the activity but not able to sing.

Some safety tips include:

Safety equipment is particularly important for people taking blood-thinning medication who may get injured and bleed more heavily.

Its crucial for people with A-fib to set realistic exercise goals to help them stay safe and achieve a healthful lifestyle within the parameters of the condition. A doctor can help set realistic exercise goals and make more specific recommendations for people with A-fib who want to exercise.

Exercising with A-fib does carry some degree of risk. However, the benefits of exercise generally outweigh the risk.

If pain, faintness, or a racing heart occur during exercise, the person should stop immediately and get medical help.

People with A-fib who do exercise may experience a flare of symptoms. Typically, symptoms might flare with more intense exercise. These symptoms can include:

In some cases, people with A-fib may experience pain when exercising. If this occurs, the person should stop exercise immediately and seek medical attention.

For people using blood thinners, the results of an injury are potentially more severe. A cut, scrape, or fall could result in more excessive, uncontrolled bleeding.

For people with A-fib, exercising has many potential benefits. Exercise can improve overall health, which can have positive impacts on the whole body.

In regards to A-fib, exercise can help reduce symptoms and improve heart health. This in turn can reduce the potential problems from and reduce . The key is keeping exercise moderate and avoiding exercise that is too intense.

People with A-fib should avoid prolonged periods of exercise, starting off too quickly with new exercises, intense exercise, and excessive weight lifting. Instead, people with A-fib should ease into new routines, do shorter, moderate workouts, and lift reasonable weights.

Low-intensity workouts like riding a bicycle on flat terrain are recommended for people with A-fib.

Additionally, people with A-fib should consider exercises that involve intervals of moderate exercise combined with periods of reduced intensity or rest.

Some specific workouts for A-fib include:

People with A-fib should build up to walking longer distances, but at all points they should be able to speak during the walk.

A cardiologist and other professional trainers can recommend exercise programs that are tailored to individual needs. A person with A-fib should consult their doctor before starting or continuing any exercise program.

A-fib is a common condition that many people experience in their lifetime. Like with many other health conditions, exercise can help to reduce the symptoms of A-fib and improve overall health. However, this should always be done under careful supervision.

It is very important for people to consult a doctor when considering a new routine or even continuing a current exercise program when diagnosed with A-fib.

It may take a little trial and error for someone with A-fib to find an exercise routine that works well for them. However, exercise generally improves heart health and can help people to manage their condition.

Written by Jenna Fletcher

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Medical News Today: A-fib and exercise: Health benefits and risks - Stock Daily Dish

Grace Smitherman and Tamika Harris arent afraid to lift some weights. Photo via Taylor Babington for Bham Now

When I think about the holidays, the words healthy and fit dont exactly come to mind. Birmingham is a social city and a foodie town. Staying on track with your health might require a little extra nudge this time of year. For inspiration, I reached out to two associates at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabamabelow are some insider tips they recommend.

Grace Smitherman and Tamika Harris of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama are both into fitness. In addition to making exercise a priority personally, they also teach fitness classes at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama and local studios.

Each of their journeys with exercise started with finding workouts they were passionate about. Grace found Pure Barre, and Tamika found a love of group fitness, strength training and weight lifting.

I decided to take [fitness] seriously because I was overweight, said Tamika. I was 235 pounds and wanted to lose weight the healthy wayno surgeries or fad diets.

And she did. Tamika lost 100 pounds! Thats certainly something to be proud of.

Luckily for us, Birmingham has many unique fitness options, from boxing to Barre to yoga and beyond. Theres something for everyone.

Tamika said that getting fit starts with taking baby steps. While you dont have to set big fitness goals during the holidays, you can still work toward being healthy.

Being healthy around the holidays is a little harder. Try to incorporate something healthyworkout-wise or food-wiseinto your day.

Grace agreed. Everything in moderation, she said. Dont cheat yourself during the holidays, but plan accordingly. She and her family like to get out to Moss Rock Preserve or walk in the neighborhood. Birmingham has walking options galore!

Staying on track with fitness helps if you have someone holding you accountable. Grace and Tamika mentioned Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabamas wellness incentives as motivators for staying active.

The company hosts different health initiatives throughout the year, including a Time to Move walking challenge and a nutrition program. They also have a fitness center onsite. Associates can claim rewards for participating in these programs.

It forces you to get healthy. You cant leave those rewards sitting on the table!

Even if your company doesnt have resources like this, you can still find a friend or family member to give you support. And you can always treat yourself for getting active! A little extra motivation never hurts.

Grace said exercise should be something you do to take care of yourselfnot something you do as a way to punish yourself for eating the wrong thing.

To me, exercise is a great way to relieve stress and take care of my body, not punish it. Its a struggle as a full-time working mom, but its so worth it.

We all have days when we get off track. No one needs to feel guilty about indulging in a holiday dessert. Criticizing ourselves about these things wont help us get any healthier in the long run.

Dont beat yourself up if you fall short. That one day is not going to sabotage your plans.

Thanks for sharing these tips, Grace and Tamika!

How do you stay active during the holidays? What did we miss? Let us know @BhamNow.

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Grace and Tamika share 5 tips to stay active in Birmingham during the holidays - Bham Now

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Aerobic activities like jogging and interval training can make our cells biologically younger, according to a noteworthy new experiment. Weight training may not have the same effect, the study found, raising interesting questions about how various types of affect us at a microscopic level and whether the differences should perhaps influence how we choose to move.

There is mounting and rousing evidence that being physically active affects how we age, with older people who typically being healthier, more fit, better muscled and less likely to develop a variety of diseases and disabilities than their sedentary peers. But precisely how, at an interior, molecular level, might be keeping us youthful has not been altogether clear. Past studies have shown that exercise alters the workings of many genes, as well as the immune system, muscle-repair mechanisms and many other systems within the body.

Some researchers have speculated that the most pervasive anti-ageing effects of exercise may occur at the tips of our chromosomes, which are capped with tiny bits of matter known as seem to protect our DNA from damage during division but, unfortunately, shorten and fray as a ages. At some point, they no longer safeguard our DNA, and the becomes frail and inactive or dies.

Many scientists believe that telomere length is a useful measure of a cells functional age.

But researchers also have found that are mutable. They can be lengthened or shortened by lifestyle, including exercise. A 2009 study, for instance, found that middle-aged competitive runners tended to have much longer telomeres than inactive people of the same age. Their telomeres were, in fact, almost as lengthy of those of healthy, young people. But that study was associational; it showed only that older people who ran also were people with extended telomeres, not that the exercise necessarily caused that desirable condition.

So for the new study, which was published in November in the European Heart Journal, many of the same scientists involved in the 2009 study decided to directly test whether exercise would change telomeres. They also hoped to learn whether the type and intensity of the exercise mattered.

The researchers began by recruiting 124 middle-aged men and women who were healthy but did not exercise. They determined everyones aerobic fitness and drew blood to measure telomere length in their white blood cells (which usually are used in studies of telomeres, because they are so readily accessible). They also checked blood markers of the amount and activity of each persons telomerase, an enzyme that is known to influence telomere length.

Then some of the volunteers randomly were assigned to continue with their normal lives as a control or to start exercising.

Others started a supervised program of brisk walking or jogging for 45 minutes three times a week, or a thrice-weekly, high-intensity interval program consisting of four minutes of strenuous exercise followed by four minutes of rest, with the sequence repeated four times.

The final group took up weight training, completing a circuit of resistance exercises three times a week.

Researchers monitored peoples heart rates during their workouts, and the exercisers continued their programs for six months. Afterward, everyone returned to the lab, where the scientists again tested fitness and drew blood.

At this point, the volunteers who had exercised in any way were more aerobically fit.

There were sizeable differences, however, between the groups at a molecular level. Those men and women who had jogged or completed intervals had much longer telomeres in their white blood cells now than at the start, and more telomerase activity. The weight trainers did not. Their telomeres resembled those of people in the control group, having remained about the same or, in some instances, shortened during the six months.

These results would seem to indicate that exercise needs to be aerobically taxing to extend telomeres and slow cellular-level aging, says Christian Werner, a cardiologist and researcher at the University of Saarland in Germany, who led the new study.

In the parameters we looked at, endurance exercise was clearly ahead of resistance training, he says.

The reasons might lie with differences in intensity, he adds. Even though resistance exercise was strenuous, he says, the mean pulse rate was much lower than with running, resulting in slighter blood flow and probably less physiological response from the blood vessels themselves. Those who did resistance training would have produced less of a substance, nitric oxide, that is thought to affect the activity of telomerase and contribute to lengthening telomeres.

2018 The New York Times

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Is aerobic exercise the key to successful aging? - Denton Daily

Diann Ramsey is expanding her coaching efforts into a second sport at Husson University in Bangor.

The 2011 Husson graduate, who last year took over as the Eagles softball head coach, has been hired as the schools head field hockey coach.

Husson University Director of Athletics Frank Pergolizzi made the announcement Friday.

Ramsey, a native of Otisfield, serves as the director of compliance for the Husson athletics department.

We are delighted to have Diann take the reins of our field hockey program, Pergolizzi said. As an alumnus of the program, Diann is very proud to contribute to the success and tradition of Husson field hockey, and has the same pride in Husson softball. We look forward to continued success in both programs.

Ramsey, who for the past eight seasons has been the head field hockey coach at Bangor High School, takes over for Sabrina Smith, who stepped down in November after guiding Husson to 25-28 overall record in three seasons. That included two conference titles (2017, 2018) and the programs first NCAA tournament victory in 2017.

Ramsey played both softball and field hockey at Husson. She helped the softball team earn three North Atlantic Conference championships and aided the Eagles softball squad in two field hockey conference title runs.

In her first year as head softball coach, Ramsey led the Eagles to the NAC championship and the NCAA Division III tournament for the second year in a row.

Ramsey, a graduate of Oxford Hills High School in South Paris, earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Husson in 2011 and earned a Master of Science in Psychology with an emphasis in Sport Psychology and Exercise Science from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in 2014.

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Husson softball coach also hired to take over field hockey program - Bangor Daily News

"The Biggest Loser" had a big problem.

Since the reality show debuted on NBC in 2004, it had been slammed as a fat-shaming mockery that also harmed the health and long-term weight-management efforts of its contestants. After dropping pounds at an incredible rate on the show, many participants gained back much of the weight in the years that followed.

Enter the reboot, which the program plans to roll out for its 18th season in January: Instead of talking about "getting skinny," host Bob Harper told People Magazine that the show will focus on "getting healthy." Contestants will learn how to make nutritious meals and will participate in group therapy for help shifting their lifestyles, promised USA Network, where the next season will run.

"Skinny does not always equate to being healthy," Harper said in an email. "This is about getting these contestants on the right course to living healthier lives - physically and mentally."

The show's revamp comes amid a societal shift in how people think and talk about weight management. Instead of focusing on the number on the scale, diet and exercise companies now speak about holistic wellness and self-care. The changes to "The Biggest Loser" reflect that change in ways that make the show less harmful than previous versions, experts say, but the program still presents an unrealistic picture of weight loss.

Participants on "The Biggest Loser" compete for a cash prize by losing the highest percentage of weight during each 30-week season. Trainers teach the contestants nutrition and guide them in sometimes-grueling exercise plans, and participants compete in challenges that can lead to rewards such as an advantage at the next weigh-in. Some past contestants have said the show encouraged them to make dangerous decisions, such as dehydrating and developing disordered eating patterns.

Harper said the 2020 season will focus on the reasons that each contestant got to their weight in the first place. Trainers will talk to participants about nutrition and work with them to create individualized meal plans. Each contestant will leave the show with a nutritionist, a Planet Fitness membership and access to a support group, Harper said.

"So much in weight loss has changed over the past few years, and we want to show Americans that being fit is about healing yourself from the inside out," Harper said in an email. "Finding those root causes, getting that emotional support and, yes, hard physical work and smart eating are key, but there are other pieces of the puzzle."

Sarah Adler, a psychologist at the Stanford Eating Disorder and Weight Control Clinic, said she was pleased to see the language used by "The Biggest Loser" catch up with the way experts have talked about weight control for years - by focusing on health, rather than body shape or size. She said the show, however, still aims to make contestants as thin as possible, which impedes them from accepting their bodies and making healthy weight-related decisions.

"I think the devil's in the details," Adler said. "If they are paying lip service to making these taxonomic changes or these language changes but still promoting idealized weight and shape, then we're not really getting anywhere."

The changes are a step in the right direction but barely scrape the surface of the steps the show would need to take to effectively help participants lose weight and keep it off, said Cynthia Thomson, a health promotion sciences professor at the University of Arizona. She praised the program's plan to teach about factors that affect weight other than food, such as stress and sleep, but she said people's environment, community and family dynamics also play a role.

Thomson said that regardless of other adjustments that the show has made for the upcoming season, its unchanged premise of encouraging contestants to lose weight as quickly as possible is still unhealthy. Weight loss that happens too rapidly often decreases people's metabolic rates - how quickly their bodies use energy - and bone mass, she said.

"When you take people who really have quite significant metabolic dysfunction and body size and you do this rapid weight loss, I don't care if you help them with sleep or you give them a class on stress or teach them how to breathe and relax," Thomson said. "It's just not going to be enough if you have put them through this 100-pound weight loss in a very short time period."

The competitive nature of the show could serve as a motivator for some contestants, especially men and people who enjoy the publicity, Thomson said. She said studies have shown that competitive programs with rewards, such as workplace weight-loss programs, can incentivize people to change their behaviors.

Other mental and emotional effects of the show are less positive, experts have said. Researchers at Bowling Green State University in 2012 found that watching "The Biggest Loser" increased viewers' dislike of overweight people and made them believe more strongly that weight is controllable. The researchers concluded that weight-loss shows contribute to weight stigma.

Harper said no one should be ashamed of struggling with their weight, especially because nearly 40 percent of Americans are medically obese, and that people should talk openly about weight management.

Although the host and trainers in the show's upcoming season will talk about "getting healthy," the program's ideals and values remain the same, said Rachel Dubrofsky, a communication professor at the University of South Florida. She said the definition of "healthy," as portrayed on the show, may end up being as restrictive as "getting skinny."

"At the end of the day, the message is the same: through diet and exercise you can be transformed for the better, in specific ways 'The Biggest Loser' values," Dubrofsky said in an email.

Most reality shows frequently update their formats to keep attracting audiences and advertisers as culture changes, Dubrofsky said. People used to promote being "strong" instead of being "skinny." Now the emphasis is on "health," Dubrofsky said, and other ways of thinking about diet and exercise will arise in the future.

Danielle Lindemann, a sociology professor at Lehigh University who studies reality television, said "The Biggest Loser" seems to have revised its structure in response to the longtime criticisms of the show. She said it was unclear how audiences would respond to the changes, given that most reality-television viewers want to watch high-drama programs.

"Is it going to be less voyeuristic for people, and subsequently, less tempting for people to watch," Lindemann said, "if it becomes this wholesome show that's more about a celebration of people's health and less a fat-shaming show?"

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'The Biggest Loser' got a makeover, but experts say the new season is only slightly less harmful - GoErie.com

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