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Aftera nine-week closure, the Tucson Jewish Community Center announced plans this week to reopen its facility in early June. The J is following guidelines set forth by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state of Arizona, as well as advice from a recently formed medical advisory committee.

The first phase of reopening includes summer camp and early childhood education, which will both resume in the building at 3800 E. River Road on Monday, June 1. Participants in these programs will practice social distancing, with much of the Js facility being utilized to keep children in small, self-contained groups throughout the day.

Several fitness amenities will reopen in June as well. The J will offer access to the fitness center floor starting June 1, and lap swim will be available beginning on June 8. The Sarver Tennis Center, which saw construction completed during the closure, will be available for recreational play and private/small group lessons from June 1. All fitness facilities will require advance booking to help ensure a reduced capacity.

For now, all other areas of the Js facility will remain closed, including locker rooms, group exercise classes, and the spa area.

We are taking every precaution to ensure that we reopen safely and successfully to serve our community, says Todd Rockoff, chief executive officer. Members and staff are expected to complete a brief health questionnaire, wash their hands with soap and water, and have their temperature checked before entering the facility. Masks also will be required at all times in any indoor spaces. Those experiencing illness or exhibiting any symptoms of COVID-19 are asked to stay home, and no one with a fever will be granted entry to the J.

Traffic flow will be different, too. Parents of students and campers will need to enter through the northwest entrance (off River and Dodge) and undergo a brief health screening before a staff member escorts the program participant into the building. Members coming to exercise will enter through the north entrance (off River) to complete the health check-in before their workout. Members using the fitness facilities will be directed through an alternative exit when they are finished to help cut down on two-way traffic.

The J will be operating on modified hours: Monday-Thursday, 6:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m.; Fridays, 6:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; and weekends, 7 a.m.-6 p.m. (north entrance only). Some programs, such as group exercise and Spanish lessons, will continue in their virtual format through the summer.

As a board member and an active member of the medical community in Tucson I have been very proud of how the JCC has responded to the COVID-19 crisis, says Steven Wool, M.D., FACP, a member of the Js medical advisory committee. The J has done the best job possible to respond to members needs and health and safety of our members, staff, and community as they have moved through this process to prepare for reopening.

For more information about the Js new health and safety procedures and program offerings as it reopens, visit http://www.tucsonjcc.org or follow the J on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/tucsonjcc.

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With new health and safety measures, Tucson J reopening many programs - Jewish Post

After temporarily suspending its flagship DriveReady Advantage open enrollment program to avoid health exposure related to the COVID-19 crisis, the company has introduced additional social distancing components to continue providing fleets with essential driver safety training.

NEWARK, Del. (PRWEB) May 29, 2020

Driving Dynamics Inc., a provider of advanced performance driver safety training, coaching and risk services for organizations that operate vehicle-fleets in North America and around the globe, has announced the open enrollment format of its foundational skills-based driver safety program will resume with a phased roll-out starting in June. The DriveReady Advantage (DriveReady) course now includes heightened safety protocols, format changes and new virtual options to adhere to social distancing guidelines and accommodate policy mandates and comfort levels of its customer base.

The course, designed to help drivers acquire competencies in advanced crash avoidance techniques and vehicle control, traditionally consists of onsite mobile classrooms co-located with driving exercises. With the restart of the DriveReady program, it has been divided into two separate segmentsan instructor-led virtual classroom session and the in-person, no-contact behind-the-wheel session, with new add-on technology-based components to help maintain personalized training at a distance.

Virtual group classroom and add-on options Starting in June and for the balance of 2020, the open enrollment classroom segment will be offered as an instructor-led virtual format. Students are required to complete this virtual classroom training before attending the driving exercise segment. In addition, the company has developed new technology-based offerings that can be added to keep drivers engaged in their safety behind-the-wheel:

Non-contact behind-the-wheel session During onsite driving exercises, Driving Dynamics has long used FM radio transmitters to communicate with individual students inside their own vehicles. The company will continue to use this communication channel which supports safe social interaction while instructing drivers. Non-contact measures in place during this segment are as follows:

"Traffic fatalities in March were up 14% over the same period last year according to the National Safety Council," said Art Liggio, CEO and president of Driving Dynamics. "As stay-at-home orders slowly lift, these numbers will likely get worse. As a consequence of COVID-19, companies will be pushing to make up for lost revenue and drivers will be feeling pressured to make one more delivery or sales call putting themselves at risk of a crash. The adaptations to our flagship behind-the-wheel course and the various training paths offer fleets the highest quality standards and results while assuring the safety of their drivers remains of utmost importance both socially and behind the wheel."

In the coming weeks Driving Dynamics will publish an updated open enrollment schedule with all the new modifications in place and will continue to re-evaluate the climate and viability of adding more behind-the-wheel training dates as restrictions are lifted and training venues become available. The company will offer both onsite and virtual classes in conjunction with driving exercises through its employer-dedicated format.

Here is more information about how DriveReady has been modified to respond to the environment caused by the current health pandemic.

About Driving Dynamics Inc.

Driving Dynamics provides advanced performance driver and safety training and fleet risk management services throughout North America. In business for more than 30 years, its behind-the-wheel, e-learning, classroom and simulator training and driver risk programs are based on sound research, proven learning methodologies and expert instruction.

Headquartered in Newark, Delaware, Driving Dynamics has earned its position as an accomplished provider of impactful driver training. In 2017, 2018 and 2019 it was named as Top-20 Safety & Health Company by Training Industry Inc. Through its business lines the company offers services for fleet professionals and drivers of passenger cars through commercial motor vehicles.

For more information, visit http://www.drivingdynamics.com.

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Driving Dynamics Restarts National Behind-the-wheel Program with New Virtual Options and Non-Contact Measures - Benzinga

BOULDER From Anthony Franco and mcSquares to Dustin Finkel and Ka-Pop! Snacks, ABCs Shark Tank has teamed with companies with Colorado connections for years. The Colorado-Shark Tank connection got even stronger Thursday evening when television investor and The Corcoran Group founder Barbara Corcoran played host to Boulder-based startup accelerator Boomtowns virtual demo day.

Its great not being a shark here judging today; instead were here celebrating these companies and entrepreneurs, Corcoran said, calling Boulder a startup hotspot.

The demo day, Boomtowns 13th and typically held live at the Boulder Theater, featured videos from the founders of a dozen startups pitching their firms to investors and receiving feedback from judges. The judges were Scott Caruso, director of strategic ventures with CableLabs; Margot Drees, former Global Healthcare Exchange LLC vice president of global marketing; Thriv3 LLC president Sarah Irizarry; and leadership coach Dan Willis.

For the first three weeks of the accelerator program, founders met in person in Boulder. But when the COVID-19 outbreak began spreading, Boomtown went virtual.

Its always hard to start a company, but doing it in the context of a pandemic is even harder, Willis said.

The cohort members, described below using language provided by Boomtown, were:

Entrepreneurs today must know how to lead in a crisis, Boomtown CEO Toby Krout said. Innovative thinking must empower humanity and our startups have risen to the challenge. The experience they gained over these past few months included powerful, valuable lessons that will serve them for the rest of their careers.

2020 BizWest Media LLC

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Boulder-based Boomtown goes virtual with help from Shark Tank star - Longmont Times-Call

Millions of people have recently lost their jobs and health insurance benefits because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The result is that many struggling with anxiety, depression, and insomnia cannot afford psychotherapy, medications, or other treatments. The economic fallout of the pandemic may continue for years resulting in prolonged unemployment and an increasing percentage of the population with untreated serious mental health problems.

Politicians and state legislatures are debating on how to fill the gap in health care that is a direct result of the pandemic and programs that will provide adequate mental health care for growing numbers of uninsured may take months or longer to implement. The result will be that many peoplein the US and other countrieswho would receive conventional treatments such as psychotherapy and medications for mental health problems during normal times will not be able to afford treatment, their symptoms may become worse, affecting overall quality of life, relationships, and academic and work performance.

Even when conventional treatment is unavailable or unaffordable for millions of individuals who are struggling with depressed mood, anxiety and insomnia, simple lifestyle choices can make a significant difference. This article is offered as a concise review of the mental health benefits of changes in diet, physical activity, and a regular mindfulness or mind-body practice for depressed mood, anxiety, and insomnia.

DietThe relationship between diet and risk of developing depressed mood is multifactorial. Findings from epidemiologic studies suggest that individuals who consume whole foods (as opposed to processed foods and fast food diets) are at reduced risk for depression. For example, individuals who closely adhere to a Mediterranean diet, as well as traditional diets in Norway, Japan, and China, which are rich in vegetables and fish, have a 30% lower risk for depressed mood than those with the lowest rate of adherence to a Mediterranean diet.

A systematic review identified 12 essential nutrients that met criteria for antidepressant efficacy: folate, iron, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA, DHA), magnesium, potassium, selenium, thiamine, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, and zinc.1 Foods with the highest antidepressant food scores (AFS) included oysters and mussels as well as other seafood, organ meats, leafy greens, lettuces, peppers, and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, and Brussels sprouts.

Deficiencies of select nutrients are associated with increased risk of depressed mood, including certain B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, zinc, and magnesium. The B vitamins function as enzyme co-factors that facilitate the synthesis of neurotransmitters implicated in mood regulation such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Foods rich in B-vitamins especially folate, pyridoxine (B-6), and methyl-cobalamin (B-12) may be especially effective against depressed mood. These include whole grains and dark green leafy vegetables. Omega-3s and some B vitamins also have general anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective benefits in the body and brain, which may contribute to their antidepressant effects. Zinc, magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids promote increased synthesis of brain-derived neurotropic factor, which enhances neuroplasticity, resulting in greater resilience of the brain in the face of chronic stress. Increased neuroplasticity may also reduce risk of depressed mood.

In a 12-week single-blind controlled trial 67 individuals with depressed mood symptoms ranging from mild to severe were randomized to a diet support group versus a social support group.2 Individuals in the diet support group received seven individual one-hour sessions and were encouraged to follow diets rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, and low-fat dairy foods. They ate more raw unsalted nuts, fish, lean red meats, eggs, and olive oil while reducing intake of sweets, refined cereals, fried foods, processed foods, and sugary drinks. Individuals in the social support group received the same number of sessions, during which they discussed neutral topics of interest, but did not receive psychotherapy, lifestyle advice, or other interventions. At study end, individuals in the diet support group demonstrated significantly greater improvement in depressed mood scores based on standardized outcome measures compared with those in the social support group.

Dietary preferences also play important roles in anxiety. Generalized anxiety is often associated with reactive hypoglycemia, in which blood sugar drops to an abnormally low level following a meal or drink that contains a large amount of sugar resulting in acute anxiety symptoms that can mimic a panic attack. Research findings indicate that individuals who experience heightened anxiety related to reactive hypoglycemia benefit from simple dietary changes including reducing refined sugar and carbohydrate intake, increasing protein intake, and reducing or eliminating caffeine or alcohol.3

Caffeine use is also associated with an increased risk of anxiety. Caffeine consumption increases the levels of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol in the blood, resulting in feelings of nervousness in adults who have no mental health history, feelings of increased generalized anxiety, and in some cases, panic attacks in individuals who are predisposed to anxiety or panic. Many individuals with chronic generalized anxiety report a significant reduction in the severity of anxiety symptoms when they abstain from caffeine. Chronic alcohol abuse can also manifest as hypoglycemia and malnutrition resulting in generalized anxiety and depressed mood.

Finally, on a general level, the microbiomewhich consists of microorganisms that naturally populate the large and small intestinesmay contribute to both physical and mental health through a variety of mechanisms, including beneficial changes in CNS levels of serotonin and other neurotransmitters implicated in mood regulation. The general health of the digestive system modulates immune functioning and brain activity through the microbiome-gut-brain axis. Recent research findings point to a link between imbalances in bowel microflora, increased inflammation of the mucosal lining of the intestines, and systemic immune dysregulation resulting in increased risk of depressed mood.4

ExerciseFindings from animal and human studies suggest that both the immediate and long-term beneficial effects of exercise on mood are mediated by multiple factors that increase brain levels of mood-elevating endorphins, dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, promote neurogenesis, reduce oxidative stress, and enhance immune functioning.5 Moreover, regular exercise may promote increased neuroplasticity in certain brain regions, resulting in improved mood.6

Regular exercise including aerobic and non-aerobic strengthening exercise has mood-enhancing effects. Individuals who are less sedentary have a reduced risk of both depressed mood and cardiovascular disease.7 Regular aerobic exercise may also improve cognitive functioning in chronically depressed individuals who often experience difficulties with thinking and memory.8 The results from a meta-analysis of controlled studies (N = 977) of exercise used as a single intervention or in combination with antidepressants support that regular exercise has consistent beneficial effects on depressed mood.9 A systematic review of studies on exercise as an add-on therapy in individuals with MDD showed that depressed individuals who exercise regularly respond consistently better than individuals who take an antidepressant but do not exercise.10

Following a regular exercise program while taking an antidepressant and doing cognitive therapy was found to improve treatment response.11 Moderately depressed individuals who exercise in addition to receiving regular CBT are less depressed and report fewer suicidal thoughts compared with individuals engaged in CBT only.12 Antidepressants and exercise probably have equivalent effects on moderate depressed mood.13 The therapeutic benefits of regular exercise may also be comparable to select complementary and alternative (CAM) treatments of depressed mood such as St Johns Wort (Hypericum perforatum).14

Findings of open studies suggest that both aerobic exercise and strength training improve anxiety when done on a regular basis.15 The beneficial effects of exercise on anxiety are similar to those of meditation and regular relaxation. A workout program consisting of at least 20 to 30 minutes of daily exercise can significantly reduce symptoms of generalized anxiety. Findings of a prospective 10-week study of exercise in individuals prone to panic attacks support that regular walking or jogging (4 miles three times a week) reduces the severity and frequency of panic attacks.16

In addition to its mood enhancing and anxiety reducing effects, regular exercise enhances self-sufficiency and ensures positive social interactions with other people. Regular exercise has also been shown to improve sleep quality in depressed individuals who do not respond to antidepressants.17 This may be a significant benefit of exercise for general resilience and day-to-day functioning in view of the high prevalence of insomnia in patients who are chronically depressed.

Relaxation, mindfulness, and mind-body practicesRelaxation techniques include sustained deep breathing, listening to calming music, and progressive muscle relaxation. Examples of mindfulness training include different styles of meditation and guided imagery. Mind-body practices involve both body and mind and include taijiquan, qigong, yoga, and other approaches that involve both the mind and the body. Improved capacity for focused attention and reflection have been proposed as important nonspecific psychological benefits of meditation and mind-body practices. The regular practice of meditation or mind-body techniques such as yoga and taijiquan, may be as effective as CBT or antidepressants for moderately severe depressed mood.

Simple relaxation techniques and mind-body practices also have beneficial effects on insomnia. Mind-body approaches that have been looked at in controlled trials of insomnia include progressive muscle relaxation, massage, meditation, desensitization, guided imagery, autogenic training, and hypnosis. Progressive muscle relaxation and sustained deep breathing are especially effective at reducing sleep latency in individuals with chronic insomnia. Listening to relaxing music soon before bedtime can help individuals with insomnia fall asleep quicker. Many individuals who have problems falling asleep because of chronic worrying report improved sleep with guided imagery.

Meditation and guided imagery are probably more effective than progressive muscle relaxation for situational insomnia but are of little benefit for severe insomnia. Individuals with chronic insomnia who use a cognitive-behavioral technique alone or in combination with a benzodiazepine or other sedative-hypnotic drug report that non-pharmacologic or combined approaches are more effective than medications alone. Improved sleep is sustained longer in individuals who use non-pharmacologic or integrative approaches compared with those who take sleep aids only.18 A meta-analysis found that non-pharmacologic treatments of chronic insomnia are initially more expensive and require more time compared with medication management but lead to sustained benefits and are more cost-effective than drugs alone in the long run.19

Supportive relationshipsFinally, I want to emphasize the importance of relationships. In addition to engaging in healthy lifestyle choices, supportive relationships with friends and family members can provide important buffers to day to day stresses and uncertainties that we will continue to face in these uncertain times. Video calls or phone calls can be very heartening and encouraging even when shelter-in-place orders restrict us from direct contact with family and loved ones.

References:

1. LaChance LR, Ramsey D. Antidepressant foods: an evidence-based nutrient profiling system for depression. World J Psychiatry. 2018;8:97-104.2. Jacka FN, ONeil A, Opie R, et al. A randomised controlled trial of dietary improvement for adults with major depression (the SMILES trial). BMC Med. 2017;151:23.3. Salzer HM. Relative hypoglycemia as a cause of neuropsychiatric illness. J Natl Med Assoc. 1966;58:12-17.4. Cheng LH, Liu YW, Wu CC, et al. Psychobiotics in mental health, neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders. J Food Drug Anal. 2019;27:632648.5. Schuch FB, Deslandes AC, Stubbs B, et al. Neurobiological effects of exercise on major depressive disorder: a systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2016;61:111.6. Gourgouvelis J, Yielder P, Murphy B. Exercise promotes neuroplasticity in both healthy and depressed brains: an fMRI pilot study. Neural Plast. 2017;2017:8305287.7. Schuch F, Vancampfort D, Firth J, et al. Physical activity and sedentary behavior in people with major depressive disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Affect Disord. 2017;210:139150.8. Oertel-Knchel V, Mehler P, Thiel C, et al. Effects of aerobic exercise on cognitive performance and individual psychopathology in depressive and schizophrenia patients. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2014;264:589604.9. Kvam S, Kleppe CL, Nordhus IH, Hovland A. Exercise as a treatment for depression: a meta-analysis. J Affect Disord. 2016;202:6786.10. Mura G, Moro MF, Patten SB, Carta MG. Exercise as an add-on strategy for the treatment of major depressive disorder: a systematic review. CNS Spectr. 2014;19:496508.11. Gourgouvelis J, Yielder P, Clarke ST, et al. Exercise leads to better clinical outcomes in those receiving medication plus cognitive behavioral therapy for major depressive disorder. Front Psychiatry. 2018;9:37.12. Abdollahi A, LeBouthillier DM, Najafi M, et al. Effect of exercise augmentation of cognitive behavioural therapy for the treatment of suicidal ideation and depression. J Affect Disord. 2017;219:5863.13. Blumenthal JA, Babyak MA, Doraiswamy PM, et al. Exercise and pharmacotherapy in the treatment of major depressive disorder. Psychosom Med. 2007;69:587596.14. Ernst E, Rand JI, Stevinson C. Complementary therapies for depression: an overview. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1998;55:10261032.15. Paluska SA, Schwenk TL. Physical activity and mental health: current concepts. Sports Med. 2000;29:167180.16. Stevinson, C. Exercise may help treat panic disorder. Focus Alt Comp Ther. 1999;4:84-85.17. Rethorst CD, Sunderajan P, Greer TL, et al. Does exercise improve self-reported sleep quality in non-remitted major depressive disorder? Psychol Med. 2013;43:699709.18. Morin CM, Colecchi C, Stone J, et al. Behavioral and pharmacological therapies for late-life insomnia: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 1999;281:991999.19. Morin CM, Culbert JP, Schwartz SM. Nonpharmacological interventions for insomnia: a meta-analysis of treatment efficacy. Am J Psychiatry. 1994;151:11721180.

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Self-Care for Mental Health Problems in the Time of Covid-19 - Psychiatric Times

These St. Louis organizations and programs focus on providing exercises and activities for people of all abilities. Becausesomeof the organizations'events have been canceled or postponed to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, many are offering virtual programs.

Disabled Athlete Sports Association Adaptive Training Program:From its home at The Ability Gym, the AT program offers specially designed training for people with disabilities. Exercise physiologists specializing in training clients with disabilities offer instruction in strength, flexibility, stability, speed, and more. In keeping with COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, the program offers one-on-one training by way of Zoom or Skype and shares exercise videos on social media.

Ride On St. Louis:Therapy, adaptive riding, and social interaction are just a few of the services the two- and four-legged team members provide clients with physical, cognitive, and emotional disabilities. Riding can help strengthen muscle and improve coordination and balance, and simply being around emotionally intelligent horses can help clients work through challenges.

The Health and Wellness Center at Paraquad:The Health and Wellness Center is staffed with physical and occupational therapists to guide people with disabilities through exercise. The gym features more than 40 accessible equipment options, many specifically designed for people with mobility impairments. Theres also a mobility skills course on which people can train with their assistive technology. The centers social isolationfriendly training consists of an online video series for home exercise, with topics ranging from chair cardio to strength training.

The Bees Knees Yoga:Since opening, in August 2019, the studio has offered accessible, inclusive, and trauma-informed yoga instruction. Its most popular classes are a weekly donation-supported LGBTQIA+ community class and a monthly restorative guided meditation class. Studio owner Nichole DiGiuseppi says yoga is more spiritual than it is physical and that everyone can do it, which is why she hosts a Yoga for All Bodies class. Every class offers different versions of poses so students of all abilities can participate. After closing during the novel coronavirus pandemic, the studio shifted to online classes to reach students anywhere.

Cycle St. Louis:Through partnerships with such organizations as Big Shark Bicycle Company, St. Louis Arc, and Special Olympics Missouri, Cycle St. Louis provides training and accessible rides and helps people with disabilities use adapted bicycles. The goal is to enrich the lives of disabled people, help them gain confidence, and, most importantly, help them have fun. At press time, the studio had temporarily halted its inclusive rides.

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These St. Louis organizations offer exercise for people of all abilities - stlmag.com

For many businesses, digital transformation has been somewhere on a long list of priorities for quite some time. It was important but somehow got easily buried under the urgency of today.

Maybe, we told ourselves, we would move on it after the seasonal rush or, even better, research what our competitors were doing. That seemed to work until the day our customers needed to interact with businesses almost solely online. This was the moment when digital operations became less a matter of efficiency and more one of survival.

Until The Day Things Changed Forever

Some early adopters have taken this change in stride. These businesses already had cloud-based business operations, a robust online customer experience and mature global supply chains that could manage the seismic switch from online browsing to online everything.

Many creative businesses managed quick turns to online consultancies or a mix of online operations and one-touch interactions such as curbside pickup. The most successful quickly transformed traditional in-person services (such as going to the gym or shopping for new clothes) into app-based platforms that consumers could easily access from their homes. Continued access to these services gives people a way to maintain some sense of normalcy in their day-to-day lives.

Were Not Going Back

Sheltering in place and social distancing will create fundamental changes in the way we interact and do business in the future. Even after the current pandemic is officially over, some changes will be here to stay.

Now, digital transformation is essential to a companys survival. Going forward, companies will need to meet their customers wherever they are. As McKinseys Kevin Sneader recently pointed out, this is likely to reshape the economy as well. Questions over a companys resiliency and ability to quickly pivot despite social upheaval, and the digitization of services will be critical to how we determine a businesss economic success and risk.

Thats why were not going back to the normal we had before.

Tomorrows Business Model And The One After That

While digital transformation may no longer be optional, it does not necessitate abandoning an entire business model or a brand that customers like and trust. Rather, this is the time to employ creative technology solutions that allow us to connect with (and delight) our customers on the digital channels they rely on now.

Banks are a good example of this. To meet the immediate emergency, almost overnight, banks closed most branch operations, moved to drive-through transactions and beefed up their digital banking operations. Now the agile ones are taking steps to further promote mobile check deposits, balance transfers, peer-to-peer payments and online customer support. Even the opening of entirely new accounts can now be safely and securely handled through apps and websites.

In an emergency including the type of convulsive economic transformation were experiencing now many major companies have the digital infrastructure to create an online offering that customers can trust. The next challenge is to build resilient companies that can thrive long term in this new digital-first world.

Staying True To Your Purpose

Say your company runs a chain of gym facilities. Your mission is still to help people improve their health, but now you have to rethink how you fulfill that purpose. Pivoting to an online approach to provide online fitness training or at-home exercise programs offers value for customers while providing a new, viable business model for the digital economy.

Transformation will look different for every company, but successful efforts must enhance an organizations core purpose. Medical practices will likely expand their telehealth consultations even further. Retailers may roll out digital dressing rooms to engage customers online. Almost all retailers will likely have to beef up their online purchasing systems.

To succeed, successful companies across our global economy will develop their own new ways to meet customers where they are and increase accessibility for everyone.

Dont Forget Security

While most innovations will contribute to a companys final product in some way, not all need to be customer-facing. Digital transformation that sets up a company for long-term success will also include organizational or behind-the-scenes changes that ensure an offering is reliable and secure.

With more consumers transacting online than ever before, companies and their customers face a greater risk from fraudsters looking to steal account information, credit card details and more. In fact, theres already been a marked increase in scams related to the coronavirus specifically. Now is the time for businesses to invest in back-end security tools, as well as customer-facing identity verification measures, to prevent users from falling victim to fraud. These security layers provide peace of mind by ensuring consumers true identities online.

Across the world, people have faced unprecedented changes almost overnight. Some of the changes will be temporary, but many will form our new normal for years to come. We have seen the human spirit rise to the challenge, even in the face of this upheaval, and I am confident that companies that fully embrace digital transformation will thrive in this new era.

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The Day Digital Transformation Became Mandatory - Forbes

SOURCE: Army Multi-Domain Operations Concept, December 2018.

WASHINGTON: Damn the pandemic, full speed ahead. The four-star chief of Army Futures Command plans to hold a high-tech field test in the southwest desert this fall, COVID-19 or no.

Called Project Convergence, the exercise will test sharing of targeting data amongst the Armys newest weapons, including aerial scouts, long-range missile launchers and armored vehicles. The Army also wants to plug in its new anti-aircraft and missile defense systems, AFC head Gen. Mike Murray told reporters, but those technologies are at a critical juncture in their own individual test programs some of which was delayed by COVID and they may not be ready on time for this fall.

Gen. John Mike Murray

Im going to try to drag them all into this, Murray said. The experiment, set to begin in late August or early September, will definitely include the Armys Artificial Intelligence Task Force, as well as four of its eight modernization Cross Functional Teams. Thats Long-Range Precision Fires (i.e. artillery), Future Vertical Lift aircraft (including drones), and the tactical network, he said, plus the Next Generation Combat Vehicle team in a supporting role.

What about the Air & Missile Defense team? Well see, Murray said. Right now Im very cautious, because of the two major tests theyve got going on this fall in terms of IBCS and IMSHORAD. IBCS is the Armys new command network for air and missile defense units, which had to delay a major field test due to COVID. IMSHORAD is an 88 Stryker armored vehicle fitted with anti-aircraft missiles and guns, which Murray said is now delayed a few months by software problems.

The IM-SHORAD prototype anti-aircraft Stryker test-fires a Hellfire missile in February, 2020.

Meanwhile, the Air Force with some input from the other services will be testing its own nascent data-sharing network. Thats the ambitious Advanced Battle Management System, the leading candidate to be the backbone of a future Joint All-Domain Command & Control (JADC2) network-of-networks linking all the armed services.

The Air Forces ABMS experiment will be separate from the Armys Project Convergence exercise happening at roughly the same time this fall, Murray said. But he wants to hold a Convergence test each year from now on, he told reporters, and he wants to bring in ABMS in 2021.

In 20, were parallel, not interconnected, he said. Our desire is to bring them closer and closer together, beginning in 21.

Bruce Jette

Sensor To Shooter

Murray spoke via phone to the Defense Writers Group, along with the Armys civilian chief of acquisition, Bruce Jette. While the two mens roles and organizations are kept distinct by law, theyve been joined at the hip on modernization, and Jette a scientist, engineer, and inventor is clearly enthused about the experiment.

We are looking at the potential integration of all of our fires into a fires network, Jette told the listening reporters. Currently, he explained, the Army has one network, AFATDS, to pass data about ground targets to its offensive artillery units howitzers, rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles. Meanwhile, its developing a different network, IBCS, to share data on flying targets incoming enemy rockets, missiles, and aircraft amongst its air and missile defense units.

The two networks and the sensors that feed them must meet very different technical demands, since shooting down a missile requires split-second precision that bombarding a tank battalion does not. But theres also great potential for the two to share data and work together. For example, the defensive side can figure out where enemy missiles are launching from, then tell the offensive side so it can blow up the enemy launchers before they fire again.

If I can bring the two of them together, Jette said, you can use a sensor the Army already developed, bought and fielded to spot targets for one weapon say, the Q-53 artillery radar to feed targeting data into a totally different type of weapon say, a Patriot battery. Artificial intelligence could pull together data from multiple sensors, each seeing the same target in different wavelengths or from a different angle, to build a composite picture more precise than its parts.

Were moving past just simple concepts of sensors and shooters, Jette said. How do we get multiple sensors and shooters [integrated] such that we get more out of them than an individual item could provide?

Looking across the Armys 34 top modernization programs, Murray said, an individual capability is interesting, but the effect is greater than the sum of the parts. There have to be connections between these [programs]. And thats really the secret sauce Im not going to explain in detail, ever.

The XM1299 Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) howitzer in an earlier test shot last year.

Testing, Testing

What Murray would share, however, was that the Army got to test a slightly less ambitious sensor-to-shooter link in Europe earlier this year, as part of NATOs Defender 2020 wargames. The field experiment fed data from a wide range of sources in space, in the air, and on the ground to an Army howitzer unit, he said.

However, the Army had also wanted to experiment with new headquarters and organizations to command and control ultra-long-range artillery, Murray said, and those aspects of the massive exercise had to be cancelled due to COVID. The service is looking at alternative venues, such as its Combat Training Centers, but its just hard to replicate what Defender 2020 offered us, he said. What we lost was the largest exercise weve done and the largest deployment of forces in a very, very long time.

That makes the stakes even higher for Project Convergence. You can call it an experiment, you can call it a demonstration, Murray said. Right now, the plan is were going to do this every year every fall as we continue to mature this architecture that brings the sensors to the right shooter and through the right headquarters.

ABMS construct

While this years Convergence exercise will focus on the Army, Murray is already working with the Air Force to meld the two next year. We have been in discussion with the Air Force for the better part of the year on how we integrate with the effort they have going on, he said. I was actually out at Nellis the last time they had a live meeting on JADC2 [Joint All-Domain Command & Control] with all of the architects of ABMS.

Those discussions made very clear to both the Army and the Air Force participants that it all comes down to data and it all comes down to the architectures you build, Murray said.

As Bruce [Jette] talked about, its not a specific sensor to a specific shooter, he said. On a future battlefield just about everything is going to be a sensor. So how you do you store that data and how do you enable a smart distribution of data to the right shooter? Because we cant build architectures that are relying upon huge pipes and just massive bandwidth to make it work.

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Army Invites Air Force ABMS To Big Network Test: Project Convergence - Breaking Defense

Theres no shortage of theories about overtraining syndrome, a state of pervasive fatigue and poor performance that lasts months or years and sometimes ends athletic careers. In fact, there are too many theories. Its psychological, its neurological, its adrenal, its hormonal, its immunological, its cardiovascularit seems to affect pretty much every system in the body, which makes it hard to pinpoint the cause.

A new paper from a group led by Johanna Lanner of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden presents the case for a seemingly obvious culprit: the muscles themselves. Writing in the journal Redox Biology, they explore four main theories for what might go wrong within your muscles after a prolonged period of heavy training that could lead to long-term changes like those seen in overtraining syndrome. If theyre right, it suggests some possible countermeasures against overtrainingbut thats a big if.

From the muscles perspective, training is a constant cycle of stress and recovery. A hard workout causes all sorts of metabolic and structural disruptions in your muscle fibers, which in turn trigger adaptations that occur during the recovery period and make you stronger and fitter. These perturbations are good when theyre temporary, but if they become chronicfor example because youre not recovering enough between workoutsthen they make you weaker and more fatigued.

Its not just your maximum strength thats affected; even relatively light submaximal exercise like a jog feels harder. This effect can last for days or even weeks after a single killer workout, an effect known as prolonged low-frequency force depression, or PLFFD. Intriguingly, studies with single muscle fibers from rodents also exhibit PLFFD. These muscle fibers obviously arent depressed or hormonally imbalancedthere must be some sort of prolonged disruption within the muscle fiber itself. Since overtraining in some ways looks like a chronic version of PLFFD that wont switch off, Lanner and her colleagues suggest that overtraining, too, may involve problems in the muscle.

Here are the four leading muscle-related explanations of overtraining they consider:

This one is pretty straightforward: maybe chronic depletion of glycogen, the form in which muscle fibers store carbohydrate, interferes with the ability of those fibers to generate force and ultimately leads to what we experience as overtraining. It almost seems too simple, but its actually quite plausible that athletes who are training at truly extreme levelsi.e. those most vulnerable to overtraining syndromehave trouble keeping up with their bodies fuel needs. Thats what a study on ketone drinks suggested last year: the apparent ability of these drinks to ward off overtraining was linked to increased calorie intake.

Lanner and her colleagues arent convinced, though. They point out that a study in rats failed to prevent overtraining despite aggressive carbohydrate supplementation. Not getting enough carbohydrate may contribute to overtraining, but getting enough, on its own, doesnt seem to prevent it.

This is the classic explanation for next-day soreness: a hard workout, especially something like downhill running or box jumps that involves a lot of eccentric contractions, causes little microtears and other physical damage to your muscle fibers. Normally this damage gets repaired and ultimately leaves you strongerunless the balance between damage and repair is chronically tilted too far toward the former.

Not so fast, though. While the link between damaged muscle fibers and weaker muscles seems intuitively obvious, studies dont seem to find a good correlation between the amount of visible damage and the decline in function, according to Lanner and her colleagues. The damage is there, but it doesnt seem to directly cause the problems.

This may sound a little familiar from all the recent discussion of cytokine storms in COVID-19. A similar idea applies here: a limited amount of inflammation (which is induced by small proteins called cytokines) is a normal part of both immune responses and post-exercise muscle repair, but too much can inflict further damage. After repeated strenuous exercise with insufficient recovery, you can end up with chronically elevated cytokine levels and inflammation, which in turn interferes with muscle function.

Furthermore, this inflammatory response could start a vicious cycle: cytokines also lead to an increase in oxidative stress, which in turn triggers the release of more inflammation-promoting cytokines, which increases oxidative stress, and so onwhich brings us to the heart of Lanners argument.

Theres a reason this paper was published in Redox Biology, which is a rather specialized journal. Even though the authors present four theories, their main interest is in the idea that oxidative stressthe excessive presence of damaging molecules called reactive oxygen speciesis a key driver of decreased muscle function in overtraining syndrome.

Its true, according to at least somestudies, that overtrained athletes display elevated levels of oxidative stress. You might think that theres a simple solution to this: take antioxidant supplements, which neutralize reactive oxygen species. But it turns out that the role of oxidative stress in the body is fiendishly complicated. Like inflammation, oxidative stress also serves as a key signal telling your body to adapt and get fitter after exercise, so eliminating it can have negative effects. While the topic is still being debated among researchers, theres considerable evidence that regular use of antioxidant supplements can blunt the gains youd normally get from a training program.

Typically, rested muscle stays in a slightly reduced state. Thats the opposite of being oxidized, meaning it has gained rather than lost electrons. When you start exercising, that generates oxidative stress, which actually puts your muscle into an optimal balance between reduction and oxidation, maximizing the amount of force you can generate. But if you exercise too hard or too long, the amount of oxidation becomes too much and muscle performance decreases again.

Lanner and her colleagues provide a schematic diagram to illustrate this delicate balance between reduced and oxidized muscles:

(Photo: Courtesy Redox Biology)

Normally, youre sitting slightly to the left on this diagram, at Rested muscle. If you start exercising, you move to the middle, at Optimal exercise redox balance. If you push too hard, you keep moving to the right, to Exercise-induced fatigue. Allow yourself to recover, then everything will be finebut if you keep pushing, youll end up on the far right, at Chronic disease and Overtraining.

If you start popping a daily dose of vitamin C or other antioxidants, you move left on the curve. Under normal circumstances, you end up on the far left, at Rested muscle + Antioxidants. Thats not ideal, because then you cant get to that optimal balance in the middle during workouts, which is why routine use of antioxidants isnt a good idea for athletes. But if youre on the border of overtraining, the risks and benefits may be different.

Lanner and her colleagues acknowledge the risks associated with supplementation, but suggest that if an athlete on the edge of overtraining syndrome is in a state of chronically elevated oxidative stressthe kind of thing you see in rheumatoid arthritis and Duchenne muscle dystrophythen antioxidants may help. The same thing may apply to anti-inflammatory drugs: a bad idea under normal circumstances, but possibly helpful in the face of chronic inflammation.

Key caveat? Of the 122 references cited in the article, a majority seem to involve rats. Thats an important and useful way to figure out how muscle fibers work, but any real advice about how athletes should train needs to be based on studies of athletes training. Still, I think the focus on whats happening in the muscles is an interesting and perhaps underappreciated aspect of overtraining. And the idea that antioxidants are a bad idea on a routine basis but useful in times of unusually high stressa training camp, a trip to altitudehas been floating around among elite athletes for a while.

For now, though, I think the most important weapon to keep in mind is the one Lanner and her colleagues mention at the start of their section on prevention and treatment: carefully planned training programs that include regular monitoring by coaches and the athletes themselves to assess adaptation to training over both the short and long term. Put more simply: if youre really, really tired and seem to be getting slower, take a break rather than a pill.

For more Sweat Science, join me on Twitter and Facebook, sign up for the email newsletter, and check out my book Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance.

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4 Theories About Overtraining - Outside

HANCOCK COUNTY Gyms are warming up for their reopenings and new regimens theyll have to follow as the state continues to allow for the resumption of certain activities.

Stage 3 of the Back on Track Indiana plan for the COVID-19 pandemic started for most counties on Friday, May 22 two days ahead of schedule because health indicators remain positive, Gov. Eric Holcomb said. If all continues to go well, the stage is slated to last through June 13. But just because an activity is allowed to start up again, it doesnt mean it necessarily will be anytime soon like Greenfields public swimming pool. And some places originally part of Stage 3, like movie theaters and playgrounds, have had their openings postponed.

Gyms, fitness centers, yoga studios, martial arts studios and similar facilities can now open. The state says class sizes should be limited and equipment should be spaced to accommodate social distancing as well as cleaned after each use. No contact activities are allowed.

Story continues below gallery

Hancock Wellness Centers in Greenfield, McCordsville and New Palestine are applying those principles and more to its three-phase reopening set to begin on Tuesday, May 26. After being closed since March 16, theyre opening fitness floors, free-weight rooms, group exercise classes, pools, locker rooms (limited to every third locker) and massage services. Personal training and nutritional appointments will be available too, with social distancing rules.

The centers wont accept guests or new memberships during its first phase, and amenities like tracks, hot tubs, saunas, steam rooms, pick-up basketball games, clinical fitness programs, in-person education classes and swimming lessons wont resume just yet either.

David Flench, director of Hancock Wellness, said the three centers have a total of almost 9,000 members.

We know that people are a little anxious and we think that everything that were doing is going to keep people as safe as possible, Flench said. I feel very good about our preparations to make it a safe place for people to exercise.

Dr. Lori Deemer, medical director of Hancock Wellness, said in a video promoting the reopening plan that members will be screened with some questions and will get their temperature taken upon their arrival. Staff will wear masks; members will be encouraged to wear them as theyre coming and going and even while theyre exercising if they feel comfortable doing so.

We want to be thorough and diligent and cautious, but not fearful as we reopen our facilities, Deemer said.

There will be 6-foot minimum social distancing requirements. For group exercise classes, participants will have areas to work out in 14 feet from one another. Equipment will be spaced differently and will have to be cleaned before and after each use.

Flench said in the video that Hancock Wellness will continue offering online programs for those who dont want to hit the gym just yet. All sites will have reduced hours, and restrictions will ease as the centers move into other phases.

A full explanation of the plan is on the Hancock Wellness Center website, hancockwellness.org. Members are encouraged to check the organizations Facebook page for updates.

Greenfield Fitness announced on its Facebook page that its opening on Sunday, May 24. The facility urges people not to come in if theyre sick and is limiting attendance to 12 people and 60-minute workouts. Masks are recommended and members are asked to wipe down equipment after use while also adhering to 6-foot social distancing guidelines.

Holcombs office announced Thursday that movie theaters and playgrounds, originally part of the states Stage 3 openings, will remain closed. Movie theaters are now projected to open along with other entertainment facilities and venues during Stage 4, which is slated to start on June 14. Reopenings for playgrounds are to be determined.

Community pools may open during Stage 3 according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance. Youth summer day camps may open on June 1.

Greenfield officials determined it would be safest not to do either, however.

Skye Mackenzie, Greenfields assistant director of parks and recreation, said he respects Mayor Chuck Fewells decision not to open Riley Pool. Mackenzie said the decision, which came before the CDC issued its pool guidance, was made out of a concern for safety with the best data available at the time and at a time when it was difficult to get enough lifeguards trained.

Enforcing 50% capacity restrictions on a pool that can host more than 500 people would be no easy task, he continued.

When that pool opens, it is always at capacity, Mackenzie said. Where do those 250 people go? Where do they stand? How do you keep them socially distanced?

Safety for kids and staff was also behind the decision to call off Kids Camp, he said. He added it would be difficult to keep 80 to 100 6- to 12-year-olds socially distanced and wearing masks. Field trips and physical activities wouldnt be possible.

Ellen Kuker, Greenfield parks superintendent, said the department hopes its programming and preschool will be able to return in the fall. Following guidance from the state on senior centers, the Patricia Elmore Center will remain closed until Hancock County reaches Stage 5, which is currently set for July 4. Riley Parks splash pad is set to open that day as well.

Community tennis and basketball courts, soccer and baseball fields, YMCA programs, and similar facilities may open with social gathering and social distancing guidelines in place under Stage 3. Community recreational youth and adult sports leagues may also resume practices and conditioning while adhering to social gathering and social distancing guidelines. Contact sports, such as lacrosse and football, are prohibited, but conditioning and non-contact drills may take place.

Greenfields basketball courts, tennis courts, skate parks, shelters and indoor rentals will be available starting May 24. Practicing at sports fields will also be permitted by appointment only. Starting June 14, recreational sports leagues will be able to take the field, also by appointment only.

In Stage 3, campgrounds may open restrictions, including social distancing and sanitation precautions. State park inns reopen.

Hoosiers 65 and older and those with high-risk health conditions who are the most vulnerable to COVID-19 should remain at home as much as possible, according to the guidelines. Face coverings in public places are recommended. Hoosiers who can work from home are encouraged to continue doing so.

Social gatherings of up to 100 people will be permitted following the CDCs social distancing guidelines. Retail and commercial businesses may open at 75% capacity. Restaurants and bars with restaurant services may continue to operate at 50% capacity, but bar seating must remain closed. Personal services such as hair salons, barber shops, nail salons, spas and tattoo parlors may continue to be open by appointment only and must follow social distancing guidelines.

To learn more about Back on Track Indianas stages, visit backontrack.in.gov.

Original post:
EXERCISING CAUTION: Fitness facilities prepare to reopen with safeguards; city pool to remain closed - Greenfield Daily Reporter

From Men's Health

While the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has halted the cadence of everyday life for just about everyone, the world is now beginning to adjust. We're all handling the challenges of social distancing and self-isolation differentlybut that doesn't mean that we have to go it completely alone in every sense.

At Men's Health, we're using this period as an opportunity to build up our community and share as much useful, positive information as possible. For everyone stuck missing their typical workout routines with gyms and fitness centers closed down, we've done our best to provide as many at-home workout options as possible. But that's just the start. We're also hosting live workout sessions on Instagram with some of our favorite trainers to fill the fitness class-shaped void in your daily routine.

Sean Garner, the creator of the Men's Health 6-Week Sweat Off program for the All Out Studio streaming fitness platform, hosted another live home workout session at home.

This conditioning routine challenges you to work through three speed sets, which are all composed of three exercises each. The setup is simple: Set a timer for 2 minutes, then rip through the series for as many rounds as possible (AMRAP) during the period. Rest for 30 seconds, then move on to the next speed set.

Most of these exercises are designed to be completed using only your bodyweight, and Garner demos the workout without a single implement. For those exercises that do typically use a weight, like the Turkish getups, you can use whatever you have on hand at home.

Perform 2 to 5 rounds of the whole series

Perform as many rounds as possible in 2 minutes

Rest for 30 seconds

Perform as many rounds as possible in 2 minutes

Rest for 30 seconds

Perform as many rounds as possible in 2 minutes

Rest for 30 seconds

Photo credit: Men's Health

Want more workouts from Garner? Check out his full 6-Week Sweat Off program on the Men's Health All Out Studio streaming platform.

GET THE WORKOUTS

Stay up to date with our workouts every single weekday at 12 p.m. ET. Want to keep up with the sessions you've missed? Check out the whole collection here.

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This Speed Set Home Conditioning Workout Will Wear You Out - Yahoo Lifestyle

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