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It keeps me motivated

Virtual lessons arent only for competitive athletes. Professional fitness instructors, like Cardi Davis, offer virtual lessons for recreational students. The part-time personal trainer for the Hockessin Athletic Club teaches online from her 2-year-old sons bedroom which she jokes is the least cluttered room in her house.

Davis, who teaches everyone from women who want to lose baby weight to people with disabilities, even started The No Way Challenge, which will reward three students with prizes if they dont gain weight over a six-week period.

It encourages them to still eat clean and do other workouts when theyre not meeting with me, she said. I hear people say, Ive already gained 10 pounds and cant stop eating because Im home all day.

Her student Chimere McLean was taking fitness classes to prepare for her first Spartan Race in May. While the event might be canceled or postponed, McLean still wants to stay in shape and the Zoom classes offer one-on-one feedback that a DVD or YouTube video doesnt.

She challenges me. If I know shes watching, I put in a little more effort, she said with a laugh. If its just me I go, Oh my gosh, Im so tired. But she wont let you quit. So, it keeps me motivated, and I can ask her questions if Im doing it right.

Davis colleague Dina Saitis has moved her living room coffee table and chairs to teach fitness classes.

Saitis has found the silver lining of quarantine: being able to pick up new students in California and Florida, thanks to Zoom. While most students dont have weights at home, theyre able to do bodyweight exercises and high-intensity interval training.

It is an antidepressant. Exercise is your way to keep away the demons, Saitis said. Its also important to stay as healthy as possible and keep your immune system in top running condition, especially in this climate.

Zoom classes are also beneficial to those who cant normally take in-person lessons, yoga student and teacher Tori Dennis added.

Whats cool about the online space is were all working from home, so maybe our schedules are more flexible, so it gives people who dont always have the time to get to a studio to experience it, she said. And people who cant afford it, too. Some people are doing donation-based classes or classes that are only $5, so if you cant afford to do a drop-in class, nows a good time.

Some teachers say theyre fortunate to have a steady income stream during this time. Fitness instructor Davis, who is a school physical education teacher full-time, said shes grateful for her regular job, which now takes place virtually. Her colleague Saitis, a full-time personal trainer, said shes able to offer her Zoom classes for free because her husband is still working, and shes able to receive unemployment benefits through the federal stimulus package.

However, many instructors depend on their teaching income.

Sarah Wnenchak, the owner of Truly Yoga in Newark, said the small income she makes on Zoom classes does not compare to her normal salary but that she wanted to continue teaching to help her students.

Before the pandemic, Wnenchaks studio held two to four classes a day, taught by herself and other instructors who work as private contractors. Now they only teach about two a day between them on Zoom. Wnenchak has applied for unemployment benefits as part of the federal stimulus package but is still waiting for approval.

I think its sad so many people have lost their opportunities, especially when it comes to the service industry, she said. When people [had] to be one-on-one or in groups and interactive [for work before, now] they have to think of creative ways to make money and continue on.

All of the 150 students at the First State Ballet Theatre have registered for Zoom classes. However, tuition for the virtual classes is cheaper than the normal rate.

The companys production of Romeo and Juliet has been canceled. So has its gala, its biggest fundraiser, which last year raised $25,000. The school has reduced its full-time faculty from 10 to six. Now, the school is exploring opportunities for community grants.

Its just not clear yet how deep the damage will go. All the arts rely on being together, so we just dont know what thats going to look like yet, Beatson said. A lot of dancers are freelancers, so they are hugely affected. Most of our company dancers have other jobs or theyre students and it just worked out their contracts ended in April. But for the dance community at large, its devastating.

Wnenchak said she is trying to stay focused on the fact quarantine wont be permanent. Her goal is not to make money, but to make sure her students are staying positive during this time.

Yoga helps you come back to a place of presence and acceptance. Not complacency, but a place of, I cant control whats going on, but I do have control of how I make my choices, how I react, she said. That affects our stress response, and if weve seen any information on how stress impacts our immune system and health, its the number one thing we need to look at.

Originally posted here:
Dance, fitness instructors help students adapt their homes to keep moving in quarantine - WHYY

Intermittent fasting has fast become a super popular health trend. The diet is said to cause weight loss, improve metabolic health, and perhaps even extend lifespan and heart health. Several methods of this eating pattern exist. Every method can be effective, but figuring out which one works best depends on the individual. According to the Harvard Health Blog, as a weight-loss method has been around in various forms for ages but it was highly popularized in 2012 by BBC broadcast journalist Dr. Michael Mosleys TV documentaryEat Fast, Live Longerand bookThe Fast Diet, followed by journalist Kate Harrisons bookThe 5:2 Dietbased on her own experience, and subsequently by Dr. Jason Fungs 2016 bestsellerThe Obesity Code. IF generated a steady positive buzz as anecdotes of its effectiveness proliferated.

According to the Harvard Health Blog, The food we eat is broken down by enzymes in our gut and eventually ends up as molecules in our bloodstream. Carbohydrates, particularly sugars and refined grains (think white flours and rice), are quickly broken down into sugar, which our cells use for energy. If our cells dont use it all, we store it in our fat cells as, well, fat. But sugar can only enter our cells with insulin, a hormone made in the pancreas. Insulin brings the sugar into the fat cells and keeps it there.

Basically as long as we do not snack, our levels of insulin go down and our fat cells release, and we burn this off as energy. You can go this often enough and for long enough that you burn off all of your fat. Please keep reading to find out how to do intermittent fasting.

Image: Gardie Design & Social Media Marketing via Unsplash

According to Healthline, the 16/8 methodinvolves fasting every day for 1416 hours and restricting your daily eating window to 810 hours.mWithin the eating window, you can fit in two, three, or more meals. Doing this method of fasting can actually be as simple as not eating anything after dinner and skipping breakfast. You can drink water,coffee, and other zero-calorie beverages during the fast, which can help reduce feelings of hunger. Its very important to primarily eat healthy foods during your eating window. This method wont work if you eat lots of junk food or an excessive number of calories. Is this how to do intermittent fasting? Maybe this method is for you.

The5:2 dietinvolves eating normally 5 days of the week while restricting your calorie intake to 500600 for 2 days of the week. This diet is also called the Fast Diet and was popularized by British journalist Michael Mosley. For example, you might eat normally every day of the week except Mondays and Thursdays. For those two days, you eat 2 small meals of 250 calories each for women and 300 calories each for men.

Eat Stop Eat involves a 24-hour fast once or twice per week. This method was popularized by fitness expert Brad Pilon and has been quite popular for a few years. By fasting from dinner one day to dinner the next day, this amounts to a full 24-hour fast. For example, if you finish dinner at 7 p.m. Monday and dont eat until dinner at 7 p.m. the next day, youve completed a full 24-hour fast. You can also fast from breakfast to breakfast or lunch to lunch the end result is the same. Water, coffee, and other zero-calorie beverages are allowed during the fast, but no solid foods are permitted.

If youre doing this to lose weight, its very important that you eat normally during the eating periods. In other words, you should eat the same amount of food as if you hadnt been fasting at all. The potential downside of this method is that a full 24-hour fast may be fairly difficult for many people. However, you dont need to go all-in right away. Its fine to start with 1416 hours, then move upward from there.

In alternate-day fasting, you fast every other day. There are several different versions of this method. Some of them allow about 500 calories during the fasting days. Many of the test-tube studies showing the health benefits of intermittent fasting used some version of this method. A full fast every other day can seem rather extreme, so its not recommended for beginners.

Read more here:
The 4 Intermittent Fasting Methods We Know Actually Work - Sporteluxe

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Cauliflower rice is a popular low carb substitute for rice thats made by shredding or grating fresh cauliflower.

The resulting product not only packs vitamins and minerals but also has the look and feel of rice at a fraction of the calories and carbs. It can be eaten raw or cooked.

This article tells you everything you need to know about cauliflower rice, including its nutrition facts and how to make it.

At 25 calories per cup (107 grams) both raw and cooked cauliflower rice provides just 1020% of the calories youd expect from the same quantity of cooked rice. Its also particularly hydrating, as water comprises over 90% of its weight (1, 2, 3).

Research links low calorie, water-dense foods like cauliflower to weight loss, as they may reduce hunger and boost feelings of fullness. Both of these factors may reduce your calorie intake (4).

In addition, cauliflower rice is low in carbs. It provides only 3 grams of net carbs per cup (107 grams) 18 times fewer carbs than the same quantity of rice (1, 2, 3).

The term net carbs measures the number of carbs your body ends up digesting. Its calculated by subtracting a foods grams of fiber from its total carbs.

While carbs are one of your bodys primary sources of energy, many people follow low carb diets like the ketogenic diet to try to lose weight. As such, cauliflower rice could be particularly helpful for people looking to slash their carb intake.

Compared with regular rice, cauliflower rice is especially low in calories and carbs. This makes it a popular choice for people trying to lose weight or watch their carb intake.

Cauliflower rice is rich in nutrients and beneficial plant compounds. One raw cup (107 grams) contains (2):

The fiber in cauliflower rice helps feed the healthy bacteria in your gut, reducing inflammation and promoting digestive health (5).

Studies link fiber-rich veggies like cauliflower to a lower risk of illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Fiber also promotes feelings of fullness, which may aid weight loss (4, 6, 7).

In addition, cauliflower is one of the best plant sources of choline a nutrient crucial for your heart, liver, brain, and nervous system (8).

Moreover, like other cruciferous vegetables, its rich in glucosinolate and isothiocyanate antioxidants, which fight inflammation and may even slow cancer cell growth (9, 10, 11, 12).

Its other antioxidants, including vitamin C, flavonoids, and carotenoids, may reduce your risk of illnesses like heart disease (9, 13, 14, 15).

Cauliflower rice is a good source of fiber, choline, and various antioxidants. Its particularly rich in vitamin C.

Cauliflower rice is easy to make.

Start by washing and drying a head of cauliflower thoroughly before removing the greens. Then cut the head into four large chunks and grate each of them individually with a box grater.

The medium-sized holes commonly used to grate cheese tend to yield pieces that best imitate the texture of cooked rice.

Alternatively, you can use the grater attachment on a food processor, or the pulse setting on a high-speed blender to shred your cauliflower more quickly. Just keep in mind that these techniques may make a final product thats slightly less fluffy.

Once shredded, remove excess moisture from the rice by pressing it into an absorbent dishtowel or large paper towel. This helps prevent sogginess.

Cauliflower rice is best eaten fresh. While it can be refrigerated for up to 5 days, it may develop an unpleasant sulfur smell.

Cooking and freezing it immediately can limit this odor. Cauliflower rice can be safely frozen for up to 12 months (16).

Cauliflower rice makes a versatile addition to many dishes.

You can eat it raw or saut it in a large skillet. To do so, heat a small amount of oil over medium heat, add the cauliflower rice and spices of your choice, and cover with a lid. You dont need to add water, as this veggie is already water rich.

Cook for 58 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the grains become slightly tender.

Cauliflower rice is an excellent substitute for rice and other grains in dishes like fried rice, risotto, tabouleh, rice salad, stuffed vegetables, sushi, rice fritters, and stir-fries. You can also add it to burrito bowls, soups, and casseroles.

For a unique twist, try adding cauliflower rice to smoothies or use it to make porridge or pizza crust.

To make cauliflower rice, simply grate or shred raw cauliflower with a grater or food processor. Though its best eaten fresh, you can also refrigerate or freeze it. It makes a great alternative to rice and other grains in a variety of dishes.

Store-bought cauliflower rice is a quick substitute for the homemade version. Its particularly convenient when youre in a rush or when fresh cauliflower isnt available.

Keep in mind that fresh vegetables start losing some of their nutrient content once cut. Hence, fresh cauliflower rice likely packs slightly more nutrients than store-bought versions (17).

Freezing may limit these nutrient losses though the overall difference between refrigerated and frozen versions is probably negligible (18).

Keep in mind that store-bought versions may vary slightly in taste and texture compared with homemade cauliflower rice.

Shop for cauliflower rice online.

Store-bought cauliflower rice may save you a bit of time in the kitchen. Although frozen varieties may retain slightly more nutrients than refrigerated versions, both options are generally just as nutritious as homemade versions.

Cauliflower rice is a nutritious alternative to rice thats low in calories and carbs.

It may even provide a number of benefits, such as boosting weight loss, fighting inflammation, and even protecting against certain illnesses. Whats more, its simple to make and can be eaten raw or cooked.

The next time youre thinking about cooking rice, consider grating whole cauliflower instead.

Read more here:
Cauliflower Rice: Calories and Nutrition Facts - Healthline

We've all heard of the freshman 15. You know, those extra pounds freshman gain in their first few months in college.

Now there's lots of talk about the COVID-19, a reference to the weight people are packing on as they isolate at home to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

Lots of people have given themselves permission to gain a few pounds during this stressful time because they know they will take it off when the new normal returns.

But allowing your weight to fluctuate, even temporarily, may negatively impact your health long term, according to experts at LSU's Pennington Biomedical Research Center.

In a new federally funded study, Pennington's researchers will delve into the metabolic consequences of short-term weight gain.

The idea is to understand and better inform an individual about what happens to their body during changes in weight, said Dr. Ursula White, assistant professor and primary investigator for the study. Well be looking at how changes in the fat tissue during weight gain can influence health outcomes in the future.

Putting on 10 pounds during a stressful time, even if a person sheds the weight quickly, can have unintended consequences.

Youve potentially changed your physiology in a way that you dont understand," White said. You may have made your body less sensitive to insulin or increased your risk of heart disease.

Although most people look at fat as just an energy reservoir the place where excess calories are stored fat has a lot of other functions, White said. Fat affects a persons entire metabolism and influences everything from appetite and immune systems to blood clotting and hormone levels.

There have been some studies about what happens when a person gains weight, White said, but no one has studied what happens to the functions of fat, aside from the changes in mass.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health is funding the five-year study. White said she expects participants will start to be recruited for the study this year.

More here:
Those pounds you gain in isolation may be a risk, even if you lose it later - The Advocate

Photo credit: Courtesy Mark Johnson

From Men's Health

Name: Mark JohnsonAge: 48Occupation: Designated Supervisor of Locomotive EngineersHometown: Davenport, Iowa

Start Weight: 286 poundsEnd Weight: 167 poundsTime Running: 10 months

On July 21, 2019, I went to a training coach. At the time, I weighed 286 pounds, and my manager at the Canadian Pacific Railway recommended I go there to learn healthy habits.

I was the walking dead. I struggled to breathe when I walked. I had tried going to the gym, but I wasnt having success. My diet at the time was fast food and heavy meals at restaurants.

As I told the coach this, he and I both knew I had to make immediate changes. I told the coach that I enjoyed runninghe liked that answer, because he said runners are dedicated to their goals. I knew that if he was going to help me, I had to want it. And if I wanted it, I had to follow the plan 100 percent.

Nutrition was easily the biggest part of my weight-loss journey. I learned how to read food labels, and I made sure to keep my fats, sodium, and added sugars down. I switched to eating a serving of lean protein and a complex carbohydrate roughly every four hours. The protein and carb had to have fewer than three grams of fat, no more than 85 mg of sodium per serving, and very little added sugar.

Meal-prepping was also part of my education. Its crucial to keep me from going out to eat or grabbing a comfort food. Once I completed it for the week, the rest of the week was easy, especially when I work long hours and travel. Plus, as I tried new foods, the meals I made tasted better and better.

Seeing the scale go down each Monday at my weekly weigh-ina requirement from my trainer to hold me accountablewas super motivating, and it helped me to keep up with my plan.

While I was eating better, I was also moving my body more. I picked running because of the mental challenge it provided, in addition to the physical. I had run previously between 2014 and 16, so I knew I shouldnt go go out fast. I could barely walk at the time, so I started by walking on the treadmill. I remember celebrating going 3.2 mph.

Story continues

But each week, I upped the speed and went a little further. Id have the TV on while I ran, and during commercial breaks, Id play with the speed and incline before returning to my comfortable setting when the program returned. When I started jogging at 4.5 mph, I knew I would never stop. By Christmas, I had lost 93 pounds.

Now, I go outside early in the mornings for runs. What I love about this sport is it doesnt require others to go for a run. You dont have to be the fastest or go the furthestyou just have to find a pace that youre comfortable with and go.

Running and improved nutrition went hand-in-hand for me. The more I improved my diet, the more weight Id lose and better fueled Id be for my runs. The more I ran, the more I wanted to fuel my runs better and lose weight.

This has all led to me getting down to 167 poundstwo pounds off of my goal weight of 165. Ive gone from barely walking to being able to run 8- to 11-minute miles. Ive gone from a size 48/50 pants to a 32. All of this in less than a year.

If others wanted to go on a similar journey, I have a few pieces of advice. First, find someone to hold you accountable. For me, it was my coach, who checked in with me and made sure I was staying honest.

Also, nutrition and exercise need to be part of your plan. There are many ways to tackle nutrition, so find the plan that works for you. Then add at least 60 minutes of exercise everyday. The key is getting yourself out there.

Finally, make the change for yourself, not because others want you to change. If you want it you will achieve it, and the more you do it, the easier it gets.

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Here is the original post:
Revamping His Nutrition and Running Daily Helped This Man Lose 119 Pounds - Yahoo Lifestyle

Healthcare workers are on their feet for extended periods of time tending to others. Two podiatrists based in New York told Prevention.com that the best shoes for these medical professionals are typically clogs or running shoes.

Now, running gear brand Hoka One One, owned by Deckers Brands, is donating 5,000 pairs of cushioned performance sneakers to healthcare workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic as part of its Front Line Give Back Program. The nationwide retailers that sell Hoka shoes will be the ones to directly hand out these products to doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers in their communities, according to a press release. To start, JackRabbit will supply over 400 pairs to two impacted hospitals in the New York and New Jersey area.

A Hoka One One spokesperson confirmed that the brand is letting its local retailers choose how they're distributing the sneakers in their respective communities, so there isn't a designated place where hospitals can request donations at this time. There will be a range of styles donated depending on what each retail partner has in stock.

"Right now, front line medical workers are faced with a tremendous battle, and we are here to support them however we can," Wendy Yang, President of Hoka One One, said in a statement. "Their job is to save lives, which makes manufacturing and selling footwear seem trivial by comparison, but we hope by donating these shoes we can help provide some assistance and relief during this incredibly strenuous and demanding time."

Hoka One One isn't the only brand trying to make those long and intense shifts a little easier. Crocs, for instance, is offering healthcare workers free shoes through its COVID-19: "A Free Pair for Healthcare" program. Stay safe out there!

Image Source: Courtesy of Hoka One One

Continued here:
Hoka One One Will Donate Thousands of Sneakers to Healthcare Workers - POPSUGAR

The impromptu NBA HORSE Challenge has been one of the fillers for normal sports competition during the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the most popular phrases of the day is fake news.

The term has been used appropriately, applied properly, overused and abused on many fronts when it comes to substantive information and complete misinformation disseminated to the masses through social media, television, radio, and e-mail.

The beauty of the world of sports is the drama, the unfolding of great games and great stories which create a diversion for many in the drama and difficulty of daily life.

That is what we are sorely lacking, missing more and more on a daily basis.

Everyone is doing their level best to fill the massive gaps lacking in our sports lives and in life, in general. To all, props and commendation for your efforts.

We continue to do the same with features on a daily basis and with accurate information and occasional breaking stories here at Crescent City Sports and will continue to do so.

I dont know about you but I have quickly, rapidly, make that instantly grown tired, gotten over and have even totally ignored the ridiculous brackets pertaining to comparisons and fake competitions that people have come up with, locally and nationally.

Being at home regularly has been all about watching a ton of television.

The concept of virtual competition through the interaction of video games is understandable and perhaps fun for many. Somehow, it escaped me.

Watching athletes operate remote control devices to get cartoon-like figures to react and perform doesnt do it for me.

From Magnovox to Atari to Game Boy, from Coleco to Bally to Sega, from Nintendo to Playstation to Xbox, the home units and remote concepts of playing sports games captured our son for a period of time but somehow missed me, which may explain my view of these airings on television.

The HORSE competitions have been a bit more enjoyable, since they are actually occurring with the genuine athletes taking, making and missing real shots.

With too much time on my hands, I have taken in all of my favorite sports movies continuously, including good ones, average ones and even those which were less than stellar.

Just in the last three weeks, we have caught part of or watched all of:

A League of Their Own, The Babe, The Bad News Bears franchise, Bend it Like Beckham, The Blind Side, Blue Chips, Bull Durham, Caddyshack, Cinderella Man, Dodgeball, Field of Dreams, The Fighter, For the Love of the Game, Friday Night Lights, Hoop Dreams, Hoosiers, Invincible, The Jackie Robinson Story, Jerry MaGuire, The Karate Kid catalog, The Legend of Bagger Vance, The Major League trilogy and Million Dollar Baby.

Then, there were Miracle, Moneyball, The Natural, North Dallas Forty, Pride of the Yankees, Raging Bull, Remember the Titans, Replacements, Rocky movies galore, The Rookie, The Sandlot (skip the sequel), Seabiscuit, Slap Shot, Space Jam, Talledega Nights, Tin Cup and White Men Cant Jump. It has gotten to the point of basically being able to recite most lines in most of the flicks.

Then, there are the sports-centric commercials which have caught my eye.

I am not an ancient relic but I can vividly remember one of my childhood heroes, Joe Namath, hawking panty hose and Joe Greenes memorable Coca-Cola spot where he gifts a young boy with his Steelers jersey since I was a huge fan of the Steelers and of Greene.

Who knew that a popular undergarment brand bears the name of a major league pitcher who won 288 games and underwent a surgery which revolutionized the modern science and medicine for pitchers and professional athletes? I wonder how Tommy John feels about the new product?

Who knew that the fountain of youth, in a manner of speaking, was available to you through a supplement that would not allow to experience a big hurt as you age, thanks to a former American League Most Valuable Player and batting champion? Frank Thomas is still in the public eye.

Who honestly knew that Peyton Manning hawked more products than you could possibly count? You likely knew that already.

Who knew that the insurance company I have utilized for many years has the seal of approval from Aaron Rodgers and CP3? Who knew there was a guy claiming to be Chris Paul in some of those spots?

Who knew that you can lose weight like Dan Marino with Nutrisystem?

Who knew that a prominent left-handed swinging golfer could utilize a drug to handle psoriatic arthritis? I am glad that Phil Mickelson can overcome and continue to play, whenever golf resumes.

My guess is that when this all ends and life resumes on a part-time to somewhat regular basis, we will get away from the television ritual, outside of watching real games. The video game craze will calm. The desperate attempt at creating somewhat creative to meaningless information will cease as we have a new lease on life. I am counting the days to the end of this malaise!

View post:
Coping with fake sports, athletic movies and endless commercials - crescentcitysports.com

By Calvin Watkins

The Dallas Morning News

(TNS) The workout locations range from Frisco to Fort Worth to DeSoto.

They start with a phone call. Dez Bryant, wide receiver looking for NFL work, calls David Robinson, wide receiver trainer to the stars.

If you dont believe in Robinsons work and influence, check out the 20 players he trained for the upcoming NFL draft. Hes been working with wide receivers since 2005 and runs the DRob Always Open Wide Receiver Academy.

If you need to work on your game, you call Robinson.

Bryant is no different. He wants to work out. He will hail former Cowboys teammates Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott. Sometimes Super Bowl-winning QB Patrick Mahomes. Ex-Cowboys receiver Lance Lenior shows up, too.

It looked like a class reunion, Robinson said of the recent workouts with Bryant and Prescott. It looked like they missed each other. You could definitely tell that they were quoting some of the plays, routes, when they played together. Dak was spitting verbiage, and Dez was remembering it. They were having flashbacks on certain routes they were working on. It was great.

For Bryant, this is part of the comeback tour. Its a tour thats been scrutinized for the videos Bryant has posted on Twitter and Instagram. Its a tour criticized for a lack of social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.

The videos show Bryant running routes, catching a Prescott pass on a back-shoulder fade, running a slant, sometimes catching a pass falling down. With each video comes the social media film critics.

Shoot, 80% of those people never played receiver, never played football, Robinson said. So I dont really get caught up in the responses because none of those people that are responding have never scored 73 touchdowns in their career. None of them have. So a lot of them dont know the art or have an understanding of how to run a route.

Robinson is Bryants confidant and trainer. He doesnt seek the publicity, but when asked, Robinson tells you Bryant, who didnt return a message seeking comment for this story, is ready to play in the NFL.

Hes been away for two years. Bryant had a chance to return after the Cowboys released him that emotional day in 2017. Baltimore offered him a contract that he turned down. There was the haphazard visit to the Cleveland Browns facility where Bryant showed up in a sleeveless T-shirt and his agent was in a power suit. It was a mess from the beginning.

In 2018, New Orleans signed Bryant to a one-year contract, and he showed up overweight. He tore his Achilles tendon in one of the first practices, ending a dream scenario where he would catch passes from Drew Brees and giving him a legit chance of a deep playoff run.

So Bryant just waited to heal. He called Robinson and told him he was ready. The early videos posted on Twitter showed Bryant looking heavy and slow.

As for the people that say hes not fast, Dez has never been fast, Robinson said. He came out of college running 4.6, 4.5, so hell tell you that thats not his game.

This is the process when you start a comeback tour. Bryant needed to lose weight, and one of the ways to do it is by working out. For Bryant, this occurred in public. He was showing the world his warts, and Robinson was there to help.

Ive been working Dez for a year and a half now. Hes looking night and day from when we first started, Robinson said. He dropped a lot of weight. Hes a lot lighter on his feet, hes a lot more efficient in and out of his cuts, and his confidence is on another level right now.

The workouts with Prescott and Elliott had some fans clamoring for a reunion. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said at the NFL scouting combine that hes not dismissing the possibility. Robinson said up to four teams are interested in Bryant.

Hes back to his old self, Robinson said. When he had that Achilles, coming off it, hes never been a real fast guy, but he was running with a limp. So we thought he would have to hang it up. (He) got discouraged, but he just keep doing his rehab and therapy on his Achilles, and we just kept working on his routes, his change of direction drills, and hes looking real good now. I think hes about 80-90% where he needs to be.

Robinson believes the comeback tour will find Bryant a home in the NFL. It will be interesting to see where Bryant ends up, if anywhere, considering how deep this upcoming draft class is at his position.

Meanwhile, the workout tour continues.

It might happen in Frisco today. Maybe at the field next to Bryants house. Possibly in University Park.

You can call any judge or police officer to complain about the small groups of people working out. Bryants workout tour will continue, with or without a cellphone recording it, because thats how its going to be.

Original post:
Is ex-Cowboy Dez Bryant ready to make his NFL comeback? The trainer of star wide receivers thinks so. - Examiner Enterprise

Did you know TNW Conference has a track fully dedicated to exploring new design trends this year? Check out the full Sprint program here.

In his book Thinking, Fast and Slow, Noble Prize-winning economist Daniel Kahneman discusses the psychological phenomenon of loss aversion, which he, along with Amos Tversky, first identified back in 1979. At its core, loss aversion refers to the tendency of the human brain to react more strongly to losses than it does to gains. Or, as Wikipedia puts it, people prefer avoiding losses to acquiring equivalent gains: it is better to not lose $5 than to find $5. This phenomenon is so ingrained in our psyche that some studies suggest that losses are twice as powerful, psychologically, as gains.

In his book, Kahneman describes a study of professional golfers. The goal of the study was to see if their concentration and focus was greater on par putts (where failure would mean losing a stroke) or on birdie putts (where success would mean gaining a stroke). In an analysis of 2.5 million putts, the study found that regardless of the putt difficulty, pro golfers were more successful on par putts, the putts that avoided a loss, than they were on birdie putts where they had a potential gain. The subconscious aversion to loss pushed them to greater focus.

If loss aversion is powerful enough to influence the outcome of a professional golfers putts, where else could it be shaping our focus and decisions?

Loss, Gain, and Iterative Product Development

Iterative product development is a process designed to help teams ship (get a product in front of customers) as quickly as possible by actively reducing the initial complexity of features and functionality. This is valuable because it gets the product in the hands of users sooner, allowing the team to quickly validate whether theyve built the right thing or not. This makes it less risky to try something new. The alternative process, waterfall, asked teams to build in all the complexity upfront and then put the product in front of customers. A much riskier and potentially costlier proposition.

Read: [The key to productivity is distinguishing habits from routine]

Iterative product development achieves its speed through a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) approach. MVP means taking the possible feature set that could be included in a product, or the possible functionality a specific feature could deliver, and cutting it down to the minimum needed to bring value to the end-user. As a simplified example, imagine you are designing the first music streaming app (like Spotify). It could have lots of potential features beyond just streaming music. Things like playlists, search, recommendations, following artists, sharing, offline mode, dark mode, user profiles and so on. Building all of that would take a lot of time and effort. So an MVP streaming app might just have music streaming and search. The goal is to build something quickly that can validate if users even want to stream music in the first place before you go invest in all those other features.

Once the MVP of a product is live, a team can then quickly assess if it is successful or not, and with minimum time invested, can move rapidly to build on the initial functionality.

It is this step of the process where things can start to go sideways.

The problem starts with the concept of an MVP. We arent geared to think in terms of MVP. In fact, our mind takes the opposite approach. When we get excited about an idea our brain goes wild with all the possibilities (see our list of music streaming features above). We imagine all the possible value a product could deliver and then we have to lose a significant portion of that value by cutting it down to the bare minimum. Its never easy. The unintended psychological consequence of this process is that we walk into the first version of our product with a feeling of loss. Even if our MVP is successful, that feeling sticks in our brain.

Weakness-based Product Development

The MVP process primes us to want to regain the value we believe weve lost. As soon as the product is live, we fall into a weakness-based, additive strategy, where we are compelled to add new functionality in order to win back our lost value (real or imagined).

This weakness-based mindset gets further reinforced when we start analyzing data and feedback. Because loss aversion causes us to focus on losses more than gains, we are more likely to gloss over positive signals and areas of strength and focus instead on the areas of the product that arent working.

Think about the amount of effort you put into understanding why something is not working versus the effort you apply to understand why something is working. It is rare to hear someone say how do we double down on this feature thats working? Instead, we strive to deliver value by fixing what we perceive to be broken or missing.

In the worst case, we even (subconsciously) go looking for signals that corroborate our underlying feelings of loss.

To go back to our music streaming app, if you believed that playlist was a critical feature, but it was cut in the MVP, you are primed to put a higher weight on any feedback where a user complains about not having a playlist because it validates your own sense of lost value. Even if that feedback goes against the other signals you are receiving.

We focus on areas of weakness because they represent potentially lost value, but weakness-based product development is like swimming upstream. Areas of strength are signals from your users about where they see value in your product. By focusing instead on areas of weakness, we are effectively ignoring those signals, often working against existing behavior in an effort to improve engagement by forcing some new value. This is why many product updates only garner incremental improvement. Swimming upstream is hard.

Strengths-based Product Development

Strengths-based product development means leveraging the existing behavior of your users to maximize the value they get from your product. Its about capitalizing on momentum, instead of trying to create it.

Instagram is a solid example of a strengths-based development approach. For starters, they have kept their feature set very limited for a long time. Especially early on, they did not focus on building new things but instead focused on embracing existing value. They prioritized things like new image filters and editing capabilities, faster image upload processing, and multi-photo posts. Instagram knows that the strength of its product is in sharing photos from your smartphone. They didnt spend a ton of time enhancing comments or threads. Theyve made minimal changes to their heart functionality for liking posts. They never built out a meaningful web application. When they did create significant new functionality they often made it standalone, like Boomerang and Layout, as opposed to wedging it into the core experience.

Arguably the biggest change theyve made over the years was the addition of stories. However, even that feature, while copied from Snapchat, was still an extension of their core photo-sharing behavior. And, ultimately, stories increased the value of feed-based photo sharing on Instagram as well. Before stories, all your daily selfies, food shots, workout updates and so on all went into your feed. Now, much of that lower quality posting goes into stories, and feed posts are reserved for higher quality photos, creating an enhanced feed experience.

In contrast, take an example from my previous job. I was head of product for a streaming video service for almost seven years. As a subscription-based service, our bread and butter was premium video. However, many competitors in our space focused on written content, which we did not have. As an organization, we saw this weakness as a potential value loss and prioritized implementing an article strategy.

Written content did not enhance our core user behavior, but we built up justifications for the ways that it could. This is actually a key symptom of weakness-based product development. When something enhances your core strength, its value is obvious. If you find yourself needing to build a justification, its a sign you could be on the wrong track.

Articles never gained significant traction with our paying subscribers. They did, however, drive a high level of traffic from prospective customers via platforms like Facebook. But, the conversion rate for that traffic was extremely low. The gap between reading an article and paying a monthly subscription for premium videos was just too big of a leap. We were swimming upstream in an attempt to fill in perceived holes, but never really enhancing our core value.

On the flip side, we also developed a feature that allowed subscribers to share free views of premium videos with their friends. Capitalizing on our core strength and an existing behavior (sharing). Like articles, this drove organic traffic but also had a significantly higher conversion rate. The effect of swimming with the current.

The good news is that if you find yourself in a weakness-based mindset, there are a few straight forward things you can do to break out.

1. Analyze what works

When you see areas of strength dont just give yourself a pat on the back and move on, make those areas the key focus of your next iteration. Be the one to ask, why is this working and how can we accelerate it? Stop chasing new values. You are already delivering value. Build on that.

2. Move from addition to subtraction

When you look at metrics, stop looking at weak performance as something to be improved. Instead, look at it first as an opportunity to simplify. Instead of immediately asking, how can we make this better? Make the first question, is this something we should get rid of completely?

This is especially powerful in existing products. If youve been practicing weakness-based development you potentially have a bloated, underused feature set thats dragging down your overall experience. What if every third or fourth development cycle, you didnt build anything new and instead focused on what you were going to get rid of? How quickly would that streamline your product and bring you back to your core strengths?

3. Understand your strengths

Do you know what is valuable in your product? You have to be able to answer that question if you want to step into a strengths-based mindest. If youre not sure about the answer thats ok, you can start with this simple matrix.

Plot your features in the matrix. Features in the upper right quadrant represent your core value. How many of your product cycles in the last three months have focused on the elements in the upper right? If the majority of your work is not happening there then there is a good chance you are practicing weakness-based product development.

If you are doing any work in the lower left quadrant you are wasting your time. Dont waste cycles propping up weak features. Kill those features, move on and dont fear the fallout. We get worried about upsetting users who have adopted features that arent actually driving our success (theres that loss aversion again). Its ok. Users will readjust, and yes, some might leave. But if you are clear on your products strengths and focus your efforts there, the value you gain will more than making up for anything you lose by cutting the things that are holding you back.

>This article was originally published on uxdesign.cc

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Why we are hardwired to focus on the wrong parts of our product - The Next Web

Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam, and Muslims are required to fast during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Image Credit: Pixabay

Dubai: With only 12 days left before Ramadan begins, many Muslims around the world are wondering whether fasting can pose an increased risk of catching the COVID-19 virus, due to dehydration. It is a logical question as the coronavirus pandemic is continuing to sweep its way across the world, where people are advised to keep up fluid intake to keep mucus membranes moist.

Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam, and Muslims are required to fast during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Ramadan is derived from the Arabic word Al Ramad, which means intense heat and drought. This reflects the hardship felt by Muslims who fast every day from dawn to sunset, during which they cannot eat or drink anything the whole day.

The question about fasting is also asked by non-Muslims who resort to intermittent fasting an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating. It is also known as an intermittent energy restriction- an umbrella term for various meal timing schedules that cycle between voluntary fasting and non-fasting over a given period. Three methods of intermittent fasting are: alternate-day fasting, periodic fasting, and daily time-restricted feeding.

As Ramadan is around the corner, Muslims worldwide wonder if they would be excused from fasting. Ramadan is expected to fall on April 23, depending on the crescent moon sighting and the Hijri calendar. In fact, Muslims cannot suspend one of the main worships and a key pillar of Islam unless a Sharia fatwa is issued by one of the Muslim worlds highest Islamic institute.

As the novel coronavirus continues to spread globally and people go on to self-isolate in their homes and stockpile groceries, is this the right time to fast? Does fasting inadvertently weaken immune system? Does fasting cause dehydration? These are a few questions raised by many Muslims and non-Muslims worldwide at such a turbulent phase of human history.

What health experts say?

According to recommendations by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and health experts, people are advised to drink plenty of fluids, particularly gargling with warm water and drinking liquids to keep their throat and respiratory tract moist.

Health experts say drinking water prevents dehydration, but it will not prevent anyone from catching the new coronavirus.

Doctors caution against believing homegrown advice and what social media users are spreading online as ways of preventing the virus. Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University, said while medical professionals typically recommend keeping up fluid intake when sick, drinking more water will not keep anyone from catching the virus.

"We always caution anyone healthy and people who are sick to keep up fluid intake and keep mucus membranes moist. It makes one feel better; but there is no clear indication that it directly protects against complications, Dr. Schaffner confirmed.

Importance of drinking water

You've always heard or read about drinking at least 2 litres of water through the day.Well, now, in the time of COVID-19 pandemic, staying hydrated becomes even more imperative.Why? Well, we are about 70+ per cent water, which is used by our cells to move important factors such as oxygen, trace elements around the body through blood. It is also used to flush out enemies - be it waste or pathogens.So, when our bodies get dehydrated, or face lack of water, the cells come under immense pressure. Some of them start shrinking such as bone cells, because their water is borrowed to keep the blood moving. Things become slushy and sluggish. Waste can build up, including pathogens.We drink when we are thirsty, but by then, it is already late. And, if you have hiccups, then it is a bad sign.But, do not suddenly consume vast quantities of water, it has to be in a controlled manner. Sudden over consumption can cause other issues. We have to stay hydrated through the day. Because, exces-sive dehydration releases the stress hormone cortisol in your body, decreases immunoglobulins in your saliva as it gets thicker, thereby impacting your frontline immunological response to an invading alien pathogen. This is as per a study on marathon runners by the Korey Stringer Institute and Univer-sity of Connecticut, USA.Another study observed that dehydration, as expected, reduces the overall volume of blood and lym-phatic fluids, which are an integral part of the body's immune system. This impairment of response will lead to disease.So, how do you stay ahead?As per Scotland's National Health Information Service, watch out for these early warning signs of dehydration:*feeling thirsty, even mildly, and lightheadedness*a dry mouth*tiredness*having dark coloured, strong-smelling urine (ideally should be light, straw-coloured)*passing urine less often than usual (normal is about 4+ times in a day)*even feeling unnaturally hungry could be an indicator the body needs water, as we get nearly 80 per cent of our fluid component from food.Additionally, an article by the pharmaceutical company Abbott stated: "Healthy hydration levels can help your nose by maintaining the mucous membrane and decreasing irritation when coughing, sneez-ing and even just breathing."So, stay hydrated, stay healthy, stay safe.

What science says?

Recent scientific studies show that fasting is the secret to a healthier and longer life. According to a UK-based National Institute on Aging, evidence from decades of animal and human research shows wide-ranging health benefits of intermittent fasting.

The institute conducted a review of the research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, which pointed that hundreds of animal studies and scores of human clinical trials have shown that intermittent fasting can lead to improvements in health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancers and neurological disorders.

The review said still more research is needed to determine whether intermittent fasting yields benefits or is even feasible for humans when practiced over the long term, such as for years.

In a Horizon Documentary titled Eat, Fast and Live Longer, Dr. Michael Mosley sets for himself a truly ambitious goal: he wants to live longer, stay younger and lose weight in the bargain. He discovers the powerful new science behind the ancient idea of fasting. Mosley tests out the science of fasting on himself with life-changing results.

In his journey, he explores the secrets to good health and the secrets to longevity. He does not stop there but goes on to discover what is called, intermittent fasting What is very interesting is that he discovers the effects of fasting on the aging of the brain. Although the trials were conducted on mice, they suggest that human beings have a good chance of reducing brain diseases by fasting intermittently.

What Islam and Muftis say?

Dr Ali Ahmad Mashael, Grand Mufti at the Dubai Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities, said: Fasting is the fourth pillar of Islam, and nothing can excuse one from not fasting except for ailing people who are on medication and fasting may complicate their health condition.

He said there are legitimate reasons for which one may be excused from fasting as mentioned in the holy Quran, which are sickness and travelling. O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that possibly you would be pious, [Al Baqarah 2: 183]. Fasting for a limited number of days. So, whoever among you is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of days [are to be made up]-And upon those who are able [to fast, but with hardship] - a ransom [as substitute] of feeding a poor person [each day]. And whoever volunteers excess - it is better for him-But to fast is best for you, if you only knew [Al Baqarah: 2:184].

Dr. Mashael said: Nothing can be preferred over the pillars of Islam, including fasting, which is a duty by every Muslim. A fear of getting sick is not an excuse for a Muslim to not fast. Islam permits sick people, whose health condition makes them unable to fast, and are advised by their [Muslim] doctors, who know the virtues of fasting, not to fast because it may risk their lives.

Islam permits sick people - if fasting can risk their lives or cause harm to their health - not to fast. The sick person, who fears that fasting may make his sickness worse or slow down his recovery or damage a part of his body, upon his doctors opinion, has the option of not fasting, the Mufti said.

He said: If the sick person is very ill, it is permissible for him not to fast. But if a healthy person fears difficulty and tiredness or afraid of getting sick it is not permissible for him to break his fast.

The grand mufti said fasting is a reflection and purification of both body and soul. Fasting is also good for human health, as it has been proven by modern medicine and scientific studies. Fasting was found to have beneficial effects on health, backed by recent scientific studies, he emphasised.

Regarding COVID-19 infected patients, Dr. Mashael said: It is permissible not to fast if the health condition of a coronavirus-infected patient is critical and is advised by his doctor not to fast because he/or she needs to keep drinking water and taking medicine.

What Al Azhar Al Sharif says?

Al Azhar Al Sharif, the Muslim worlds top Sunni Islamic institution issued a statement that Muslims are required to fast this year, and fasting has nothing to do with the possibility of an increased risk of catching coronavirus.

Not fasting during Ramadan is not permissible due to coronavirus, and fasting is a duty and a must for Muslims, Al Azhar said in a statement.

Al Azhars Fatwa is based on the feedback they received from the World Health Organisation, which says that drinking and gargling with water does not protect a person from catching COVID-19 virus.

We have asked WHO if drinking water or gargling with water would protect people from being infected with coronavirus. The answer was: Although water is important for the moisture of human body, it does not protect against the virus and has not been proven that gargling with water can protect anyone from catching the virus.

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Ramadan during COVID-19: What clerics and health experts say - Gulf News

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