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Weight Watchers International (NASDAQ: WW) shares rose after the company announced that Oprah Winfrey has extended her partnership deal with the company. She will continue to be on WW's board of directors until 2025. The popular media personality has been a board member, strategic partner, and shareholder since 2015. Oprah will also partner with WW to host a 2020 Vision tour to nine U.S. cities, featuring bold names like Michele Obama and Jennifer Lopez.

As part of her updated deal, Winfrey will have the option to buy an additional 3.3 million shares of WW, or 4.3% of WW's outstanding shares, adding to her existing 8% stake in the company.

Oprah Winfrey's 2020 Vision Tour. Image Source: Weight Watchers International.

Meanwhile, Weight Watchers faces ongoing challenges to its sales growth, including increased competition and shifting consumer preferences. The company also went through a major rebranding last year, shifting its focus toward wellness overall. Is the company's deal with Oprah enough to keep growth going amid all these changes?

The wellness company's revenue fell 9.9% year over year during the second quarter and another 4.7% in the third quarter. Most of Weight Watchers' revenue comes from subscription sales for digital and studio packages. However, its pricier studio subscriptions have been seeing steady declines. In the third quarter, studio and digital subscribers decreased 7% year over year -- this followed an 11% decline in the second quarter. While digital sales are increasing, it hasn't been enough to offset the drop in the more profitable studio segment.

Meanwhile, consumers have an increasing number of options around weight loss and exercise goals. There's competitor Noom, an app-based wellness company that raised $58 million in funding earlier this year. Noom creates more flexible, personalized plans to help its customers reach health goals like weight loss. It also offers interactions with coaches. That's on top of the increasing number of health coaches and smaller wellness websites that sell their own subscription and coaching packages.

Another issue that Weight Watchers is facing is its confusing brand messaging. In its effort to modernize and keep up with shifting consumer demands, the company could be confusing its core client base. It now uses the terms "workshop" and "studio" instead of "meetings" and "groups." The prior message seemed to be one of offering support and connection to clients. The new message does not appear to stand out amid a sea of wellness and diet offerings, as evidenced by declining subscriber numbers.

Oprah Winfrey is an influential spokesperson who can connect with Weight Watchers' core audience. She has been open and public about her own weight loss and health struggles. Oprah's brand is also built around trust and connection with her audience, two factors that will help the company's brand.

But while the updated deal with Oprah represents a move in the right direction, it might not be enough to offset the headwinds. The current valuation already bakes in any boost from the Oprah partnership. The wellness company trades at 21 times forward earnings estimates, and the stock is already up 140% from its 2019 lows. Given the rapid declines in its studio business, I would wait for both a pullback in share price and evidence of stabilizing subscriber and sales figures to buy shares in Weight Watchers.

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Is Weight Watchers' Extended Partnership With Oprah Winfrey a Boon for Shares? - Nasdaq

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LISBON, PORTUGAL - DECEMBER 18: Rui Fonte of SC Braga reacts after missing a goal opportunity during ... [+] the Taca De Portugal match between SL Benfica and SC Braga at Estadio da Luz on December 18, 2019 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)

It is logical to deduct that success early on in a career is an indicator of future success, but a new study from Northwestern Kellogg School of Management found the opposite: an early career setback is a better indicator of future success than early achievement. Scientists who nearly received a significant grant from the National Institutes of Health ultimately published more work than those who barely received the grant. Dr. Dashun Wang, an associate professor of management and organizations at the Kellogg School and a co-author of the study told the Kellogg Insight that in the long run,the losers ended up being better.

Their conclusion is counter-intuitive, and contradicts everything we are taught as a culture: that success breeds success. Entrepreneurs and creatives have claimed for a long time that failure is the foundation of their success. Stephen King wrote in his book On Writing, The nail in my wall would no longer support the weight of therejectionslips impaled upon it. I replaced the nail with a spike and kept on writing. The spike was evidence of his effort. J.K. Rowling gave a commencement address at Harvard in 2008 titled, The Fringe Benefits Of Failure And The Importance Of The Imagination. She said, Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos often discusses how failure is the key to innovation, and how there is no innovation without failure. In his 2016 letter to shareholders he wrote, "Failure comes part and parcel with invention. Its not optional. We understand that and believe in failing early and iterating until we get it right." The difference is now this theory is backed by scientific research.

The authors of the study eliminated all other variables that could have impacted this progression, like partnering with influential collaborators, changing to more prestigious institutions, changing research topics or moving into a hot field of research, but those variables were still not enough to account for the ultimate gap in success between the near miss scientists and the scientists that barely received the grant. With no clear external variable that could have impacted the scientists success, the teams analysis indicates that the failure may have motivated the near miss scientists to improve. Kellogg strategy professor and study co-author Benjamin F. Jones told the Kellogg Insight, The advice to persevere is common, he says. But the idea that you take something valuable from the lossand are better for itis surprising and inspiring.

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Recent Study Shows Early Career Setbacks Are Key To Long Term Success - Forbes

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A tidal wave of fat, and the ailments that come with it, now appears virtually inevitable in the United States.

New research finds that by 2030, nearly half of American adults 49.2% to be exact will be obese. In every single state, no fewer than 35% of adults will have a body mass index of at least 30, the threshold that defines obesity.

New years resolutions aside, this is not about whether youll fit into your skinny jeans a decade from now. Body mass index, a measure of fatness based on a persons height and weight, has its limitations as a predictor of personal health. But in large populations where rates of obesity are higher, people tend to be sicker, live shorter lives, and incur steeper healthcare expenses.

And that means the new study results are a harbinger of pretty poor American health.

Even worse: As the nation continues to accumulate fat, nearly 1 in 4 U.S. adults will havesevere obesity.

Defined as having a BMI of 40 or above, severe obesity will become about as common in 2030 as regular obesity was in the 1990s. Where Americans were already obese, the generation behind them is expected to become severely obese and their risk of joint and back problems, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and early death will be even higher.

The findings were published in this weeks edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Public health researchers at Harvard and George Washington University made these projections by applying established weight trends to Americans across the lifespan and across the map. To hone in on states obesity rates, they combed through existing data and corrected it to account for the fact that people routinely lie to researchers about their weight. Then, they used each states history of weight gain to forecast its future.

The resulting projections represent a stark increase from current obesity rates. In 2015-2016, the last period for which there are reliable figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 39.8% of adult Americans were obese. That translates into 93.3 million people with a condition that the American Medical Assn. calls a disease state.

The weight of these grim statistics is not distributed evenly. For instance, 21.1% of U.S. men are projected to be severely obese in 2030, along with 27.6 % of U.S. women. In fact, severe obesity by then will make up the largest single weight category for women.

In addition, severe obesity will affect 23.4% of non-Latino white adults, 24.5% of Latino adults and 31.7% of non-Latino black Americans.

Income matters too, with severe obesity heavily clustered at the bottom of the economic ladder. It is projected to affect 21.6% of adults in households with incomes above the 2030 equivalent of $50,000 and 31.7% of adults in households making $20,000 or less per year.

States like California, Colorado and Hawaii long appeared to buck the national trend of inexorable weight gain. But by 2030, they too are expected to have populations in which more than one in three adults are obese.

In a cluster of southern states dubbed the stroke belt, the situation is more dire. Close to six in 10 adults in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Oklahoma are expected to be obese in 2030, and the proportion of adults in those states who are severely obese is projected to top 30%.

Zachary J. Ward, lead author of the study, said the increase in the nations obesity rates has shown few signs of slowing since the 1980s. Despite decades of hand-wringing, fat shaming and obesity-prevention campaigns, no state whose population has remained steady has succeeded in stabilizing its weight, much less reducing obesity.

The failure of obesity-prevention efforts aimed at children, in fact, is helping to drive these continued increases in adult obesity, Ward said.

An earlier simulation exercise by his research group projected that 57% of American kids alive in 2017 will be obese by the time theyre 35. And the evidence is clear that for at least several decades after that, an adults weight typically continues to climb.

The result: Not only is obesity established earlier, driving population rates upward. When it sets in in early midlife, the stage is set for more people to develop severe obesity.

By 2030, that escalation of weight gain will have the curious result of reducing the proportion of Americans who are expected to be considered overweight, defined as having a BMI between 25 and 29.9. (A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered a healthy weight.)

While a reduction in overweight Americans might be seen an an encouraging sign, the reality is far less positive, Ward said. Weight gain has become so rapid that more adults will pass quickly through the overweight phase and proceed directly to obesity or worse, to severe obesity.

The disparities in obesity along gender, ethnic, economic and geographic lines mean that no one strategy is going to solve this problem, Ward said.

What works to stabilize weight in Latinos may differ from what works in African-Americans. In Arkansas and Oklahoma, public health experts might look for ways not only to prevent obesity, but to forestall the expansion of severe obesity. Many of the cultural and environmental factors that contribute to weight gain in low-income Americans are likely different than those that promote weight gain in higher-income households.

In any case, its clear that simply exhorting people to lose weight is not enough, Ward said. With obesity threatening to become the new normal among American adults, public health experts might do well to redefine what counts as success.

Prevention is key, Ward said. But even for people with obesity, each step up the BMI ladder increases the risk of serious health problems. At this point, helping the obese to stabilize their weight, whatever it is, might be the best way to improve Americans health prospects, said Ward.

That could still be a public health victory if we could get people to stop gaining more weight, he said.

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By 2030, nearly half of all U.S. adults will be obese, experts predict - Los Angeles Times

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Be honest. Do you read the nutrition labels on your yogurt, bread or salsa at the grocery store? Maybe you peek at the calorie content, but do you look at the other nutritional components or the serving size before putting it in your cart?

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services.Policy

Here preventive cardiology dietitian Kate Patton, RD, LD, explains 7 key things you should look for on food labels to help you manage any cardiac risk factors you have.

You probably know that calories are listed in bold type near the top of food labels, where its visible at a glance. But If you are trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, this number isnt enough.

Check the amount of calories per serving, Patton says. Serving size is very important.

Because consumers are more likely to buy foods with a reasonable calorie content, the calories may be listed for an unrealistic portion size like 10 chips.

You cant assume its for the entire bag or box, Patton says. If you dont watch the portion size, its easy to consume many more calories than you expect.

The amount of total fat in a food is listed in grams, with types of fats listed separately below.

On the right, youll see the number of grams for total fat and saturated fat as percentages of the recommended amount per day, now called percentage of daily value (%DV), on a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet.

If you have high cholesterol, the amount of saturated fat is important. To lower your cholesterol, no more than 5% of your total daily calorie intake should come from saturated fat, Patton says.

The recommended amount of cholesterol is 300 mg a day, but Patton says this is too much.

Strive to consume less, she says.

Because sodium causes water retention, a low-sodium diet is a must for people with heart failure or hypertension. A food can be labeled low sodium if it contains 140 mg or less.

If you have heart failure, your doctor will set a daily limit for sodium.

If you have hypertension or are at risk for it, you should restrict sodium intake to a maximum of 1,500 mg a day. You are considered at risk if you have diabetes or kidney disease, are African-American or are age 50 or older.

Most other people can limit their sodium intake to 2,300 mg a day.

Carbohydrates (or carbs) are sugars and foods that turn into sugar.

Bad carbs raise blood sugar quickly and contribute to the formation of harmful triglycerides. Bad carbs are listed on labels as added sugars. The category includes table sugar, honey, molasses, high fructose corn syrup and any other form of sugar that is not naturally found in the food.

The %DV for added sugar is 36 g a day for men (about 9 teaspoons) and 25 g a day for women (6 teaspoons).

If you have prediabetes, diabetes or high triglyceride levels, you want to steer clear of bad carbs.

Foods high in dietary fiber are considered good carbs. Thats because they turn into sugar more slowly, which helps keeps blood sugar levels even and prevents spikes.

Just about everyone should eat more fiber, Patton says. Its especially important when trying to lower your cholesterol. Aim for at least 25 g of fiber a day. Men need up to 35 g, she says.

The DV of protein is 50 g, although most Americans consume more than that, Patton says. Protein is always listed on the label, even if its not present in the food.

Knowing the amount of protein may be important for someone with chronic kidney disease, who has to limit protein intake, she says.

Many vitamins and minerals used to be listed last on the labels. Today, youll find only those considered important for a balanced diet. These include vitamin D and potassium.

Thats because many Americans do not get the recommended amounts, Patton says. Vitamin D is necessary for bone health. Potassium is important for controlling blood pressure. Calcium and iron are also listed.

Look at the %DV, just so you make sure you understand how much that serving will contribute to the total amount you need in a day, Patton says. You can trust that the figures are based on new scientific evidence for the amount of nutrients you should consume or not exceed.

Besides the actual nutrition facts label, Patton says its important to read the actual ingredient list. She recommends you:

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How to Read Food Labels If You Have Heart Disease - Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic

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MONIKA Bhudia watched her husband Mitul opening his Christmas presents, tears spilling from his eyes, as she choked back her own.

The devoted dad was losing his fight with incurable lung cancer and they both knew this was the last Christmas he would spend with his wife and two young daughters, Amiya, now 10 and Vianna, six.

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Just three months earlier the couple from Harrow, who met when they were 17 and married in 2007, had been blissfully happy.

Life was amazing, we couldnt really ask for more- our family was all that mattered," Monika tells the Sun Online.

"Mits loved cars, holidays and food, he was passionate about his job as a heating engineer and had recently been promoted to team manager.

But in September 2018, their world fell apart when Mitul was diagnosed with lung cancer and, by December, they knew he had less than a year to live.

Sadly, the devoted dad-of-two passed away in January and, last month, Monika, 38, went back to Northwick Park Hospital in London to thank the Macmillan cancer nurse who helped them through their darkest days.

If Macmillan hadnt been there for Mits, I think he wouldve worried a lot more and been a lot more scared, says Monika. They gave him advice and answers to his questions. If he was unsure, there was someone to ask.

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In August last year Mitul, who had smoked since he was a teenager, developed a persistent cough.

He initially put it down to a smokers coughand was prescribed antibiotics.

But a month later he began to lose weight and developed night sweats, which doctors suspected were symptoms of the bacterial infection Tuberculosis. He also had a golf ball sized lump in his neck.

After a biopsy on the lump and blood tests, Mitul was given an appointment with a consultant at Northwick Park Hospital and opted to go alone.

He told Monika It's going to be fine. Theyre going to tell me its TB and give me some medication and then I'll meet you for lunch.

But at 2pm, he called with devastating news.

He asked me to come to the hospital straight away and said he had lung cancer. My world fell apart.

I just broke down. I was in shock and there were so many emotions going through my head. I was thinking, Why us? What does it mean for my daughters? How are we going to cope?"

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Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK, and around 46,400 people are diagnosed with it each year. About 1 in 10 people who get lung cancer (10 per cent) have never smoked, and more than 4 in 10 people (44 per cent) who are diagnosed are aged 75 and over.

Initially, Mitul was reluctant to reveal the diagnosis, telling only immediate family.

My first reaction was what and how are we going to tell our children, says Monika. Cancer silenced us. I felt broken at the thought of losing my husband, father of my children my soulmate. You want to protect those you love.

The couple decided to be as honest as they could with the girls, then nine and five.

We sat them down and told them that Daddy has cancer, but Im not sure they completely understood, says Monika.

It was really hard. Both our girls needed their daddy.

Mitul began chemotherapy treatment in October but at the beginning of December he began to develop breathing problems, and was admitted to A&E.

After further tests, doctors discovered the cancer had spread to his right lung, lymph nodes, neck, windpipe and bones.

Monika says: Mits was distraught. Although he asked not to know his life expectancy, the clear implication was that he would be dead within a year.

The Macmillan nurses suggested Mitul wrote letters to his loved ones, especially the girls, but he assured Monika there was no need.

He was a man of very few words and he just got on with it. He had a very positive outlook," she says.

"Even through the treatment he insisted he would get through it, everything was going to be OK but I wish he had written those letters.

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That Christmas, the couple tried to make it as special as possible, for the sake of the girls.

We had prepared ourselves mentally that this was going to be our last Christmas together as a family, she says.

By now, the girls knew that Daddy was very ill and that we needed to look after him and make every occasion special for him.

Normally, we go crazy with friends and family and we pack so much in - but last Christmas it was just the four of us for Christmas lunch, which he enjoyed.

We opened all our gifts together in the morning, as we usually would do. But this time he was in tears, knowing he may not be here to open presents next Christmas.

Nobody wants to see their husband cry so that was hard, but I knew I had to be strong for him and stop myself from breaking down.

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In the new year, Mituls health deteriorated further, and he was admitted to another hospital and underwent a course of radiotherapy.

On January 29, he was discharged but the following day, as Monika prepared breakfast for the children and got them ready for school, she heard her husband shout from the bedroom.

The metal stents the doctors had inserted to keep his airways open collapsed, and Mitul died almost instantly, with his family by his side.

It happened very quickly, in about five minutes. Both the girls were crying and I had to ask them to step aside and let the paramedics do what they needed to do. But they couldnt save him.

Devastated at losing her soulmate, Monika has vowed to keep his memory alive in the girls minds.

We talk about him all the time and this summer we scattered his ashes off the Seychelles, because he loved the Indian Ocean, she says.

That gave us some closure. But I think about him every day. Last week I was just making breakfast for the girls and I broke down. Any little memory can trigger me.

Special occasions like Christmas, birthdays and Diwali are especially hard because you see others celebrating with loved ones.

When there's somebody missing in the household it's hard to carry on as usual. This Christmas will be very lonely.

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Since his tragic death, Monika and Mituls close family and friends have raised a staggering 30,000 in Mituls memory for Macmillan Cancer Support, with a team of over 30 taking part in fundraisers including Run Regents Park and did their own London to Brighton bike ride in October.

Monika adds: Cancer makes you realise whats really important. I just try to be positive and enjoy every day I continue for my girls and the promises that Ive made to Mits - I take nothing for granted.

Without Macmillan, I think the world would be a very scary place. Its quite hard to imagine what it would have been like without them, which is why I decided I wanted to give back.

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I just wanted to raise money to thank them for everything they do to support people affected by cancer. You never know when you might need their help yourself, and I encourage people to do the same through events like Worlds Biggest Coffee Morning the money raised really does make all the difference.

Cancer doesnt stop at Christmas and neither does Macmillan Cancer Support. Without your donations we simply cannot support the growing number of people who need us no matter what time of year it is. Donate today to help us this Christmas: https://www.macmillan.org.uk/donate

Mituls tribute fundraising page can be found here: https://macmillan.tributefunds.com/mitul-bhudia

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My husband wept as he opened presents on Christmas morning because he knew it was his last one - The Sun

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Physical Health - Church of Jesus Christ

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CALIFORNIA Want to push beyond your comfort zone and break out of your same-old workout routines in 2020? Here's Patch's guide to some of the best fitness apps for new challenges that will help keep you in good health all year long.

Activities: Strength training, cardio, mobility

Why: Take it to your living room, backyard or garage. Nike Training Club is perfect for people without a gym membership or those needing variety in their fitness routines. (HINT: It's also a great choice for frequent business travelers seeking anytime personal training.) The app features on-demand video workouts that vary in length many are free, but you can upgrade to a premium membership that will open up a complete video library featuring sessions led by trainers who offer tips and guidance. The app includes a good variety of individual workouts and multi-week training programs.

Price: Free; fee-based premium membership available

More info: https://www.nike.com/us/en_us/c/nike-plus/training-app

Activities: General

Why: Tracking steps is a little old school these days, but for those just getting started this one is a gem. Simple to use, MapMyFitness monitors your moves in real time (feel good about vacuuming, taking out the trash) and it tells you how many calories you've burned. You can also log your activities manually, and MapMyFitness is compatible with other trackers, such as Fitbit and others. The app also lets you set goals and challenge friends in the MapMyFitness community, and it can lead you to the best walking, hiking, running and cycling trails.

Cost: Free; fee-based premium membership available

More info: https://www.mapmyfitness.com/

Activities: Running, cycling

Why: Strava is a community platform for serious athletes and beginners alike. Yes, it tracks your performance stats and gives a deep dive into the data, but it also lets you interact with friends, family and professional athletes who are on the platform. You can upload photos and activities, find cycling and running routes, ask for advice. You'll form new bonds with others who can help keep you motivated. It's the ultimate social network for athletes (pro and amateur alike).

Price: Free; fee-based premium membership available

More info: https://www.strava.com/

Activities: Walking, running, cycling

Why: Need a reason to get moving and don't mind a little in-your-face marketing? Charity Miles donates money to the organization of your choice when you use the app to log miles. Its motto is "Walk, Run, Bike for a Cause." Corporate sponsors donate a few cents for every mile you track, and in exchange you get to see their branding in the app. (Read more about how Charity Miles works). The app also helps you run pledge drives and supports a large number of nonprofit organizations.

Cost: Free

More info: https://charitymiles.org/

Jefit

Activities: Strength training

Why: If you've got a solid cardio routine but need help with strength training, Jefit is a good pick. Like so many other apps out there, it's a community platform where users share goals, progress, tips, workout routines, etc. But instead of chatter about the best running routes in town, users are more likely to discuss deadlifts and barbell split squats. The Jefit sessions are sport-specific and/or targeted to particular muscle groups, and there are tools to keep track of your workouts, rest days, and overall training schedule.

Cost: Free; fee-based premium membership available

More info: https://www.jefit.com/

Glo

Activities: Yoga, pilates, meditation

Why: Even if you already have an awesome fitness routine, throwing in some yoga and pilates will help you stay flexible, improve balance, and may help stave off injury. At the highest levels, yoga and pilates workouts are butt-kicking sessions that leave you wringing wet. Glo offers online on-demand classes (more than 4,000) with what it calls "the world's best teachers." By answering a few simple questions, Glo can help you find classes best suited to your level.

Cost: Subscription-based

More info: https://www.glo.com/

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The Best Fitness Apps To Get Healthy In 2020 - Pleasanton, CA Patch

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Heading into 2020, its hard to believe its been a decade since Alberto Contador/Andy Schleck (depending who you ask) won the Tour de France but time flies whilst youre having fun.

Over the course of the last ten years, fitness has come on a long way in terms of the thinking behind how we approach training, and the equipment.

Theres been tons of breakthrough innovations some of them more effective than others. Heres a look at the most stand-out introductions from the last decade

Testing key biomarkers (hormone health, Cortisol levels for recovery,haemoglobin levels for oxygen transportation) can help riders to track their health at a whole new level.

When fitness editor Dave Bradford put himself up as a guinea pig to test the science, the key finding was a deficiency in Vitamin D. With this the only actionable learning, he wasnt convinced it was a process hed repeat, butendocrinologist Dr Nicky Keay concluded: Repeating the test and checking biomarkers every few months would allow you to build a picture of whats normal for you, like your own biological passport.

Without this information, you risk getting more and more tired or failing to make the most of your training without understanding why. The pros definitely outweigh the cons.

Similar in process but very different in results, DNA/genetics testing looks at a riders capacity -analysing markers such as muscle stamina, V02 and lactate threshold. This is still an emerging science and has fans as well as detractors.

Altitude training is a popular approach among the pros. Whilst at altitude, theres less oxygen available and so the cardiovascular system has to work harder, adapting to become more efficient.

One approach is to sleep high, train low which means sleeping at altitude, and then rolling down the mountain to train where capacity is less hampered. Since its not always practical, an altitude tent can represent a very tempting alternative: sleep in the tent, train out if it adapt and get stronger.

The drawbacks? Well, youll have to sleep in a tent, and itll cost you a few hundred pounds a month to rent.

Ten years ago, if you were training with power you were in the minority and thats not quite the case anymore.

Power meters have become more affordable, and more accessible resulting in a snowball effect where FTP is now as regularly discussed on the club run as the merits of flapjack vs carrot cake.

>>> How to train with a power meter

Youre no longer tied to using one hub to rule them all, and swapping your power meter could be as simple as switching pedals (though, buyer beware applies in some cases). With top end bikes now being sold with power meters fitted, the training landscape has clearly seen a shift where power training is almost the norm, as opposed to the exception.

Training indoors was once a thankless chore, sitting next to watching paint dry on the enjoyment scale in the minds of most cyclists.

With the arrival of smart turbo trainers came platforms like Zwift and the updated Sufferfest app which make pounding out the miles indoors far more enjoyable and by extension effective.

Zwift in particular has allowed for the creation of a whole new indoor racing discipline with a world championshipspenned in for 2020.

Perhaps influenced by the accessibility of power data, tracking the numbers has become far more commonplace which is good news: theres no point having data coming out your ears if youre going to do nothing with it.

Athletes have been using programmes like Training Peaks to keep informed on their form (training stress balance) as long as theyve been using power meters. But now Strava offers the more friendly sounding fitness and freshness tracking via its Analysis pack,the numbers are at nearly everyones fingertips.

Speaking of which

Where once the only true way to compete was to pin a number on, now anyone and everyone can test themselves against the competition either worldwide or against their club mates.

Whatever impact you feel this has, or has not had, on the racing scene its certainly made competition more easily available, and this can have some dramatic effects on motivation.

Reportedly used in the World Tour ranks, ketones provide the body with a magical extra fuel source allowing for carbohydrate sparing, which means supplies can be held back for when theyre really needed.

However, the drinks are not cheap and when we put the formula to the test, the effects were not particularly staggering.

Thats all for now we cant wait to see what the next decade holds

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2020 brings a new year and a new decade of wellness. Over the last few years, weve seen people embrace health and wellness more than ever before, including everything from mainstays like running and weight training to the slightly new age-y and abstract (goat yoga anyone?). And just like Flo Jo, the fitness industry has no signs of slowing down. The global fitness and health club industry generates more than 80 billion U.S. dollars in revenue per year, and continues to climb.

So what can we expect to be the hottest (and sweatiest) workouts for next year? We asked top fitness experts to predict the fitness trends for 2020 just in time for you to make those fitness New Years resolutions.

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As more people continue to seek efficient workouts (more sweat in less time) HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) will continue to remain popular, according to Heather Englund of Fit Mama Real Food.

HIIT allows you to be efficient with your time, while boosting metabolism and getting an amazing workout in. The key is to at a high intensity during the short bursts of exercise, and follow it with short recovery before going back into the next interval. The after burn is increased with this method of exercise, she says. The result? More effort in less time.

Heres a trend we can all get behind: doing less of what we hate, and more of what we love. Mandi Em of Healthy Living for Hot Messes says 2020 is the year of the nature walk, the lazy hike, or the living room dance party.

Science shows us that getting out into nature is immensely good for our bodies and minds, says Em, which makes nature the original gym.

Also its free and comes with complimentary endorphins! Literally just go for a walk, says Em. Thats your step one. Kettlebells can wait. What 2020 needs is people looking at where they are at, and taking it to the next level instead of bounding to the top step, falling short, hating it, hating themselves, and giving up entirely.

While gyms can serve as great motivation for our workout, sometimes getting to the gym is impossible, especially when the weather is bad or the kiddo is sick. Even though many consumers still crave an in-person experience, were seeing people supplement their workouts with at-home options, which offer a convenience factor that physical gyms and studios lack, says Erika Shannon, former coach for SoulCycle, Equinox and Daily Burn, and current Director of Fitness for MYXfitness. Theres a demand for both in-person and at-home alternatives, and rather than one completely eclipsing the other, well start to see more people combining the two for a more personalized approach to wellness.

Mike Fantigrassi, M.S., NASM-CPT, and co-author of NASMs new Certified Nutrition Coach program (NASM-CNC) calls it a fitness hybrid approach. What this means is people will still go to the gymtheyll still work with personal trainers to help them achieve proper form. They may supplement with on-demand workouts and different programming when theyre not with a trainer. Fantigrassi says an on-demand/live fitness content is a more affordable option and actually gives a trainer an opportunity to work with more clients, and even retain them. For example, a client may seek a trainer to ensure theyre doing the on-demand movements properly, or trainers can recommend the proper on-demand programming for a client who is traveling.

According to Jillian Michaels, health and fitness expert and creator of the My Fitness by Jillian Michaels app, says functional beverages, a drink that typically has additional health benefits, including herbs, vitamins, nootropics, amino acids, or additional raw fruit or veggies, will trend in the new year. We are seeing this trend in everything from sparkling waters with CBD to hard seltzers with probiotics, she tells SheKnows, citing Lucky Jack Organic Cold Brew offerings like Golden Milk Lattes or Mocha Cold Brew with added adaptogens. The whole trend is for people that want more and are always looking for an extra edge. Any way to improve themselves including, but not limited to, the products they consume. And I admit to being guilty of partaking. If Im gonna have a coffee, why not have it with collagen or turmeric golden milk?

Next year will be more about a functional and holistic long-term approach to weight loss rather than the rapid diets of years past. In 2020, the trend will continue away from a focus on rapid weight-loss/diet-only approaches and toward true sustainability accompanied by healthy nutrition and regular exercise, says Jim Frith, Founder of TopFitPros, Certified Personal Trainer & Advance Sports Nutrition Specialist. Over 80 percent of people who have lost substantial amounts of weight have historically gained it back. Constant ups and downs in weight are unhealthy and frustrating. Many people are looking for a path to weight loss that allows them to keep it off and to be healthy. They are tired of every weight loss program out there claiming to be sustainable, but with few offering credible scientific research to back up their claims.

Working out in small, focused groups, including small training groups and fitness classes, will still be trending in 2020. People love working out with friends and getting pushed by others in a class setting, says Marie Urban, Personal Trainer and Regional Group Training Coordinator at Life Time. Working out with a group of friends is not only impactful for yourself but for others as well. Working out and fitness breaks down natural barriers and gets people to feel more comfortable and confident with one another. Plus it helps develop relationships, friendships, and self-confidence. Says Urban: People are craving connection now more than ever.

People are really interested in recovery and fitness stats, saysy Urban who thinks 2020 will be all about the more information the better. Adds Shannon: As technology-based wellness innovations continue to evolve, the fitness landscape is definitely shifting toward more digital connection. Fitness/wellness apps, wearables, and at-home equipment with digital programming abound right now! Weve already seen the beginning of what fitness tech is capable of, and were going to see more of this in 2020, with an increased focus on community. This, more than anything, has the potential to affect traditional gyms, as there is a new option to connect with like-minded people right from the comfort of your home.

Functional fitness has been around for decades, but has been growing in popularity exponentially over the past few years, according to Jay Unwin, gym manager at F3E Fitness. Most people are bored of the usual same gym routines. They want something that will challenge not only their strength and fitness, but also their flexibility, balance and coordination, says Unwin. The two biggest benefits of functional training? One, the movements translate to real life much more readily, due to the use of unusual objects as well as rotational and unilateral (using one side of the body) movements, says Unwin, And two, because of the varied mash-up of equipment, movements and session structures, youre way less likely to get bored and quit!

As sober curiosity continues to trend, its not surprising that implementing a renewed focus on nutrition and how we fuel our bodies will become more important. Fitness is optimized with improvements to lifestyle choices. As we enter 2020, people are looking for answers to how their lifestyle choices can increase longevity and quality of life, says Frith. A very small amount of alcohol on a given day promotes the formation of brown fat, which speeds our metabolisms. More than one drink a day disrupts the processes of having a faster metabolism, and it leads to weight gain. As people seek to have more active lives and greater social interaction along with better health and longevity, they will increasingly embrace having a single drink per day, but no more.

Restorative fitness will bring a welcome balance to those who are HIIT and CrossFit lovers. Restorative fitness centers on the idea that the body goes through a cycle of stress and recovery, and high-intensity workouts arent effective when the body is stressed, as from an intense workout, says Adam Zeitsiff, Golds Gym President and CEO. New data suggests that varying workout intensity to include low, moderate and high, rather than aiming for maximum effort every time, makes all exercise more effective.

Factors in restorative fitness, says Zeitstiff, include using heart rate variability (HRV) to determine where they are in the recovery cycle and what level of workout will most benefit their body. Examples of restorative fitness includes lower-intensity yoga and Pilates classes, other recovery techniques including cryotherapy, sauna, compression and percussion therapy and gyms beginning to specifically address nutrition with dedicated professional nutrition counseling, meal plans, cooking classes, nutrition seminars and even on-site meal prep.

In 2020, dieters will increasingly insist on having strategies for muscle retention or development while they lose fat, says Frith. Most popular diets result in the loss of about a third of a pound of muscle for every pound lost. Losing muscle mass not only makes you weaker, but it also slows your metabolism down, which in turn makes weight loss all the more difficult.

Adds Englund: Strength training is nothing new but a mainstay fitness trend. Using weights or you body weight, strength training helps to increase metabolic, build bone density and improves muscle tone. There are many ways to build a strength training program. You can alternate between muscle group, focus on full body, or split between upper and lower body days.

Many fitness companies hire trainers with a certain look a look that is unattainable or unrealistic for most of us, and that can be really discouraging for people starting at the beginning, says Shannon, who adds that, thankfully, the industry mindset is shifting. Its no longer about coaching people to be thinner, but coaching people to be stronger and healthier both mentally and physically so they can live better lives. Weve started to see some support from some big brands this year, but we still face an uphill battle with regards to social media and public perception. In 2020, we will see even more body types represented, not only in advertising for fitness brands, but also with the trainers, coaches, and leaders within the industry.

No matter what fitness trend might suit your fancy, its important to remember that a little goes a long way. Says Em: Id be thrilled if 2020 was the year of people striving to move just a little more than they are now, without scrolling Instagram and then mentally flagellating themselves for not doing advanced chakra-toning yoga on the side of Chads new infinity pool.

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METHUEN The city could see its second Planet Fitness location open in 2020, this one spanning nearly 21,000 square feet at The Loop.

Plans submitted by the fitness franchise will be reviewed and possibly approved by the Community Development Board on Jan. 8, according to Economic and Community Development Director Bill Buckley.

The nearest Planet Fitness location is just over a mile away, on Jackson Street, according to the Planet Fitness website. Other area locations are in Haverhill and Andover, as well as over the New Hampshire border in Plaistow, Salem and Derry.

Pendingboard approval, the gymwill move into space occupied by Motherhood Maternity and an abutting vacant space that once housed Dress Barn, Buckley said.

Motherhood Maternity locations across the country areclosingfollowing an announcement that the company filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. The last day the Methuen store will be in business is Dec. 26, a salesperson said.

Moving into that space would make Planet Fitness neighbors with Orange Theory Fitness, which offers instructor-ledfitnessclasses.

The recent coming and going of businesses at The Loop follows years of unchanged storefronts. Before Motherhood Maternity,two other departureswere announced this year.

Stop and Shop officials said in October that theywould not renew their lease at The Loop due to unmet financial expectations. Their 20-year run in that spot will end in July 2020.

Nearby Starbucks, which hasbeennext to the AMC Theater for two decades, will vacate its current space after breaking ground on a roughly 2,600-square-foot building that includes a drive-thru.It began to take shapein a section of parking lot across from Stop and Shop in November.

It is unclear still what willtake over those two storefronts.

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