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Concerned about how sedentary their students are becoming, schools are unlocking their athletic equipment cupboards and facilities during recess and after school, to encourage young people to pick up a ball or a racquet and play for fun.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) told The Straits Times the move is to inculcate the good habits of an active lifestyle, which has many benefits such as reducing obesity.

It comes from a recommendation made by NurtureSG, a task force set up to encourage young people to adopt healthier habits, to give students greater opportunities for play.

MOE said: "Facilities in most primary and secondary schools are available to students to encourage unstructured play with their peers during recess and after- school hours."

Schools such as Fernvale Primary and Greendale Secondary are already letting students use equipment and facilities, previously available only during physical education (PE) classes or co- curricular activities (CCAs).

Students welcomed the go-ahead to take a break and de-stress after hours sitting in the classroom. A few quipped that they would also get to lose weight.

At Paya Lebar Methodist Girls' School (Primary), pupils can borrow equipment such as frisbees, badminton racquets, skipping ropes and roller racers - a scooter that is propelled forward by swinging the handlebars from side to side. Parent helpers and school staff are on hand to supervise and ensure the children are using the equipment safely.

Primary 3 pupil Nicole Soh, nine, who likes going around on the roller racers with her friends, said: "Instead of sitting in the canteen and doing nothing, I can go outdoors to play, bond with my friends and try out different sports."

Mrs Emily Han, the teacher in charge of the school's recess free play, said it gives pupils the space to run around and unwind between lessons, adding: "We want them to have fun and experience the sheer joy of playing."

At Fernvale Primary, pupils can use equipment such as basketballs as well as badminton nets, racquets and shuttlecocks.

Mr Willy Ong, head of the school's PE, CCA and aesthetics department, said unstructured play creates opportunities for pupils to make friends and pick up social skills. They also learn to be responsible, handling the equipment with care and returning it after use.

Primary 5 pupil Lance Liu, 11, spends no more than five minutes of his precious 30-minute recess time to eat, so he has the rest of it for a game of badminton with his friends.

"It helps us de-stress and we can focus better in class," he said.

Getting children to be more active has benefits, as obesity rates among schoolchildren have risen in recent years, from 10 per cent in 2000 to 12 per cent in 2014.

A recent Health Promotion Board study found that if a child is overweight at age seven, he has a 70 per cent chance of growing up into an overweight or obese adult.

All mainstream schools also now offer healthier food under the Healthy Meals in Schools Programme, launched in 2011 to foster better eating habits in the young.

Jalan Besar GRC MP Denise Phua, who heads the Government Parliamentary Committee for Education, said children are more likely to make exercise a lifelong habit if they can be active regularly, and not only during PE classes.

National University of Singapore lecturer Kelvin Seah said parents need not be concerned that their children are exerting themselves instead of resting during recess.

He said: "Since regular physical activity provides both physiological and mental health benefits, it will have a positive impact on the children's development."

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Link:
Schools helping students get active during free time by offering fitness equipment, facilities - The Straits Times

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As Lorraine slipped into position, with her legs dangling over the side of the plane, she felt a rush of adrenaline.

She may have been thousands of feet above the earth, but there were no nerves just pure excitement as she leapt out of the aircraft towards the ground.

Given her cool calmness, you might assume that adrenaline junkie Lorraine had done this before but nothing could be further from the truth. Though the mum-of-two had long dreamed of making the exhilarating leap, there had always been a problem at 20 stone, she was too heavy to jump safely.

Lorraine had been overweight since her sons Ben, 28, and Lee, 25, were born.

"I had tried and failed to lose weight so many times I just accepted I would be fat forever," she says.

Depressed about the oversized clothes she had to squeeze into, Lorraine suffered low self-esteem and rarely went out.

Her only interest was cooking, so she usually loaded her shopping trolley with double cream and cheese to whip up tasty treats for her family, finding comfort in cooking up giant portions of pie and buttery mash.

Her evenings were spent glued to the box, and, because she never went out, she felt she deserved a treat or two, thinking nothing of tucking into two or three Creme Eggs in front of the evenings television before going to bed.

Lorraine dreamed of a more adventurous life. Her son Ben was a skydiving instructor, and she loved hearing his tales of wind running over his face as the ground raced towards him.

But she got out of breath just walking up the stairs, and knew there was no way her body would cope with such an enormous challenge.

"Id always known I was too fat to even think about a jump, but that hadnt stopped me wishing I could," she says. "Watching Ben jump filled me with longing and I couldnt stop thinking about how amazing it must feel."

It was only in 2015, when she began to feel unwell, that she decided to see her GP for blood tests. When the doctor gently broke the news that she was on the verge of diabetes, Lorraine was horrified.

"He sat me down and explained that I was just one point away from being diabetic," she recalls. "It was no surprise, really, given my size and the fact diabetes ran in my family."

But the grim news was enough to spur Lorraine into attempting to tackle her weight again. So in May 2015, at a dress size 24, she decided to join Weight Watchers.

"Walking into the first class was terrifying, but my mum Margot came with me and was supportive," says Lorraine. "I wanted to do it for her too."

Lorraine stopped cooking high-fat meals and switched to low-fat stir-fries and salads instead, even changing her route to work so she didnt have to walk past her favourite shop Greggs the baker. Looking at the rows of warm, comforting pastries was just too tempting.

Within weeks the pounds had started to melt away and Lorraine had lost a stone. It was the boost she needed to keep going.

"If I thought about all the weight I had to lose it was overwhelming, so I set mini targets instead," she says.

Four months later, shed lost a whopping 4 stone. As the compliments from friends and family flooded in, Lorraine became more determined to keep going.

"I went shopping with Mum to celebrate and to be able to pick up clothes in normal shops was so exciting as I usually had to find the plus-size section," she says. "I picked up a pair of navy slim-fit jeans in a size 12 and when they slipped on easily I could have cried. I hadnt been a size 12 for 30 years. I was 50 and in better shape than I had been in my 30s that felt amazing."

Lorraine admits it wasnt all plain sailing: there were days when the cravings took over, and she just had to have pizza or fish and chips. But she always got back on track straight away, not allowing herself to sink into a negative spiral of overindulgence and guilty feelings.

Feeling and looking like a new woman, Lorraine decided it was time to do the thing shed dreamed of for so long the skydive.

"Mum had always said how much she would love to do it too, but with her age and my weight issues I had thought wed missed the boat," she says.

But when Lorraine told her mum she planned to make the jump, she was thrilled when Margot vowed to jump with her.

"I was so, so happy. It was something we had always wanted to do together but I guess we had both accepted it might never happen now here we were," she says.

The pair told Ben their idea and he agreed to jump with them three generations jumping from the plane at once. They decided to make the jump to mark Margots 75th birthday in September last year.

"As the day approached, rather than feeling nervous, we were both so excited we couldnt wait!" says Lorraine. "When the day came, it was amazing. Ive never had a buzz like it, it felt great to be sat there with my legs dangling over the edge. Jumping was the most incredible experience and to share it with my mother and son was fantastic. Weve never had so much fun."

Watching the tiny, patchwork fields below and the bright blue skies stretching endlessly around her, it was so beautiful and startling that Lorraine had to remind herself to breathe. As the parachute opened and she glided effortlessly to the ground, she knew she was hooked.

With their feet back on firm ground, the pair began planning their next adventure.Missing the adrenaline buzz they got from the skydive, the pair are planning a wing walk on a soaring plane and have also crossed off another ambition, to go up in a hot air balloon.

"I wasted too much of my life letting my weight and low confidence hold me back, but not any more," Lorraine says. "Since losing weight Ive gone from being a couch potato to adrenaline junkie and I couldnt be happier."

Now she has her sights set on swimming with sharks something Margot draws the line at. But theres no stopping Lorraine.

"I proved that after years of obesity, life really does start at 50 or 75, in Mums case!"

Breakfast: Frosties

Snack: Chocolate biscuits

Lunch: White bread sandwich and chocolate

Dinner: Homemade chicken pie with buttery mash or creamy carbonara followed by cheesecake or choc ice

Snack: Creme Eggs

Breakfast: Porridge made with yogurt

Lunch: Tuna wrap

Dinner: Homemade lasagne with courgette instead of pasta sheets or chips made in an air fryer with salad and chicken, followed by fruit for pudding

More here:
Meet the woman who lost an incredible 7 stone so she could fulfil her dream to skydive with her pensioner mum - Mirror.co.uk

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Image: Supplied.

Is there anyone more annoying than a friend who has just lost weight and feels amazing?

Rhetorical question.

Because while some of us are still safely ensconced in layers of clothing, snug and warm in the comfort of denial about the inevitability of summer while eating carbs with sweet abandon, OTHERS are making their summer bodies, right as we speak, IN WINTER.

I found myself dying midway conversation with a friend who was on week three of the new version of the HCG Diet [an extreme diet involving injections of HCG, the hormone women make when pregnant].

She had just lost five kilos and was now perched high on a soapbox and offering unsolicited diet advice.

Not wanting to rain on her parade at all, because as if I would want to do that, I carefully enquired: hadnt she been on the old HCG roundabout before? And hadnt she, after she returned to eating like a normal person, regained all the hard earned lost kilos with maybe a couple of extras for good measure?

Oh, pardon me, sorry, this is the HCG you get from the doctor. Right. Is it still 500 calories a day? Hello obviously thats why it works. My mistake. And how fabulous that were giving it another go the third time is always the charm.

Look, I dont mean to be negative-Nancy but I was born a Size 14 and I certainly know my way around a calorie-restricted, protein-laden diet and exercise program like the very best of them.

Which is why I was a little surprised when Missy continued in her sermon. Do you know why French women dont get fat?

Um, because they are on drugs and they smoke?

No. Because theyve identified their food culprits. What are your top five food culprits Aleesa? Oooh. The big questions. Champagnefood, which has cheese on it and is like not a protein?

Well that answer opened a can of worms: Champagne sure have that glass but then get on the treadmill for half an hour to burn it off. Because thats how much it takes to work off the calories of just one glass of Champagne.

Firstly, what idiot is going to sit on one glass of Champagne and then excuse herself as she darts upstairs to the home gym filled with washing to do a quick sesh on the treadmill, WITHOUT having another glass of said Champagne on her return as a reward? Spare. Me.

I then get a follow up text message with the suggestion to "Find a PT and do weight resistance training at the gym because it will burn fat and tone". Knock me down with a feather weight training burns fat and tones! I had no idea. And Im kind of pissed that not one of my six trainers over five gyms during this last 15 years told me this. Seriously. And I paid these guys good money.

See, people like myself and my dear friend who have always had that extra 10kg plus to lose, have done it all the fasting, the meal replacements, the tablets instead of food (hello Herbal Life cant believe that wasnt sustainable), the shakes, the drops, the potions and lets not forget exercise (I mean were not idiots).

Weve bounced up and down through the step classes of our youth, done the grapevine right up to Body Pump, intermittent training, Spin and Barre I mean I have had a Fitness First membership for a generation. Indeed we seasoned dieters have been around that block many, many times. Which begs the question: Why, after having made a career of dieting and exercise, are we are still not our taut and trim best?

So, I did my Googles, found an article that really spoke to me, and guess what? I discovered that diets dont work (I bet you didnt know that either. GIVE ME BACK MY LIFE)!

Well, of course the basic science of eating less than your body burns, works you will lose weight.

But keeping the weight off for the rest of your life? I think we all know the answer to that one. However, there are some people who have been very successful long term.

A few of my friends have lost weight and kept it off for many years (I dont speak to those people anymore) but the data reveals that this is the exception, not the rule. Is it lack of motivation, will power, discipline? Why do our bodies kind of spring back to their natural size 16 states in no time at all?

Scientists have found that a weight-reduced body behaves very differently to a similar-size body that has not dieted it is metabolically different (like not good different).

Dieting puts a person who has gone down this slippery road into a state of always wanting to eat while their metabolism is slower than someone at the same weight who has never dieted. I kid you not. Its pure biological sabotage from the get-go.

After youve lost weight, your brain has a greater emotional response to food, Rosenbaum says. You want it more, but the areas of the brain involved in restraint are less active. Combine that with a body that is now burning fewer calories than expected, he says, and youve created the perfect storm for weight regain.

How long this state lasts isnt known, but preliminary research at Columbia suggests that for as many as six years after weight loss, the body continues to defend the old, higher weight by burning off far fewer calories than would be expected.

The problem could persist indefinitely. This doesnt mean its impossible to lose weight and keep it off; it just means its really, really difficult.

Arent we up against it, friends? Our very own bodies literally setting us up to fail. So, do we just abandon that second round of Michelle Bridges? Cease the Ketosis?

Stop donating money to various fitness establishments? Or do we just press on with that dream, and keep chipping away at our lifes work of actually losing weight and keeping it off? Its very tempting to throw in the towel. But Im no quitter. It does make me wonder thoughmaybe ignorance really is bliss after all.

Excerpt from:
'There's nothing more annoying than a friend on a diet' - 9Honey

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WIRED

The Problem With Fitness Studies Based on Activity Apps | WIRED WIRED Every year, 5 million people die from causes associated with one of the most mundane scourges of the modern era: sitting around. That's like losing one ... Large-scale physical activity data reveal worldwide activity inequality : Nature : Nature ResearchNature ARGUS by AzumioAzumio all 29 news articles »

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The Problem With Fitness Studies Based on Activity Apps | WIRED - WIRED

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A new startup accelerator program based at the Johns Hopkins Universitys FastForward East will target companies developing health and fitness technologies.

Hopkins is teaming up with the University of Maryland, Plank Industries, Brown Advisory and the Abell Foundation to launch the 16-week program, called M-1 Ventures, in September.

I see all these accelerators out there and theyre cool, said Paul Singh, an angel investor who will lead the program. But particularly when it comes from an investors standpoint, I think what a lot of these companies need is a vertical accelerator.

By vertical accelerator, Singh means one that is focused on a particular topic area in this case, health and fitness technology rather than offering general business services.

By focusing this accelerator on connected health and fitness, M-1 Ventures takes advantage of our regional strengths to provide startups in this business vertical with a clearer path to success, Christy Wyskiel, a senior adviser to the president of the Johns Hopkins University and leader of Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures, said in a statement.

Maryland has long been known for its strengths in health and medicine, and many of the companies coming out of Hopkins and the University of Maryland are built on health or medical research.

Plank Industries is the umbrella organization for Under Armour CEO Kevin Planks private investments, including a venture capital fund and City Garage, a startup hub that has space dedicated to testing new design and manufacturing techniques for Under Armour.

M-1 Ventures is open to companies from anywhere in the country. Five will be selected to participate.

Accelerator leaders are looking for companies that are beyond the idea stage, with a product for sale and revenue, Singh said.

Participants will receive $25,000, legal and accounting services, access to experts who will be brought in from around the country, and co-working space at FastForward East, Hopkins startup hub in the Rangos Building.

Participants will also get individual mentoring from Singh and Tony DAgostino, an entrepreneur and former banking executive who has been tapped to run the program with Singh.

The program will kick off Sept. 5 and conclude with a Demo Day in December, where entrepreneurs will be able to meet potential investors and partners.

sarah.gantz@baltsun.com

twitter.com/sarahgantz

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New business accelerator to target health and fitness technology companies - Baltimore Sun

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Garin Flowers recently came across an ad that's going viral. What do you think about it?

Garin Flowers, WTSP 3:42 PM. EDT July 12, 2017

ST. PETERSBURG, FL Video of a fitness routine featuring a pole is making the rounds on social media.

Why? Because it features kids.

The company, named Gympole, sells professional pole equipment that is portable and can be used in the comfort of your home.

One ad features young girls swinging on one of them in their backyard. The video has garnered millions of views as well as thousands of shares and comments.

Many view it as a sport and form of fitness, while others liken it to sexualizing children.

Pole sports? really? come on.. This is a stripper pole.. You are teaching little girls to be pole dancers.. Don't try to sugarcoat it, said Braden Hutson.

This advertisement is feeding into pedophile culture. I mean I guess you got the reaction you wanted to create a buzz, but all I see is little girls at the strip club, said Charrel Cryer.

But, Summer Serenity said,It makes me happy to see this commercial done with children. It helps take away the negative associations that society has, while also showing its a fun and a good sport. A great way to be active and fit!

So why not address those comments and concerns? I have no issue with this now being a sport for kids. But fact of the matter is. The pole is at present, associated with strippers, said Carol Spahiu.

As Spahiu pointed out, the pole is widely associated as being used in strip clubs. But, is that view starting to change?

We did some research and found that pole fitness competitions are growing in popularity. A Florida contest features anyone from ages 10 and up.

The semi-pro competition features transitional dance or movement between poles, spins and inner thigh holds.

The professional competition features handstands, splits and a static pole move.

According to their website, heres the difference between divisions:

Age and skill level. Novice divisions are for athletes aged 10-14 years, Junior divisions are for athletes aged 14-17 years. Semi-Pro and Professional divisions are for athletes aged 18+ years. Novice and Junior divisions will consist of both Semi-Pro and Professional level athletes.

In the United Kingdom, pole classes for kids seem to be more popular. One fitness studio offers it to kids as young as five years old. The owner told the Birmingham Mail that pole dancing is just another form of gymnastics and is being put for consideration as an Olympic sport in the future.

Much closer to home, we found pole fitness classes being offered in Ocoee a city thats part of the Orlando Metropolitan area.

Foxy Fitness Studio and Pole offers pole classes no matter the age, but doesnt specify if kids are allowed or not. They do have certain classes catered to children such as aerial fitness and Zumba.

In Miami, the owner of a pole dancing studio opened up classes to children and teens, but faced backlash.

2017 WTSP-TV

Read the original post:
Pole Dancing Fitness For Kids? It's A Thing. - WFMY News 2

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It almost sounds like a stunt dreamed up on a playground: What would happen if the fastest swimmer in the world raced a great white shark?

That's exactly the goal with Great Gold vs. Great White, the upcoming Discovery Channel Shark Week special in which Michael Phelps is set to take on one of the deadliest predators in the ocean.

Yes, really.

But the question remains: Why would the greatest U.S. Olympian in history put his reputation on the line against, y'know, an actual fishlet alone one with hundreds of teeth? Men's Fitness sat down with Phelps to find out. Here's his take.

Michael Phelps: You just watch that animal. It's basically like swimming next to a school bus in the water. I think that kind of got me more intrigued to see what other sharks I can swim with. When I had the opportunity to be on a Shark Week show, it was an absolute no-brainer, and an instant yes from me, just because it was something on my bucket list to do. It was an amazing opportunity for me to learn more about sharks, which I'm already infatuated with.

It was the experience: Coming face-to-face with a 13' hammerhead, or being in a cage and watching multiple great whites just fly around me, and not attack the cage. They would kind of bite at the cage, just what they normally do. I basically had an eight-foot great white almost come nose-to-nose with me in the cage. That was an opportunity and an experience that I never thought I'd have. It was pretty gnarly, and pretty unbelievable, just to see.

I mean, this has probably been 15 or 16 years where I've really wanted to do this. I've always been a massive fan of Shark Week, and watched every year. This is something that's always around a major meet for me, so it's something that helps me relax a little bit. Now, being able to experience them in their own habitat actually makes me even hungrier to want to see more. I've only been able to see about 5-10 different species, and we have more than 500 species of sharks in the water, all over the world. I'm kind of just scratching the surface.

Hopefully I'll have the opportunity to see more and free- or scuba dive with a white. If you're in 30'-40' of water, you can actually just lay on the bottom, and take the element out of the surprise attack from a great white, because they always love coming from underneath of you to come straight up. That's why we have all these amazing breach photos that we see all over the world. There are a lot of things I still want to do with sharks. Hopefully, some of the things that I've learned, we can pass along to other people, and help them preserve the wildlife that we have all over the world. There are too many people that are out there killing sharks, and that's something that needs to stop.

During the first couple months, I kind of took off. I raced at about 195, 200 (lbs) at the Olympic gamesthat was my fighting weight. I'm anywhere between 210 and 215. I was kind of lazy the first couple months and wanted to just enjoy retirement, and live life a little bit. Recently, I've started to realize that health and wellness are very large parts of my life, and it helps me be more productive. For me, it is eating a little better, a little different than I was in the past. I'm not burning as many calories as I did in the pool.

I'm still working out, anywhere between five and six days a week. I've been lifting a little bit more, because when I was swimming I never lifted much for my arms. It was all legs. I was a very leg-driven swimmer, and now I have the chance to do some more, whether it's a bench press, or more with free weights, and stuff that I never had the chance to do.

I saw a workout that [Dwayne] "The Rock" [Johnson] did to get ready for Hercules. Honestly, I did it, and it kicked my ass. It destroyed meabsolutely destroyed me, but it was something that was good, in a way, just because it challenged me to be different, outside of the pool. I've always spent my time in the water, and now I have the opportunity to do different things. I'm in the process, now, of building my own gym, and looking for a space to rent, and kind of have my own escape, almost, really, like what The Rock does. He's able to escape from life for a little bit and get some time in the gym, as we all see. I have an ideal weight that I'd like to hit. If I can stay around 210, but just be a little bit leaner than I am now, that's what I'm really trying to do. Also, I'm just trying to manage time. I have so much going on outside of the pool, and outside of my business life. It's making sure to take time, when I need it, to get a workout in that'll make me more productive, and will make me a better dad, will make me a better husband. Just basically, it's a balancing act, and I think we all go through that.

It's basically a private little place that, when I do go to the gym and I want to work out, I can. I'd rather go in and get my work done that I need to, and kind of not, potentially, be bothered in between a set of squats, or somebody wants to take a photo. I don't mind taking photos, but when I'm there, I want to lift, and I want to get my job done. I do have goals for myself. That's how I've been able to reach the success that I've had, and, for me, I would like to get around 210 and stay around 210, but I don't want to be as lean as I was last year. I mean, I was at 4.5% body fat last year, and that's so low.

That, for me, is not a healthy spot, not where I'd like to be. I'd like to be shredded. I'd like to have some abs, and have some definition. We have a goal, and it'll obviously take some time. Just getting in the habit of getting up early, before Boomer gets up, and try to get a workout in. It makes it tough, at times, when you're traveling so much. If I have a goal that's big enough, that'll motivate me, that's what'll help me get out of bed. I think that's what I have, right now.

No, not really. After 2012, I went from 185lbs to 235, with really doing nothing. I, basically, just got out of shape and didn't really care. Then, that led me to not being in a very happy place, and leading me to a dark place. I know what that feels like, and it's something I never want to happen again. It's that challenge and that motivation to always keep me going, on certain things. It's just fun. For me, life is a lot more fun and enjoyable now, than, really, it ever has been. I think part of that is me coming back, and finishing my career in 2016 in Rio, like I did.

I don't eat much red meat, just because I know it's hard for a body to break it down. I still eat a lot of fish and chicken. My snack days, I think that's probably the biggest and hardest thing is I want to snack, snack, snack. For me, it's all back to my goals. I'm about to eat a chicken Caesar salad. Nothing too exciting, but it's what I want. I eat a lot of salads now, eat a lot of chicken, eat a lot of fish. I had a great meal last night. My mom sent us some Baltimore crabs that we enjoyed last night. It was amazing. We had some crab, some shrimp, some French fries, and it kind of brought me back to my childhood back in Baltimore. Just kind of a nice, summer day. It was amazing that that was something I still enjoy. I still love a hamburger from time to time, but it's not something that I'm eating five days a week.

I always think about it this way: Your body is a high-performance car, and we want to put the best fuel into that car that you possibly can. There are times I want to eat a couple Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, but I know that if I do that there could be consequences with it. I do have a sweet tooth, and I am trying to stay on working out as much as I can. We just did a spin class yesterday. Oh my gosh, I was in so much pain afterwards, and I've never sweat that much in my life. It's cool doing things differently now than I ever did when I was training. I don't want to do the same routine that I did for 15-20 years. I want to try different things to see what really excites me. I think that's something that my trainer tried to do over the last couple years of my career, because I got bored. I want this to be enjoyable. I want to have fun doing what I'm doing, and not feel like it's a job.

The place was called CycleBar, and it's a place here in Scottsdale, AZ. We took a teacher-run hill class where we'd try and keep certain RPMs. There were 20 people in the room, and it was fun. It was myself, my wife, Nicole, my training partner, Allison Schmitt, and a buddy of mine, Grant, who's been visiting from Australia for a couple of months. We were basically just trying to compete to see who could get the highest score, and, out of the 10 people, we were top four. I guess the competitiveness is still there, when we're fighting to beat each other. It's always good to have friends like that, that we can compete with, especially to push one another. That's something that I've had for so long, and something that I need, at times. It's always good to have a good support team, and a good group of friends to help you out.

Phelps vs. Shark: Great Gold vs. Great White airs on July 23 at 8 p.m. on The Discovery Channel.

Read more from the original source:
Michael Phelps on his Shark Week showdown, his love of the ocean, and why he hasn't slowed down since retirement - Men's Fitness

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Chelsea Piers is every NYC fitness nerd's wet dream. The sprawling recreational facility is located right on the Hudson River and houses a whole range of activities, from ice hockey torock climbingto trapeze classes.The location attracts visitorsfrom across the city, but come next year, Brooklynites mayno longer have to schlep it across the East River to leap into a giant foam pit.

The venueannounced that it signed a lease on a 52,000-square-foot space at 300 Livingston Street in downtown Brooklyn where it will open a new fitness club in early 2018. It's unclear whether or not the new locale will go under the Chelsea Piers moniker (it's neither in Chelsea nor on a pier), but the club will have a separate format than the 400,000-square-foot facility on the west side.Occupying two floors, it'll be strictly a fitness club, so don't hold your breath for a driving range atthe new location.

The new space is in a booming area of Brooklyn: The massive new DeKalb Market Hall opened up around the corner followed by Brooklyn's newest Trader Joe's. So if you find yourself overindulging at either one of those locations, at least there will be a new place to sweat away your guilt nearby.

Go here to read the rest:
Chelsea Piers is opening a massive new fitness club in Brooklyn - Time Out New York (blog)

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Vasa Fitness, a fast-growing Utah-based chain that expanded to Colorado last year, plans to open its first Colorado Springs fitness center in a vacant Albertsons store on the city's southwest side.

The company has signed a long-term lease to take over the 43,000-square-foot space at 455 E. Cheyenne Mountain Blvd., in the Cheyenne Hills retail center. Vasa also plans to enlarge the building by 8,000 to 10,000 square feet, said NAI Highland broker Tiffany Colvert, who's marketing Cheyenne Hills for its Denver owner.

Vasa will open its Springs location in early 2018, according to the company's website; Vasa officials couldn't be reached for comment Wednesday.

Among other amenities, Vasa's Colorado Springs fitness center will have aerobics, group exercises, spin classes, basketball, circuit and free weights, an indoor pool, a jacuzzi, racquetball courts, a steam room, sauna, tanning beds and childcare facilities, the company's website says.

Vasa opened its first Colorado fitness center in Greeley in late 2016, inside a former Albertsons that had been vacant for a decade, according to the Greeley Tribune. Vasa opened a second location in Aurora this year and plans two more centers in Denver and Centennial in late 2017, its website says.

In Colorado Springs, Vasa's takeover of the southwest side Albertsons space will give a boost to Cheyenne Hills. The small, neighborhood retail center - just 52,000 square feet - has lacked an anchor since Albertsons closed in early 2015.

In addition to Vasa, a former Grease Monkey building in a corner of the Cheyenne Hills parking lot will be demolished and replaced with a FirstBank branch.

The southwest part of town has only a few fitness centers, and Vasa will help provide another option to area residents and business people, Colvert said.

"It's great thing for the south part of town, to get that backfilled," Colvert said of the Albertsons space. "I think the whole center will have some new life breathed into it."

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Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a hormone produced by the placenta after implantation.[1][2] The presence of hCG is detected in some pregnancy tests (HCG pregnancy strip tests). Some cancerous tumors produce this hormone; therefore, elevated levels measured when the patient is not pregnant can lead to a cancer diagnosis and, if high enough, paraneoplastic syndromes. However, it is not known whether this production is a contributing cause or an effect of carcinogenesis. The pituitary analog of hCG, known as luteinizing hormone (LH), is produced in the pituitary gland of males and females of all ages.[1][3]

Regarding endogenous forms of hCG, there are various ways to categorize and measure them, including total hCG, C-terminal peptide total hCG, intact hCG, free -subunit hCG, -core fragment hCG, hyperglycosylated hCG, nicked hCG, alpha hCG, and pituitary hCG. Regarding pharmaceutical preparations of hCG from animal or synthetic sources, there are many gonadotropin preparations, some of which are medically justified and others of which are of a quack nature. As of December 6, 2011[update], the United States Food and Drug Administration has prohibited the sale of "homeopathic" and over-the-counter hCG diet products and declared them fraudulent and illegal.[4][5][6]

Human chorionic gonadotropin is a glycoprotein composed of 237 amino acids with a molecular mass of 25.7 kDa.[7]

It is heterodimeric, with an (alpha) subunit identical to that of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and (beta) subunit that is unique to hCG.

The two subunits create a small hydrophobic core surrounded by a high surface area-to-volume ratio: 2.8 times that of a sphere. The vast majority of the outer amino acids are hydrophilic.[7]

Human chorionic gonadotropin interacts with the LHCG receptor of the ovary and promotes the maintenance of the corpus luteum during the beginning of pregnancy. This allows the corpus luteum to secrete the hormone progesterone during the first trimester. Progesterone enriches the uterus with a thick lining of blood vessels and capillaries so that it can sustain the growing fetus[citation needed].

Due to its highly negative charge, hCG may repel the immune cells of the mother, protecting the fetus during the first trimester[citation needed]. It has also been hypothesized that hCG may be a placental link for the development of local maternal immunotolerance[citation needed]. For example, hCG-treated endometrial cells induce an increase in T cell apoptosis (dissolution of T cells). These results suggest that hCG may be a link in the development of peritrophoblastic immune tolerance, and may facilitate the trophoblast invasion, which is known to expedite fetal development in the endometrium.[10] It has also been suggested that hCG levels are linked to the severity of morning sickness or Hyperemesis gravidarum in pregnant women.[11]

Because of its similarity to LH, hCG can also be used clinically to induce ovulation in the ovaries as well as testosterone production in the testes. As the most abundant biological source is women who are presently pregnant, some organizations collect urine from pregnant women to extract hCG for use in fertility treatment.[12][13]

Human chorionic gonadotropin also plays a role in cellular differentiation/proliferation and may activate apoptosis.[14]

Naturally, it is produced in the human placenta by the syncytiotrophoblast.

Like other gonadotropins, it can be extracted from the urine of pregnant women or produced from cultures of genetically modified cells using recombinant DNA technology.

In Pregnyl, Follutein, Profasi, Choragon and Novarel, it is extracted from the urine of pregnant women. In Ovidrel, it is produced with recombinant DNA technology.[15]

Regarding endogenous forms of hCG, there are various ways to categorize and measure them, including total hCG, C-terminal peptide total hCG, intact hCG, free -subunit hCG, -core fragment hCG, hyperglycosylated hCG, nicked hCG, alpha hCG, and pituitary hCG.

Regarding pharmaceutical preparations of hCG from animal or synthetic sources, there are many gonadotropin preparations, some of which are medically justified and others of which are of a quack nature.

Blood or urine tests measure hCG. These can be pregnancy tests. hCG-positive indicates an implanted blastocyst and mammalian embryogenesis. These can be done to diagnose and monitor germ cell tumors and gestational trophoblastic diseases.

Concentrations are commonly reported in thousandth international units per milliliter (mIU/ml). The international unit of hCG was originally established in 1938 and has been redefined in 1964 and in 1980.[16] At the present time, 1 international unit is equal to approximately 2.351012 moles,[17] or about 6108 grams.[18]

Most tests employ a monoclonal antibody, which is specific to the -subunit of hCG (-hCG). This procedure is employed to ensure that tests do not make false positives by confusing hCG with LH and FSH. (The latter two are always present at varying levels in the body, whereas the presence of hCG almost always indicates pregnancy.)

Many hCG immunoassays are based on the sandwich principle, which uses antibodies to hCG labeled with an enzyme or a conventional or luminescent dye. Pregnancy urine dipstick tests are based on the lateral flow technique.

The following is a list of serum hCG levels. (LMP is the last menstrual period dated from the first day of the last menstrual period.) The levels grow exponentially after conception and implantation.

The ability to quantitate the hCG level is useful in the monitoring germ cell and trophoblastic tumors, follow-up care after miscarriage, and in diagnosis of and follow-up care after treatment of ectopic pregnancy. The lack of a visible fetus on vaginal ultrasound after the hCG levels have reached 1500 mIU/ml is strongly indicative of an ectopic pregnancy.[21] Still, even an hCG over 2000 IU/l does not necessarily exclude the presence of a viable intrauterine pregnancy in such cases.[22]

As pregnancy tests, quantitative blood tests and the most sensitive urine tests usually detect hCG between 6 and 12 days after ovulation.[23] However, it must be taken into account that total hCG levels may vary in a very wide range within the first 4 weeks of gestation, leading to false results during this period.[24] A rise of 35% over 48 hours is proposed as the minimal rise consistent with a viable intrauterine pregnancy.[22]

Gestational trophoblastic disease like hydatidiform moles ("molar pregnancy") or choriocarcinoma may produce high levels of hCG (due to the presence of syncytialtrophoblasts- part of the villi that make up the placenta) despite the absence of an embryo. This, as well as several other conditions, can lead to elevated hCG readings in the absence of pregnancy.

hCG levels are also a component of the triple test, a screening test for certain fetal chromosomal abnormalities/birth defects.

A study of 32 normal pregnancies came to the result a gestational sac of 13mm was detected at a mean hCG level of 1150 IU/l (range 800-1500), a yolk sac was detected at a mean level of 6000 IU/l (range 4500-7500) and fetal heartbeat was visible at a mean hCG level of 10,000 IU/l (range 8650-12,200).[25]

Human chorionic gonadotropin can be used as a tumor marker,[26] as its subunit is secreted by some cancers including seminoma, choriocarcinoma, germ cell tumors, hydatidiform mole, teratoma with elements of choriocarcinoma, and islet cell tumor. For this reason, a positive result in males can be a test for testicular cancer. The normal range for men is between 0-5 mIU/mL. Combined with alpha-fetoprotein, -HCG is an excellent tumor marker for the monitoring of germ cell tumors.[citation needed]

Human chorionic gonadotropin injection is extensively used for final maturation induction in lieu of luteinizing hormone. In the presence of one or more mature ovarian follicles, ovulation can be triggered by the administration of HCG. As ovulation will happen between 38 and 40 hours after a single HCG injection,[27] procedures can be scheduled to take advantage of this time sequence,[28] such as intrauterine insemination or sexual intercourse. Also, patients that undergo IVF, in general, receive HCG to trigger the ovulation process, but have an oocyte retrieval performed at about 34 to 36 hours after injection by, a few hours before the eggs actually would be released from the ovary.

As HCG supports the corpus luteum, administration of HCG is used in certain circumstances to enhance the production of progesterone.

In the male, HCG injections are used to stimulate the Leydig cells to synthesize testosterone. The intratesticular testosterone is necessary for spermatogenesis from the sertoli cells. Typical uses for HCG in men include hypogonadism and fertility treatment.

Several vaccines against human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) for the prevention of pregnancy are currently in clinical trials.[29]

In the case of female patients who want to be treated with HCG Pregnyl:[30] a) Since infertile female patients who undergo medically assisted reproduction (especially those who need in vitro fertilization), are known to often be suffering from tubal abnormalities, after a treatment with this drug they might experience many more ectopic pregnancies. This is why early ultrasound confirmation at the beginning of a pregnancy (to see whether the pregnancy is intrauterine or not) is crucial. - Pregnancies that have occurred after a treatment with this medicine are submitted to a higher risk of multiplets. - Female patients who have thrombosis, severe obesity or thrombophilia should not be prescribed this medicine as they have a higher risk of arterial or venous thromboembolic events after or during a treatment with HCG Pregnyl. b)Female patients who have been treated with this medicine are usually more prone to pregnancy losses.

In the case of male patients: A prolonged treatment with HCG Pregnyl is known to regularly lead to increased production of androgen. Therefore: Patients who are suffering from overt or latent cardiac failure, hypertension, renal dysfunction, migraines or epilepsy might not be allowed to start using this medicine or may require a lower dose of HCG Pregnyl. Also this medicine should be used with extreme caution in the treatment of prepubescent teenagers in order to reduce the risk of precocious sexual development or premature epiphyseal closure. This type of patients' skeletal maturation should be closely and regularly monitored.

Both male and female patients who have the following medical conditions must not start a treatment with HCG Pregnyl: (1) Hypersensitivity to this medicine or to any of its main ingredients. (2) Known or possible androgen-dependent tumors for example male breast carcinoma or prostatic carcinoma.

In the world of performance-enhancing drugs, HCG is increasingly used in combination with various anabolic androgenic steroid (AAS) cycles. As a result, HCG is included in some sports' illegal drug lists.

When exogenous AAS are put into the male body, natural negative-feedback loops cause the body to shut down its own production of testosterone via shutdown of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPGA). This causes testicular atrophy, among other things. HCG is commonly used during and after steroid cycles to maintain and restore testicular size as well as normal testosterone production.[31]

High levels of AASs, that mimic the body's natural testosterone, trigger the hypothalamus to shut down its production of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from the hypothalamus. Without GnRH, the pituitary gland stops releasing luteinizing hormone (LH). LH normally travels from the pituitary via the blood stream to the testes, where it triggers the production and release of testosterone. Without LH, the testes shut down their production of testosterone.[32] In males, HCG helps restore and maintain testosterone production in the testes by mimicking LH and triggering the production and release of testosterone.

If HCG is used for too long and in too high a dose, the resulting rise in natural testosterone would eventually inhibit its own production via negative feedback on the hypothalamus and pituitary gland.[citation needed]

Professional athletes who have tested positive for HCG have been temporarily banned from their sport, including a 50-game ban from MLB for Manny Ramirez in 2009[33] and a 4-game ban from the NFL for Brian Cushing for a positive urine test for HCG.Mixed Martial Arts fighter Dennis Siver was fined $19,800 and suspended 9 months for being tested positive after his bout at UFC 168.[35]

British endocrinologist Albert T. W. Simeons proposed HCG as an adjunct to an ultra-low-calorie weight-loss diet (fewer than 500 calories).[36] Simeons, while studying pregnant women in India on a calorie-deficient diet, and "fat boys" with pituitary problems (Frlich's syndrome) treated with low-dose HCG, observed that both lost fat rather than lean (muscle) tissue.[36] He reasoned that HCG must be programming the hypothalamus to do this in the former cases in order to protect the developing fetus by promoting mobilization and consumption of abnormal, excessive adipose deposits. Simeons in 1954 published a book entitled Pounds and Inches, designed to combat obesity. Simeons, practicing at Salvator Mundi International Hospital in Rome, Italy, recommended low-dose daily HCG injections (125IU) in combination with a customized ultra-low-calorie (500 cal/day, high-protein, low-carbohydrate/fat) diet, which was supposed to result in a loss of adipose tissue without loss of lean tissue.[36]

Simeons' results were not reproduced by other researchers and in 1976 in response to complaints the FDA required Simeons and others to include the following disclaimer on all advertisements:[37]

These weight reduction treatments include the injection of HCG, a drug which has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration as safe and effective in the treatment of obesity or weight control. There is no substantial evidence that HCG increases weight loss beyond that resulting from caloric restriction, that it causes a more attractive or "normal" distribution of fat, or that it decreases the hunger and discomfort associated with calorie-restrictive diets.

1976 FDA-mandated disclaimer for HCG diet advertisements

There was a resurgence of interest in the "HCG diet" following promotion by Kevin Trudeau who was later banned from making HCG diet weight-loss claims by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and eventually jailed over such claims.[38]

While not specifically cited here, review studies refuting the HCG diet have been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,[39] concluded that HCG is not more effective as a weight-loss aid than dietary restriction alone.[40]

A meta analysis found that studies supporting HCG for weight loss were of poor methodological quality and concluded that "there is no scientific evidence that HCG is effective in the treatment of obesity; it does not bring about weight-loss or fat-redistribution, nor does it reduce hunger or induce a feeling of well-being".[41]

Further, on November 15, 2016, the American Medical Association (AMA) passed policy that "The use of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) for weight loss is inappropriate."[42]

There is no scientific evidence that HCG is effective in the treatment of obesity. The meta-analysis found insufficient evidence supporting the claims that HCG is effective in altering fat-distribution, hunger reduction or in inducing a feeling of well-being. The authors stated the use of HCG should be regarded as an inappropriate therapy for weight reduction In the authors opinion, Pharmacists and physicians should be alert on the use of HCG for Simeons therapy. The results of this meta-analysis support a firm standpoint against this improper indication. Restraints on physicians practicing this therapy can be based on our findings.

According to the American Society of Bariatric Physicians, no new clinical trials have been published since the definitive 1995 meta-analysis.[43]

The scientific consensus is that any weight loss reported by individuals on an "HCG diet" may be attributed entirely to the fact that such diets prescribe calorie intake of between 500 and 1,000 calories per day, substantially below recommended levels for an adult, to the point that this may risk health effects associated with malnutrition.[44]

Controversy about, and shortages[45] of, injected HCG for weight loss have led to substantial Internet promotion of "homeopathic HCG" for weight control. The ingredients in these products are often obscure, but if prepared from true HCG via homeopathic dilution, they contain either no HCG at all or only trace amounts. Moreover, it is highly unlikely that oral HCG is bioavailable due to the fact that digestive protease enzymes and hepatic metabolism renders peptide-based molecules (such as insulin and human growth hormone) biologically inert. HCG can likely only enter the bloodstream through injection.

The United States Food and Drug Administration has stated that over-the-counter products containing HCG are fraudulent and ineffective for weight loss. They are also not protected as homeopathic drugs and have been deemed illegal substances.[46][47] HCG itself is classified as a prescription drug in the United States and it has not been approved for over-the-counter sales by the FDA as a weight loss product or for any other purposes, and therefore neither HCG in its pure form nor any preparations containing HCG may be sold legally in the country except by prescription.[4] In December 2011, FDA and FTC started to take actions to pull unapproved HCG products from the market.[4] In the aftermath, some suppliers started to switch to "hormone-free" versions of their weight loss products, where the hormone is replaced with an unproven mixture of free amino acids[48] or where radionics is used to transfer the "energy" to the final product.

In order to induce a stronger immune response, some versions of human chorionic gonadotropin-based anti-fertility vaccines were designed as conjugates of the subunit of HCG covalently linked to tetanus toxoid.[29][49] It has been alleged that a non-conjugated tetanus vaccine used in developing countries is laced with a human chorionic gonadotropin based anti-fertility drug[50] and is distributed as a means of mass sterilization.[51] This charge has been vigorously denied by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF.[52] Others have argued that a hCG laced vaccine could not be used for sterilization since the effects of the anti-fertility vaccines are reversible (requiring booster doses to maintain immunity) and a non-conjugated vaccine is likely to be ineffective.[53][54] Finally, independent testing of the tetanus vaccine by Kenyas health authorities has revealed no traces of the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone.[55]

PDB gallery

1hcn: STRUCTURE OF HUMAN CHORIONIC GONADOTROPIN AT 2.6 ANGSTROMS RESOLUTION FROM MAD ANALYSIS OF THE SELENOMETHIONYL PROTEIN

1hrp: CRYSTAL STRUCTURE OF HUMAN CHORIONIC GONADOTROPIN

1qfw: TERNARY COMPLEX OF HUMAN CHORIONIC GONADOTROPIN WITH FV ANTI ALPHA SUBUNIT AND FV ANTI BETA SUBUNIT

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