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DESPITE THE LOOMING threat of the ongoing pandemic, Emily Collinson, a NASM-certified trainer and coach for the group-fitness chain Solidcore, was eager to get back to training clients when her studio reopened in Washington, D.C., this past summer. Then she reviewed Solidcores proposed health-and-safety precautions. There were all these glaring holes in terms of protections, she says. Specifically, she says that early guidance suggested coaches would be allowed to wear masks under their noses and clients would not be required to wear masks at all.

So Collinson shared her concerns with her studio manager and, after talking to fellow instructors, reshared a growing chorus of complaints with Solidcores director of operations. She was fired shortly afterward. (An email obtained by Mens Health shows that she was fired for the unprofessional nature of her conversations with other coaches. After a Districtwide health mandate was issued, Solidcore adopted stricter health and safety practices in markets across the country.)

In Seattle, Kate Troja, who had coached for six years at CorePower Yoga locations in both Southern California and the Pacific Northwest and had earned her 200-hour and 80-hour yoga sculpt certifications through Yoga Allianceapproved company programs, had a similarly disempowering experience. But it had started months before the pandemic. I was doing work on unpaid timeprepping classes, making playlistsand I had safety concerns as a young woman tasked with opening and closing early in the morning and late at night, she says.

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These issues felt particularly galling considering that, in her estimation, the studio was making a ton of money while many instructors make around minimum wage. Once the pandemic hit, Troja learned via corporate-wide Zoom call that she and the rest of the companys staff (minus management) had been laid off. No severance. No guidance on what to expect next.

In New York, Jahkeen Washington, the NCCPT-certified co-owner of JTW Fit, a boutique fitness studio based in Harlem, faced his own challenges to keep things running this year. (Washington is participating in the Mens Health Next Top Trainer competition currently underway.) But after the tragic death of George Floyd in May, he also joined a rapidly growing WhatsApp group that now includes over 150 fitness professionals and learned more about the racial discrimination his peers faced within his field. There, trainers at big-name gyms shared their own stories about microaggressions at work and pay disparities. Yet many lacked the power to fight back. Were living in a time right now where, honestly, most people are afraid to bring these issues up because it could end up being the loss of their job, Washington says.

Working as a fitness trainer can look like a dream job. What other career allows you to wear athleisure to the office and work out for a living? In the group-training world, many instructors get free access to great facilities and the chance to showcase their talents in a way that might build their personal-training business. Some people do this full-time, others as a side gig.

The profession seems as fun and flexible as the people leading each session. Except many trainers now say that theyve been experiencing something very different: the feeling that theyre disposable, interchangeable, and often devalued by the larger companies they work for. That disconnect became especially apparent this year after the pandemic forced gyms across the country to close for months and then radically adjust their operations. For Black trainers especially, the death of Floyd drove home their own everyday experiences with racism, including bias, microaggressions, and appropriation at work. In gyms, that can come from management, peers, and even clients.

While Collinson, Troja, and Washington are all at different points in their fitness careers, each of their experiences led them to a similar conclusion: They work in an industry dedicated to promoting health and personal development, but workplace conditions make it difficult for trainers to be happy and healthy, too. Fitness is all about community, says Collinson, echoing the ethos that kept so many gym floors packed before COVID-19. If the best and brightest coaches feel demoralized or pushed out, who is left?

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In some cases, it may be a less experienced or increasingly apathetic trainer stuck enduring those indignities, one who is now in charge of helping you avoid injury and meet your goals. Some top trainers have spun out successful digital operations via tools like Zoom in this new normal, but thats not a viable choice for everyone, especially fitness pros who havent built up big followings online and work with groups instead of individuals. For some, theres still no clear path to making a comfortable, healthy living.

Yet one person alone cant force one company, let alone an entire industry, to correct course. So Collinson, Troja, and Washington have called on their communities and joined with their fellow workers to create change together. Each is working to reshape how the fitness industry operates through their own inventive ways of organizing labor. Theyve taken steps to build a new type of strength, which might have a chance to change problematic working conditions at gyms. Even if it takes more pain before the gain.

PLACES LIKE SOLIDCORE, CorePower Yoga, and even JTW Fit help power a $94 billion fitness industry that increasingly depends on highly skilled trainers to teach specialized classes to small groups of clients. The boutique gyms with communal classes have expanded rapidly over the last decade while larger gyms without that personal touch have experienced less growth and become stagnant, according to a recent report from the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association.

On one hand, thats great for the estimated 374,000 full-time trainers pulling in a median income of $40,000 a year, based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. On the other, it can make it tough for trainers trying to break in to get enough hours. Some companies dont necessarily have to pay people well because so many still want a shot at that dream-job ideal.

Part of the disconnect between what trainers hope to receive for their effort and the reality on the gym floor comes down to miscommunication, says David Otey, C.S.C.S., a Mens Health Advisory Board member and chief content officer for the Pain-Free Performance Specialist Certification program, who has 14 years of industry experience. Hiring managers and brands can do a poor job of setting realistic expectations. When trainers come in, sometimes theyll get the fairy-tale response, Oh, well, youll have a full book in three, four weeks, and youll be able to work whatever hours you want, he says. And you learn as a trainer that thats not really the case. You have to say yes to as many things as possible in the beginning, because you know youve got to pay the bills.

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For example, before she lost her job as a yoga instructor at CorePower, Troja felt that her pay didnt come close to matching her level of experience or what she considers a fair portion of the revenue. I was earning [just] above minimum wage per hour, which is despicable even for the fitness industry, and regularly teaching classes of 30 to 45 students who are paying $25 per class, she says.

Many trainers are classified as part-time employees or contractors. This can help them to keep a flexible schedulebut it can also preclude them from receiving any benefits, like health care, from their employer. Collinson fit that bill. And in some cases, like Collinsons experience at Solidcore, coaches are required to pay for specialized training provided by the company (on top of any other fitness certifications they might hold) before auditioning for a job by teaching trial classes.

When Collinson started teaching at Solidcore in 2019, she kept her day job as an administrative professional. Shed also been active around political and social issues since college and is a program director at a nonprofit group called Rising Organizers, so the idea of rallying group support came naturally. After being fired, she contacted a friend from that community, who advised her to file a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board. An early examination by an NLRB case investigator suggested that because of Collinsons job duties and level of control over how those duties were performed, she should have been protected by the National Labor Relations Act as an employee, despite Solidcore's classification of her as an independent contractor. That case is still ongoing.

But organizing at Solidcore didnt end with Collinsons role at the company. She and her collaborators (several of whom shared concerns directly with Men's Health) have since formed a public-facing group called Solidcore United to publicly address corporate neglect and impropriety. In June, 32 employees and independent contractors signed an anonymous letter of demands for COVID-related protections in their workplace. In August, some workers also helped inform a BuzzFeed investigation that alleged a culture of sexual harassment, racism, and body shaming at the company. The allegations surfaced under the leadership of founder and CEO Anne Mahlum. Solidcore United has since sponsored a petition calling for Mahlum to resign.

When asked for more clarification about these issues, the company emailed a general statement. We support our coaches and staff and take their feedback seriously," said Bryan Myers, Solidcore's president and chief operating officer. He added that the company has "always and will continue to provide a clean, safe space for clients, coaches, and staff" and welcomes feedback as it navigates how to deal with the coronavirus.

Kate Troja was part-time at CorePower Yoga, too, while keeping her day job as an epidemiologist. After being laid off, she thought a lot about how TSG Consumer Partners, which holds stakes in Planet Fitness, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, and a chain of collision centers, had also invested in CorePower Yoga. When a private-equity firm owns a company like CorePower, what does it mean for students and staff? she asks.

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After speaking to around 40 fellow workers in her network from San Diego to Seattle, she formed the CPY Coalition, an advocacy group that shares information about potentially unsafe working conditions, low wages, and unfair labor practices. In May, the group put up a website to let others anonymously share their own experiences at the company, and Troja says that more than 600 former employees have done so through the site and the groups Instagram account. The CPY Coalition now advocates for the equitable treatment of instructors, including fair compensation and benefits; role definition; and enhanced safety measures. It has also called for an increase in BIPOC representation across the company (the current executive staff is 100 percent white) and shares online testimonials from clients upset at how their favorite teachers are being treated.

We want to compel leadership to make CorePower a safer and more equitable place to work and practice, but they seem to only be financially motivated by the potential that people will cancel or freeze memberships when they hear this is how they treat their staff, Troja says. Students have been surprised to hear you can work full-time for CorePower in Seattle and be on food stamps.

For his part, Washington started JTW Fit in Harlem in 2013 hoping to create a space that his community was lacking. I didnt see anything that was fitness related or specific or prioritizing health and wellness in the neighborhood, he says. He also remembered how it felt to work and train at other gyms, where he saw few faces that looked like his, so representation became a major focus of the business. The goal, he says, is to get people that look like us in the gym giving them an outlet, and a space to feel confident and comfortable.

After hearing about other trainers troubling experiences on WhatsApp, Washington joined Fit For Us, an organization that evolved from the group chat to respond to systemic racial inequities across the industry. He didnt found it but was one of the early members. To hear those stories and hear [about] the inequities in pay and not having our voices amplified or heard, when decisions are being made when its our culture thats being used, it was just a lot, he says. The organization seemed like a good way to offer others who were struggling in the industry more support.

Fit For Us was started by Percell Dugger, a strength coach and founder of the wellness brand GOODWRK, and a former indoor cycling instructor turned entrepreneur named Mary Pryor. The organization now has over 100 members on a dedicated Slack channel, who come from all levels and vocations within the industry, from trainers and instructors to managers and gym owners. They advocate for a greater emphasis on inclusion, belonging, and support for Black and other marginalized fitness pros and for more transparency in hiring and employment practices through brand partnerships and industry initiatives.

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Members also want to empower professionals while serving their communities, particularly in regard to health and nutrition. To that end, the group held a three-day digital conference in October, which included a town hall and a series of member-led fitness and wellness workshops. Washington served as a panelist and offered his perspective as a gym owner and entrepreneur. Hes now a member of the Fit For Us leadership team, which determines strategies for how the group operates. Thats included programming alongside the nonprofit Color of Change, sharing free online sessions promoting fitness and wellness during election season.

Were going to be creative in how we present things, Washington says. I think the world is ours right now and that we have a really good chance to make some change sooner than later. Much sooner than we think.

THE NEXT BIG FLEX for some of these efforts might be forming a real unionthe type of collective organization that could pressure major companies to make systemic changes in how they operate, because employees have a seat directly at the bargaining table. Its worked for plenty of trades, from autoworkers to electricians and pipe fitters. But theres still no precedent for that in the fitness industry.

In fact, there have been a few recent setbacks. One unionizing effort among Golds Gym trainers stalled out in 2017, when trainers in Los Angeles voted against the idea. Another, started in 2019 by YogaWorks instructors in New York City, gained some recognition from the company but never had a chance to bargain for a contract because the company shut down all New York locations in April 2020.

Nationally, at least one new group has some traction. Group Fitness Instructors United was founded by Emily Stewarta Seattle-based fitness professional with certifications to teach barre, yoga, Pilates, indoor cycling, and moreand has aligned with a local machinists lodge, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers 751, for more support. For now, Stewart is building connections with fitness instructors and coaches who work in disparate corners of the industry. Her contact list includes more than 600 people. Group Fitness Instructors United has no public-facing social media accounts, so that she can protect peoples privacy.

My big job right now is just to have what I call gut checks, which are conversations that I record with group fitness instructors who feel like they have a complaint or something really egregious has happened to them, Stewart says. Im talking sexual harassment, stalking, broken bones and body parts. Im talking unlawful noncompete agreements, hiding COVID-19 cases. Discrimination. You name it, Ive heard it.

The question that everyone is still grappling with is whats the most effective way to make lasting change. Stewart conducts anonymous surveys and interviews in hopes that the qualitative data she collects will show the reality of our industry in order to garner support from powers outside the fitness spacei.e., legislatorsfor reforms like standardizing training certifications and tightening labor laws to make employee benefits the norm. When things are desperate, you cant expect individuals to make good decisions, she says. You know, sometimes its gotta come from above.

Otey agrees that unions in fitness could lead to more rigid classifications for trainers, but that might not benefit everyone involved. I think if you start to unionize, then thats when businesses will say, Well, okay, in order to have this, you may have to have this certification or this license, he says. Depending on where the bar gets set in terms of experience, cost, and how much time it takes to achieve, that could be another barrier to entry. Unfortunately, for some people that would shoot them in the foot.

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Regardless, fitness companies should rethink how they communicate, according to Otey. Brands do a very bad job explaining how the trainer gets paid what they get paid. If they did a better job of explaining, whether its to group fitness instructors or to trainers, I think there would be a lot less questions and animosity in the air, he says.

For Collinson, who now coaches at F45 Training, one big step forward would be an NLRB ruling in her favor, so she could be reinstated at Solidcore and become even more active in organizing with Solidcore United. But theres some evidence that things are at least slowly shifting. After the BuzzFeed investigation broke, Mahlum, the company CEO, shared a video on Solidcores official Instagram account to outline a new set of protective and progressive HR initiatives and corporate training programs. She also defended her previous leadership of the company and denied the allegations of wrongdoing. Its unclear what additional steps Solidcore may take. (In late November, the mayor in Washington D.C. issued new guidance for gyms to temporarily stop indoor group fitness classes in the city. Solidcore defied the order to close, but after a visit from local authorities, the chain complied with regulations, suspending operations for the time being.)

Trojas CPY Coalition and other ongoing organizing efforts in the yoga world seem to have had some effect at CorePower Yoga, too, although the company declined to share specifics. In response to the changing environment, we conducted a comprehensive evaluation of our business and have implemented a number of changes to our operations, a spokesman shared in a statement to Mens Health. That includes increasing the pay rate for all teachers and establishing a framework that provides greater transparency in career and wage progression. Fixing inclusion, diversity, and bias is also on the list. But Troja is still exploring the idea of unionizing as a unique opportunity for trainers there; the CPY Coalitions Instagram account links to a site sharing union cards for CorePower teachers to sign if theyre interested, an early step for rallying support.

At Fit for Us, the goal is still to create a major shift in industry representation within at least five years, with trainers feeling more in control of their careers while, as Dugger, the groups cofounder, puts it, knowing that the work within their industry is impacting their communities in a positive way. Since joining the movement, Washington only feels more inspired. You definitely like to have a little bit of feedback and people to let you know that youre not crazy, he says. And we know our mission is super important. Were going to continue to move together. As all these trainers have learned: Theres strength in numbers.

*Additional reporting from Lindsay Berra

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Fitness Trainers Are Organizing to Flex More Muscle in Their Workplaces - menshealth.com

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Walking and running are both suitable forms of exercise for weight loss and heart health. The benefits and risks depend on a persons goals and current level of health and fitness.

While both activities allow a person to burn calories, lose weight, and lower their risk of heart disease, there is much debate over which is better.

Read on to learn more about the benefits and risks.

Cardiovascular exercise is also known simply as cardio. It often uses major muscle groups in the body, gets the heart pumping faster, and increases breathing rate.

Walking and running are both types of cardio.

Cardio exercises offer numerous health benefits, including:

One study examined the benefits of exercise for mental health and found that 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, such as brisk walking, was enough to reduce anxiety and depression, alongside its other health benefits.

Walking and running provide similar health benefits, but running has a calorie-burning edge over walking.

According to the American Council on Exercise, a person who is 160 pounds burns approximately 15.1 calories per minute while running. In contrast, a person of the same weight burns around 8.7 calories per minute walking.

The number of calories a person burns while walking and running depends on several factors, including:

Running burns more calories per minute than walking. However, walkers can still burn the same number of calories by doing so for longer.

However, depending on a persons goals, walking and running can still offer the same benefits.

Both walking and running are suitable for losing weight, boosting mental health, and improving overall health.

One study published in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology concluded that walking and running reduced the risk of hypertension, high cholesterol levels, coronary heart disease, and diabetes.

However, the study did not directly address whether walking or running could benefit heart health and cardio.

Another report by the American Heart Association states that brisk walking at least 150 minutes per week is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

Studies have found that storing a lot of fat in the midsection is associated with the risk of diseases, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Whether choosing walking or running, exercise can help a person reduce their belly fat.

One study found that regular aerobic exercises, such as walking, reduced belly fat and helped people manage obesity.

Walking and running help burn calories in the body, but they also help reduce belly fat, depending on the intensity of the exercise.

However, running may help reduce belly fat more effectively. One study in 27 middle-aged females with obesity found that those who participated in high-intensity exercise training lost significantly more belly fat than those who did low-intensity exercise or no exercise training for 16 weeks.

Scientists need to perform more research comparing the effects of walking and running on belly fat reduction.

For example, a 2018 review found that low-intensity exercise was more effective in reducing abdominal fat, while high-intensity training had a bigger effect in decreasing overall body fat.

People who want to lose belly fat should consider speaking with their doctor, who can help them determine the best exercise program and diet for their needs.

While running and walking offer various health benefits, including maintaining a healthy weight and improving heart health, they may also come with risks.

There is a higher risk of injury with running than walking. This is because running is of higher intensity and puts more stress on the body the joints in particular.

One study found that walkers have a lower risk of injury, while runners have a high risk.

Some of the most common injuries associated with running include:

For runners, it is crucial to take steps to reduce the risk of running-related injuries.

If a person has concerns about exercise-related injuries, they could consider walking instead, which offers similar health benefits to running, with a reduced risk of injury.

Those with arthritis, heart disease, or other chronic health conditions who are considering running should consult their doctor first.

Depending on a persons goals, walking and running are appropriate forms of exercise. Both can help people maintain a moderate weight and improve their heart health, mental health, and more.

No matter which form of exercise a person chooses, they will see positive results with regular participation.

For those starting a fitness journey, walking might be a more suitable choice since it involves low or moderate intensity. However, for people whose goal is to burn more calories, running may be more appropriate.

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Walking vs. running: Weight loss, heart health, and more - Medical News Today

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Intermittent fasting is having a moment. Whether you prefer to eat keto or plant-based or are just trying to make up for some extra indulging over the holidays, everywhere you turn someone is extolling the virtues of this simple, flexible diet strategy, where you eat for a window of time (usually 8 hours) and then fast and let your body go without any food for a longer window (usually 14 to 16 hours). This allows your your body to metabolize the food you eat and then shift from burning that as its fuel to burning fat for fuel.

Adam Sandler to Kourtney Kardshian swear by intermittent fasting for weight management and other health benefits, according to the founders of Zero, the worlds most popular fasting app with 7 million users. Launched byDr. Peter Attia, a fasting expert, this app's popularity shows that it's not always as intuitive as itsounds, and some people need a little helpful coaching, insights, tracking, custom plans, in order to make intermittent fasting work.

If you're one of the millions of intermittent fasters who havetried it recently and not had great luck with it, or didn't see the weight drop off, there may be simple shifts you can make (like what you're eating during the on hours) to get the results you crave.

If you need a little help losing weight and eating healthier, while you're intermittent fasting, an all you're hearing is how "great" and easy it is from friends, we say turn to a source you trust, since expert advice is always the way to go. We asked Nicole Grant, RD, CNSC the lead dietician for the Zero Fasting app, the most popular IF coach in the app store, for her best tips on how to do IF right

Nicole Grant:While some people believe that fasting is another fad diet, the practice has been going on for centuries. So, it isnt an entirely new concept. However, I believe the uptick in popularity has come from a wider understanding of the non-weight loss related benefits. There are so many other positive outcomes from IF that can be experienced including boosted energy, reduced inflammation, accelerated cellular repair, improved body composition, and it can even be an effective tool to mitigate risk for metabolic syndrome.

Nicole Grant: Every individual body responds to fasting a little differently, due to genetics, current health, pre-existing conditions, and lifestyle, to name a few. However, for an average healthy person, there is a general timeline of expected metabolic responses. Between 0 and 4 hours after a meal, your body is still going through the process of digesting, utilizing and storing the last thing you ate. It takes the carbohydrates, protein and fat you consumed and turns them into glucose, amino acids and fatty acids to be used as energy or to be stored for later use. Once your body shifts out of that anabolic phase, the next 416 hours are dedicated to catabolism, [the breaking down of food into smaller molecules to burn as energy] lowering of blood glucose, lowering insulin levels, and triggering glucagon, to start breaking down glycogen (stored glucose in the body).

Between16 and 24 hours is generally when fat burning starts to become more dominant and 24+ hours is when we start seeing the body switch to a ketogenic state, where many of the longevity benefits start coming into play. Exactly which benefits you will experience depends on the duration of your fast as well as many of the individualized characteristics noted above (health, genetics, etc.). We suggest establishing a plan and approach thats best for your health, lifestyle, and specific goals in order to achieve the results you want.

Nicole Grant: We dont like to promote IF as a diet for rapid weight loss. Instead fasting should be seen as a tool that can be used in conjunction with better nutrition, exercise and other lifestyle practices to enhance overall health in a prolonged, sustainable way.In addition to that, we encourage people to establish and understand their why for fasting. By identifying what each individual wants to accomplish with fasting and having a clear goal in mind, it will help them to make safe and informed choices about what type of fasting and duration is right for them.

If the goal is to lose weight, the individual also needs to keep in mind where they are starting at, from a health perspective. Those who have more severe metabolic issues or who have more weight to lose will likely respond differently than those who start out a bit healthier.

Nicole Grant: The biggest pitfalls of fasting are the misconceptions that surround the practiceits not just a weight-loss strategy. There are many different benefits to fasting as outlined above, and based on the persons goal, fasting can provide different results and outcomes for people.Fasting is also not always the best choice for everyone. We do not recommend fasting for those who are Type I diabetic, pregnant or have had a history of disordered eating. In addition, those who take medications and supplements should also consult with a doctor prior to fasting to discuss any possible precautions that may need to be taken.

Nicole Grant: Zero acts as a personalized fasting coach that offers expert insights, tips, education, and resources for users. It also includes various helpful features, the timer feature for example is very popular and reminds users when they are able to break their fasts. Zero also recently announced Challenges which offers a fun way to stay motivated! Through Challenges, users can fast alongside Zero experts, invite friends to join, and achieve their goals.

Nicole Grant: When breaking a fast, consuming protein in the first meal is important because it helps to initiate the rebuild and repair phase. Some recommended plant-based options include organic, fermented soy, sprouted nuts/seeds and possibly some legumes/grains if those are tolerated and digested well in that individual. In addition, general nutrition guidelines of choosing whole foods, low in added sugars, and minimally processed items will be important to focus on outside of a fast.

Nicole Grant:One reason why I think fasting has become more mainstream is that it isnt a diet, its a practice that can be incorporated into a healthy way of eating throughout someones lifespan, and has a low barrier of entry. You dont have to pay for a system or regiment, its truly putting intention behind when you eat.

Unlike diets where people are on the program for a certain duration of time and then they revert back to their old eating habits, fasting is a timeless practice that can be used to benefit a variety of people.

The most popular fasting zone is catabolic,where you break down energy in the body, followed by anabolic where you build up muscle, followed by fat-burning, autophagy and finally deep ketosis.

According to data, a 16:8 fast is the most popular, where you fast for 16 hours and eat within the next 8, followed by 18:6 (fasting for 18 hours, eating in a 6-hour window), then 20:4, and then 13:11.Ascertain your best rhythm. Figure out what type of fast works best for you.

Setting goals is key to a successful fast. Managing weight is the #1 goal of those who fast, followed by increased energy, increased clarity, increased longevity, and finally detoxing.

Time isn't enough. Time restriction, caloric restriction and dietary restriction are the three variables that you should be keeping in mind when fasting, according to Dr. Attia, chief medical officer for Zero. "Time restriction is when you eat, when you dont eat; calorie restriction is how much; dietary is what you eat. The right way to do this is to have a strategy for all three and cycle through them."

People want to be healthier in quarantine and IF can help.Zero saw an uptake of 3M+ sign-ups since March, when the pandemic forced people into their homes for work and play, and your home became y our gym, so fitness and diet apps had a surge in popularity.

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If Intermittent Fasting Isn't Working, Here's How to Get It Right - The Beet

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Sponsored Editorial: Produced in association with the UK Government

Dodging a diet? Youre in good company!

Celebrities Gemma Collins, Adele and Simon Cowell all went public over their struggles to lose weight.

But they were successful. And you can be, too!

NHS Better Health has teamed up with these weight loss groups to provide special offers...

For more information, visit the nhs.uk/better-health/lose-weight website

The dangers of being overweight are well known, triggering conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

However, the pandemic has given us a wake-up call to get healthy. There is help out there, much of it free.

HERE ARE FIVE TOP TIPS TO GET YOU STARTED...

1 Set weight loss goals: Get on the scales to find out what you weigh and then state how much you want to lose. A healthy rate of weight loss is one to four pounds per week. Losing weight at a slow and steady pace gives you the best chance of maintaining your progress long term. Keeping a record of your progress helps you stay motivated.

2 Make healthier food choices: Eat fewer foods high in calories, fat, salt and sugar and swap them for something healthier, including more fruit and vegetables. Five a day includes green vegetables, fruit including canned and salad. Read the nutritional information when checking for calorie, fat, salt and sugar content on pre-packed foods. Easy swaps include whole milk for semi or skimmed milk and white breads, bagels and muffins for wholegrain varieties. Choose leaner cuts of meat and swap the frying pan for the grill when cooking meat.

3 Plan your meals: Pick a method that bestfits your routine and, if appropriate, allows for family meals. You may decide to batch cook all of your meals so you can easily grab individual portions. Alternatively, you may prefer to cook daily.

4 Treat yourself: You dont have to miss out completely on the foods and drinks you love, just have them less often and in smaller amounts.

5 Get active: Aim for 20 minutes a day. This includes everything fromrunning and cycling to walking and even dancing around your kitchen counts!

For help and motivation, download the free NHS weight loss plan nhs.uk/better-health/ lose-weight And tap into delicious, healthy recipes on the Easy Meals app nhs.uk/oneyou/apps

FAITH, HOPE AND CONFIDENCE OF SLIMMER

Within three years Oxfordshire mum Faith Roots shed eight stone, dropping eight dress sizes.

She ditched sweets and cakes, put her diabetes in remission and found love.

Back in February 2017 she was out of breath after a 10-minute walk. Now she runs 5k a day.

The transformation started when she joined a Slimming World group.

Faith explained: I weighed 17st 13lbs. I felt so unwell because of my weight. I had type two diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, back pain and collapsed ankles.

Her Slimming World consultant helped her plan meals and kept her motivated. Today, Faith inspires others in her group and, single for 27 years, she is now in a relationship.

Losing weight gave me the confidence I needed," said added the 64 year-old.

"I cant believe the difference physically. I never realised my personality would change too.

I feel healthy and vibrant.

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Special offers to help you lose weight and get fit from NHS Better Health - Cambridge Independent

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If you want to lose weight or at least not put on too much extra weight there is one thing you can do that is almost certain to help. That's right: cutting alcohol for weight loss is inevitable. It is very obvious when you think about it, and arguably not that easy, but it will give positive results, and perhaps it might not have occurred to you before.

No one needs a lecture about why alcohol is bad for your health but I think a lot of you don't realise how consuming alcohol affects your diet and your weight loss. Or your weight gain, more accurately. How to avoid weight gain at home? Cut back on the booze now.

How to boost your metabolism lose weight and keep it off with less effort

Long term weight loss is only achievable with a combination of a healthy (not calorie-restricted!) diet and exercising. That said, especially now that we often stay indoors for longer than we used to, eating the same amount of food as before will result in weight gain. We simply burn less calories when we don't walk everywhere. No news there. Avoiding these 5 types of food can also help you lose weight faster.

There are a lot of misconceptions about alcohol and as I mentioned above, I'm not here to lecture anyone about just how bad it is to consume alcoholic beverages. Sure, some types of alcohols contain certain micronutrients (like minerals) that can be beneficial for health, but this doesn't outweigh the negative effects of these drinks.

One very important thing to realise about alcohol is that it is basically pure carbohydrate. Carbs are one of the three main macronutrients your body needs to function; the other two are lipids (fats) and protein. This doesn't mean your body needs alcohol to function, on the contrary. Drinking alcohol adds nothing to your diet, alcohol calories are just 'empty calories'.

Shop low-calorie beer at Skinny Booze

Just how many calories, though? There are a few options that are considered 'low-calorie' drinks, like vodka and diet coke. Although diet coke can be considered free of calories (still pretty bad in every way) a double shot (50 ml) of vodka contains over 100 calories. You would have to run 10 minutes to burn off those calories and that is just one drink.

Shop alcohol-free beer at Amazon UK

How about beer? A small bottle (12 oz/355 ml) of Goose Island IPA is 208 calories, twice as much as what's in a double shot vodka plus diet coke combo. And whoever has only one small bottle of beer when they drink? That's right, no one.

Shop light beer at Walmart US

Maybe wine? A bottle (750 ml) of Cabernet Sauvignon is just under 600 calories, meaning that two medium glasses (approx. 175 ml) contain around 250-300 calories.

We used the Drinkaware Unit and Calorie Calculator to calculate the below numbers.

For the rest, we used MyfitnessPal's database and the manufacturers websites.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The best idea is to keep your alcohol consumption to the minimum. Being mindful of your diet and food/drink intake can help. Before you pour yourself another drink, ask yourself: do I want another drink? Am I bored? Is there another task I'm putting off by drinking?

Admittedly, on some occasions, especially during social gatherings, it is pretty challenging to get out of drinking at least some alcohol. When everyone is having beers and wines around you, the social pressure on you to have one too could be immense. Even in these cases, there are ways to reduce consumption.

If you are a wine drinker, have a soda spritzer instead of just a glass of wine. You would still get the sensation of having a wine in a wine glass, but you also drink plenty of water, which dilutes the alcohol and makes it easier for your body to digest it more efficiently.

If you are more of a beer drinker, see if there are any low calorie/alcohol-free beers in stock. A bottle of alcohol-free Holstein is only 8 calories (!) and there are plenty of low-cal options out there, especially if you live in the US.

And in any case, if you drink a glass of water after you had a drink, your stomach will fill up sooner and you will feel fuller sooner, making you less likely to drink too much alcohol. It also helps with hangovers, too.

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Cutting alcohol for weight loss is a good idea for more than just one reason - T3

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Dodging a diet? Youre in good company! Celebrities Gemma Collins, Adele and Simon Cowell all went public over their struggles to lose weight. But they were successful. And you can be, too!The dangers of being overweight are well known, triggering conditions like diabetes and heart disease.However, the pandemic has given us a wake-up call to get healthy. There is help out there, much of it free.Here are five top tips to get you started...

A slow and steady weight loss of one to four pounds per week gives you the best chance of maintaining your progress long term- Credit: magraphics - stock.adobe.com

1 SET WEIGHT LOSS GOALSGet on the scales to find out what you weigh and then state how much you want to lose. A healthy rate of weight loss is one to four pounds per week. Losing weight at a slow and steady pace gives you the best chance of maintaining your progress long term. Keeping a record of your progress helps you stay motivated.

2 MAKE HEALTHIER FOOD CHOICESEat fewer foods high in calories, fat, salt and sugar and swap them for something healthier, including more fruit and vegetables. Five a day includes green vegetables, fruit including canned and salad.Read the nutritional information when checking for calorie, fat, salt and sugar content on pre-packed foods.Easy swaps include whole milk for semi or skimmed milk and white breads, bagels and muffins for wholegrain varieties.Choose leaner cuts of meat and swap the frying pan for the grill when cooking meat.

3 PLAN YOUR MEALSPick a method that best fits your routine and, if appropriate, allows for family meals.You may decide to batch cook all of your meals so you can easily grab individual portions. Alternatively, you may prefer to cook daily.

4 TREAT YOURSELFYou dont have to miss out completely on the foods and drinks you love, just have them less often and in smaller amounts.

5 GET ACTIVEAim for 20 minutes a day. This includes everything from running and cycling to walking and even dancing around your kitchen counts!For help and motivation, download the free NHS weight loss plan appand tap into delicious, healthy recipes on the Easy Meals app.

Faith Roots' health suffered because of her weight; she had type two diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, back pain and collapsed ankles - Credit: Faith Roots

Faith, hope and confidenceof slimmerWithin three years, Oxfordshire mum Faith Roots shed eight stone, dropping eight dress sizes.She ditched sweets and cakes, put her diabetes in remission and found love.Back in February 2017 she was out of breath after a 10-minute walk. Now she runs 5k a day.The transformation started when she joined a Slimming World group. Faithexplained: I weighed 17st 13lbs. I felt so unwell because of my weight. I had type two diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, back pain and collapsed ankles.

Faith Roots shed eight stone and dropped eight dress sizes with support from her Slimming World consultant - Credit: Faith Roots

Her Slimming World consultant helped her plan meals and kept her motivated. Today, Faith inspires others in her group. And, single for 27 years, she is now in a relationship. Losing weight gave me the confidence I needed. I cant believe the difference physically. I never realised my personality would change too.I feel healthy and vibrant, added the 64 year-old.

SPECIAL OFFERSNHS Better Health has teamed up with weight loss groups to provide special offers.

For more information, visit the nhs.uk/better-health/lose-weight website.

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Promotion: Top tips and support for healthy weight loss - Eastern Daily Press

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The time for New Years weight-loss resolutions is nearing, and with it, lots of focus on people in their 20s, 30s and 40s shedding pounds and showing off before-and-after photos.

Doctors want older Americans to know they can have just as much success slimming down.

Obese people over 60 can lose an equivalent amount of weight as younger patients using only lifestyle changes, researchers reported recently in the journal Clinical Endocrinology.

It is never too late, Dr. Thomas Barber, lead author and associate professor at the Warwick Medical School in Coventry, England, told TODAY.

We are all living longer in the context of an obesity epidemic that has ensued over the last half century. No one is immune from weight gain and obesity. It is never too late to adopt a healthy lifestyle, to facilitate healthy aging and promote wellness and well-being.

Almost 43% of people over 60 are obese in the U.S., a rate similar to that in younger age groups, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Obesity comes with more than 50 related health problems, including type 2 diabetes, joint pain, higher cancer risk, difficulty breathing and moving, and depression and anxiety, the study noted.

It may have a particularly devastating effect on older people since the problems develop over time and accumulate in older age, the authors cautioned. Obesity can also accelerate processes that happen with age, such as atherosclerosis the buildup of plaque inside arteries which can lead to heart attacks and stroke.

Older people who are also obese often suffer from a metabolic double-whammy, with effects from both the normal aging process and obesity. For this reason, effective weight loss in older people with obesity should be prioritized rather than ignored, Barber said.

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But there are incorrect ageist beliefs about their ability to lose weight, including a perceived lack of motivation or being too frail to exercise, he noted. Doctors may also be reluctant to refer older patients for weight-loss programs, and those patients may not feel that such programs are for them.

Story continues

But thats not the case, the study showed.

Researchers randomly selected 242 patients who attended a hospital-based obesity treatment program at the Warwickshire Institute for the Study of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism between 2005 and 2016.

All of them had conservative management that focused on dietary changes and psychological support. They were also encouraged to be physically active.

The patients were divided into two groups those 18-60 years old, and those over 60. They spent about the same amount of time in the obesity program: 41 months and 33 months, respectively.

When weight loss was compared between the two groups, the researchers found the results were essentially the same. The younger people lost 6.9% of their body weight on average, compared to 7.3% for the older group.

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Older age does not influence the success of weight loss through lifestyle changes, the authors wrote. Though the study was done in the context of a hospital program, anyone can adopt a healthy lifestyle it doesnt require a doctor or a hospital team, Barber said.

Hopefully our study will help to address any pre-conceived prejudices or ageist beliefs regarding weight loss in older people, he added.

The prescription for weight-loss is consistent, regardless of age:

Eat a whole-food, plant-based diet thats naturally high in fiber: An eating plan that fits the bill and comes up over and over again when it comes to health benefits is the Mediterranean diet.

Related:

Sit less and move more: It doesnt even require scheduling exercise sessions or walking 10,000 steps every day a number that may not mean much, experts say. Do more house work or play with your pets the goal is to move around more.

Get enough sleep: Its a lifestyle factor that doesnt get talked about enough, but most people are sleep deprived and sleep affects every aspect of physiology, including appetite and metabolism, Barber said.

If we dont get enough sleep, then it is very difficult for us to adopt any other facet of a healthy lifestyle, he noted. Getting sufficient sleep every night is paramount. Once this is sorted, the other main elements of diet and physical activity become much easier.

Even if people dont lose weight, they can still transform their overall health and future outlook simply by adopting a healthy lifestyle, Barber noted.

Continued here:
'It is never too late': Successful weight loss not affected by age, study finds - Yahoo News

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Little House on the Prairieput young actors Melissa Sue Anderson and Melissa Gilbert on the Hollywood map.Portraying Mary and Laura Ingallson the historical drama set in the 1800s, both were cast by show creator, executive producer, and series star Michael Landon.

Though Anderson had previously appeared in commercials, Little House on the Prairie was her first role as a series regular. When she landed the part of Mary, she had to meet a specific condition.

Anderson recalled her audition and screen test in her 2010 memoir,The Way I See It: A Look Back at My Life on Little House, including a conversation with Landon and Andersons mom.

It could have all come to an end right there and then and my mother and I could have died happy, Anderson wrote. Michael Landon was positively dreamy.

Several days after her screen test, Anderson received a call from casting director Mary Grady with some good news and a requirement.

RELATED: Little House on the Prairie: Melissa Sue Anderson Recalled the Day Karen Grassle Stormed Off the Set

Im calling to let you know that they want you to play the role of Mary,' Anderson remembered Grady telling her. There is only one thing: They think that your face is too well-fed-looking for a pioneer, and they would like to see you lose five pounds.

Eager to take on the role of Mary Ingalls, Anderson was more than willing to meet the condition set before her. Though as an 11-year-old girl, she wasnt sure how to cut out calories. The casting director even commented that Anderson was already at a normal weight.

Well, considering you dont need to lose weight you really look fine just the way you are,' Anderson recalled Grady saying. I think you should see your doctor and ask about a really healthy way to do it.'

Despite an aversion to doctor visits, Anderson sought her pediatricians advice. Anderson revealed her physician was against any weight loss since he deemed it physically unnecessary, but the young actor convinced him that she would would achieve her goal with self-care as a priority.

He finally relented and suggested that I cut out as much sugar as possible, Anderson wrote. Even limiting sugary (albeit natural) fruits and juices. Chicken and fish were okay, nothing fried, and I should beware of starches. I guess that meant no more McDonalds fries Oh, well. It was only food. I was a serious actress. I was THRILLED!

Once production of Little House on the Prairie began, Anderson discovered that Landon wasnt the person who made the request regarding the scale.

When filming the series, one day the weight issue came up, Anderson explained. Mike [Landon] said he never knew anything about me losing five pounds. It must have come from [producer] Ed Friendly. All of that angst and effort and Mike never even knew?

Anderson described her parents hesitation at signing her on for a seven-year contract. Now married to producer Michael Sloan, Anderson remarked she may have done things differently with her two kids if she were put in that position.

RELATED: Little House on the Prairie Star Melissa Sue Anderson Dated a Singer Twice Her Age While She Was on the Show

I cant imagine making that kind of life-altering decision for one of my children, the Little House alum wrote. I know it wasnt an easy one for my parents to make and that they were torn because I wanted it so much I, as a parent, could not have made that kind of decision for my children.

Excerpt from:
Why 'Little House on the Prairie' Star Melissa Sue Anderson Was Told to Lose Weight When She Was Cast as Mary Ingalls - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

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You might remember the freshman 15 that first-year college students gain after months of boozing and poor diet choices without Mom looking over their shoulders.

Well, after months of spending a lot more time at home than usual, we now have the COVID 19.

Nineteen might be an exaggeration. But a study from Weight Watchers over the summer found that Americans had gained 12.5 pounds on average during the pandemic.

The start of a new year is always a time for resolutions to get in shape.

But with so many Americans having spent the last nine months or so at home and gyms closed or offering limited access well, I expect New Years resolutions to take on a new sense of urgency in 2021.

For many of us, getting back to normal will mean a newfound commitment to shed the pounds we put on in 2020. And for most of us, shedding the COVID 19 starts with eating better.

One diet stock is well-positioned to benefit from a flurry of New Years resolutions.

Its a smart way to play the generational trend of healthier living. One of the largest players in a booming beverage market, it boasts an estimated 30% market share:

This diet-friendly beverage was a $3.5 billion business back in 2015. By 2022, sales should top $7.3 billion.

The trend toward healthier living didnt start with COVID-19, of course. But the pandemic gave it a major boost and a major sense of urgency.

People struggling with obesity and diabetes are at higher risk for COVID-19. That was enough to convince my father-in-law to quit drinking and lose weight.

Hes lost close to 30 pounds since all of this started, and hes not done.

And now that he knows how it feels to be healthier, he has little interest in putting on the weight again. His lifestyle changes are permanent, or at least long-lasting.

Once the immediate crisis of the pandemic passes, well see public health officials making a newfound push to tackle obesity. We may not see another true pandemic for another century. Only time will tell.

But this year made clear that the obesity epidemic is a major threat to public health. You can expect the folks in charge to help nudge people away from junk food and into healthier choices.

The trend in this diet-friendly beverage is only getting started.

The company that weve identified to benefit from the trend rates a 97.8 in Adam ODells Green Zone Ratings system, meaning it scores higher than all but about 2% of stocks in our universe:

This stocks impressive Green Zone Rating.

Now, the story gets even better.

Not only is this highly-rated stock well-positioned to benefit from healthier living in 2021 and beyond but there is a potential catalyst to make it skyrocket and soon.

You see, this is a heavily-shorted stock. That sounds bad. If traders are selling it, it must be at risk of a major decline, right?

Not exactly. Remember: When you short a stock, you eventually have to buy it back. Youre hoping it falls so you can buy it back cheaper.

But if the stock rises, youll have to buy it back at a higher price. And here is where it gets fun. If several short sellers try to cover their positions at the same time, you end up in a buying frenzy that can cause the shares to rocket higher.

This is what traders call a short squeeze, and its caused the untimely heart attack and death of many a short seller.

I believe were on the verge of something like that today. The short interest in this stock is super high. The most recent data from late last month shows 7.7 million shares sold short, which represents 36 days of average trading volume.

A days-to-cover figure of even 5 can be cause for concern. And again this stocks figure is 36.

Imagine the potential pent-up buying here. If we get a proper short squeeze which isnt unlikely if the shares keep pushing higher we could see a major move higher.

Throughout this Holiday Investment series, weve told you about stocks that we recommended and are up big (one as much as 240%!)

But this one is a little different. You see, even our premium Green Zone Fortunes subscribers dont know about this stock yet.

Chief Investment Strategist Adam ODell and I are working on the December issue of the newsletter right now. Well release the details to our readers next Wednesday, December 16.

That means you can join today and be in this stock from the beginning!

When we reach out next year to tell Money & Markets readers how well this diet-friendly beverage stock performed as Americans tried to shed the COVID 19, youll already be in the know.

Click here now to find out more. Youll get the details on each of the stocks we covered in this weeks Holiday Investment series and youll get first dibs on this New Years stock next Wednesday!

Plus you can get exclusive access to Adam ODells Millionaire Master Class special report today for only $1.

While were planning for the new year, why not make your portfolios health a priority for a low price that you have to see to believe?

Money & MarketscontributorCharles Sizemorespecializes in income and retirement topics. Charles is a regular onThe Bull & The Bearpodcast. He is also a frequent guest on CNBC, Bloomberg and Fox Business.Follow Charles on Twitter@CharlesSizemore.

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New Year, New Me A New Way to Profit From Resolutions - Money and Markets

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JYP Entertainment's resident psychiatrist gets candid about the pressure on female idols to diet and its detrimental effects.

On a special episode of You Can Talk To My Sister, a confessional type reality talk show under SBS Plus, a psychiatrist from JYP Entertainment got candid about the stresses that female idols face when they are told by the company to diet. The episode was broadcasted on December 10, 2020 and featured a woman who had decided to undergo gastrointestinal surgery to lose weight. She had gained the weight in the first place, from her first pregnancy, after which she could not get back to her original figure. After she shared her story of humiliation, feeling inadequate and unwanted from having gained so much weight and the lengths to which she was willing to go to lose the weight, the shows host arranged a video call with JYP Entertainments resident psychiatrist Yoo Eun Jung.

Dr Yoo revealed that whenever she speaks to idols under the company, they share their troubles and stresses regarding dieting and maintaining an ideal weight. She continued by saying that, There is so much pressure to be slim that many female idols go on extreme diets. Even IU and Jang Nara had bulimia. If you are stressed out, your stress hormones can go up and it can affect your body. It will turn your body into one that has difficulty losing weight." With this, she emphasized how stressing over losing weight can have adverse effects and in turn make it harder to lose weight.

JYP Entertainment is notorious for putting a particular focus on idols appearances. Previously, during SIXTEEN, Jihyo revealed the problems and humiliation she faced for not fitting the Korean beauty standard when it came to weight. In a past V-Live, Momo from TWICE also revealed that the one strict condition for her to be able to perform in her debut showcase was that she would have to lose 15 pounds in one week. For that week, Momo did not eat anything solid, spit all the time to remove water from her body and spent all her time in the gym. All she ate for that time was one single ice cube a day and when she went to sleep every night, she would fear for her life. Despite all that, she did not lose the assigned amount of weight in the stipulated time frame. Eventually, she was given more time and she could lose the weight. However, the question still remains at what cost?

IU has also admitted to suffering from eating disorders in the past. During an interview in 2014, she confessed that she would stress eat and sleep all the time but instead of feeling energetic and happy, she would be lethargic and plagued with anxiety. IU has since been receiving treatment to prevent relapsing into a similar situation.

It is clear to see, therefore, that idols have immense pressures of dieting which affect their mental health and overall happiness. As such, critics and haters should think a hundred times before commenting on someones appearance because we never know what they might be going through. This problem of body image within idols still persists and it is something that will take decades to change. However, no step is too small. As long as fans continue to show unwavering support towards idols, regardless of whether they're their favourites or otherwise, female celebrities will face considerably less pressure to conform to the beauty standards that society puts on them. With everyone doing their part, maybe the world will be a slightly better place eventually.

What are your opinions on this issue? Share your thoughts with Pinkvilla in the comments section below!

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