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Commentary by Tom Weesner

The sweet smell of freshly cut grass and spring flowers bring fond memories of spending time with my grandparents. One, in particular, stands out in my mind. As a baseball player, I would ask my grandpas to play catch. One would and the other wouldnt, stating he was too old. For two men who were the same age, why did one feel so differently than the other?

My grandfather who wouldnt play catch walked all the time, including to and from work every day, up and down big hills (if youve been to Wabash, you know what I am talking about). He walked for heart health, but strength and flexibility were limited, so he didnt feel comfortable playing catch. My other grandfather was more active and had a job that built strength and required balance and flexibility.

My grandmothers, on the other hand, were the opposite of their spouses. One was active and strong, the other not so much. I remember vividly spending hours in my strong grandmas backyard gardening, picking berries and picking up apples at the end of the summer. My grandma never ran out of energy and was able to pick up and carry the bushel basket of fallen apples swarming with bees. So, what do I take away from these memories?

Spending time with your grandchildren requires not only stamina, but strength, flexibility and balance. Your grandkids are quite aware of your ability to play with them, and like me, they are likely to retell stories 40 years later. Im sure you are excited to be back on the walking paths, listening to the birds sing while your dog explores the fresh scents, and good for you! But, the ability to remain active requires more than just walking. Dave Stewart, director of personal training at Motion 4 Life Fitness, hears many stories of how comprehensive exercise programs have impacted grandparents lives.

I have one member who said he is doing more gardening than ever, another who doesnt get tired after an evening with the grandkids, and a couple who traveled to Mackinac Island and were both joyfully able to bike around the entire island, Stewart said. Our members are able to be more active outside because they are spending time inside the gym during the spring and summer working on cardio, flexibility, strength and balance. All four of these areas are critically important for active aging.

Even the American College of Sports Medicine recommends strength training and exercises for agility and balance at least two to three times per week in addition to walking outdoors. So, in addition to your walking, find a local fitness facility that focuses on age-appropriate exercise and get started today! Your grandchildren will remember these good times with you.

Weesner is the president of Motion 4 Life Fitness.

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Column: Reflection on time with grandparents - Current in Carmel

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MUNCIE, Ind. According to Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Delaware County has the fourth-highest number of primary care physicians per capita in the state, a ranking that should mean the county is one of the healthiest. But its not.

Of Indianas 92 counties, Delaware County ranks 85th. So wheres the disconnect?

Even with Indianas fourth-highest primary care physicians per capita, the county has just one primary care physician per 1,030 patients. In fact, the United States as a whole is facing a shortage in physicians. So in an effort to boost local physician training programs and retention, a number of healthcare entities in Muncie have partnered to form a long-term initiative, with funding from Ball Brothers Foundation, called Optimus Primary.

Optimus Primary is about taking all of the best pieces that we have in healthcare assets in Muncie and assembling them together in a way to improve the health outcomes of our community, Derron Bishop, associate dean and director of Indiana University School of MedicineMuncie, said in a release..

Bishop is a founding member of Optimus Primary, which officially formed in 2016. He worked with Jud Fisher, president and chief operating officer of Ball Brothers Foundation, and Jeff Bird, president of the IU Health East Central Region, to bring the program to fruition.

The key to Optimus Primary, Bishop said, is the number of anchor institutions located in Muncie: IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, IU School of MedicineMuncie, Ball State University, Meridian Health Services and more.

We're all basically co-located together, and that's extraordinarily powerful. Communities all across the country would love to have this, Bishop said. By connecting each of these healthcare organizations in a strategic partnership, Optimus Primary positions Muncie as one of the leading physician training centers in the state.

Muncie is the only place outside of Indianapolis that you could take someone from high school, into college, into medical school, into residency, and ultimately become a board-certified position in multiple areas and you'd never have to leave Muncie, Bishop said.

But the effects of Optimus Primary extend beyond training physicians. Theres a huge economic benefit too, Bishop said. He explained that every physician who establishes a practice generates, on average, six to seven jobs and approximately $300,000 in regional tax revenue.

On a larger scale, Optimus Primary initiatives have powerful potential to strengthen the broader pipeline of medical professionals being trained in Indiana, to make a significant economic development impact and to improve population health in East Central Indiana, Ball Brothers Foundations Jud Fisher said. To date, the foundation has committed $1.8 million to Optimus Primary efforts.

With Ball Brothers Foundation backing the initiative, Bishop said the partner organizations have been able to explore innovative solutions to affect positive change to Muncies medical landscape and health outcomes.

The way that Ball Brothers Foundation does their funding is that they give you a chance to try something, Bishop said. They really allowed all the different groups in Optimus Primary to innovate together with a common goal.

One of these innovative ideas was to partner with Muncie Threat Assessment Center in a Law Enforcement Operations 101 course for medical students. The course was designed to help the medical students bond and improve their communication skills.

A good team-building activity has to be fun, it has to be something they've never experienced, and also it needs to be something where they make really difficult decisions together under stress, Bishop said. So we said, What's the most difficult decision to make under stress? And what we came up with was probably when a law enforcement officer has to pull the trigger.

In Law Enforcement Operations 101, medical students learn firearm safety and how to shoot a gun (all guns in the course used non-lethal rounds). They even learn how to conduct traffic stops, how to negotiate domestic disputes and how to clear houses , and theyre put to the test through lifelike run-throughs of each scenario.

The innovative idea was a bit of a risk, as Bishop said he didnt exactly know if it would work as he had hoped. But in the end, it was a success; some of Bishops students told him they had bonded more in the three hours of the course than they had in the past three months of school.

Bilal Jawed, a former IU School of MedicineMuncie student, was one of the first students to participate in the course.

On the surface, it seems like shooting firearms and clearing houses is not a very applicable experience for medical professionals, but I would definitely argue against that, Jawed said. I learned a lot about working as a team in high-pressure situations and also how to communicate effectively and efficiently when time is of the essence. It was also very informative to actually interact with law enforcement officers, because medical professionals often work indirectly with them.

Jawed was part of several other Optimus Primary programs too, like a full-body assessment at Ball State Universitys Clinical Exercise Physiology Program. Jawed and his classmates were put on treadmills and hooked up to machines to measure their own strength, pulmonary function, muscle composition, bone density and more.

It was neat also very scary to have the performance of my own body plotted on a graph and compared against averages, he said. I'm seeing a lot of little ways and reasons to integrate these practices into care of future patients. It's all about the little interactions you're exposed to, and we've honestly been exposed to so many special, cutting-edge experiences.

And thats exactly the purpose of Optimus Primary: to train future physicians to think differently about medicine. If we can get our physicians that we train to understand the benefits of exercise, they're more likely to advocate for this for their patients, Bishop said. We want them to directly see the benefits of lifestyle modifications, because this is a way that we can fundamentally change the way we do medicineto really infuse that idea of lifestyle.

No program embodies theemphasis on lifestyle better than the Healthy Lifestyle Center, a student-run clinic formed in partnership between Ball State University, IU School of MedicineMuncie and Meridian Health Services.

The HLC has two clinic locations, one in the new College of Health building at Ball State University and another on Meridian Health Services Tillotson Avenue campus. Jawed describes the HLC as the future of medicine.

Right now, in medicine in general, our system is a very reactive system, where people come in with illnesses, get those illnesses resolved, and then move on, he said. What the HLC is doing is very unique. We're actually dealing with issues proactively addressing illnesses before they even become illnesses and that's how it's going to be in the future.

HLC is a free resource to the community, offering a range of services from dietetics, to audiology, to diabetes management and more. Students and professionals from various majors and fields come together to prepare comprehensive health and wellness plans for each patient, creating an inter-professional setup that is very rare.

Medicine really is a team sport, and I'm learning how to be a team member by being in these roles, Jawed said. It's really incredible to be able to work alongside all these different professions to actually help the community at such an early phase in my medical education.

Bishop said Muncie has the best available infrastructure to help patients change their lifestyle and improve their health. By leveraging the communitys existing assets, Optimus Primary is changing the way physicians in Delaware County will provide care, ultimately improving overall health outcomes for the region. And, just four years after first taking shape, the strategic initiative seems to be working.

There's such a diverse group of experiences with Optimus Primary, both from the health providing side and from the health receiving, Jawed said. It's been nice to plant little seeds on how I'm going to incorporate these lessons in my future practice.

Some of these other diverse programs supported through Optimus Primary include:

As Optimus Primary turns toward its next phase of operations and funding, Bishop said theyre looking to get the community involved more. One way they plan to do this is through standardized patients, which are community volunteer actors. Each actor is given an extensive backstory and symptoms to exhibit, and then they are placed in a mock clinical setting with medical students.

What happens in this is we have community members helping to train future healthcare workers in the community and they become better patients in the process, because they're learning what's supposed to happen, Bishop said.

Now that Optimus Primary has a few programs under its belt, the next phase of the partnership is to begin quantifying data and, hopefully, spread the momentum to other communities, Bishop said.

We're looking now at how we can quantify the work that we're doing and then we can begin seeking additional funding sources from outside entities, he said. Ball Brothers Foundation gave us the base to do this next level, which is going to be the large community-based research where we can say whether something is working. If we find out something is working, we can take it and we can export it to other communities.

In all, Bishop is confident about where Optimus Primary is headed. The future is very bright, he said. I have dedicated our regional medical campus to doing this. This is our future.

Read or Share this story: https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2020/08/14/partnership-enhance-muncie-leading-medical-hub-state/3358833001/

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The future of medicine: Partnership to enhance Muncie as a leading medical hub in state - The Star Press

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Usage of the fitness and wellness coaching service Wellbeats skyrocketed earlier this year, one of those companies that offered what the world really needed in a pandemic.

Its set up to provide more than 30 channels of fitness-class instruction and coaching over the internet.

This was not some sort of accident, another case of a company that found opportunity in a disastrous time for lots of other businesses. Wellbeats had been working on improving convenience for users for a long time.

The same is true for the founders of Netflix, an essential entertainment programming service in 2020 that wasnt thinking ahead to a pandemic. The company got its start in the movie distribution business back when even the DVD was new and unfamiliar.

The founder of the booming retailer Amazon.com, Jeff Bezos, was talking about his obsession with improving the customer experience more than two decades ago.

There are a lot of ways to improve convenience. To make it easier, just think about things that cause friction in the process of trying to buy or use a product. The best businesses try to eliminate them.

Friction can happen in so many ways, from having to wait a week to get into the car dealers shop when the check engine light wont go off to getting no response on an e-mail to customer service that was just looking for clarification of the shipping date.

The Wellbeats team also talked about user convenience in a slightly different way, by describing how they break down barriers to get people to exercise more.

Not enough time is one barrier, and unfamiliarity with the world of gyms and workouts is another. Some people thought of gyms as an unaffordable luxury or didnt feel comfortable going to one, even before coronavirus.

Wellbeats, based in St. Louis Park with nearly 50 employees and growing, is not exactly an upstart now with a dozen years of history. Its model could be called a B to B to C, meaning its a business that sells to other businesses for their consumers to use the product, like employees or members in a health insurance plan.

It got its start with a different name and a slightly different business, enabling a fitness-class experience for users of gyms like Anytime Fitness, which werent usually big enough or staffed for large classes.

The original Wellbeats product was both hardware to equip a fitness room, including a big screen, and a provider of instruction and encouragement with a virtual coach.

There were a number of hassles with this model, CEO Jason Von Bank said, including coordinating installations all over the country, some of which were complicated.

The company then decided to make all of its fitness content available online and turn over the hardware implementation to Best Buy Co. for customers who might still need equipment.

With Wellbeats no longer dependent on the customer even having any special room at all, its real value the content and personalized recommendations for users could be delivered wherever and whenever the end user held a smartphone.

That opened up the opportunity to sell to employers as well as health insurers, who could then make the service available to their clients employees.

The company had done its homework, Von Bank said. Wellbeats knew that two-thirds of employees in surveys said they would use an electronic app for fitness help if the employer offered it. And employers were realizing that one common approach, reimbursing an employee for using a gym, was not only more expensive but only tended to reward people who were going to use a gym anyway.

The greater payoff, in improved health and well-being and thus likely lower health insurance costs, is for employers to help a lot more of their employees become more active and healthier.

We were getting great traction, Von Bank said. We were probably adding a couple of million bucks of [annual recurring revenue] every year. But once COVID hit, everything changed.

In a typical month, maybe one in five eligible potential users actually got on the service. This spring, total usage shot up about 900% as government orders, or common sense, drove people to stay at home.

Each new user answers some simple questions to help guide a personal program, to keep Wellbeats from doing things like suggesting cycling classes to users who dont have a stationary bike. If one preference is yoga, then the user will see more yoga options.

The companys system becomes savvier in its recommendations as it gains more experience with each user.

In addition to online versions of the live classes you might find in a big fitness club, Wellbeats has classes for seniors, people with conditions like a history of back pain, even active play programs for young kids. One of the biggest areas of growth this year has been programming for kids.

HealthPartners and the Minneapolis Public Schools are both new to the service this year; both were happy to have the access when COVID-19 broke out.

At 1.2 million subscribers, we are not far off of Peloton right now, Von Bank said, referring to the at home-cycling company. We are the best-kept secret in town. On one hand thats great, but I think we can have so much more impact.

lee.schafer@startribune.com 612-673-4302

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The best-kept secret in town? An at-home workout provider takes off in the pandemic - Minneapolis Star Tribune

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Below is a list of the top and leading Physiotherapists in Fort Worth. To help you find the best Physiotherapists located near you in Fort Worth, we put together our own list based on this rating points list.

The top rated Physiotherapists in Fort Worth are:

Green Oaks Physical Therapy has been serving the local community of Fort Worth since 2006. Using the Mckenzie system of diagnosis and treatment, they ensure to find the core problem to apply customized care and treatment that will ensure the quickest healing of the pain and injury that they have. They provide comprehensive treatment for all musculoskeletal problems and disorders.

Housing a team of expert and highly-trained staff, they can work conditioning back your body to its normal capacity. The office hours of the clinic are from Monday to Thursday from 7 AM to 7 PM and on Friday from 7 AM to 4 PM. They also accept most commercial insurance plans so treatment at Green Oaks will not deplete your budget.

Products/Services:

Physical Therapy, Industrial Rehab, Aquatic Therapy, Insurance

LOCATION:

Address: 160 W Magnolia Ave #2, Fort Worth, TX 76104Phone:(817) 335-7946Website:www.greenoaksptfw.com

REVIEWS:

Very friendly and excellent staff. Everyone talks and helps everyone all smiles everywhere. Carla Marroquin

Sports Rehabilitation Spec specializes in physical therapy of both surgical and non-surgical bone, joint and muscle injury. They offer a full range of services and treatments that include general orthopedic rehab and therapy as well as sports-specific rehab and treatment. They accept patients from pre-teens to senior years and create a personalized treatment plan that will custom-fit the condition and injury of the patient and ensure a fast healing process for them.

This therapy clinic is privately owned and houses the best rehab specialists that have almost 20 years of experience in the field. They are open to accommodate you from Monday to Thursday from 7:30 AM to 7 PM and from 8 AM to 12 Noon on Friday. Let go of the physical pain that you are feeling and schedule an appointment with them now so that they can help you achieve the ultimate healing that your body needs.

Products/Services:

Physical Therapy, General Orthopedic Rehab, IASTM/Graston Technique, Cupping Therapy, Spine Stabilization Program, Sport Specific Rehab, Home Exercise Programs, Kinesiology Taping, Dry Needling

LOCATION:

Address: 1901 Cooper St, Fort Worth, TX 76104Phone:(817) 877-8977Website:www.sportsrehabspecialists.net

REVIEWS:

The employees and owners here know what theyre doing! Do what they tell you and you will heal. I wont consider going anywhere else. Tina Roberts

Bonnette Elite Physical Therapy and Wellness Hulen is comprised of board-certified orthopedics that provides physical therapy and orthopedic care. They offer various services that cover fitness, therapy, training and weight loss. Some of the services and treatments that they provide are manual therapy, medical massage, therapeutic exercise, lumbar and cervical decompression, dry needling and more.

They guarantee a one on one session with their expert physical therapists to ensure that proper focus and attention are given to each patient for their fast recovery. They are open from 7 Am to 7 PM from Monday to Friday. They accept walk-ins and by appointment schedule and offer same-day evaluations and treatment.

Products/Services:

Fitness, Therapy, Weight Loss, Training

LOCATION:

Address: 6049 S Hulen St #113, Fort Worth, TX 76132Phone:(817) 885-0668Website:www.fortworthphysicaltherapist.com

REVIEWS:

Professional staff, clean facilities and after only 2 visits Im feeling really good. Jose Jaen

Greater Therapy Centers is a full-service physiotherapy clinic that offers a wide range of services that will help its clients with the issue that they are having. They offer different services like physical therapy, manual therapy, pelvic floor therapy and the McKenzie method. They design a progressive treatment plan with their main goal of bringing back the normal bodily function of their patient prior to the injury of the patient.

They use different techniques in ensuring the return and to maximize the performance of the patients injured body parts. From initial assessment, they are continuing to re-assess the patient to ensure that treatment is working well and to apply other treatments as needed.

Products/Services:

Hand Therapist, Dry Needling, Physical Therapy, Stretching and Mobilization, Manual Therapy, The McKenzie Method, Pelvic Floor Therapy

LOCATION:

Address: 5950 Bryant Irvin Rd #100, Fort Worth, TX 76132Phone:(817) 294-4646Website:www.gtc-pt.com

REVIEWS:

We could not have selected a better therapy center for my wifes knee replacement recovery. The entire staff is extremely professional, highly knowledgeable and a pleasure to work with. Jerry Turner

Hey Busy Mothers of Fort Worth,Headaches Seem to Last All Day?Im Dr. Nathaniel Ried and I am doing something

Posted by Ried Physical Therapy onSunday, June 7, 2020

Ried Physical Therapy is a premier center that helps patients manage the chronic pain that they are feeling due to several conditions. They also help patients get back on track after a serious injury or surgery. A center that is focused on the health and wellbeing of the community, they ensure to provide the best service and help people recover as fast as they could.

With highly-qualified professionals under their helm from physical therapists and exercise specialists, you can be assured help from nothing but experts in the field. The clinic itself is using the latest technology that will help properly diagnose the issue to be able to provide the perfect solution for the problem that you have. They are open from 8 AM to 6:30 PM so do not hesitate to contact them to schedule a much-needed appointment.

Products/Services:

Dry Needling, Iontophoresis, Kinesio Taping, TENS/IFC, Ultrasound, Manual Therapy, Head, Neck, TMJ and Face Pain Treatments

LOCATION:

Address: 4900 Overton Ridge Blvd #200, Fort Worth, TX 76132Phone:(817) 380-8077Website:www.riedpt.com

REVIEWS:

I went for approximately 3 months of physical therapy, first for a foot issue. This was quickly resolved through strengthening exercises. Laura West

David Atkins is the senior editor for Kevs Best. David has been working as a journalist for nearly a decade having published pieces in many print and digital publications including the Argus Leader and the Huffing Post. David is based in St Louisand covers issues affecting his city and state. When hes not busy in the newsroom, David enjoys backpacking.

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5 Best Physiotherapists in Fort Worth - Kev's Best

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Thursday evening, University of Idaho employees provided a town hall-style meeting for students and families to better understand the universitys COVID-19-related preparations and the impacts studentsmaysee on their fall semester experiences.

UI Vice Provost for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Blaine Eckles hosted the meeting. He was joined by Interim Provost and Executive Vice President Torrey Lawrence, ASUI President Lauren Carlsen and three others. Samuel Lopez provided a live Spanish interpretation.

Lawrence began by explaining the steps UI has taken to prepare campus for students, staff and faculty to return safely. The information shared in this segment closelymatched the information provided in the earlier town hall meeting for UI employees, albeit with a focus on the impacts on students.

Eckles provided information on UIs COVID-19 testing system and what kind of experience students should expect when returning to campus.The testing system wasexplained in further detail in this weeks edition of Talks with Torrey, where UI COVID-19 Response Manager Seth Vieux explained the goals of the system, who does and does not need to be tested and the reasoning behind some of UIs decisions regarding testing.

Those concerned about COVID-19-related restrictions can consult witha university physicianand the Center for Disability Access and Resources to develop a plan for alternate accommodations.However, no student will be allowed in campus buildings without a face covering and no student will be allowed in classrooms without a negative COVID-19 test result. Those who decide to opt out of these requirements entirely will be assisted in transitioning to entirely online coursework, Eckles said.

Students who did not receive an email with a link to sign up for testing can email askjoe@uidaho.eduorcovid19questions@uidaho.eduto ask for the link, Eckles said.

For a students perspective on what UIs testing system is like,check out Alexis Van Horns columnon her experience scheduling her appointment, getting tested and waiting for her results.

Students living on campus who contract COVID-19 will stay in a dedicated isolation space. Parking, food, beverages and unlimited coffee will be available throughout the students stay,Associate Dean of Students Cari Fealy said.

The university will provide students a list of things to pack and prepare them to spend about 10 days in isolation. UI staff will check on the students daily to ensure theyhave everything they needand didntforget something in their dorm room.If students feel comfortable, they will be allowed to participate in their classwork remotely, but they are not required todo so while in isolation.

Students can also isolate at home with their family, but Eckles warned this increases the risk of spreading COVID-19.The university would continue to follow up with students isolating with their families,Fealysaid.

Youre taking (COVID-19) with you, Eckles said. Just because youre in a car with your parents doesnt mean youre not going to give (COVID-19) to them. So, lean into the discomfort. Lean into it a little bit. You will be supported, I promise you, if we do need to house you here.

Like in other high traffic areas around campus, thermal scanners have been added to the entrance of The Hub to ensure those who chose to dine in the facility arent running a fever,one of the symptoms of COVID-19. Those who are not allowed inside the facility due to the temperature check will still be provided food, Eckles said.

But were not going to send them away hungry, I want to assure you Eckles said. Well make sure theyve got food because thats why theyre showing up. Weve got you covered on that. And like (Lawrence) mentioned, we do have grab-and-go (food options) for our students.

After these presentations, the panelists answered questions submitted beforehand or in the question and answer function of the Zoom call. Discussion topics ranged from the on-campus enforcement of face covering requirements to class schedules and activities.

For a comprehensive look at how COVID-19 has affected the fall 2020 semester at University of Idaho,take a lookatour reference pageandUIs COVID-19 website.

Over 200 student clubs and organizationsat UIwill be allowed to continue functioning this fall, although each must work with DSI to develop a COVID-19 plan relevant to the organizations activities, Department of Student Involvement Assistant Director Lynsie Clott said. DSI will continue hosting entertainment for students through companies which meet the universitys COVID-19-related safety standards.

Upcoming events include a showing of Jumanji: The Next Level, axe throwing, bungee jumping on the Theophilus Tower Lawn, Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. competitions and mask decorating opportunities.

The Student Recreation Center is also open, Executive Director of Recreation and Wellbeing Rusty Vineyard said.Most of the SRCs normal equipment is available, albeit spaced out to provide space for social distancing. Intramurals and group exercise programs, from fitness classes to evening bike rides and afternoon walks in the UI Arboretum, will still be offered. Some virtual options will also be available.

Students do not have to be on the Moscow campus to take advantage of UIs Counseling and Testing Center,Fealysaid. Individual appointments can still be scheduled with counselors or Dean of Students Office case managers. The CTC will launch a virtual group counseling option in the fall as well, but no further details were provided. Those with concerns about others are encouraged tosubmit aVandalCarereport to ensure the person or people receive help from the university.

UI will monitor factors such as positive COVID-19 test results on campus, the spread of COVID-19 in the surrounding community, local hospital capacity and more to decide whether to transition the university fully online early, Lawrence said.

I think weve been clear from the beginning of all this planning that if we need to make (the decision to go entirely online), we will, Lawrence said.

The full recorded town hall meeting will be available on the UI COVID-19 website in the future.

Alexis Van Horn can be reached atarg-news@uidaho.eduor on Twitter @AlexisRVanHorn

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Lean into the discomfort. You will be supported: UI administrators reassure students and families at COVID-19 town hall - Argonaut

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The coronavirus has caused many of us to rethink where we are now and where we will be in the future. The great uncertainty is partially responsible for our trying out new behaviors so as to cope with the stress that we are all feeling. One might ask, in what areas are people adapting to a new lifestyle and, which of these changes are expected to continue after the virus has disappeared? It is obvious that many behaviors that were needed during the crisis will disappear soon after it ends, to everyones satisfaction. This was clearly noticed when the government lifted some of the restrictions concerning home stay, and people were happy to go out and to return to the activities they had been doing before the crisis hit their communities. At first, it is important to distinguish between changes in behavior that are rules or regulations set up by the government to deal with the pandemic, and those modes of behavior that people have chosen to cope with the restrictions. Thus, the limitations on number of people on a bus or temperature checks at entrances to many public places are not expected to continue, but certain behaviors at home may very well become part of an individuals or familys lifestyle. Let us see what some of these changes are expected to be.Perhaps the most talked about change relates to the amount of time people stayed home. It appears that during the height of the crisis, except for emergencies, people spent very few daylight hours outside their homes. Either alone or within the nuclear family, this period presented many challenges, most of which people had never suffered before. For people who in normal times during daylight hours were at work or at school or shopping, this confinement caused frustration and a great deal of stress. The frustration was expressed in many ways. Domestic violence increased dramatically, and one can argue that many of the demonstrators, here and in many other parts of the world, were out on the street to release tensions. Working or studying or shopping at home became part of nearly everyones life. Zoom became a household term. It is hard to imagine that as late as January of this year the vast majority of people around the world had never heard of the word. Workplaces, professional conferences, virtual tours and learning in universities around the world, as well as many elementary schools and high schools, moved over to Zoom rather quickly to carry out their activities. Has Zoom participation been able to replace an activity that previously occurred in a live setting? It is hard to gauge, especially in the world of education. The teacher talks and sees his or her students, who can then ask questions directly or in a chat-like forum. The participants have a choice if they want to be seen or not. This particular feature has both positive and negative features associated with it. As such, Zoom has garnered some negative feedback from lecturers. It is much more difficult to teach, especially complex topics, if the teacher does not see the students faces and is not made aware if the students really understand the material being taught. Also, for younger children it is hard to keep them focused for hours at a time on the computer screen. One very special feature of Zoom is that the user of this remarkable program (and many similar ones, such as MEET, which are easily available to the consumer) is no longer required to live in a particular country or to be a member of a specific institution to enjoy a presentation from an outside expert. It is clear that Zoom has altered education for the near future, and this is true even if we go back to our normal teacher-student setup in a classroom. A social situation that has taken hold, more out of necessity than anything else, is the use of Zoom for dating. With the forced quarantine, unmarried men and women have had to resort to the Internet to meet people. Cosmopolitan magazine interviewed several people to hear how they would evaluate their dating experience during the pandemic. All had something positive to say about their experiences. One interviewee reported that it is much easier to handle a date that is going badly, as it can be ended rather quickly without having to spend excessive amounts of money and time. Its also a very efficient way to screen potential matches. Another interviewee saw it as a great way for introverts to meet people, and plans to continue dating this way after the present crisis is over. It is expected that to some extent dating, especially the first date where people see each other for the first time, over the Internet will continue. WHAT DO people do to spend their time at home by themselves or with the nuclear family? One activity that has become even more popular than before is watching television. Instead of going to a movie theater, watching movies and shows on Netflix or some similar platform has become very popular. According to the recent financial analysis, Netflix added a record 15.8 million global subscribers in the first quarter of which a large number signed on after lockdowns began in their countries. The company now has more than 180 million total subscribers. This change may have a major impact on movie-goers in the future. It is quite clear that going to a movie theater provides an experience that is not reproducible at home. Nevertheless, it would seem reasonable to expect people to reduce the number of times they go out to the theater or concert or ballgame if many of these attractions are available at home at a much lower cost and, in many ways, are much more convenient in terms of parking or during inclement weather.Another family change that might have lasting implications is that people are deciding to have fewer children. In a survey of 2,000 women conducted in early May, the reproductive rights organization, the Guttmacher Institute, found 34% of respondents wanted to delay pregnancy or have fewer children because of the pandemic. It is very possible that these attitudes may change as the virus disappears and people get back to a normal pre-coronavirus routine. The present decrease in the number of women who say they do not want to have children is actually a continuation of a phenomenon that has been observed in nearly every major country, and in particular, in Western European settings. Yet there are two additional features of the present situation that may have an impact. The first one relates to the uncertainty associated with the end of the pandemic and the anxiety associated with giving birth while in isolation or quarantine. An additional thought that may have a much longer effect on whether women decide to bear children is the feeling that there is so much illness and evil in general that bringing a newborn into this world just does not make sense. Whether the impact of the present situation on women is temporary and will disappear after a period of time or whether this generation has been scarred forever is hard to say. TELEMEDICINE, A CONCEPT that has become popular over the last few years, became part of many peoples health care during the crisis. Visits to the family physician or ordering medicine refills that were part of their regular health routine and often required an office visit, are suddenly available online. Although the use of distance health care is bound to continue in many areas, one change that is sure to continue is remote patient monitoring that allows transmission of certain patient data from a distance. Follow-ups may require an office visit, but often the physician will simply ask the patient to continue the treatment that is being used presently. Because of quarantines and closures, people have stopped going to the gym or exercise programs and have learned to exercise at home or close to home. Until recently, for many people, exercise and regular visits to the gym were an important part of their lives. The large number of cancellations for such activities led people to start their own individualized programs at home. This is likely to continue for a long time after this period of crisis is over.One final point about the last half year that must not be deemphasized is its psychological impact. For many people, especially those hospitalized or those who lost loved ones, the coronavirus period has been traumatic, and coming out of it has many of the features of post-traumatic stress. What does this mean in a practical sense? Data indicate that as many as 30% of patients who have suffered severe illnesses in infectious disease outbreaks have gone on to develop PTSD, with depression and anxiety problems among the most common symptoms. What are the long-term implications for these people as a consequence of the pandemic? It is hard to say clearly, but most are expected to recover after they return to the activities that were a natural part of their life previously, including work, family and other social interactions. However, for some, the effects can be long-lasting, as they relive in their minds the trauma, how it affected them, and the response of people around them. The negative consequences can be mitigated with therapy, social support and getting more into their lifestyle as it was before the pandemic. The writer is a professor of psychology, Ariel University and Bar-Ilan University (emeritus).

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What features of the COVID-19 lifestyle will remain after it is all over? - The Jerusalem Post

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Erica Danziger, the program coordinator for the Jewish Community Center of Northern New Jersey, was very clear about what she wanted to accomplish during the JCCs transition to digital programming.

Going online, she told her members even with all the possible glitches that might entail is necessary. Still, we promise connection, not perfection. Fortunately, she said, the glitches have been few, and weve been able to continue bringing community members together to create Jewish moments of connection. When the internet staggered, or they couldnt find the right link, they were greeted with warmth and a hello.

The JCC, where she works as supervisor not only of arts and culture but of operations as well, has four distinct units: active seniors; Open Hearts, Open Homes; arts and culture; and the PJ Library. In some cases, she said, programs that were presented pre-covid have been continuing, seamlessly transforming onto an online platform.

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For example, seniors once met every Tuesday and Thursday at Fair Lawns Temple Beth Sholom for fitness classes; now, they meet on those same days, but online. Homebound, isolated adults are thrilled to see friends and the instructor they know, Ms. Danziger said. And pre-covid, we often brought members Manhattan-based experiences like the Israeli Artists Project. We can continue those, and highlight local artists.

Pandemic programming also has strengthened interagency relationships, as well as the JCCs geographical reach. Distance is no longer a barrier to participation, she said. One Jewish yoga program attracted a woman from Canada. It was a very niche experience; the woman whose mother lives in this area and told her daughter about the program said it was very meaningful, and she really enjoyed it.

We have developed a model where we enter into conversations with other JCCs based on two questions, she continued. The questions are What are we trying to accomplish? and Are we in a position to give or to receive? A large metropolitan JCC like Chicago or Toronto can hire a celebrity speaker, Ms. Danziger said. We love being able to share that with our own community.

The JCC of Northern New Jersey and the JCC Rockland cohosted a musician for a Mothers Day brunch. Since the musician was a member of the local community, it felt intimate and localized, she said. Its very special to me personally to be able to offer the community engaging Jewish programming, because when this JCC was a YM/YWHA, my mom worked there.

After the Y, which was in Hackensack then, closed and after some changes in both location and operating procedure a new Jewish community center was created. It kept the Y in its name to remember its past but adopted the title JCC in line with the wishes of the Jewish Community Center Association, becoming the YJCC of Washington Township.

Sadly, the new institution, facing a huge operating loss in an aging and poorly maintained building, was forced to close in 2015. Ever hopeful but always realistic, the board resolved to use the money from the sale of that building as well as funds received from the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey to continue providing programs and services to the community. Without a building, these services became more mobile and more targeted to specific local needs. The exercise program in Fair Lawn, for example, was deemed necessary after surveys were done in the local Jewish community there.

Being a part of a family of JCCs by being a member of the Jewish Community Center Association gives us the opportunity to connect in a unique way with JCCs here and in Israel and Canada, Ms. Danziger said. We have regular Zoom calls and a listserve we use to email each other. If one JCC has a lot of music, or foodie events, or a great speaker, these now are seen as resources for other JCCs.

Weve developed a bit of a cohort among suburban and New York JCCs, Ms. Danziger said. A few such micro-networks are developing around the country. The local cohort includes the JCCs of Middlesex County, Central New Jersey, and Rockland, and were starting to open up conversations with Metrowest and the Kaplen JCC. We let each other know whats coming up.

While her own agency quickly pivoted and rolled out online weekly programming at the end of March, some were not quite ready, or didnt yet have a plan, Ms. Danziger said. Now theyre up and running, able to share some of their programs. Beyond our cohort of haimish suburban JCCs with a similar style, weve also done a one off with the JCC of Northern Virginia and with the one in San Rafael, California.

We used to debate the right time of day, the right day, the right week, not to conflict with holidays. Now its a different game, and we can leverage what else is happening in the community. Its a blend of creating a unique experience and curating what we can get.

Shes also making new friends through these interactions, Ms. Danziger, who lives in Bergen County with her husband and two children, said. And at a time of layoffs and furloughs her agency is making do with a four-person staff, she said that is a welcome development. Everyone is being asked to do more with less while managing family at home during the pandemic. Co-workmanship feels good.

Relationships arent confined to other JCCs, Ms. Danziger said. In the fall, she will be reaching out to local synagogues to see who wants to partner going forward. She also has put out feelers to the Hadassah of Pascack Valley/Northern Valley. While its not uncommon for synagogues to struggle with programming or the technical aspects of high-quality programming, were staffed for that, she said. If they want congregational members to attend a joint program, well do the majority of work behind the scenes to make it work.

Another collaboration, which started in April, has involved Jewish Family and Childrens Services of Northern New Jersey. The JCC has partnered with JFCS to provide kosher meals on wheels to its most vulnerable seniors. The meal service continues to this day to these additional clients that JFCS has added to their roster of deliveries to ensure everyone in our community is safe and well cared for, she said.

Different programs attract different participants, Ms. Danziger continued. Some enjoy opera talk, others live for cooking demonstrations, while others want to view a performance, with a glass of wine in hand. Still others want to get together and interact. One program, where a crossword maven works with attendees to solve a New York Times crossword puzzle, has created its own set of regulars.

Were looking around the community and seeing that families with kids at home are taking advantage of the warm weather, Ms. Danziger said. Were not trying to retrofit programming into that. Seniors, on the other hand, love programming and could attend all day every day. We have to find the balance between our offerings and not spending our energy on drawing people into programs when its nice outside. We save our fire power for not-nice weather.

From March through May, all arts and culture programs were offered for free as a service to the community, In the fall, we will start to charge a suggested donation of $10 per household, Ms. Danziger said. Seniors and front-line workers can attend for free. The agency also will continue its policy of helping Jewish and Israeli artists and entertainers who are suffering at this time.

Community feedback has been heartening, not only in words but in donating, she said. Program participants are asked to consider a donation of $18 or $36, if theyre so moved, and they are making these donations.

We feel validated, she said of her planning committee. Weve reached out to members to see if they like our programs and to solicit new ideas.

The response has been positive. Ruth Beckman, supervisor of active adult programming, who has been providing daily emails to her seniors, received the following note from member Mona Scheraga: Ruth, you have my admiration and my thanks for the wealth of information you provide each day. Its one thing to have a job: its another to make that job so worthwhile to so many. Thank you from a grateful senior.

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JCC of Northern New Jersey promises to connect members - The Jewish Standard

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HIGH POINT, N.C., Aug. 14, 2020 Members of the High Point University community frequently conduct, publish and share research and creative works in a variety of ways. Below is a recap of recent research initiatives.

HPU Student, Alumna and Faculty Research Featured in National Scientific Journal

Casey Garr, HPU alumna; Candyce Sturgeon, HPU rising senior; Dr. Veronica Segarra, HPU assistant professor of biology; and Noah Franks, student at Penn Griffin School of the Arts in High Point, North Carolina; recently conducted research that was published in Autophagy, a national scientific journal.

The study, titled, Autophagy as an on-ramp to scientific discovery, examines HPUs Cell Art Collaborative program to gain understanding around how the recruitment of highly creative students into STEM fields through connections to art can be a first step in defining a specialized career path that leads to a valuable and unique contribution to science.

In addition to providing experiential learning opportunities for students at HPU to conduct hands-on research and co-author peer-reviewed articles, the Cell Art Collaborative program encourages students in the local community to explore careers that incorporate both science and art, says Segarra. This initiative continues to facilitate conversations around STEAM-based learning environments for educators to take advantage of a wider range of student talents and interests, preparing them to go forth into society as the creative thinkers and problem solvers the world needs.

HPU Students Research Featured in CBE: Life Sciences Education Journal

Clara Primus, a rising junior majoring in biology and Bonner Leader at HPU, recently collaborated with prominent scientists at the Mayo Clinic, University of California Davis and Northwestern to conduct research that was published in CBE: Life Sciences Education, a quarterly journal published by the American Society for Cell Biology. The article, titled, Scientific Societies Fostering Inclusive Scientific Environments through Travel Awards: Current Practices and Recommendations, examines how scientific societies can contribute to a diverse and inclusive workforce.

The research compares and contrasts the broad approaches that scientific societies within the National Science Foundation-funded Alliance to Catalyze Change for Equity in STEM Success (ACCESS) use to implement and assess their travel award programs for underrepresented minority (URM) trainees. Findings will improve collaboration and better position scientific societies to begin addressing some of these questions and learning from each other.

The recommendations included in this research shed light on how even scientific societies can be allies in furthering inclusion efforts, said Primus. Ive spent nearly two years studying equity and diversity, and I hope that I can take the knowledge Ive learned from all of my research to educate my peers at HPU.

HPU Exercise Science Professor Publishes Statement for the American Heart Association

Dr. Colin Carriker, assistant professor of exercise science in HPUs Congdon School of Health Sciences, recently co-authored an American Heart Association (AHA) scientific statement on medicinal and recreational cannabis use published in Circulation.

The statement critically reviews the use of medicinal and recreational cannabis from a clinical but also a policy and public health perspective by evaluating its safety and efficacy profile, particularly in relation to cardiovascular health. The purpose of this scientific statement was to explore the evidence and science pertaining to medical marijuana, recreational cannabis and cardiovascular health to provide physicians and health care providers with the information available to date. While cannabis may have some therapeutic benefits, these do not appear to be cardiovascular in nature. Health care providers would benefit from increased knowledge, education and training pertaining to various cannabis products and health implications, including recognition that cannabis use may, in fact, exacerbate cardiovascular events or other health problems. In this regard, the negative health implications of cannabis should be formally and consistently emphasized in policy, while aligning with the American Heart Associations commitment to minimizing the smoking and vaping of any products and banning cannabis use for youth.

It was an honor to work alongside such a high-quality team of researchers, says Carriker. I want to especially thank our committee chairs, Dr. Robert L. Page II and Dr. Larry A. Allen, as their extraordinary leadership and organization were integral components in the completion and publication of this AHA scientific statement. We publish these statements to counterbalance and debunk misinformation because the public requires high-quality information about cannabis from reputable organizations such as the American Heart Association.

Carriker is the advocacy ambassador for the American Heart Associations Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health and served as a member of the writing committee tasked with writing this AHA Scientific Statement initiated by the AHAs Council on Clinical Cardiology.

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HPU Students, Faculty and Staff Recognized for Research and Innovation - High Point University

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Mindfulness is a meditation practice that involves intentionally paying attention to the present moment. Researchers studying the science behind mindfulness meditation have demonstrated that it can actually change the way our brains work. As more and more Americans report depression and anxiety, there has been increased public interest and scientific attention to mindfulness in recent years. Could something as simple as meditating be a realistic alternative to pharmaceutical solutions?

The science is new on this subject, but its deeply embedded in the religious practices, especially in south Asian countries like India and Nepal, said Muhammad Aadil, M.D., resident physician in psychiatry at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

He reviewed the latest research on mindfulness in the journal Cureus and as a physician, he educates his patients about mindfulness. We spoke with Dr. Aadil to learn whether mindfulness is a fad or the real deal, and to understand what happens to the brain during meditation.

Our mind is always wandering and always thinking about different things and not staying in the present moment,said Aadil. So, if you can train your mind to stick in the present time, it can truly change your life.

Scientific studies have demonstrated that mindfulness can help focus our thoughts. According to the University of California, Berkeleys Greater Good Magazine, consistent meditation can improve your compassion, ability to solve problems, attention span and resiliency to stress. Mindfulness helps the mind and body recover from stressful situations. For example, researchers have found that mindfulness makes breakups and divorce easier.

In general, according to Greater Good, mindfulness is a positive influence on relationships with loved ones. For example, studies have shown that when couples discussed a conflict, the stress hormone cortisol spiked during these difficult conversations, as expected. But after the conflict was over, the more mindful participants calmed down faster and quickly returned to normal cortisol levels.

Mindfulness can be a helpful tool for parents. It has been linked to lower stress, depression, and anxiety among parents of preschoolers and children with disabilities, and mindful parenting practices can help parents be more empathetic with their children.

Scientific American reports that evidence-backed benefits of mindfulness include memory improvement, stress reduction, healthier diet and sleep improvement. One study found undergraduate students who took a two-week mindfulness class performed better on the reading comprehension portion of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) test used for graduate school admissions by 16 percentile points.

Mindfulness programs have widely been shown to help people cope with mental health such as anxiety and stress, and they can also improve physical health by helping people improve their eating and sleeping habits. For example, people who meditate with their eyes closed fall asleep faster, Aadil said.

Mindfulness can be part of psychological treatment called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), to help people with post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and eating disorders. In those situations, meditation can supplement, though not replace standard treatment.

The gold standard treatment is medication, says Aadil. He adds, Maybe in the future, with better techniques for mindful CBT, we might be able to reduce the dosage of the medication, but I dont see that it will completely replace medication.

But for mild depression and mild anxiety, mindfulness practices can be very effective without medication, according to Aadil.

If I see a patient thats in the emergency or in the outpatient clinic, said Aadil, I ask if they have heard of any mindfulness techniques. And if they say no, then I just educate them on the basics of mindfulness.

When Aadil has more time with patients, he does a guided two- to five-minute mindfulness therapy. The idea is to have the patient close their eyes, focus on breathing slowly and being only in the present moment. Depending on how technically savvy his patients are, he may also suggest meditation apps to help them continue to practice mindfulness at home.

Neuroscientists have studied mindfulness and discovered that meditation actually changes the physical structure of the brain. The Observer reports that when Harvard Medical School scientist Sara Lazar was skeptical about her yoga teachers claims about the benefits of meditation, she used MRI technology to find proof. Surprisingly, she observed that meditation can help us stay sharper as we age. The frontal cortex, which is the part of the brain associated with memories, typically thins out as we age. The brain scans revealed that older meditators had the same amount of gray matter in their cortex as their younger counterparts.

In another study, the Harvard neuroscientists observed people who had never meditated before as they went through an eight-week mindfulness training program. The results demonstrated that mindfulness activates the parts of the brain related to memory storage, empathy and emotional regulation, as evidenced by an increase in brain volume in the hippocampus and temporoparietal junction. At the same time, meditation reduces activity in the fight or flight survival instinct part of the brain (amygdala), which triggers stress hormones.

According to Greater Good Magazine, long-term, consistent meditation makes people more resilient because it reduces the inflammatory response in people when they are exposed to stressors.

There are certain inflammatory markers for depression and anxiety that you can measure in the blood, Aadil explained. For individuals who are meditating for a long time, meaning for more than a year or two years, those inflammation markers go down in the blood.

While there is science behind mindfulness meditation, some studies have shown mixed results. For example, according to Greater Good, a study showed that a mindfulness program for adults had no impact on depression or anxiety in teens. Many other studies were inconclusive about the benefits of mindfulness practices.

One big issue is that not everyone is motivated to do brain training exercises. For many people, its difficult to sit still for several minutes.

One thing we can do is start teaching kids or children at a very early age, at least some basic mindfulness techniques, says Aadil.

Even a mindfulness expert such as Aadil admitted that he sees low success rates with his patients. Most of his patients are homeless, dealing with severe financial stress and addiction problems, so its difficult for them to prioritize meditation when they have more urgent issues to address.

After extensively studying mindfulness practices and learning the proven benefits, Aadil still finds it difficult.

I have read so much about meditation, Aadil says. I know how effective it is, I know how beneficial it is, I have multiple apps, I have a reminder for every day. But Im still not able to practice daily.

Mindfulness is an exercise for training the brain. Its not only about carving out a few moments of peace in your day. Just like the benefits of physical exercise extend beyond your sweat session, mindfulness has lasting benefits. Like many other skills, meditation is easy for some people and challenging for others. But like any other skill, it takes practice and dedication.

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The Science Behind Mindfulness Meditation Is All in Your Head Now. Powered by - Now. Powered by Northrop Grumman.

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Being physically active and being regular at exercise is important for fitness and weight loss

When it comes to working out, spending more time in exercising does not necessarily mean that you are going to get better results. Short duration workouts like HIIT and Tabata workouts are designed in a way that it takes only a few minutes to complete them. These workouts are high in intensity and can improve your strength and stamina. Celebrity fitness trainer and mother Kayla Itsines says that it is not necessarily true that working out for longer will give you better results.

In one of recent posts on Instagram, she talks about she has designed most of her workouts under 30 minutes. Barring the ongoing scenario of lockdown and work from home, most people, especially parents find very less time to make space for full-fledged workout every day.

Also read:Do You Have A Pre-Workout Routine? Celeb Fitness Trainer Tells Why It Is So Important

What's more important is to be physically active and make room for 3-4 workouts in a week. According to the American Heart Association, 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity of 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, spread throughout the week, is sufficient to stay fit and healthy.

If you are trying to lose weight, a healthy diet with fewer carbs, healthy snacking, early and light dinners and regular physical activity (along with exercise) can be helpful.

For those of you find it difficult to workout without a mat, then here's a routine that can be perfect for you. The following workout, shared by Itsines on Instagram, includes a total of five exercises. All you need to do this workout is yourself, and a space equivalent to a mat.

Also read:Bloating Causes: Why Do You Feel Bloated After An Intense Workout?

Here are the five exercises in this no equipment workout:

Set a timer and complete 3 laps of the workout.

For those who find it difficult to take out time for exercising, then watch the video below. Itsines shares what she calls an "Express Workout". The workout is of 15 minutes and can be done within 15 minutes.

Complete 3 laps.

Doing the exercises with the right technique is the key to doing short-duration workouts. The workout shared above can be ideal for days you have a packed-up schedule.

Try one of these workouts for your evening workouts. Let's do this!

Also read:This All-Natural Post Workout Drink Can Also Help You With Weight Loss: Know All About It

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

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Weight Loss: Do Long-Duration Workouts Give Better Results? - NDTV

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