NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Nearly every bride wants to lose weight for her wedding; in fact, according to The Knot Health & Fitness Study, a not-so-surprising 84% of brides plan to get in better shape for their weddings. TheKnot.com, the #1 online wedding planning resource, today announced that it is now offering a fun, comprehensive and healthy fitness solution to help brides get in the best shape of their lives for their big day and beyond: Bridalicious Boot Camp by The Knot, in partnership with certified fitness trainer and bridal fitness expert Doug Rice.

The Bridalicious Boot Camp by The Knot package includes:

Brides these days are going to extreme measures in an effort to look their best for their weddings, which is why weve partnered with Doug Rice to offer a healthy and safe way to get in shape, said Carley Roney, cofounder and editor in chief of TheKnot.com. I have personally taken Dougs classes, and his workouts are incredible. We wanted to make sure every bride had a chance to be trained by such a motivating trainer in such a fun way.

In addition to the DVDs, TheKnot.com is providing brides with additional fitness, motivational and nutritional tools. The site updated its community message boards to offer brides an opportunity to get bonus tips and have their top questions answered by fitness guru Doug Rice on its weekly Fitness Fridays feature on the community boards and Twitter. Plus, there are interactive areas where the community of brides getting in shape together can help one another through the process.

About TheKnot.com

The Knot is the nation's leading wedding resource, reaching over a million engaged couples each year through the #1 wedding website, TheKnot.com; The Knot national and local wedding magazines; and The Knot books (published by Random House and Chronicle). The Knot is the flagship brand of XO Group Inc. (NYSE: XOXO - News) (http://www.xogroupinc.com), formerly The Knot Inc., a global media and technology leader devoted to weddings, pregnancy and everything in between, providing young women with the trusted information, products and advice they need to guide them through the most transformative events of their lives.

About Doug Rice

Doug Rice has been working with brides in his Bridalicious Boot Camp workout classes since 2005, when he launched the program in Los Angeles, and has helped thousands of brides shape up and slim down for their wedding day. He is a certified fitness trainer.

Note to editors: Doug Rice and editors from TheKnot.com are available for interviews and segments. Please contact Stephanie Fraiman for more information.

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The Knot Presents First-Ever Bridal Fitness Program: Bridalicious® Boot Camp

AUGUSTA, N.J., April 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --CKO Kickboxing, one of the fastest growing health fitness franchises, announced the grand opening of its 25th location in Augusta, NJ, the second location in Sussex County, in the northwestern most part of the state. The other location in Franklin opened in 2008. CKO also has gyms throughout the NY-NJ-Connecticut tri-state area, as well as in North Carolina and California.

Grand Opening festivities are in the works for Saturday, April 28 from noon to 4 p.m. at CKO Kickboxing at 17 Route 206 in Augusta, according to owners Darlene Pallay and Joe Pallay, who also own the CKO Kickboxing in Franklin.

Radio station WNNJ 103.7 will broadcast live with DJ Rob Moorhead from noon - 2 p.m. An acoustic band, Shade of Grey, will also perform.

There will be plenty of activities for children, including a balloon artist on stilts, face painting and games.

Free food and beverages will be available.

There will be giveaways, including tickets to local events, radio station mugs, massage sessions and two (2) one-month, free memberships to CKO Kickboxing. Special deals will be offered for new membership enrollment. Discounts are offered to students, teachers, active military and veterans as well as police and fire personnel.

The newly designed, spacious 2,500 square-foot gym features 39 heavy bags so members will have plenty of room to work out. A free child-care center is always available during morning classes, Monday through Friday, to accommodate stay-at-home moms as well as commuters.

"Unlike other gyms and kickboxing centers that have limited hours, CKO Kickboxing will be open 7 days a week and will have classes at all times of the day that are convenient to all kinds of people," Mrs. Pallay said.

"We really try to cater to all fitness levels, from people who need to lose weight to people who are athletic and need to train for an event. Runners come to us to train for a marathon and build their strength and endurance. Stressed-out stay-at-home moms also come to get results. We are geared to getting results. We also provide 1-to-1 nutrition counseling. We try to hit it at all angles."

Kickboxing workouts are among the most popular fitness trends today.

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CKO Kickboxing Health Fitness Franchise Continues Rapid Growth with New North Jersey Gym

ORLANDO, Fla.Don Kovac inserts a key, turns the lock and steps back in time. The one-bedroom, one-bath unit built in the 1960s has low ceilings, a small kitchen, little closets and 557 square feet reflecting a generation that didnt require much space in retirement.

This is not what the baby boomers want in a retirement community. They want big kitchens with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances, walk-in closets, showers instead of tubs (unless they are Jacuzzis), wall space for flat-screen televisions and wireless Internet access.

And this is why Lutheran Haven in Oviedo, Fla., is part of a national trend that finds retirement communities reinventing themselves for the next generation of retirees, the silver tsunami of Americans just now entering their 60s.

The baby boomers want fitness, dining and fellowship, said Kovac, executive director of Lutheran Haven. We have no fitness equipment. We have a horseshoe pit nobody uses and a shuffleboard court. I dont think the boomers are going to want a shuffleboard court.

Elsewhere, retirement communities are linking with universities to attract college-educated boomers interested in lifelong learning. Glen

Meadows, in Glen Arm, Md., boasts of becoming the first in the nation to offer Masterpiece Living a program that stresses social, physical, spiritual and intellectual fulfillment.

CantaMia, a retirement community in Arizona, recently won recognition for its development specifically designed for boomers, including solar-heated green homes and a 30,000- square-foot facility that offers healthy cooking classes, Zumba, an indoor lap pool and a resort-style outdoor pool.

The wave of retirees is not here yet the first boomer turned 60 in 2006 but they are coming, and the retirement industry is already preparing for their arrival.

We need to start looking at this now, Kovac said. The wave is coming, and our campus is aging.

The transformation is taking place from working-class retirement communities such as Lutheran Haven to upscale facilities such as the Mayflower in Winter Park, Fla. Lutheran Havens most expensive unit, at $133,000, is about what the Mayflower charges for its entry-level apartment. Mayflowers most expensive is $670,170, along with a monthly fee of $3,886.

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Retirement communities being restyled to suit greater demands of baby boomers

This morning, April 23rd, former Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos safety Brian Dawkins announced his retirement, and the end of a 16 year NFL career, on the social media site Twitter.While there had been rumors that he was considering retirement, his fans are still sad to see this future Hall of Famer leave the sport.

Dawkins tweeted, "The Lord has blessed me to play in the NFL for 16 years. I would like to thank the Eagles & the Broncos 4 believing in me. I would like 2 thank all my teammates & Coaches that I have been blessed 2 go to battle with. Along with u, the fans 4 helping make my career 1 that I have enjoyed tremendously. In other words. I am announcing my retirement from the NFL #BBTB"

Given the announcement was on Twitter, his fans were quick to begin tweeting and Dawkins was soon trending. Here is what a few of his fans had to say:

Eric de le Sprecher tweeted, "Congrats Brian Dawkins for a great career in the NFL. This definitely shakes up the Bronco's D and draft scheme." As a Broncos fan, I can definitely say that Dawkins will be missed this season. I was hoping that Dawkins could have had another chance at the Super Bowl this year with Peyton Manning leading the team.

Denver Broncos fans are not the only ones sad to see Dawkins retiring. Eagles fan @scarroll13 tweets out, "Sad day in Eagles Nation - Brian Dawkins, a true legend (& my favorite pro athlete of all-time) is retiring #20B-Dawk"

Jake Sagal showed his appreciation of Dawkins by tweeting, "Thank you Brian Dawkins for 16 amazing seasons. I'm gonna miss seeing #20 make amazing plays out of nowhere. Thank you Brian."

Many question why Dawkins decided to retire before this season and a chance to play with Manning. Lushi Dia tweeted, "Why would Brian Dawkins retire?!?!! Wait at least after this year to see what Manning has left in him.."

However, the biggest question now regarding Dawkins retirement is if it will be as a Philadelphia Eagles member once again. According to reports, the Eagles have extended an invitation to Dawkins to return and retire with the Eagles during a game this season. CSNPhilly.com beat writer Reuben Frank has reported via Twitter, "Dawk has told the Eagles he'll retire as an Eagle. He'll be honored at a game this year. Might even be in town this week to talk about it." I guess we will just need to keep an eye on Twitter for the official word from Dawkins.

As a Broncos fan, I would like to extend a huge thank you to Dawkins for his time with the Broncos. He will definitely be missed this season.

Deborah Braconnier is a former athlete and avid football fan. She is a freelance writer and Featured Contributor for the NFL and Olympics. She has followed the Denver Broncos since she was a child and is looking forward to a season with QB Peyton Manning. Follow her on Twitter at @fwcdeborah.

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Brian Dawkins Announces Retirement from NFL Via Twitter and Twitter Responds: Fan Perspective

It's never too late to start planning your retirement security. Here's a one-size-fits-all strategy that will help secure an adequate stream of income in your later years.

With the giant baby boom generation entering traditional retirement years largely under-saved, the issue of how to secure adequate income for these years has been thrust under a national, if not global, spotlight. Thankfully, this is a fixable problem.

In a new study, Fidelity Investments and Strategic Advisers found that 38% of current retirees do not have enough income to cover their fixed monthly costs and that working Americans can expect a 28% income drop after they retire. Thats a sizable hole to plug and its made deeper by some false illusions.

(MORE: More Americans Flunk Themselves in Personal Finance)

For example, 66% of workers plan to work past their normal retirement age in order to make ends meet. But in reality only 12% will. Joblessness is part of the issue. But so is poor health. In fact, while just 34% of todays workers expect to be in fair or poor health at retirement age, the reality is that 43% will experience significant decline, according to the study.

These findings underscore the yawning need for more retirement security, and according to Fidelity the fix is much the same for every age groupthough the earlier you start the more certain the results. In a nutshell, here are five steps to adequate retirement income, regardless of age:

How do these steps fill the gaps? Lets look at a typical Generation X worker (aged 34 to 47). On average, in retirement this worker anticipates needing $4,900 of monthly income (in todays dollars). Yet looking at this workers assets and savings rate, the study found likely monthly income would be just $3,200 (through Social Security, pensions and savings withdrawals). That leaves a gap of $1,700 a month.

This worker can close the gap through the steps above. Heres how it works:

Start with asset allocation. Most of Gen X is way too conservative with just 50% invested in stocks. At 37, exposure should be 83%. Greater growth potential over the next 30 years translates into another $350 of monthly income in retirement. Savings? The typical Gen Xer is socking away 5% of pre-tax earnings in a tax-favored account. By increasing that rate one percentage point each year until the rate reaches 10%, and then maintaining it, the worker adds $550 of monthly income.

(MORE: Inside the Presidents Club)

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Retirement Income: 5 Steps to Fill the Gaps

The average baby boomer will fall far short on their necessary retirement income.

About 44% short.

Thats the grim prediction in a new study by Fidelity Investments which looked at average amounts saved, projected Social Security benefits, home equity and other factors across three demographic groups: baby boomers, Gen-Xers, and Generation Y (aka echo boomers).

Like the massive RETIRE Project Georgia State University conducted for decades, the Fidelity study assumes that because some expenses decline once you retire, you dont need as much income to maintain your standard of living.

But thats about where the similarity ends.

While the GSU study(1) estimates that an individual earning $50,000 to $90,000 per year needs to replace 80% of that amount the first year of retirement in order to maintain their standard of living, this amount includes the taxes youll still have to pay on some of your income/ On the other hand, the Fidelity study also assumes youll need 80% of your pre-retirement income, but on an after-tax basis.(2) As a result, the before-tax income you will need will actually be 25% higher than the monthly amount cited.

Numbers Dont Lie. Humans Do

Another potential flaw in the Fidelity Retirement Savings Assessment study is that it relied on self-reported data, which can be less than accurate compared to independent sources for income and account balances. For instance, the average Gen-X worker was found to have a median age of 37 and a current income of $72,000 before taxes. The average baby boomer- age 55- reported annual earnings of $74,000- just $2,000 a year higher. It seems a bit improbable that a 55 year old would only have a $2,000 income edge over someone 20 years younger.

Finally, while the survey included roughly 3,000 individuals ages 25 to 85, it was conducted entirely online, which naturally eliminates individuals who do not have access to a computer or wish to take the time to fill out an extensive survey.

The Shocking Shortfall

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Scary Retirement Numbers--No Matter How You Calculate Them

Retirement might seem like the last priority for small-business owners. But funding your retirement plan can save 30 to 40 cents on the dollar because of tax breaks.

If you started a business during the last few years, and then watched too much of your earnings evaporate at tax time, you might be able to change that.

If you aren't putting any money into aretirementsavings plan for your business, you are probably giving more than is necessary to Uncle Sam and short-changing your future too. And that is easy to fix.

It might seem like a mistake to stash anything away forretirementnow when your business is demanding so much cash and time. But becauseretirementsavings plans give you a tax break upfront when you contribute money to them, you can often stretch your money further simply by using one of these plans.

"Aretirementplan is critical," said Robert Keebler, a Green Bay, Wis., certified public accountant. "For every dollar you put away, you can save about 30 to 40 cents in taxes."

And once your money is in aretirementplan, Uncle Sam won't touch it until youretireand start pulling money out for living expenses after age 59 {. The money remains off-limits to taxes untilretirement, a much better alternative than keeping it in a bank savings account, where interest is taxed annually.

If you are a sole proprietor with no employees, setting up aretirementplan is almost as easy as opening a savings account. So you don't have to worry about another headache added to the demands of the day. "You go to a broker like TD Ameritrade or a mutualfundcompany like Fidelity, tell them you want to set up an individual 401(k), and that's it," said Denise Appleby, chief executive of ApplebyRetirementConsulting of Grayson, Ga. "It's simple."

The best plan for sheltering as much money as possible from taxes, she said, would be a solo 401(k). The amount you can save is based on a formula applied to your compensation.

For example, say you earn $100,000. Just like any 401(k), you will be able to contribute up to $17,000 as an employee in 2012. And anything you contribute will lower your taxable income. And, as a sole proprietor, you get an extra benefit. As the employer, you can also contribute about $18,000 through the company to your own 401(k), Appleby said. Your business then gets the benefit of reducing taxes by taking an $18,000 deduction.

So as you combine the $17,000 and $18,000, you come up with about a $35,000 contribution to yourretirement, and you get tax benefits on the entire amount. Try the calculator at http://www.tinyurl.com/smallbiz401k.

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Retirement strategy for small-business owners: Grab the tax break

Everyone wants to know how much money they need to save for retirement. When planning, don't forget to account for inflation and fluctuations in investment returns, Hamm says.

Over the last few months, Ive read several articles that center around the idea that people should be saving every possible dime that they can for retirement. For example, Daily Finance recently had an article entitled Forget the 4% Rule: Retirements Common Wisdom Is Obsolete:

The Simple Dollar is a blog for those of us who need both cents and sense: people fighting debt and bad spending habits while building a financially secure future and still affording a latte or two. Our busy lives are crazy enough without having to compare five hundred mutual funds we just want simple ways to manage our finances and save a little money.

The theory was simple: If you spent a maximum of 4% per year of your retirement funds, the decline in principle will be slow enough that your money would last as long as you did. Though the percentage seems modest and the reasoning sound, this 4% rule ignores two factors that have become increasingly, glaringly relevant: first, market volatility, which has battered retirement savings over the last decade, and second, inflation, the silent force that erodes purchasing power year after year.

What does that mean?

The other issue with basing your retirement plan on simple rules is that it can lead to complacency. But the idea that you can set it and forget it and everything will be fine is a trap.

There are so many experts telling people different things, that theyre not going to have to worry, DArruda said. A rule means something in writing, something enforceable. But in retirement planning, theres a fluctuating source. You cant take a guarantee.

Lets look at an example case from a reader that Ill call Marvin.

Marvin has $800,000 put away for retirement, mostly in really conservative stuff like bonds and cash. Overall, hes earning about 2% a year on his money. He was bitten by the stock market collapse in 2008 and doesnt want his money in stocks. Marvin wants to retire in ten years, so he wanted to know how much money he should be putting away.

I asked him a few questions. How much does he anticipate spending (in current dollars) per year in retirement? He told me about $50,000. What will his Social Security benefits look like? He estimated around $1,500 a month (adding up to about $18,000 a year).

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Retirement savings: How much is enough?

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22-04-2012 15:14 Live Snippet by Alex Clare performing הוֹרֵנִי published by JCreateTV YouTube view counts pre-publication: 42 All Copyrights go to Alexander Clare More Information on JCreate at

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23-04-2012 11:02 The URBAN CRUISER is a sleek and durable personal transporter that is comfortable and easy to use. A robust 1200W motor powered by three 12V 80AH SLA batteries which provide rugged, heavy-duty performance. Features include a windshield, user-friendly steering wheel, headlights, brake lights and turn signals, 13" wheels and rear-wheel drive for great outdoor performance. The URBAN CRUISER combines great comfort and stability with the latest in performance technology. Batteries and Charger included. Our Deluxe Personal Transporter with Windshield; Rooftop; Steering Wheel. Ask about optional huge rear wire basket; golf bag attachment; weather enclosure; CD/MP3/digital radio/speakers. Specifications: Accelerator: Hall Accelerator Continuously variable speed system; Battery: 12 Volt 80AH X 3 Brakes: Dynamic regenerative electromagnetic brake and mechanical drum brake Braking distance: 5.0m (dry surface) Body: Fiberglass Range: 50 - 60 km per battery charge Charger: Output: 110V (AC); 36V/8A fully automatic efficiency off-board pulse charger Chassis: Steel Controller: Curtis electronics - microprocessor-based PMV system providing optimal levels of torque Drive system: Rear-wheel direct drive, sealed mini transaxle, 36V DC motor Incline capability: 20% Lights and signals: Headlight, brake lights, turn signals Motor: DC 36V/1200W Overall size: Length: 1670mm (65.75"0 Width: 840mm (33.0") Height: 1660mm (65.35") Product weight: Unit: 125kg Batteries: 26.3 kg X 3 Total weight: 205 ...

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A Deluxe Personal Transporter The Urban Cruiser sleek durable freedom - Video