If you get most of your health and fitness knowledge online, it can be tough to know what's real and what's just bluster. Some of the false claims you'll find are harmless. But if you're following bad intel, in the best case scenario your gains might sufferin the worst, you might be in line for an injury.

Time to debunk Instagram bro-science and other internet BS to help you see better results, faster. Let's put these zombie myths in their graves for good.

THE MYTH: You may think the ache and tightness you feel a day or two after youve blasted a muscle, technically known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), is a gym badge of honor. First described in 1902, its sometimes a result of muscle-fiber micro tears that occur as you lift. New to training? These can spur growth. But more damage doesnt equal more growth, says Andy Galpin, Ph.D., C.S.C.S.*D, an associate professor of exercise physiology at California State University, Fullerton: On a scale of 1 to 10, pushing yourself to a level 7 of soreness might stimulate some growth, or it might not.

YOUR MOVE: Track your workouts based strictly on effectiveness. Choose key exercises (e.g., the squat, the pushup, and the pullup) and do them at least once a week. If youre improving your reps, form, or weight on these movements on a monthly basis, youre on the right track, even if youre only mildly sore.

THE MYTH: Exercise scientists long divided muscle fibers into two categories: slow-twitch fibers, the kind that get you through a marathon, and fast-twitch fibers, the ones that power a dunk. Decades ago, researchers believed their distribution was genetic, so no training could turn a skinny, slow-twitch distance runner into a muscular sprinter (or vice versa). A landmark 2018 study, coauthored by Galpin, of identical twinsone sedentary and one a lifelong distance runnerchanged that. Thanks to miles of running, the active brothers muscles were almost entirely slow-twitch. The sedentary brothers? Fifty-fifty split between fast- and slow-twitch, which is what happened because he didnt train at all. Translation: You can work toward dunking a basketball.

YOUR MOVE: To build total-body function, resilience, and overall health, include both fast- and slow-twitch exercises in every workout. Lead with a fast-twitch move, like an explosive bench press. End with slow exercises, like rows in which you take three seconds to lower the weight.

THE MYTH: It seems logicalworking out burns calories, so to burn more calories, just work out more. Except thats not what researchers at New Yorks Hunter College found when studying the Hadza, northern Tanzanian hunter-gatherers. The Hadza got about four times as much exercise as an averageAmerican, yet they burned virtually the same number of calories. Heres why: Exercise pushes your body to burn calories, but theres a cutoff point, one thats different for every person. Approach that cutoff in your workout and your body starts burning far fewer calories, instead possibly shutting down certain functionslike building new muscle tissueto operate efficiently.

YOUR MOVE: If youre trying to maintain a calorie deficit, calculate that over the course of a week, not a day. This allows you to have cheat days. And schedule workouts so that youre consistently burning calories. If you want to burn a few extra, dont make your workout longer. Just spend the last ten minutes doing high-intensity interval training.

THE MYTH: An isolation exercise works just one muscle (think biceps curl). But the rise of CrossFit convinced most trainers that you dont need moves like that. Why do a curl when you can squat or deadlift? These moves use more muscles, so wouldnt they build real-world strength?

Not so, according to a recent review of research on the leg extension. The weighted leg extension is simple, asking you to straighten your knee. But a Tufts University study found that doing just that still increased the walking speed of elderly men by almost 50 percent. Even isolation exercises recruit stabilizing muscles if done correctly.

YOUR MOVE: Turn every move, whether a squat or an isolation move like a skull-crusher, into a full-body move by starting with three steps: Flex your abs, squeeze your glutes, and tighten your shoulder blades.

THE MYTH: The biggest guys in your gym are the ones lifting the most weight. So youve got to go heavy, right? A Brazilian study published in PLOS One indicates its not that simple. Scientists had young men do sets of either 7 to 9 reps or 21 to 36 reps. The first group lifted more weight, but both of the groups showed similar muscle growth. Should you lift heavy sometimes? Definitely. But if youre feeling beat, you wont lose any muscle (and you just might gain some) by ditching heavy bench presses for pushups.

YOUR MOVE: Try varying your rep ranges every few weeks, says action-star trainer Don Saladino, NASM. For 2 weeks, do 12 to 15 reps per set; for the next 2 weeks, do 8 to 10 reps per set; and for the final 2 weeks, do 4 to 6 reps per set. The body needs to train with a variety of rep ranges, says Saladino.

THE MYTH: Gyms sell protein shakes because bro-science states theres a 30-minute post workout anabolic window for protein. Part of this is true: You need protein. If youre chasing muscle, you require about 0.7 to 1 gram of it per pound of bodyweight daily.

The easiest way to consume that is in three to five small mealsan after-lift shake makes sense. But according to a Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition review, your muscles are primed for protein within three to four hours of your workout.

YOUR MOVE: Focus on your daily protein intake by eating those three to five small meals. Funny thing about that: Youll likely eat protein within the three- to four-hour anabolic win-dow before or after your lift.

Men's Health

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6 False Fitness and Workout Myths You Need to Stop Believing - menshealth.com

Published Mar 18, 2020 at 8:00 am (Updated Mar 18, 2020 at 8:07 am)

Correct approach: Dre Hinds suggests you practise the five pillars of fitness to give your body the perfect workout (Photograph supplied)

So many times Ive been asked which type of fitness training is most important. Truthfully, once you find something that you enjoy, thats all that matters.

Of course, you can play around and try many styles; within the gym, I do believe there are important steps you should take before picking up heavy weights.

At HindsSight we focus on five pillars of fitness:

1, Core

Now when Im talking core, I dont mean the aesthetically pleasing six-pack (which is simply just absence of fat and not an indication of strength). Core is your entire midsection, including your back muscles and muscles around your pelvis. When you have a strong core, the foundation of our fitness, you can easily move in any direction with proper balance and stability.

A strong core prevents falls, and supports your body in every position, and without a strong core you may find it difficult to run with control, sit up straight at work, or even squat heavier. Your strong core, once engaged, will assist you during your heavy lifts, long runs and in maintaining proper posture and positioning.

2, Cardio

Having a great relationship with your lungs and heart is another vital strength to have. In completing cardio exercise you are training your heart and making it stronger, making it work less to pump blood. Furthermore, your lung capacity improves.

There is also a positive relationship between cardiovascular endurance and building muscle. Once your cardiovascular system is working more efficiently, there will be an improved oxygen circulation within your muscles, which leads to muscle growth. Of course, having a balanced fitness regime will get you the results you want (less cardio, more weights or more cardio, less weights, yielding different results).

3, Body-weight exercise

Now that Ive mentioned it, weightlifting - yes, my love! But before we touch on that, lets talk body weight exercise. Mastering your body weight and learning how your body moves through space is important. It wouldnt be smart to squat 100lb on your back if you havent mastered a body-weight squat.

The benefits of body-weight exercise improve your cardiovascular endurance and your muscle strength, both important improvements before moving on to weightlifting. Yes, weightlifting. Ill try not to be too biased, but it is so important. I believe everyone can benefit from lifting weights or some form of resistance training.

4, Weightlifting

Having improved your core, cardiovascular system and body- weight exercise you can add weightlifting to your fitness regime. It isnt just about bulking up. Weightlifting further improves your posture, promotes better sleeping patterns and, most importantly, it helps to increase bone density which combats disease.

A strong core, great cardiovascular endurance, body weight exercise, weightlifting thats four pillars.

5, High Intensity Interval Training

The fifth pillar is what we call High Intensity Interval Training. Basically, combine all of the four pillars into a circuit style of training. By combining all four pillars you are benefiting from all four, improving in every aspect and, of course, getting fitter, losing fat and becoming a better athlete. Although HIIT is better with little rest, the circuit style of training is most important when combining all four pillars. It keeps things interesting as well.

Once you become a student of your own body, you will notice improvements in your fitness, health and wellness. All the information in the world will do nothing for you unless you apply it.

Learn your body, know your strengths and work on your weaknesses. The five pillars are a great way to do a self-check on your fitness journey. Until next time, be honest with your efforts and remember to remain unapologetic about how you choose to be fit and healthy.

Dre Hinds is a retired track and field athlete who is now a personal trainer, aerobic and yoga instructor and fitness addict with more than 20 years experience. She specialises in nutrition, weight and sprint training, operating out of HindsSight Fitness & Wellness at the Berkeley Cultural Centre. Contact her on: absbydre@gmail.com, 599-0412 or @Absbydre on Facebook and Instagram

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Explaining more about the five pillars of fitness - Royal Gazette

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Technavio has been monitoring the sports and fitness wear market and it is poised to grow by USD 50.46 bn during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of over 5% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. Request latest free sample report of 2020-2024

The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. The rise in number of sports tournaments will offer immense growth opportunities. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

Rise in number of sports tournaments has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market.

Sports and Fitness Wear Market 2019-2023: Segmentation

Sports and Fitness Wear Market is segmented as below:

End-user

Product

Application

Geographic Segmentation

To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download latest free sample report of 2020-2024: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR30168

Sports and Fitness Wear Market 2019-2023: Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our sports and fitness wear market report covers the following areas:

This study identifies technological advancements in sports and fitness wear as one of the prime reasons driving the sports and fitness wear market growth during the next few years.

Sports and Fitness Wear Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis

We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the sports and fitness wear market, including some of the vendors such as Adidas, Nike, PUMA, Under Armour and VF Corporation. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the sports and fitness wear market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support.

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Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform

Sports and Fitness Wear Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights

Table of Content:

PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT

PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE

PART 04: MARKET SIZING

PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS

PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY END-USER

PART 07: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY PRODUCT

PART 08: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE

PART 09: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY APPLICATION

PART 10: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE

PART 11: DECISION FRAMEWORK

PART 12: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES

PART 13: TRENDS

PART 14: VENDOR LANDSCAPE

PART 15: VENDOR ANALYSIS

PART 16: APPENDIX

PART 17: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO

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Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavios report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavios comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

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Sports and Fitness Wear Market| Rise in Number of Sports Tournaments to Boost Growth | Technavio - Business Wire

In an effort to curb the spread of coronavirus, Massachusetts school, businesses and government buildings have been shut down.

Some are closed for weeks. Others will feature modified hours and operations.

Sign up for free text messages about important updates on coronavirus in Massachusetts

Below is a list of coronavirus-related closures in Massachusetts. Hours and operations can change quickly, so check back for updates and call ahead to verify hours of operation and status.

Daycare

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced an order Sunday to restricting gathering of 25 people or more. That order does not apply to childcare facilities for children, officials confirmed to MassLive. However, some daycare facilities are closed by management. Check with your provider for details.

K-12 Schools

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker ordered all K-12 school closed for three weeks effective on Tuesday, until at least April 6. The closure does not apply to residential and day programs for students with special needs.

Schools must suspend in-person educational operations and staff should be planning on how to provide learning opportunities during this period and beyond.

Colleges and Universities

The governor recommended all Massachusetts colleges and universities keep students off campus and offer online learning. The majority of colleges in Massachusetts announced remote learning plans and either extended spring breaks to keep students off campus or announced plans to move students off campus.

United States Postal Service

The postal service will continue with normal operations as long as their workers can safely serve their communities - with some limitations.

The Postal Service is taking this health threat seriously, but we also intend to act calmly and consistently based upon the advice of medical and public health professionals, Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan said last week.

Customers sending or receiving mail from China can expect delays and priority mail express international for mail destined for China or Hong Kong has been suspended.

Private mail services - including FedEx, UPS and Amazon Prime - are continuing to deliver packages though warning that customers living in regions seriously impacted by coronavirus may experience delays. Amazon reported a significant increase in orders which has resulted in longer delivery times for standard and Amazon Pantry orders.

Federal courts

Federal courts are individually coordinating with state and local health officials to obtain local information about the coronavirus (COVID-19), and some have issued orders relating to court business, and public and employee safety. Use the Federal Court Finder to link to a courts website for court specific information.

Internal Revenue Service

The Trump administration announced plans to delay the April 15 tax deadline due to the growing spread of coronavirus. The delay would be extended to most individual taxpayers and small businesses.

Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles

All RMV offices that serve the public are closed on Monday, March 16, and Tuesday, March 17. The RMV is offering more time for residents who need to renew their drivers license, ID or permits between March 1 and April 1. Full details here.

Massachusetts courts

Trial courts across Massachusetts are closed on Monday, March 16, and Tuesday, March 17. Anyone with pending matters is asked to contact the clerks office Wednesday.

Massachusetts hospitals are implementing new measures in response to coronavirus . Hospitals are limiting visitors, deferring certain elective procedures and encouraging virtual visits.

Baystate Health

We have set up an incident command center under the leadership of Dr. Andrew Artenstein, our Chief Physician Executive, who also is an infectious disease doctor and a recognized expert on the spread of novel infectious agents. That team is considering new information on a daily basis, adjusting policies as needed, dealing with issues brought forward by front line employees and anticipating the course of the epidemic here in Western Mass.

Baystate Medical Center identified its first COVID-19 patient at the hospital over the weekend. That person is no longer in the hospital and is recovering at home," Mark A. Keroack, president & CEO, Baystate Health said.

Berkshire Medical Center

Berkshire Medical Center announced changes to visitation policies in line with national trends and to further lower the risk of transmission of infectious disease in our community, including the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Hospitals and other healthcare facilities across Massachusetts and the United States have enacted similar visitation restrictions.

Berkshire Health Systems is committed to protecting the health and safety of our patients, visitors and staff, and this change helps us to enhance our ongoing efforts to minimize the potential further community transmission of COVID-19, said James Lederer, MD, the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Quality Officer for Berkshire Health Systems. We recognize the importance of the support of family and loved ones to our patients during their stay at BMC or Fairview, but the novel coronavirus requires us to temporarily adjust our visiting policy in order to keep our patients and visitors safe from infection.

70 workers - including 54 nurses - at Berkshire Medical Center, the largest hospital in Berkshire County, were placed in quarantine after exposure to people diagnosed with coronavirus. Nurses wore face masks but not eye shields and gowns, as recommended for medical professionals treating COVID-19 patients. Hospital staff who came into contact with the patients have been furloughed for 14 days, a spokesperson for the medical center said.

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

In an effort to confront emerging challenges related to COVID-19 transmission in the community, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is rescheduling all non-urgent elective surgeries, procedures and clinic visits scheduled within the next two weeks.

We are contacting patients who have an appointment, procedure or surgery scheduled to confirm or reschedule your appointment. We have developed thoughtful criteria to determine which appointments can safely be rescheduled, and will maintain access for patients in need of immediate or emergency care.

By taking these steps, we can help to protect our patients and staff and preserve medical resources for those who need them most.

If you have a scheduled appointment, procedure or surgery, you will hear from your care team soon. If you have any questions, please contact your providers office directly.

To protect the health of patients and staff, we are restricting all visitors unless pre-approved by each patients care team under extenuating circumstances.

One essential escort per patient is allowed in outpatient areas. Escorts will be actively screened and permitted IF:

Boston Medical Center

Effective as of March 15, Boston Medical Center announced new restrictions.

Brigham and Womens Hospital

Due to concerns about COVID-19 (2019 novel coronavirus), we are taking every precaution to protect the health of our patients, visitors and staff, including the following changes to our visitor policy, effective March 14:

Massachusetts General Hospital

"We are continuing to implement a wide range of measures to mitigate the spread of disease, including restricting visitors, deferring certain elective procedures and visits, and promoting social distancing by encouraging those staff who can work remotely to do so.

A health care worker at Massachusetts General Hospital tested positive for coronavirus this week, the latest in a growing number of workers in the medical field impacted by the illness.

Southcoast Hospitals

For the protection of Southcoast Healths patients, employees and providers, please adhere to the following:

UMass Memorial Medical Center

"UMass Memorial continues to monitor the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and is ready to respond to any cases in our area. At present, the information on this virus is changing on a daily basis. There are nearly 170,000 cases worldwide. Currently, there are more than 3,500 cases that have been confirmed in the United States. "

Grocery stores across Massachusetts have committed to remaining open and taking measures to limit exposure for customers and workers.

ALDI

ALDI stores across the country will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily starting Tuesday. Some stores may have limited hours to accommodate restocking and cleaning.

Big Y

Big Y World Class Market adjusted store hours on Monday. Stores now open at 7:30 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. until further notice. The new schedule will give store teams time to conduct additional preventive sanitation and restock products on shelves.

Big Y offers home delivery through the third-party provider Instacart.

Market Basket

The store said this week all locations remain at regular hours: 7 a.m. through 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays.

Price Rite

We remain vigilant about regular cleaning and sanitizing of food contact surfaces and we follow a routine of frequent, thorough cleaning of restrooms and public areas with a special focus on checkout stations and conveyor belts, credit card keypads and other surfaces regularly handled by customers," the company said in a statement. "Our Associates are trained to follow proper handwashing practices and we advise associates who feel ill to remain home. With your safety in mind, we have suspended in-store events and product sampling programs. We continue to monitor and follow the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control, state and local health departments and our food industry trade associations.

Shaws

We have stepped up how often we clean and disinfect all departments, restrooms, and other high-touch points of the store, like checkstands and service counters. Cart wipes and hand sanitizer stations have been installed in key locations within the stores for your convenience, too. As always, we encourage customers to wash their fresh and packaged produce before consuming at home. said Vivek Sankaran, CEO and president of the Albertsons Companies, the parent company of Shaws.

Stop & Shop

The grocery chain plans to open earlier to accommodate people who are 60 and older, a group that the CDC says is at a higher risk of becoming seriously ill from the respiratory disease. Starting Thursday, Stop & Shop will be open for people 60 and older from 6 to 7:30 a.m. daily, according to a statement from Stop & Shop President Gordon Reid.

Were making the decision to offer this every day of the week to allow for community members in this age category to shop in a less crowded environment, which better enables social distancing. Theyll also be shopping prior to any other customers entering, Reid wrote. Now, more than ever, its important we come together as a community to support each other during challenging times.

There will be a designated entrance at Stop & Shop locations, Reid wrote.

Most Stop & Shop locations have adjusted hours to 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. to allow employees to spend more time unloading deliveries, stocking shelves and rest, the statement said.

Trader Joes

Beginning Monday and until further notice, all Trader Joes stores will be open from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Walmart

Beginning Sunday, Walmart stores and Neighborhood Markets opened at 6 a.m. and will close at 11 p.m. until further notice. Stores currently operating under more reduced hours (for example, those that regularly close at 10 p.m. or open at 7 a.m.) will keep their current hours of operation, the company said.

Walmart also offers pickup services for online orders.

Wegmans

We are changing our hours of operation to better serve our customers and communities. This additional time will be used to clean our stores and restock products. Our temporary store hours are: 6 a.m. 11 p.m.

Additionally the stores have enacted a two-item limit for items including baby wipes and diapers, cleaning supplies and numerous grocery items.

Whole Foods

Starting Monday, all part and full-time hourly team members at Whole Foods Market stores and facilities in the U.S. will receive an additional $2 per hour on top of their current hourly rate through the month of April.

Stores also implemented a number of temporary modifications to our prepared foods, restaurant and self-serve venues, including:

Gov. Charlie Baker ordered all Massachusetts restaurants and bars offer only takeout and delivery starting Tuesday. Restaurants across the state announced closures for the foreseeable future, citing the safety of their employees and customers, as well as the significant drop in business in days before the ban and expected low sales in offering only takeout and delivery.

The restrictions, announced by Baker on Sunday, include gyms and limit the number of people to no more than 25 people in a space.

Golds Gym

Our gyms are currently open and our teams are hard at work maintaining a rigorous schedule of cleaning all equipment and surfaces with medical-grade solutions, in order to do everything in our power to ensure the health and safety of our Members and Team Members, the gym chain said in an email to members.

We want to do our part to help our Members continue to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle during the coming weeks. This means having the flexibility to workout wherever they are most comfortable, be it in or out of the gym. In order to support our Members in this endeavor, effective today, we are offering our GOLDS AMP digital personal training and fitness App to Golds Gym Members around the country to use for FREE until May 31, 2020*.

LA Fitness

"We want to assure you that we are monitoring further advice from the CDC, that we have in-house staff scheduled daily to regularly clean and disinfect, we have sanitizing stations that include sanitizer for hands and for equipment, and we have ordered and currently await a shipment of additional sanitizers for use at the front desk of all our clubs.

We ask that you wipe down equipment before and after use. If we confirm that a person recently diagnosed with COVID-19 used our facilities while carrying the virus, we will perform additional cleaning of the facility and contact local health authorities. We are monitoring the situation very closely and will continue to follow the guidelines, instructions and recommendations of public health officials and the CDC."

Planet Fitness

Planet Fitness has closed all its facilities in Massachusetts.

In a statement to MassLive, Planet Fitness said, In response to the Massachusetts Governors mandated containment effort and out of an abundance of caution for the health of our members, team members and neighbors, Planet Fitness locations in Massachusetts are temporarily closed, effective Sunday, March 15. We continue to monitor the situation closely and will reopen as soon as permitted.

YMCA

Closures and modified hours are being decided on a local level.

Numerous banks across the state have announced the closure of branches or restricting services to drive-through only, encouraging members to utilize services online and seek support from bank employees by phone.

Pump prices are declining significantly as the global economy faces downward pressure from COVID-19 fears and the ongoing crude price war between Russia and OPEC nations, AAA spokeswoman Mary Maguire said in a statement. Consumers can expect to see continued savings as the industry factors in a fully 50% decrease in the price of a barrel of oil since mid-January.

AAA found regular gas advertised for as low as $1.99 per gallon in Massachusetts.

Commuter Rail

Reduced service on all lines. Full, modified schedule here.

FRTA

Our fixed bus routes, ADA, Demand Response and FRTA Access will operate on its normal schedule at this time but that is subject to change."

Hartford Line

"The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is announcing precautions taken for Connecticuts public transportation system as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Continued here:
Coronavirus shutdowns: Whats open, whats closed in Massachusetts? - MassLive.com

Its a disruptive time for many people right now as we navigate the waters of a province in a state of emergency, closures of all kinds and a new way of working with our colleagues. To say that were in uncharted territory would be an understatement.

However, even while were under the weight of an uncertain time, there are many positive things to look at as well. Were spending more time at home with our families, were coming together as a community (virtually!) and were realizing that working from home, if youre fortunate enough to have that ability, can be a viable option to keep businesses moving forward.

Personally speaking, Im home with my fiance and my nine-year-old daughter and were doing our best to balance out each of our priorities. For my fiance and me, that looks like setting up offices in different parts of the home so we can both be on conference calls at the same time. For my daughter, it means staving off boredom, in between FaceTime calls with friends and relatives, while also keeping up with her studies.

In some ways, Im extremely lucky to have a lot of experience balancing work and life. Prior to joining Fellow, I spent 14years working from home running my consulting business. I had many unique work/life balance situations over that decade and a halfincluding a pregnancy, the birth of my daughter, a battle with burnout and depression, the 2008 market crash and the general ups and downs of entrepreneurship.

Through those 14 years, I developed strategies that helped me cope with the ever-changing priorities that showed up inmy life. The way that Ive handled the ups and downs is by no means a perfect system, but it has helped me tremendously and if youre navigating these new work from home waters yourself, I hope it may be useful to you.

Whether this is an entire home office or a corner of your living room, be sure to set up a space that you love working from. In normal times, I have a computer set up in our home office in the basement, but I dont enjoy spending my working hours down there where the natural light is scarce. So, when Im working from home for long periods of time, I set up shop on the dining room table.

This may be difficult for phone calls though so its worth having a backup space to move to for calls even if that means having them in your bathroom or walk-in closet with the door closed.

When President Barack Obama was in office, he only ever wore blue or grey suits on a day-to-day basis. (Im sure he made an exception from time to time!) Choosing from just two options made it a lot easier to move through his morning routine but it also reduced the number of non-essential decisions he had to make so he could focus on the important decisions.

We all experience decision fatigue and that can be heightened when were out of our normal work routines. Create solid systems and a routine that you can follow, even while working from home, so that you dont end up exhausted at the end of the day.

Im a big believer in batching my work and activities so that I can stay hyper-focused and not burn myself out. Its also really helpful to turn off unnecessary distractions and right now, with the noise around COVID-19, its even more important to turn things off from time to time.

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The idea with batching your work is that you do tasks in groups. For example, if youre going to do email, sit down and do all of your emails at once to avoid the multi-tasking trap. If youre going to focus on writing, do all of your writing tasks while youre in a state of flow. If you are going to pay bills, pay all of your bills and balance your budget at the same time.

By batching your activities, you wont be tempted to get up and do the dishes in-between conference calls or run an errand in the middle of a big project.

In high-stress times, its really important to ensure that youre being kind to yourself and to others. Emotional states run high, people are distracted and your friends, family and colleagues may have a thousand other things on their mind right now. Remind yourself of this before moving into any human interaction so that you can lead with kindness and empathy.

Extend that same kindness to yourself. Its going to be really difficult right now to get it all right. Your kids may be having a bit more screen time than usual, you might be fighting with your spouse a bit more than normal and you might find the unknowns a bit harder to deal with. All of that is, in my experience, totally normal.

Managing your mental health in uncertain times is also key. Take breaks, especially if youre working from home, as work time can easily bleed into home time without a commute and get out into nature. While were all practicing social distancing right now, we can still go for walks in nature and breathe fresh air on a daily basis.

Apps like Calm or Headspace can also help as they can provide you with meditations that you can do at home and there are many yoga and fitness apps that you can use to maintain your health and fitness while at home, too. These are all ways that you can ensure that you maintain self-care while working from home in isolation.

Its really hard to stop scrolling on social, tuning into press conferences and reading the news right now, but I highly recommend that you give yourself a time limit to consume that information before taking long breaks from it, too.

Look to as many positives as possible in this uncertain time and know that the majority of people are understanding and empathetic right now. Reach out to friends and family through digital means, especially if you are isolated, and leverage technology to stay connected with your colleagues.

We will look back on this time as being monumental, because it is, but I think well also look back on this time as being a time of rapid transformation and learning. Were learning how to communicate better, how to support each other better and how to cope in highly chaotic times. Were building resiliency that will be incredibly helpful in the weeks, months and years to come.

Erin Blaskie is the director of marketing at Fellow.app, a tool for managers to have more productive meetings.

Read more here:
Op-ed: Managing work, life and mental health during COVID-19 - Ottawa Business Journal

Three of MUSC Healths specialty areas rank among the best in the country: rheumatology; ear, nose and throat; and cancer.

CHARLESTON MUSC Health has received an official waiver from the Food and Drug Administration that will enable greater access to testing for patients with respiratory illness symptoms and possible COVID-19 exposure.

S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster and his team worked with the FDA to expedite necessary approvals to mitigate the spread and severity of COVID-19 in South Carolina.

MUSC Health will continue to align closely all COVID-19 screening and testing processes with the guidance administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. To date, national testing capability has been limited, which in turn has slowed the ability to administer testing at state and local levels throughout the country.

With this federal government waiver, MUSC Health has been cleared to implement and accelerate screening and testing capabilities for more people experiencing possible COVID-19 symptoms. Previously prioritized patient groups included hospitalized patients, patients with virus hot spot travel histories, and members of the health care workforce.

MUSC Health expects, within days, to increase significantly the number of patients who will now qualify for COVID-19 testing. This will be accomplished by continuing to work with DHEC, partnering with private industry and implementing an in-house test within the next week. MUSC Health is part of ongoing discussions with other health systems and community hospitals throughout the state on ways to provide access to in-house testing capabilities as quickly as possible.

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MUSC Health expands COVID-19 testing capabilities | Health & Fitness - The Tand D.com

The key to being a success tomorrow is being successful with your right now time at hand. You must learn to make the most of your time while you are on the journey to reaching the desired goal or life that you have been dreaming about.

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. Chinese Proverb

Your dream, your vision or your goals wont amount to anything if you dont learn to walk successfully in the time called "now". Having a vision enables you to see what will be and at the same time it should empower you to deal with what is.

Theres an alarming statistic that Sunday afternoons are the most depressing times in America because people have realized that the weekend is coming to a close and that Monday morning they will wake up, get dressed and drive to a job, school, or mundane routine that they have no passion for.

It's an acute condition that is characterized by anxiety about the week ahead and a sense of helplessness and depression. Like a machine on autopilot they will grudgingly perform their duties and tasks anxiously waiting for the day to end, just to go home, go to bed and wake up to do it all over again.

That creates a feeling of hopelessness that will trick you into believing that there is nothing that you can do that will change your situation or make it better. If you buy into that lie, then it will keep you from doing the things that you can begin to do right now that will bring about the change you are looking for.

If thats you, then be encouraged to keep the vision and dream for your life alive and focus on doing those Right Now action steps that will bring about a brighter tomorrow in the days ahead. You can complain and remain the same or do something that can actually bring about a change in your current situation and circumstance.

Here are five right now action steps that can move you closer to the life you are dreaming about.

Its good to have a healthy reality check every now and then so you can see where you are and where you need to go. Its like walking into a mall for the first time and you really dont know where everything is. You may have a particular store that you want to go to, however you have no idea where it is in the mall. Now, you dont just throw your hands up in the air and quit and walk out due to frustration. No, you do what most people would do. You walk up to the giant kiosk and you find the X and the words that say, you are here. Once you find out where you are, it becomes clear to see how to get from where you are to where you need to be.

Snap out of any bad or negative attitude that keeps you from taking advantage of your time wisely. If you are always in a complaining mood, you will never be in a doing mood. People that complain about their current situation, never have time to do anything that can improve it or change it for the better.

You reap what you sow. If you have big dreams that go far beyond your current job, then you should start being the best employee you can be right now and right where you are. Remember, productivity produces promotion. If you are always complaining then you will never gain the lessons that your current job can teach you that will serve as preparation for your future.

A good way to check and see if you are doing this right now action step is to ask yourself a question.

Would I hire me if I were the boss? If your answer is yes, then youre on the right track. If your answer is no, then you still got some work to do. Either way, keep moving forward.

You will never go wrong by helping others achieve their dreams and goals on life. Dont get so tunneled vision on you that you forget those around as well. It pays to help others. One day on your journey to reach your goal, you will need someones help in order to get to the next level. What goes around comes around.

You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.-Zig Ziglar

Oftentimes people are so focused on what they dont have, that they cant clearly see what they do have. Or they compare their lives with the lives of other people who they have deemed to be more successful than them.

Its important that you learn to be thankful for what you already have. If you have a job that you dont like, then imagine your life right now without the paycheck that comes along with it. That should put things into a little bit of perspective for you. The point is, no matter what, you can always find something to be thankful for. You can find a silver lining that will keep you moving forward for time being while you continue to work on the right now action steps that will lead you to the life you really want.

There are many things you can begin to do right now that will forever change your life tomorrow. Quit sitting around complaining about what you dont like and start doing the things that will bring about great change in your life. Think of right now action steps as building blocks that you are using to build the life youve been dreaming about.

It will take time of course, as nothing great happens in one day. Whenever you find yourself getting a little overwhelmed then let that be a signal for you to take a small break and go out and help someone get closer to his or her dream.

Right now is absolutely the right time to start going after your dreams and your goals like never before. Dont waste anymore time complaining about anything, especially when it is in your power and ability to start bringing about a great change.

Continued here:
5 Actions to Take Today That Will Move You Toward Success - Beliefnet

Make friends who force you to level up.

Everyone needs friends. There isnt a single person in life anywhere, no matter what they say that doesnt need friends. Humans need human contact to be able to be happy and live normally. Even if youre an introvert or dont like physical contact or whatever, everyone still needs friends and people there to support you and talk you through your hard times. Friends are there to love you and support you protect you and help you with your struggles. Friends are there in your life to have your back and defend you no matter what. They are there to be loyal to you and never turn against you or leave you behind.

Friends are people that are hard to come by believing it or not. They are something that you have to be the type of person that you want to attract to be able to make the best friendships for yourself. It is interesting to see how everyone works differently.

RELATED: 100 Inspiring Friendship Quotes To Show Your Best Friends How Much You Love Them

I have had a lot of different experiences with friendships. They are not always easy, and they do not always last. It is sad when you find yourself in a friendship where you are the person who is giving more and feeling drained and like your friend doesnt care as much and isnt willing to do as much work to keep it afloat. It is hard. Sometimes you have to be the one to admit when a friendship isnt working out. Real friends are there for you and are willing to make sacrifices to make sure that things are working out and getting better.

Friends are something that everyone needs. We all need someone who is on our side and will love us unconditionally in a platonic way. Romances are for different connections and relationship types. Its great having people in your life who are consistent and will be there for you no matter. Make sure you find those who are loyal.

A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out. Walter Winchell

RELATED: 20 Relatable Quotes For People Who've Been Betrayed By A Best Friend

If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you. Winnie the Pooh

I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen. Ernest Hemingway

Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, What! You too? I thought I was the only one. C.S. Lewis

True friendship comes when the silence between two people is comfortable. David Tyson

Sweet is the memory of distant friends! Like the mellow rays of the departing sun, it falls tenderly, yet sadly, on the heart. Washington Irving

Theres not a word yet for old friends whove just met. Jim Henson

A single rose can be my gardena single friend, my world. Leo Buscaglia

Dont make friends who are comfortable to be with. Make friends who will force you to level yourself up. Thomas J. Watson

You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you. Dale Carnegie

RELATED: 14 Drake Lyrics That Make The Perfect Instagram Captions For Your Squad Pics

A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future and accepts you just the way you are. Unknown

What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others. Confucius

Ultimately the bond of all companionship, whether in marriage or in friendship, is conversation. Oscar Wilde

How many slams in an old screen door? Depends how loud you shut it. How many slices in a bread? Depends how thin you cut it. How much good inside a day? Depends how good you live em. How much love inside a friend? Depends how much you give em. Shel Silverstein

A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down. Arnold H. Glasgow

I dont need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better. Plutarch

In everyones life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. Albert Schweitzer

The real test of friendship is, can you literally do nothing with the other person? Can you enjoy those moments of life that are utterly simple? Eugene Kennedy

It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages. Friedrich Nietzsche

A loyal friend laughs at your jokes when theyre not so good and sympathizes with your problems when theyre not so bad. Unknown

RELATED: 50 Funny Happy Birthday Quotes & Wishes For Best Friends

Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. Its not something you learn in school. But if you havent learned the meaning of friendship, you really havent learned anything. Muhammad Ali

If ever there is tomorrow when were not togetherthere is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if were apartIll always be with you. Winnie the Pooh

Growing apart doesnt change the fact that for a long time we grew side by side; our roots will always be tangled. Im glad for that. Ally Condie

Ones friends are that part of the human race with which one can be human. George Santayana

For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone. Audrey Hepburn

Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou are in, continue firm and constant. Socrates

One measure of friendship consists not in the number of things friends can discuss, but in the number of things they need no longer mention. Clifton Fadiman

Never idealize others. They will never live up to your expectations. Dont over-analyze your relationships. Stop playing games. A growing relationship can only be nurtured by genuineness. Leo F. Buscaglia

In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. Marcel Proust

RELATED: 40 Friendship Quotes That Prove Distance Only Brings You Closer

Tis the privilege of friendship to talk nonsense, and to have her nonsense respected. Charles Lamb

If you go looking for a friend, youre going to find theyre very scarce. If you go out to be a friend, youll find them everywhere. Zig Ziglar

You can always tell a real friend; when youve made a fool of yourself, he doesnt feel youve done a permanent job. Laurence J. Peter

Keep away from those who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you believe that you too can become great. Mark Twain

Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you. Love me and I may be forced to love you. William Arthur Ward

No person is your friend who demands your silence or denies your right to grow. Alice Walker

Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together. Woodrow T. Wilson

Friends are those rare people who ask how we are and then wait to hear the answer. Ed Cunningham

Anybody can sympathize with the sufferings of a friend, but it requires a very fine nature to sympathize with a friends success. Oscar Wilde

The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart. Elisabeth Foley

RELATED: 25 Sassy Quotes To Send To Your Fake Friends (Girl, BYE!)

Some of the biggest challenges in relationships come from the fact that most people enter a relationship in order to get something; theyre trying to find someone whos going to make them feel good. In reality, the only way a relationship will last is if you see your relationship as a place that you go to give, and not a place that you go to take. Anthony Robbins

Theres one sad truth in life Ive found while journeying east and west the only folks we really wound are those we love the best. We flatter those we scarcely know, we please the fleeting guest, and deal full many a thoughtless blow to those who love us best. Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down. Oprah Winfrey

Do not keep on with a mockery of friendship after the substance is gone but part, while you can part friends. Bury the carcass of friendship: it is not worth embalming. William Hazlitt

A good friend can tell you what is the matter with you in a minute. He may not seem such a good friend after telling. Arthur Brisbane

Many a person has held close, throughout their entire lives, two friends that always remained strange to one another, because one of them attracted by virtue of similarity, the other by difference. Emil Ludwig

A good word is an easy obligation; but not to speak ill requires only our silence; which costs us nothing. John Tillotson

When you stop expecting people to be perfect, you can like them for who they are. Donald Miller

Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born. Anais Nin

If you make friends with yourself you will never be alone. Maxwell Maltz

RELATED: 30 Funny Quotes About Friendship To Use For Your Next Instagram Caption

Hayley Small is a writer who focuses on pop culture, religion and relationship topics.

Excerpt from:
That's What Friends Are For 50 Friendship Quotes That Prove Your BFFs Always Have Your Back - YourTango

We can sometimes find a calm awareness inside us, an inner space with a universal quality, something that seems to exist inside all of us.

Finding this calm inner space is useful to us. The realization of universal consciousness brings with it a sense that were part of something much larger than our everyday life might suggest.

It reminds us that were the human expressions of a conscious intelligence that exists throughout the Universe.

Were the living expressions of a cosmic intelligence thats transforming itself into the precisely orchestrated biochemistry of our bodies, allowing us to live life as a human being.

Whenever we want to, we can tune into and access the transformative power of this cosmic consciousness inside all of us. The universal conscious awareness has an unlimited capacity for change and evolution.

We can find an intuitive realization of the presence of this spatial conscious awareness, whenever we inwardly focus our attention.

In our busy everyday world, we can sometimes lose touch with the spaciousness inside us that allows us to realize this cosmic connection, and find ourselves getting snagged up in our thinking.

Were not our thoughts about ourself however, were the universal conscious space in all of us thats giving rise to thoughts. Our thinking appears in this universal space and tugs at our attention, distracting us from being consciously present.

Sometimes these thoughts can separate us from other people, tell us were separate from the world or make us unhappy in some way.

When we can tune in to an unlimited source of inspiration and intelligence inside ourselves, however, we dont need to think ourselves into being unhappy, hurt or diminished by our everyday life experiences.

Tuning in helps us bounce back from unfortunate circumstances and makes us more resilient.

We can reach into the inner conscious space with our attention, and it dissolves us into itself. We can realize and know the cosmic space as one conscious awareness in all of us.

Knowing this unlimited cosmic intelligence inside ourselves, helps us find the intuition and insight to change our life for the better, if we need to.

Consciousness in all space is transforming cosmic energy into clusters of tiny resonances inside the living cells of our body, like three-dimensional music.

This conscious cosmic space looks through all of us and sees itself, appearing as a world. Were consciousness in the Universe transforming itself into living beings.

We can reconnect every day with this cosmic awareness inside all of us.

Paul Mulliner is a writer and digital artist

This article was first published here on Medium.com

Read more:
Knowing the Universe - Thrive Global

Following final evenings Season 3 premiere of Westworld, viewers had been handled to a six-minute featurette that went inside the episode and tried to the touch on its many features like the tone for the new season, the design of the actual world, utilizing Singapore as the future, what these fundamental characters need, and way more.

General, youll be able to actually inform that theyre treating Season 3 as a contemporary begin. They should be conscious of the blowback they bought from Season 2, and they alsore making strikes to attempt to reestablish the viewers whereas additionally bringing them into a brand new setting. I believe the smartest transfer right here is the introduction of Aaron Paul as Caleb. Paul excels when enjoying a personality whos tough round the edges however has a superb coronary heart, and placing him with Dolores is a pleasant solution to stability her out and present that not all of humanity are wealthy, evil bastards. You additionally want an viewers surrogate just like how we had younger William (Jimmi Simpson) in Season 1. There must be somebody who has our sympathies and whos studying about the stakes together with the viewers, and Paul is just about good for that. Additionally, as a soccer fan, I hope we get extra Marshawn Lynch as a result of hes pleasant.

Try the Westworld featurette under, and click on right here for a recap of the season premiere.

Right heres the official synopsis for Westworld:

Comply with the daybreak of synthetic consciousness and the evolution of sin on this darkish odyssey that begins in a world the place each human urge for food will be indulged. Aaron Paul, Vincent Cassel, Lena Waithe and Scott Mescudi be part of Evan Rachel Wooden, Jeffrey Wright, Thandie Newton, Ed Harris and extra for the upcoming third season, which can discover questions on the nature of our actuality, free will and what makes us human.

The rest is here:
Westworld: Six-Minute Featurette Takes Us Behind the Scenes of the Season 3 Premiere - Checkersaga