Feb 18, 2020 (Thomson StreetEvents) -- Edited Transcript of Electromed Inc earnings conference call or presentation Wednesday, February 12, 2020 at 1:30:00pm GMT

Electromed, Inc. - CFO, Principal Accounting Officer & Financial Controller

* Kathleen S. Skarvan

Electromed, Inc. - CEO, President & Director

The Equity Group, Inc. - VP

Greetings, and welcome to the Electromed, Inc. Second Quarter Fiscal 2020 Fiscal Results Conference Call. (Operator Instructions) As a reminder, this conference is being recorded.

It is now my pleasure to introduce your host, Kalle Ahl of The Equity Group. Please go ahead.

Kalle J. Ahl, The Equity Group, Inc. - VP [2]

Thank you, Kevin, and good morning, everyone. Electromed's second quarter fiscal 2020 financial results were released yesterday after the market closed. A copy of the earnings release can be found on the Investor Relations section of the company's website at http://www.smartvest.com.

As a matter of formality, I need to remind you that some of the statements that management will make on this call are considered forward-looking statements, including statements about the company's future operating and financial results and plans. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or achievements to be materially different from those projected. Any such statements represent management's expectations as of today's date.

You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, and the company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Please refer to the company's SEC filings for further guidance on this matter.

Joining us from Electromed this morning are Ms. Kathleen Skarvan, President and Chief Executive Officer; and Mr. Jeremy Brock, Chief Financial Officer. Kathleen will begin with some opening remarks, after which Jeremy will present a summary of the company's second quarter fiscal 2020 financial results, and then we'll open the call for questions.

Now it's my pleasure to turn it over to Kathleen.

Kathleen S. Skarvan, Electromed, Inc. - CEO, President & Director [3]

Thank you, Kalle. Good morning, everyone, and thank you for joining us to discuss Electromed's second quarter financial results.

We delivered another strong bottom line performance in the second quarter, as our net income for the period nearly tripled to $1.2 million compared to $381,000 in the same period last year, driven by 7 -- driven by 6.7% revenue growth and substantial operating margin improvement.

Starting with our home care business, net revenue increased 4.6% year-over-year despite some open sales territories, which we are in the process of filling, and despite having approximately 10 fewer direct sales employees in the field compared to the prior year period, contributing to the flat referral growth. At quarter end, our field sales employees totaled 40, of which 34 were direct sales compared to 52 at the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2019, of which 44 were direct sales. Our plan remains to peak at approximately 38 direct sales reps in fiscal 2020.

Our home care revenue growth this quarter was moderated by some pockets of weakness in our Central territory in November, but we were pleased to see referrals in this region and throughout the country steadily rebound in December and January.

In the quarter, we benefited from a higher average selling price per device due to payer mix, and importantly, from improved sales force productivity, driven by strong performance from our longer-tenured sales reps. We produced approximately $938,000 of annualized home care revenue per direct field sales employee, well ahead of the comparable figure of $687,000 for the second quarter of fiscal 2019 and above our target range of between $750,000 and $850,000. We remain confident about meeting or exceeding our target productivity levels for the full fiscal year.

Our growth strategies are focused on increasing referrals in adult pulmonology, or specifically, those with bronchiectasis; enhancing patient and provider support to provide best-in-class customer care; expanding and promulgating the body of clinical evidence to increase utilization of SmartVest for patients with bronchiectasis; continuing to develop innovative device features; and growing institutional market share to support home care growth.

Specifically, expanding the body of clinical evidence to increase utilization of SmartVest for bronchiectasis patients to drive home care revenue growth, we expect to launch our new study as further validation of the first of its kind independent study published last year in BMC Pulmonary Medicine, which concluded that early initiation of therapy with SmartVest decreases severe exacerbations, reduces antibiotic use and stabilizes lung function for bronchiectasis patients.

In particular, we have begun enrollment this month on a prospective multisite bronchiectasis outcome study using SmartVest as an algorithm of care. The study will follow patients over a 1-year period, tracking their lung function, hospitalizations and antibiotic use, and compare these same metrics taken prior to employing an algorithm of care, including SmartVest.

This quarter, we plan to launch our enhanced SmartVest Connect patient user experience, the Bluetooth-enabled mobile applications. The SmartVest Connect mobile applications will allow our patients to more seamlessly connect with their SmartVest therapy and offer new capabilities designed for mobile, including setting personal therapy reminders and real-time therapy monitoring.

Our institutional business logged another strong performance, with revenue up approximately 23% compared to last year's second quarter, driven primarily by higher average selling price. Moreover, we believe our institutional reflects -- results reflect our intensified strategic focus on the hospital call point, combined with stronger relationships with the integrated delivery networks, better sales training and our first-rate SmartVest device.

As a reminder, growth in our institutional business should augment our home care revenue as the high-frequency chest wall oscillation, or HFCWO, brand used in the hospital is often the default brand described when discharging a patient.

Lastly, this quarter, we reported home care distributor revenue of approximately $131,000. To reiterate, we intend for our direct sales channel to remain our primary sales channel. We recently hired a regional sales manager who will manage our Western region direct sales reps and lead the development and execution of the home care distributor channel in the Western United States. We believe the home care distributor channel is complementary to our core business, particularly in those areas of the country where our SmartVest brand is under-recognized and we see opportunities for accelerating growth on a supplemental basis.

Shifting to the bottom line. We achieved strong second quarter net income of approximately $1.2 million or $0.14 per diluted share, underscored by significant operating margin improvement to 18.3%. Higher revenue, higher gross margin and lower SG&A expenses all contributed to these results.

For the remainder of the fiscal year, we anticipate higher operating expenses as we bring our total direct sales staff count to our previously disclosed target level of 38, increase our R&D spend to 2% to 4% of revenue for our next-generation product and incur additional costs on clinical studies designed to educate physicians on SmartVest value, in improving quality of life and outcomes for noncystic fibrosis bronchiectasis patients.

Notwithstanding these incremental investments, we continue to expect that our revenue growth will outpace expense growth in fiscal 2020, leading to operating improvement for the year. Furthermore, we expect to achieve our target sales productivity levels and low double-digit revenue growth in the long term.

Underpinning our enthusiasm for growth is the large, expanding and underpenetrated bronchiectasis market, where we feel our SmartVest system makes a real difference in improving patient quality of life. We follow up with our patients and providers on a regular basis and feedback -- and the feedback and testimonials we receive speak volumes about our value proposition.

For example, Pamela shared with us, "I cannot speak highly enough of the company and the positive improvements to my health and day-to-day life. Their generosity with me moved me to tears, and I am not a crier. So in a nutshell, call them. My life improved significantly with this machine. The SmartVest has kept me out of the hospital as well."

And Shirley shared, "Lung problems have been with me for about 30 years. It has steadily gotten worse. I've had to miss work as well as been hospitalized. I saw SmartVest and bronchiectasis and immediately went to the website to read about it. Liked what I read. I immediately made an appointment with my doctor to see if I would benefit. I did qualify. After that initial treatment, I was able to go grocery shopping without using oxygen. Wow. Each day I use it, I get better results. When I went to pulmonary rehab, the respiratory therapist said my lungs did not sound like she thought they would, very little noise. I said it was from my SmartVest. I have used it for about 30 days now, and everything I'm coughing up is clear."

We are extremely proud of the number of patients we have helped to breathe easier and live longer, and our team is motivated by the fact that we have the opportunity to help even more patients with SmartVest therapy.

In closing, we wrapped up a strong first half and remain excited about our future. Noncystic fibrosis bronchiectasis represents a significant and growing market opportunity, conservatively estimated at more than 4 million individuals in the United States.

For those of you who may be new to the Electromed story, we believe that approximately 630,000 people with a bronchiectasis diagnosis could benefit from HFCWO therapy, and only an estimated 70,000 patients in the Medicare population have been treated with a device like SmartVest today. The growing body of clinical evidence, combined with the powerful patient testimonials that we routinely hear, support the use of our SmartVest system as a standard of care among individuals with bronchiectasis.

With that, I will now turn it over to Jeremy for a more detailed discussion of our financial results.

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Jeremy T. Brock, Electromed, Inc. - CFO, Principal Accounting Officer & Financial Controller [4]

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Thank you, Kathleen. Good morning, everyone.

As Kathleen shared, our net revenue in the second quarter of fiscal 2020 increased 6.7% to $8.5 million from $8 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2019, driven by growth in our home care revenue. Home care revenue increased 4.6% to $7.7 million primarily due to higher average allowable based on payer mix as compared to the prior year and improved productivity of our direct sales force.

Institutional revenue increased 22.8% from -- to $494,000 from $402,000 in the prior year period. And international revenue, which isn't a strategic growth area for Electromed, totaled approximately $253,000 compared to $280,000 in the prior year period. Although quarter-to-quarter sales variability can be expected due to the nature of our business, we anticipate long-term, low double-digit revenue growth as we execute our organic growth strategy.

Gross profit increased 10.1% to $6.7 million or 78.1% of net revenue in the second quarter of fiscal 2020 from $6.1 million or 75.7% of net revenue in the second quarter of fiscal 2019. The increase in gross profit resulted primarily from the increase in home care revenue, and the increase in gross profit as a percentage of net revenue was driven by a higher average allowable based on payer mix as compared to the prior year.

The average selling price per device was at the high end of our historical range this quarter and could moderate depending on mix. We expect our long-term gross margins will continue to range in the mid- to high 70s.

Operating expenses, which include SG&A as well as R&D expenses, totaled $5.1 million or 59.8% of revenue in the second quarter of fiscal 2020 compared to $5.4 million or 67.2% of revenue in the same period of the prior year.

SG&A expenses decreased 3.6% to $5 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2020 from $5.1 million in the prior year primarily due to lower payroll and compensation expenses due to a lower number of employees in sales and administrative roles.

R&D expenses decreased to $143,000 in the second quarter of fiscal 2020 from $238,000 in the second quarter of fiscal 2019. We do expect R&D expenses to increase in the second half of the fiscal year with higher investment in new product development.

Operating income increased to $1.6 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2020 from $675,000 in the second quarter of 2019. Net income before income tax expense totaled $1.6 million in the second fiscal quarter of 2020 compared to $692,000 in the prior year quarter.

In the quarter, income tax expense totaled $419,000 compared to $311,000 in the same period of the prior year. And our effective tax rate in the second quarter of fiscal 2020 was 26.1% compared to 45% in the prior year period.

Our current year effective tax rate in the quarter benefited by 0.9% related to stock options that were exercised during the period, while the prior year rate was negatively impacted by 16.9% primarily related to unexercised, fully vested stock options that expired in November of 2018.

Our net income totaled $1.2 million or $0.14 per diluted share in the second quarter of fiscal 2020 compared to $381,000 or $0.04 per diluted share in the prior year period.

Now moving to the balance sheet and operating cash flow. Our balance sheet at December 31, 2019, included cash and cash equivalents of $9.2 million, no long-term debt, working capital of $23.3 million and shareholders' equity of $28.5 million. Cash flow from operations in the second quarter of fiscal 2020 totaled $1.4 million compared to $518,000 in the second quarter of fiscal 2019.

We are pleased to be debt-free and well positioned to continue strengthening our balance sheet to support Electromed's long-term growth strategies. Shortly, we will begin our annual strategic planning cycle and review of our long-term corporate strategy and operations plan. That plan will also lead to an in-depth discussion about leveraging our cash to maximize shareholder value. To the extent there are changes in our strategy, we will keep our shareholders updated.

Finally, for those of you who will be attending BTIG's MedTech, Life Science and Diagnostic Tools Conference in Utah, we will be participating on March 19 and 20, and we -- hopefully, we'll see some of you there.

Overall, we remain focused and confident in the direction of the business. And this concludes our prepared remarks. Operator, please start the Q&A portion of the call.

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Questions and Answers

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Operator [1]

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(Operator Instructions) Our first question today is coming from Kyle Bauser from Dougherty & Company.

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Kyle Royal Bauser, Dougherty & Company LLC, Research Division - Senior Research Analyst [2]

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So you mentioned the larger prospective study, which began enrolling, which is great. How big is this trial? And based on the previous UAB study, when do you think you could finish enrolling for this?

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Kathleen S. Skarvan, Electromed, Inc. - CEO, President & Director [3]

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Thanks for the question, Kyle. So this is going to be a multisite study. We're expecting upward of 100 patients to enroll. And then once those patients are enrolled, we'll be following them for a 12-month time period. So depending on the length of the enrollment, once we reach that 100 patients, then following them for 12 months. So I think we're thinking long-term here, this could be 2 to 3 years before we may see those results. Although it could be sooner. I just can't predict it precisely due to the time frame that it may take to enroll these patients.

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Kyle Royal Bauser, Dougherty & Company LLC, Research Division - Senior Research Analyst [4]

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Sure. Okay. Got it. And the press release implies investment in multiple studies. So I guess beyond this prospective study, can you outline anything else that's in the works?

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Kathleen S. Skarvan, Electromed, Inc. - CEO, President & Director [5]

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Well, I think one of the key studies that we're going to be thinking through and evaluating will be one on economics. And the prospective study that is underway currently would be a great springboard for an economic study on health care utilization. So how do we share with health care organizations, payers. How using SmartVest for people with bronchiectasis can benefit them as well from an economic standpoint, in addition to benefiting patient. There are also other databases that we can access for some of that economic data as well. So that would be, in general, one of the areas we're thinking about.

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Kyle Royal Bauser, Dougherty & Company LLC, Research Division - Senior Research Analyst [6]

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Okay. That's helpful. And you added 2 reps in the quarter and will -- have plans to peak at another 4 after that at 38. I know you want to layer on the reps at a pace that allows you to hit that productivity goal, but when do you expect you can hit that peak number and have a full sales force with all the territories filled? And how are you approaching this addition differently than in the past?

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Kathleen S. Skarvan, Electromed, Inc. - CEO, President & Director [7]

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So our plans for reaching the 38 would be in the second half of the year, but I think that, realistically, that should be this quarter. That's our plan. And then we'll, of course, start planning for our next year. As Jeremy mentioned, we're in our -- we'll be kicking off our operations and strategic planning process, and that'll start planning for the next year, in what that expansion might look like. But certainly, the peak should be here in this quarter.

And by the way, just to add a little color, we've been very pleased with the quality of our hires. And I think with Bud's leadership and the experience that our sales recruiter has with understanding our culture, understanding our market, understanding the profile of the sales rep that can be most successful with this product and in this market, that we've been quite pleased.

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Kyle Royal Bauser, Dougherty & Company LLC, Research Division - Senior Research Analyst [8]

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Okay. And it looks like the Medicare bucket was really strong again in the quarter. Can you talk about some of the dynamics here? I mean was this a function of faster reimbursement turnaround or just a bolus of patients coming in from that 65-plus age population?

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Jeremy T. Brock, Electromed, Inc. - CFO, Principal Accounting Officer & Financial Controller [9]

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Yes. So what we're seeing as we continue to grow and focus on bronchiectasis is a larger number are in that 65-plus bucket. So we're seeing a lot of those patients end up with having Medicare and supplements to cover their co-pays and the allowable. So we are seeing a benefit from that. To the extent that continues, we do expect to see the benefit from that from a ASP standpoint as well as that then also helps the gross margin as well. But there is variability quarter-to-quarter and we may see that in future quarters, but we will also benefit from that.

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Kyle Royal Bauser, Dougherty & Company LLC, Research Division - Senior Research Analyst [10]

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Okay. And then just 2 quick ones. So your cash position continues to grow here, and I know you've been talking about wanting to allocate that for growth opportunities. But at $9 million or $1 per share, just wondering how you're thinking about cash allocation in the future here.

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Kathleen S. Skarvan, Electromed, Inc. - CEO, President & Director [11]

Continue reading here:
Edited Transcript of ELMD earnings conference call or presentation 12-Feb-20 1:30pm GMT - Yahoo Finance

They wound up with participants who either were or were not obese and, separately, were sedentary or active, completing aerobic exercise, weight training, or both types of exercise on a regular basis.

Then they compared exercise habits and obesity and noted an interesting pattern. The incidence of obesity, especially extreme obesity, was much lower among active people than the sedentary, whether their activity was aerobic or resistance-oriented.

But those men and women who reported completing both types of exercise who jogged and lifted or walked and downward dogged, for instance were about 50 percent less likely to be obese than inactive people and about 20 percent less likely than people who participated in aerobic exercise or weight training alone.

In other words, it appears that doing either aerobic or muscle-strengthening exercise is good for a healthy weight, but doing both is better, says Jason Bennie, a senior research fellow in physical activity epidemiology at the University of Southern Queensland, who led the new study.

This study relied on participants remembrances of exercise, though, which can be unreliable, and asked about them at only one point in peoples lives. So, it cannot show whether exercising now necessarily thwarts obesity in the future. It also cannot establish whether, in some cases, being obese prevented people from being active, meaning that their weight determined their workout routines and not the other way around.

Perhaps most important, it does not tell us how augmenting walks or other aerobic activities with weight training might help us to avoid obesity. Dr. Bennie and his colleagues speculate that aerobic and resistance exercise produce differing effects on our metabolisms, hormones, appetites and even the structures of our brains that, synergistically, remodel our bodies and minds in ways that reduce the likelihood we will gain weight.

More study is needed, of course. But in the meantime, those of us hoping to keep our weight under control might want to consider cycling or walking to the gym, where we might want to pick up some weights.

Read the original:

Combining Aerobics and Weights Tied to Optimal Weight Control - The New York Times

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. While it can be a struggle, most people can agree: eating healthy and staying active is key to a long and vibrant life.

If you question that statement, let Del Crowe be an example.

At 97 years old, Crowe credits his good health to the water aerobics.

Three times a week, he wakes up and heads over to water aerobics class at Clark Retirement Center. Crowe never misses a class.

"I like to do it, thats the number one thing," said Crowe. "I can do it without any great exertion on my legs or any other part of my body. So its good for me to do that."

Crowe says he also returns to "check on the ladies," but also because of the community atmosphere.

"I definitely think that hes an inspiration for other residents who see him coming into the pool every day," said Kensey Maurer, wellness specialist at Clark Retirement. "It shows hes very dedicated and passionate about coming to swimming."

Maurer says there are several fitness classes for residents to take. However for Crowe, water aerobics has been going just swimmingly.

"In Dels case, he was complaining about arthritis in his knees, so we try to do a lot of walking, we try to do a lot of leg strengthening exercise to alleviate some of that pressure off of his knees," said Maurer. "So its nice to be able to cater to each of the individual residents needs during class time."

So, whether you are 97 or 27, or anywhere in between, let Crowe be your dose of inspiration to get up and get moving.

Here is the original post:

Grand Rapids 97-year-old GR man credits health to water aerobics Savannah Fish 6:28 - Fox17

An analysis of all that data revealed the incidence of obesity was much lower among active people than sedentary ones even if their exercise routine included only aerobics or only muscle-strengthening activities.

People who engage regularly in either aerobic or muscle-strengthening exercises are less likely to become obese than people who are sedentary, but doing both types of exercise is more likely to keep excess pounds off than doing one or the other, according to new research.

Interestingly, women appear to benefit even more than men by combining aerobic physical activity with muscle-strengthening exercises.

The study, which was conducted by Australian researchers using U.S. data, appears in the February issue of the journal Obesity.

Until now most population-level evidence on physical activity for reducing the risk of, or preventing obesity is based on aerobic exercise, such as walking, cycling and jogging, but few studies have previously examined the associations between combining aerobic exercise and muscle-strengthening activities with obesity, said Jason Bennie, the studys lead author and a senior research fellow at the University of Southern Queensland, in a released statement.

From the data we analyzed, its great news for people who find it hard to get out and exercise, but can potentially do some strength training at home, he added.

In the United States, about 40 percent of adults more than 93 million individuals have obesity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The condition increases the risk of many chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, breast and colon cancer, and dementia.

Reducing illness and early death related to obesity has been a major U.S. public health priority for more than a decade.

For the current study, Bennie and his co-authors analyzed data from almost 1.7 million U.S. adults who participated in the CDCs Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) telephone surveys between 2011 and 2017. More than a quarter (27 percent) of the participants were 65 or older and slightly more than half (51.6 percent) were women. Most (65.4 percent) were white, followed by Hispanics (13.5 percent), blacks (11.1 percent), multiracial (5.1 percent) and other (4.9 percent).

As part of the survey, the participants were asked about the types of physical activity they had engaged in during the past month, both aerobic (such as running, calisthenics, golf, gardening or walking) and muscle-strengthening (like yoga, sit-ups or push-ups and those using weight machines, free weights, or elastic bands). They were also asked how often they did those activities.

The researchers grouped the participants into four categories:

Forty percent of the participants met neither guideline, 30.5 percent met only the aerobic activity guidelines, 9.5 percent met only the muscle-strengthening guidelines, and 20.2 percent met both guidelines.

Using height and weight information from the surveys, the researchers calculated the participants body mass index (BMI). Those (35.6 percent of the respondents) who had a BMI of 18.5-24.9 were categorized as having a healthy weight, and those (28.9 percent) with a BMI of 30 or higher were categorized as obese.

An analysis of all that data revealed the incidence of obesity was much lower among active people than sedentary ones even if their exercise routine included only aerobics or only muscle-strengthening activities.

But the incidence of obesity was lowest significantly so among people who regularly combined muscle-strengthening exercises with aerobics. Not only were they 50 percent less likely to have obesity than sedentary people, they were also 20 percent less likely to have obesity than those who did just aerobics or just muscle-strengthening.

These associations were stronger among women than among men. This suggests, write Bennie and his colleagues, that public health physical activity interventions focusing on women could be the most effective for obesity prevention, particularly since other research has shown that women are currently less likely to do both aerobics and muscle-strengthening exercises.

The studys findings are observational, so they cant prove a causal relationship between exercise and the risk of having obesity. Still, as the researchers point out in their paper, there is some clinical evidence suggesting that [muscle-strengthening exercises] combined with [aerobic exercise] may increase lean body mass, more than either activity alone, thus resulting in an increased metabolic rate and/or total energy expenditure among those who engage in both physical activity modes.

Bennie said he hopes the studys findings will encourage people to not only exercise more, but to also broaden their current routine.

Making some changes to your daily routine can make a big difference, like body weight exercises such as squats, sit-ups, or push-ups at home; or join a gym to do weights, he said.

But physical activity doesnt need to be complicated or time-consuming, he added.Doing any physical activity is better than none.

For more information: You can read the study in full on the Obesity website.

Susan Perry writes Second Opinion for MinnPost, covering consumer health. She has written several health-related books, and her articles have appeared in a wide variety of publications.

Read more here:

Study says combining strength training and aerobics more beneficial than doing only one or the other - MinnPost

They wound up with individuals who both had been or werent overweight and, individually, had been sedentary or lively, finishing cardio train, weight coaching, or each forms of train regularly.

Then they in contrast train habits and weight problems and famous an attention-grabbing sample. The incidence of weight problems, particularly excessive weight problems, was a lot decrease amongst lively folks than the sedentary, whether or not their exercise was cardio or resistance-oriented.

However these women and men who reported finishing each forms of train who jogged and lifted or walked and downward dogged, as an example had been about 50 % much less prone to be overweight than inactive folks and about 20 % much less doubtless than individuals who participated in cardio train or weight coaching alone.

In different phrases, it seems that doing both cardio or muscle-strengthening train is sweet for a wholesome weight, however doing each is best, says Jason Bennie, a senior analysis fellow in bodily exercise epidemiology on the College of Southern Queensland, who led the brand new research.

This research relied on individuals remembrances of train, although, which could be unreliable, and requested about them at just one level in folkss lives. So, it cant present whether or not exercising now essentially thwarts weight problems sooner or later. It additionally cant set up whether or not, in some circumstances, being overweight prevented folks from being lively, that means that their weight decided their exercise routines and never the opposite manner round.

Maybe most vital, it doesnt inform us how augmenting walks or different cardio actions with weight coaching would possibly assist us to keep away from weight problems. Dr. Bennie and his colleagues speculate that cardio and resistance train produce differing results on our metabolisms, hormones, appetites and even the constructions of our brains that, synergistically, rework our our bodies and minds in ways in which cut back the probability we are going to acquire weight.

Extra research is required, in fact. However within the meantime, these of us hoping to maintain our weight beneath management would possibly wish to take into account biking or strolling to the health club, the place wed wish to decide up some weights.

Read this article:

Combining Aerobics and Weights Tied to Optimum Weight Management - BingePost

New fitness classes have been launched in a bid to help elderly people in Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge get more active.

The brand new classes, called FABS (Flexibility, Aerobics, Balance and Strength), have started this month and intend to help residents aged over 60 remain active for as long as possible.

The sessions are being run by Burnham resident Anne Panesar, who worked as a NHS counsellor for several years and decided to retrain as an instructor so she could deliver exercise classes to older people.

Anne told Burnham-On-Sea.com that the sessions cover all aspects of health, flexibility, aerobics, balance and strength, and can be undertaken seated, standing or supported.

She adds: I am happy to say that the Over 60s Exercise Class at Berrow Village Hall has had a successful start. Next week will be our 3rd week and I am now offering two classes 1.30-2.30 and 3-4pm.

Its fun and laughter while getting fitter and healthier. The class is social and suitable for any adult who would like to become more physically active in a low impact way our exercise programme focusses on flexibility, aerobic health, balance and strength.

She adds: Until recently I was working in the NHS and I know first hand how important it is for health to be more active and exercise.

A little is good, more is better. I have always loved dancing to music myself and so when the opportunity came along to retrain to deliver exercise to music classes for older people I jumped at it.

I particulaly want to run classes out in the community so that people do not have to travel to find a class.

Theres no need to book, just turn up, but you are welcome to contact me if you have any questions beforehand.

The FABS programme combines exercises that have been scientifically proven by the Centre for Healthy Ageing Research at the University of Birmingham to turn back the clock and help people to lead happier, healthier and longer lives.

She adds: The exercises we do in class are easy to follow and can be done seated or standing. Its a fantastic way to get together with other people in the area, keep fit and have fun doing it!

Music is a great motivator for moving and we exercise to a variety of music from all eras. I encourage people to let me know if they have a favourite song and I will have a go at putting a fun exercise routine to it.

Physical activity has many benefits for older adults. It is as important to be active at 80 years old as it is at 20. Make a start today its never too late!

Contact Anne on 07421762532 or via Facebook at @MIOLIAnnePanesar

Originally posted here:

New fitness classes for over 60s in Burnham-On-Sea area hailed a success - Burnham-On-Sea

To the Editor:

Ive been a resident for four years. We took a walk to mail a package at Mallory pool. My grandson, husband, and my mother. A car turned onto Banbury Run. No sidewalks, but we were close to the curb. The female driver increased her speed significantly as if she were angry we were anywhere close to the road! Get to Mallory and are immediately rudely greeted by the pool police. Rudely let us know that wasnt a childrens pool!Grandson was in his PJs! I had a package in my hand, clearly there for the mail center. Went on to tell us where a childrens pool is. Told her I was a veteran Villager and was well aware of where children are allowed. I should have let her know how much more kindly she could have corresponded to us! Meanwhile, my husband is swimming trying to get some exercise in (yes, well aware this is not a lap pool). Quiet though, until the groupies arrived for their own little private water aerobics. One man intentionally stood right in front of my husbands swimming more than once. Not a lap pool. Not a water aerobics pool. Not crowded. I pay the same fees these people do. Snobbish groupies who think that is their pool.Ridiculous.

Lori Cynewski Village of Amelia

Link:

Run in with the pool 'police' in The Villages - Villages-News

Everyone desires to all the time be match, really feel filled with power, nevertheless it turns into tough at occasions to make time for train. Nowadays persons are growing curiosity in such train, which is straightforward to do and likewise entertaining. One such train is aerobics.

Not solely is robotics in style amongst girls, males additionally prefer it very a lot. If you arent capable of benefit from this train or keep regularity in it, then as soon as once more take the pledge to incorporate this train in your routine and make your well being filled with power.

-> Dancing in enjoyable methods on leisure music can have a number of well being advantages, so why not make this train an necessary a part of your life like meals and water.

Various types of aerobics Traditional flooring aerobics: There are sure actions in it, which go ahead and backward on a selected music. Those strikes are known as excessive impression strikes ie very efficient and low impression strikes ie much less efficient. High impression, ie the place each toes go away their contact with the bottom and low impression means the place one leg stays involved with the bottom.

Step aerobics: In step aerobics, choreographed strikes are elevated steps based mostly. It is without doubt one of the hottest cardio workout routines. This can cut back the fats within the legs and hip space. Dance Aerobics: This aerobics class makes use of a wide range of dance kinds. Especially Salsa, Jazz, Hip Hop and Zumba are included in it prominently, which together with burning energy additionally creates pleasure in individuals.

Cardio Kick Boxing: In this, boxing, martial arts and conventional aerobics are accomplished by combining excessive depth cardio workout routines. With this, theres common circulation of blood within the muscle mass of the higher physique together with the burning of energy.

Aqua Aerobics: Aqua aerobics is the most suitable choice for people who find themselves curious about swimming. Swimming makes the physique versatile. Some particular floating gear can be used on this. Jogging: Jogging could be accomplished in two methods. This could be accomplished whereas standing in a single place, and even whereas transferring from one place to a different. This exercise improves metabolism.

Rope skipping: Usually we name it rope leaping. Rope skipping at dwelling may be very useful in burning fats. It will increase stature and the physique will get form. Apart from this, biking and ball workout routines are additionally included prominently in it.

Benefits of aerobics Keep away from melancholy: Depression is a significant downside today. Aerobics is an excellent remedy to stop this.

Insomnia aid: Today, the issue of insomnia can be taking the type of a really massive illness. In such a manner, the dancing stapes of aerobics not solely chill out the mind, but in addition clear up the issue of excellent sleep.

Make hormones balanced: In the previous couple of years, issues like hormonal imbalance in girls have elevated quite a bit. Due to absence of standard menstrual interval, girls must face many issues associated to being pregnant. They profit drastically from aerobics.

Burn extra energy : HDL ldl cholesterol will increase within the physique as a consequence of its common train and LDL ldl cholesterol is decreased. Immunity additionally will increase.

Need a balanced eating regimen Do have breakfast within the morning. Sprouted pulses, milk, egg, poha, idli and many others. could be taken. Mid-meal could be eaten between breakfast and lunch. Take lunch made of multi grain bread. Eat inexperienced greens and pulses. Take salad. Coconut water, buttermilk and curd could be taken within the night. Take dinner evenly. Soup, salad, polenta is best.

Catering management Do not eat fried and roasted issues. Stay away from junk meals like burgers and pizza. Do not devour issues made from carbonated drinks and high-quality flour. Take tea and low in small portions. Eat meals when youre hungry and eat gentle meals at night time.

Keep extending deadlines Gradually improve the time, velocity and distance in aerobics. If youre jogging for 2 kilometers from one week, then jogging for 2 and a half kilometers subsequent week.

Keep proper catering Keep consuming one thing recurrently at common intervals, so that you just do not need to starve for a very long time. Going to mattress immediately after dinner, the physique will burn fewer energy and improve fats. Therefore, eat quick and light-weight meals at night time and sleep solely after two hours. Drink sufficient water, it might probably burn a number of energy.

Take particular care of these items Positive pondering performs an necessary position in reducing weight. If you retain your pondering constructive with common train, then you will note its profit quickly.

Do train Regardless of your degree of health, a stroll is essential to drop pounds. Always begin slowly after which improve your velocity and distance. Use the steps as an alternative of the raise and as a lot as attainable, keep away from sitting repeatedly.

Synergy with teacher If youre affected by any illness like coronary heart illness, blood stress, diabetes or stroke, then undoubtedly focus on it together with your teacher. Before going to class, please inform your teacher about your current bodily and psychological situation, in order that he can plan your exercise accordingly. Eat your alternative of meals as soon as per week. Eat dinner evenly and rapidly.

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There are many advantages to well being by doing aerobics - Sahiwal Tv

FELTON, California, Feb. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --With reference to the report published by the authorities the scope of the global Athletic Footwear Market was appreciated by US$ 64.30 billion in 2017 and is projected to touch US$ 95.14 billion by 2025. It is projected to increase by a CAGR of to some extent above 5.0% during the period of 2018 to 2025.

Footwear is an apparel worn on feet for the purpose of shielding from exterior means at the time of carrying out the actions at out-of-doors. The term athletic footwear denotes to the merchandise worn by sports person that have similar purpose of caring the foot together with greater extra functionality as per the sport they are intended for. Therefore, an athletic footwear deliver superior shield, easy control on the movements, support for the mid-foot along with the cushioning and steadiness to heels.

Athletic shoe is a general term for the footwear mainly meant for sporting or additional procedures of bodily workout. However during current ages they are utilizes for unintentional actions. Athletic footwear is utilized for sporting and additional procedures of working out, for example aerobics, jogging, running and walking. This comprises basketball shoes, running shoes, fitness shoes, walking shoes and others.

Drivers:

Prosperous sector of retail e-commerce, increasing attentiveness and interest about the benefits of fitness and the sporting actions, all over the world and growing stages of per capita earnings of the customers are expected to be the important reasons fueling the development of the athletic footwear industry.

Likewise, the persons are more and more understanding the significance of using proper category of shoes for sporting actions so as to avert the back pain, knee pain, hip pain, damages to muscle and injuries to leg. Therefore, the demand for athletic shoes is estimated to record a high growth during the period of approaching years.

Get Sample PDFand read more details about the "Athletic Footwear Market" Report 2025.

Restraints:

The increasing prices of raw material is a most important reason obstructing the development of the global athletic footwear market. The normal price of the upper leather of a shoe, hiked with substantial percentage in historical year. That affected, on the market of athletic footwear, adversely.

Classification:

The global athletic footwear industry can be classified by Sales Network, Gender, Type and Region. By Sales Network, it can be classified as Shoe Stores, E- Commerce, Specialty Stores, Sport Stores, Supermarkets, Hypermarkets and Others. By Gender, it can be classified as Kids, Men, and Women. By Type, it can be classified as Sports Shoes, Walking Shoes, Aerobic Shoes, Trekking & Hiking Shoes, Backpacking Shoes and Running Shoes.

Regional Lookout:

By Region the global athletic footwear market can be classified as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. The North American region had ruled the market by way of a share of income. In 2017, it was around 30.0%. The area is expected to carry on leading the market during the period of forecast. The U.S.A is the important donor of the revenue to the local market. This can be credited to the people having greater interest for the sporting activities, and the activities of adventure and fitness, for example trail running, hiking, training and aerobics.

Asia Pacific was responsible for the maximum consignments which were nearby 260 million units, in 2017. It is estimated that the area will carry on its domination during the period of 2018 to 2025. This can be mainly credited to an extensive base of people and lesser normal price of selling of the athletic footwear within the province, as equated to with the advanced nations, for example the U.S.A and the U.K.

The Asia Pacific estimated to see the maximum percentage of development during period of the forecast. It tracked by Latin America. Increasing infiltration of e-commerce along with the growing per capita earnings are projected to perform an important part in boosting the demand for athletic footwear in Asia Pacific. Growing interest for joining in a number of sporting actions, is increasing the development of the athletic footwear industry within the state.

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Companies:

Some of the important companies for athletic footwear market are: Woodland Worldwide, Saucony, Puma SE, Vans, Lotto Sport Italia S.p.A, Fila Inc., Adidas AG, Skechers USA, Inc., Reebok International, Nike, Inc., New Balance Athletics, Inc., Under Arm our, Inc., and ASICS Corporation. Additional notable companies are Osiris Shoes, BK Footwear, Crocs Inc., Saucony Inc., VANS Inc., Brooks Sports Inc., Wolverine World Wide Inc., K-Swiss Inc. and Converse, Inc.

Browse 165 page research report with TOC on "Global Athletic Footwear Market" at: https://www.millioninsights.com/industry-reports/athletic-footwear-market

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Athletic Footwear Market to be Driven By Rising Consumer Awareness About Benefits of Fitness & Sporting Activities Till 2025 | Million Insights -...

Feb. 17, 2020, 9:30 AM UTC

Alexandra Botez was sitting in her apartment on a recent Friday in front of three computer monitors, a webcam and a microphone and losing at chess.

"This is not looking good, but this guy is not very fast," Botez said. "He's not good or fast, so hopefully we're going to win this game."

Botez, 24, is good and fast. She holds the title of Woman FIDE Master, was the first female president of the Stanford University Chess Club and remains one of the best players in Canada. And under normal circumstances, she probably wouldn't be losing to her anonymous online opponent.

But on the monitor to her right, Botez was also talking to more than 1,000 viewers who were watching the game as she offered a mix of live commentary, trash talk and thanks to the viewers who had given her contributions.

Players like Botez now serve as some of the most visible ambassadors of chess and, it can be argued, the game's first entertainers. If chess hustling turned pro, it would look something like what Botez does.

Botez, who said she used to enjoy hustling people when she was an 8-year-old chess phenom, now punishes most of her opponents online, sans the gambling. But she's not perfect.

In this game, she's down some material chess shorthand for having fewer pieces but her opponent had less than 30 seconds left on his clock.

"Let's hope we can flag this guy," she said, meaning her opponent would run out of time. He didn't, and she ended up checkmated.

Seconds later, she was starting a new game against a new opponent. Such is the life of a full-time chess livestreamer.

About six days a week, Botez sits in front of these monitors to play chess and interact with people on the internet. She's part of a growing scene of chess players who have followed in the footsteps of people who livestream themselves playing popular video games such as "Fortnite" or "League of Legends." While competitive esports has become a lucrative and growing market, popular personalities such as Tyler Blevins (better known as Ninja) who stream themselves playing games are among the market's biggest stars.

And while chess is far smaller as an esport than video games, it has grown quickly. On Twitch, the most popular internet platform to livestream esports, time spent watching chess has risen by more than 500 percent since 2016, according to data from the company. With that consumption has come some money, mostly donations from viewers facilitated by Twitch but also in sponsorship dollars.

That growth persuaded Botez in September to try livestreaming chess full time. She now has more than 60,000 followers on Twitch.

And while streaming is offering players like Botez a new way to make a living from their chess skills, it's also giving new life to one of the oldest games in the world.

"It's crazy to me to have this kind of support and this kind of viewership online for chess," Botez said. "Chess has always been a passion of mine, but it was never something that was popular. It was never something I would have imagined would have grown to what it is today."

Chess came to the attention of Twitch less than four years ago, when the company formed a partnership with Chess.com, the largest chess website, with almost 33 million members.

"Across all the different various competitive games on Twitch, chess has seen some of the most substantial growth in the same period of time than any other esport in the world," said Justin Dellario, Twitch's vice president of global esports.

The rise of esports both in terms of competitive gaming and more social online gaming first gained attention in the 1990s and the early 2000s before emerging in the past 10 years. The gaming and esports market research company Newzoo forecast that 2019 esports revenues would hit $1.1 billion. Twitch is by far the largest esports platform.

Chess hasn't enjoyed similar growth. While the game has a young, marketable genius in world champion Magnus Carlsen, it has struggled to attract the kind of money that can help sustain its growth.

"There have been times, even historically, where a world championship hasn't even been held because there wasn't enough sponsorship money," said Nick Barton, director of business development for Chess.com.

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Chessbrah is the first company built around chess streaming. Grandmaster Eric Hansen, 27, first used the term "Chessbrah" in 2015 as an online alias, and later he streamed under the name. He's credited with being one of the first people to make chess streaming its own niche esport. Chessbrah now has almost 100,000 followers on Twitch.

"I grew up watching wrestling and reality shows," Hansen said. "And that actually was a big influence."

He built up his own channel and recruited other chess players to help. Chessbrah now has six full-time programmers for its Twitch and YouTube channels. It sells hoodies, T-shirts and hats on its website, encouraging people to "join the new chess culture."

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Hansen said he sees a lot of upside for chess. He pointed to its history, its global reach and the notion that people don't need expensive computers to play it.

And many streamers aren't grandmasters like Hansen. Some are novices who are learning along with their audiences, Dellario said. He pointed to GoldDustTori, who has streamed for more than a year and started boosting her rating by more than 600 points.

While streaming isn't bringing in enough money to change the economics of the game, the prospect of streamers' attracting more people to the game and providing a way to engage with it more often could open the door to more sponsorship money, which has generally been hard to capture.

And some major chess tournaments have shown the potential to turn into major events. Twitch said the 2018 World Chess Championship attracted 4.4 million unique viewers.

The emergence of chess as an esport has also meant new avenues for players who might have otherwise moved on from the game. Botez is a prime example.

Chess players, particularly young ones who play the game at a high level, can end up burned out. Botez remembered asking her teachers to lie to her middle school classmates when she went to play in the North American championships because she was worried about fitting in. There were the hours of intense studying before big matches and the deflation after a disappointing performance. There was the tournament win that came with a college scholarship, an experience grueling enough to push her to take a break from the game.

And she never planned on turning pro.

"It wasn't fun anymore," Botez said.

Her story is a familiar one in the chess world that of an extremely talented player who may not make it to the top echelons of the game where players can make a living. Aside from teaching, there aren't many ways to make money playing chess. And there wasn't much for a casual or even semi-serious chess player to enjoy.

Even for a player of Botez's caliber, watching high-end chess games and commentary can be excruciatingly boring. Most competitive chess is played with long time allowances. Matches often last hours and end in draws.

"The broadcasts were super technical and so boring," Botez said. "I hated it."

Botez started streaming in college. It reminded her of some of her fondest memories of playing chess after tournaments were over or between rounds when players crowded around boards as people played blitz and bullet (variations of chess in which time limits are restricted to 10 minutes for each side or less) and talked some trash.

Some of her most notable livestreamed matches and most entertaining trash talk have come against grandmaster Ben Finegold. Botez grew up playing chess on the internet, but Finegold grew up playing "over the board," as real-world chess is known.

The son of a chess master, Finegold, 50, started playing competitively as the wave of attention that the American champion Bobby Fischer brought to the game in the early 1970s began to crest.

"It didn't take off after that as much as it should have," Finegold said. "Now, things are changing with the world of the internet and the fact that the U.S. is actually quite strong at chess."

Finegold climbed the ranks to become one of the top U.S. players from the 1990s through the 2010s. He became a grandmaster, the highest title given by the World Chess Federation, in 2010.

During that time, chess began to move online. The internet provided a way for people to play from the comfort of their homes against people around the world. The first internet chess server was set up in 1992, eventually becoming the Internet Chess Club, which is still in operation. Since then, numerous chess websites have sprung up, including Chess.com, Lichess and Chess24.

The vast majority of chess is now played online, Finegold said.

The introduction of video platforms also opened the door for more chess content to move online. Finegold taught at the Saint Louis Chess Club in the early 2010s, and the club began uploading his videos to YouTube.

Now, Finegold streams himself playing chess five to six times a week. His commentary usually includes a near-constant run of jokes, some of which poke fun at the peculiarities of online chess.

While Finegold grew up playing live chess in games that could often last for hours, most of his online games last less than 10 minutes. That means players, needing to move faster, often deviate from well-studied lines of play, known as theory.

"Still theory," Finegold will joke when launching a particularly bizarre series of moves that would never work in a longer game. (This is quite funny to chess enthusiasts.)

Winning is still paramount. When Botez streams, her competitiveness is evident and her tone can often match how she's playing. But livestreamed chess also brings a certain levity to mistakes.

Botez is particularly known in the chess world for the Botez Gambit. While many players have particular strategies (often called gambits) associated with their names, Botez's is unique. The Botez Gambit is now chess shorthand for accidentally losing one's queen, an often fatal error in a chess game.

It's something she's embraced. She's even got a compilation of Botez Gambits on YouTube.

It's an internet sensibility that might have been hard to imagine just a few years ago.

"It's OK if you make mistakes," she said. "Just move on in and have some fun with it."

And that's a feeling that isn't confined to the new guard. Finegold said he's looking forward to where streaming is going.

"Chess could be fun, too," Finegold said. "It doesn't have to be super serious all the time."

CORRECTION (Feb. 17, 2020, 10:42 a.m. ET): A previous version of this article misstated when Ben Finegold became a grandmaster. He achieved the title in 2010, not 2002.

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Fast-and-loose culture of esports is upending once staid world of chess - NBC News