For decades, the 14th Dalai Lama has said that kindness is the only religion, and that differences can be put aside if people see themselves as belonging to a larger world community. Gandhis words, as well as the teachings of Buddhist masters, have guided him, he says. While accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo in 1989, he said it was a tribute to the man who founded the modern tradition of non-violent action for change, Mahatma Gandhi, whose life taught and inspired me". To mark Gandhis 150th birth anniversary, the Dalai Lama spoke to Mint about the continuing relevance of Gandhi and the ideas of non-violence and kindness.

What is it about Mahatma Gandhi that continues to inspire you?

He was the most influential person of the 20th century with his idea of non-violence, ahimsa. He took a 3,000-year-old Indian tradition of ahimsa and karuna (compassion) and made it something living and relevant. He made it relevant by fighting for Indias freedom through non-violencethats great.

At that time, some people may have felt that Gandhis non-violence was a sign of weakness, but non-violence under difficult circumstances is a strength, not a weakness. As far as I know, Nelson Mandela totally followed Mahatma Gandhis way. As did Martin Luther King (Jr).

Personally, since childhood, we often heard about Mahatma Gandhi of India". On one occasion in a dream, I met Mahatma Gandhiji (chuckles). We didnt talk, just his face (appeared). In winter, I stayed in the Potala Palace, in summer in the Norbulingka Palace. So once, during winter in the Potala, in my dream, Mahatma Gandhiji appeared. Not like in the pictures but a real Gandhi (laughs).

What is the relevance of Gandhis ideas and non-violence today?

It is quite simple. Now, many scientists say basic human nature is compassionate because we are social animals. In ancient times, the community meant your own family and your own village; in the modern sense, community is the whole world. The world is the same human community. If you think of that, non-violence is very relevant. As individuals, our future and our prosperity depends on the world community, on all communities.

We Tibetans consider India our sacred neighbour because the Buddha dharma came from India. I jovially tell people, traditionally, for thousands of years we considered Indians our guru, and we were the chela (disciple), the very reliable chela. In the gurus own land, the Nalanda tradition has been seeing many ups and downs. During these periods, we, as the reliable chela, kept the Nalanda tradition intact.

Previously, you were the guru and we the chela; now I think its different (laughs). You have forgotten the Nalanda tradition, but weve kept it alive. Here in exile, we have our own organized community and have re-established all those historical monastic traditions in this country. So now, one of my commitments is to revive the ancient Indian knowledge of ahimsa and karuna, not through prayer but through training the mind and emotion.

Do you think Mahatma Gandhi was an influential guru or a humble chela?

First, he was a chela of Indias thousands-years-old tradition. Then, many millions of followers came along and they considered Mahatma Gandhi a guru

Do you think Gandhi was influential because he never thought of himself as a guru but as a chela?

Completely agree. Thats true. Frankly speaking, I also have many followers. I have always considered myself a simple Buddhist monk. The seven billion human beings in the world are the same mentally, emotionally and physically. This conviction brings a sense of oneness with seven billion beings. Some Lamas, including some Indian gurus, they feel they have something special (laughs).

I, too, face some danger of people praising me too much. Then, at that time, you must tell yourself, You are a humble follower of Buddha." Thats very important. If you yourself become a slave of destructive emotion, how can you teach other people?Dalai Lama

So do you think weakness is part of greatness?

This is quite a philosophical question (laughs). It is important to know your own weakness. Then you can improve. If some Tibetan and Hindu Lamas consider themselves great, it is important to test, to criticize, to tease them. If they still remain completely calm, that shows they truly practice or implement what they teach other people.

Today, how do people live in simplicity, with older traditions, without ego or anger, when there is so much inequality and distraction due to technology?

Modern education came from the West, introduced by the British. This system does not know how to tackle emotional problems through meditation. Modern education is oriented towards material wealth. So, when people face anger, hatred, fear or jealousy, they do not know how to tackle it. India must revive ancient knowledge through analytic meditation to reduce destructive emotion, and increase constructive emotion.

My latest commitment is to try to revive this ancient Indian knowledge in modern India. It is the only nation that can combine modern education, technology, science, these things that are very useful, with ancient Indian knowledge of how to bring peace of mind.

Was Gandhi a link between the ancient and modern?

Gandhiji totally dedicated himself to non-violence but I dont know how much he contributed to combine modern education and ancient Indian education about the mind. Gandhiji was a very practical person and educated in England. He was committed to ahimsa, but karuna (compassion), I dont know.

How do you make Mahatma Gandhi, 150 years after his birth, relevant today? The younger generation only sees him on Indian currency notes...

(chuckles) The world needs Mahatma Gandhijis teachings and practice of non-violence. Many problems in the world today are of our own creation. Whenever we see a problem, our first reaction is to ask how to tackle this by force. Thats totally wrong. Violence may be a sincere motivation, but the method is wrong. Violence is mutual destruction. In human history, the weapon has become very important. That is the outdated way. One nation cannot eliminate the rest of the nations who are not very friendly with it. Whether we like it or not, we have to live side by sidethats the reality.

A modern education is very much oriented towards material wealththats not adequate. How to tackle anger, fearthese are not religious matters, these are a question of health of the mind of the human being. Education should include education about peace of mind, not based on religious faith but on common sense.

Mahatma Gandhi preached ahimsa and you talk of kindness. How are the two different or similar?

I dont know. You should examine. But sometimes, I feel my work is more at a mental level, his was more at an action level (laughs). Im a student of the Nalanda tradition. From childhood, we learn logic and psychology.

Do you think Mahatma Gandhi was more of a politician or a spiritual leader?

After he returned from England, Gandhi started the non-violence movement in South Africa. This was purely a moral and spiritual issue. Then he came to India, and practised non-violence. In India as he himself is an Indian, maybe there was some political implication. In South Africa, it was pure theory and philosophy; he was a spiritual leader.

I always consider myself a follower of Mahatma Gandhiji. In the philosophical field, my knowledge may be better than Gandhiji (chuckles) because we study from childhood the Nalanda texts, which deal with quantum physics. When I have discussions with scientists on quantum physics, I respect them, but mentally, I feel I know better (laughs). Quantum physics clearly explains the differences between appearance and reality. In order to tackle our destructive emotions such as anger and extreme attachment, we need to understand this gapthat nothing exists objectively as it appears but is entirely dependent on the observer.

Like Gandhiji, you have faced great challenges in your life in the pursuit of your objective. How do you remain an optimist?

First, I consider myself one of seven billion human beings. I see no difference. Chinese, Tibetan, Indian, European... We are the same, emotionally, physically, mentally. On that level, my commitment is to try to promote peace of mind among seven billion beings, to offer compassion or karuna, strictly secularly, not based on religion.

My second commitment as a Buddhist monk is promotion of religious harmony. I have full confidence that religious harmony is possible. Look at India. For more than 2,000 years, so many religions from outside have lived together alongside the home-grown traditions. There are little problems, but thats mainly because politicians manipulate; but basically, religious harmony is very much alive here.

I always tell Tibetans, it is much better to keep Chinese as our brothers and sisters than consider them as our enemyno use. For the time being, there is a problem with the Chinese neighbour, but that is a few individuals in the Communist Party. A number of Chinese leaders now realize that their 70-year policy regarding Tibet is unrealistic. There was too much emphasis on the use of force. So now they are in a dilemma: How to deal with the Tibetan problem? So things are changing. I think within one or two years, there is a possibility of me visiting China. But I love freedom and I enjoy Indias freedom. Indian freedom over 60 years has spoilt me (laughs).

Is there a link between the conflict in the world and the way we live?

The source of the problem is a self-centred attitude. The antidote is altruism. With greater altruism, the self-centred attitude reduces. This attitude brings anger, hatred and fear. Science has found that the basic human nature is compassionate. Our basic nature is to be social, appreciate the others kindness, smile. Live in kindness.

You said at the start of the interview that you saw Gandhi in your dream. If you were to really meet him today, what would be the first thing you would say to him?

I very much want to meet him, and first, touch his feet. Then, I think he may have some idea about how to deal with China.

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Our world is in need of the Mahatmas teachings: Dalai Lama - Livemint

Big Brother is back, baby.

The mystical world of turkey slaps, bum dances, cheating spouses and weird sleep disrupting games will be joining us in our lounge rooms once again in 2020.

Given the OG Big Brother house was recently incinerated, were super keen to see where the new digs will be but first, the new owners of the reality TV show (Channel Seven) have to find them some willing participants to chuck into the fishbowl.

Remember in 2005 when the Logan brothers went in as one and had to get in the nude to change spots? Ah, mems. Post continues after video.

You can apply to be on the show here, but to save you the trouble of filling in a few pages of boring details to get to the juicy bits, weve fake applied for you and wowza, are the questions intense.

We also thoroughly enjoy that we no longer have a name, we are a number, applicant: b5213a-1-774105.

It felt a little bit like we might actually be applying for ASIO, except the questions arent trying to find out if wed be suitable spies, theyre mining us for every little bit of juice in our backstory.

Heres what they want to know:

So if and when you get past the 90 questions stripping you bare of every last secret in your life, where to then?

Well, its likely youll have to send in a little video introducing yourself and then if you get past THAT stage, you get to go back to drama class

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All the pervy questions you'll have to answer if you want to apply for Big Brother 2020. - Mamamia

Changing Health, Attitudes and Actions to Recreate Girls, or CHAARG, is coming to UNT in January 2020. This new organizations goal is to inspire young women on campus to get active and find a passion for healthy living while still having fun.

Over 50 colleges across the United States have started their own CHAARG chapter and over 10,000 girls are involved in the community.

My goal for CHAARG is to empower women to be the best version of themselves, UNT CHAARG ambassadorAsya Pitre said. I want this organization to be an eye-opener to the world of fitness and health and give a taste of various workouts. Hopefully, girls will be able to find what they enjoy most.

Weekly workout sessions on campus will be offered with local instructors around the Denton area. Classes will vary from kickboxing, yoga and CrossFit, among others.

We want to make sure every woman feels welcomed and comfortable, no matter what fitness level they are starting at, CHAARG VP memberSabrina Ragsdale said. With you typical local gyms, the majority of the people there are men working out and this can be intimidating. With CHAARG, we are building a close-knit community and giving women the opportunity to gain the confidence and comfort to step into the fitness world.

CHAARG is also aiming to encourage college-age girls to live a healthier lifestyle, both physically and mentally.

Whether it be studying, self-care, or working on yourself mentally, I think thats the main goal for this organization, CHAARG member Uel Trejo said. We want to push people to be the best versions of themselves.

During the fall semester, the executive board will be going through training to prepare for spring recruitment and activities.

We have online training through CHAARGs website, Pitre said. We are trained by the founder and executive of expansion through modules on each specific positions responsibilities and how to effectively run the chapter to ensure the girls feel comfortable and included. For the last seven weeks, Ive been training with the other founding ambassadors at other chapters across the nation.

The entire calendar of events is set to be finished by the end of the fall 2019 semester, which will include workouts, spa days and possible coffee shop meet-ups. Weekly workouts and girly dates will be available for all members to participate in, as well as smaller group workouts planned inside the organizations group chat.

Ideas have been tossed around, Trejo said. There will be different events that people can show up to to fit their schedule. We have a group chat right now where girls can talk to each other and plan workout days together. Usually 4-5 girls go together.

Fall events will be posted through their Instagram account to help introduce members to each other. The group will also table periodically on campus.

The most important way to spread this awesome organization is by word of mouth, Ragsdale said. We are relying heavily on the smiling faces to draw like-minded girls to the UNT CHAARG Chapter.

People whove heard about us are really interested in CHAARG, Trejo said. They say its hard to find people to workout with and have that mentality with and I understand that. People are busy and they dont always have the same schedules that line up. Having a group where they want to stay healthy, it encourages them to be better themselves.

Members hope that girls on campus will join the UNT CHAARG community and take advantage of this organization.

These workouts will be surrounded by positive, motivating, and amazing girls, Pitre said. I know how difficult it can be to balance classes, work, a social life, and personal time. This organization will build great habits that will carry on in these girls lives.

Featured Image:Chemistry senior Sabrina Ragsdale (left) and biology junior Asya Pitre (right) display the CHAARG hand sign in front of the Physics Building on Sept. 17, 2019. The UNT CHAARG chapter will go live in Jan. 2020. Image by Meredith Holser

Originally posted here:
Women's health and fitness group, CHAARG, coming to UNT in the spring - North Texas Daily

Living a healthy lifestyle requires making smart choices about what to eat, what to do for activity, not smoking and getting enough sleep. The simple answer for why some people can do this so well is willpower they have the power to say no to unhealthy options no matter how tempting they may be.

This isnt to say that poor willpower is to blame for poor health. Making healthy decisions is difficult under the best circumstances, but in an environment that encourages poor choices, it is even more difficult. But having the mindset to take control and say no when necessary is essential for adopting healthy habits.

Because of the personal, emotional and social factors surrounding food, eating, activity and sleep, making lasting health improvements is challenging, to say the least. Ultimately, you are responsible for what you eat and how much you exercise. Taking control of these factors is difficult it requires saying no a lot but essential for your success.

When you are trying to lose weight or just eat healthier, the right diet can help. Some foods, typically those with sugar and refined carbohydrates, can leave you feeling hungry soon after you eat. Other foods that contain fiber, protein and fat can help you feel full longer. But choosing healthier foods instead of unhealthy options means that you need to make difficult choices, even when hunger or convenience are an issue.

Support from other people can help you make better eating and activity choices. You are more likely to stick to an exercise program if you do it with others, either people you know or in a group exercise setting. Many people find that weight loss programs which include group support and being accountable to others improves their adherence and success. And having support at home helps with everything from preparing healthy meals to going to bed earlier to get more sleep.

On the other hand, people in your life can interfere with your success. Spouses, friends and acquaintances can knowingly or unknowingly make comments or decisions that can sabotage your best efforts. A friend who knows you are on a diet but bakes brownies for you anyway or a family member who serves large portions or second helpings at dinner can make sticking to your diet more difficult. A coworker who schedules a meeting during lunch when you take time to exercise can get in the way of your activity goals. Managing these situations requires you to stand up for yourself and say no sometimes.

Saying no isnt easy and requires practice to be more comfortable doing it. Your own personal belief about your ability to do this, called self-efficacy, is critical to your success. The degree of your self-confidence is based on your own past experience as well as your thoughts and feelings about the behavior you wish to change. Chances are that if you have tried and failed to do something new in the past, you may feel less hopeful about your success this time. Think about it this way: Your past experiences have taught you what doesnt work and what not to try this time around. This information can help guide you to an approach that will work for you. Once you believe that this time is different, you have a better chance for success.

Even with the perfect diet, the best exercise program and a supportive environment, being successful requires making difficult choices sometimes. And more often than not, that means saying no!

Brian Parr, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Exercise and Sports Science at USC Aiken where he teaches courses in exercise physiology, nutrition and health behavior. You can learn more about this and other health and fitness topics at http://drparrsays.com or on Twitter @drparrsays.

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HEALTH AND FITNESS: Just say no! | Features - Aiken Standard

From step trackers to weight loss programs, people are using their smart phone apps to track their health-related issues. Experts are warning of some potential downsides of not reading the Fine Print before sharing personal information.

Maureen Tsuchida, like many others, turned to health-related apps because they are quick and convenient.

I put everything from blood work to immunization records, to medication, to eyeglasses, to checkups. Ive really become very dependent on it, Tsuchida said.

Health and medical apps can help keep track of your familys medical profiles.

Tsuchida is a tech blogger and knows that even the most secure apps can be compromised, so she is sure to read the fine print and to make sure her information is not being stored on a remote server.

For certain medical apps, I make sure that its not being backed up somewhere else, Tsuchida said.

Thats just one of the ways consumers can safeguard their personal health information.

There are tons of benefits of using these applications, however, you have to be aware of the privacy and security risks, Dr. Lina Bouayad said.

Assistant Professor in the College of Business at Florida International University, Dr. Lina Bouayad says the technological advances are making it possible to share your entire health file with app.

It can connect you to patients like yourself, it can find you the best provider for your condition, the lowest cost for treatment possible, so all of these are benefits that you can get from those apps, Bouayad said.

Unlike hospitals and doctors, that by law must protect this information, apps, and technology companies dont have to follow the same rules.

Once the user provides consent, once they allow sharing of the information, then the app can basically share that data to whomever they choose to, Bouayad said.

She says you should read the terms and conditions of an app. She advises consumers to select apps that are transparent about the type of health information they collect and how it is used and to be certain the apps you choose has built-in security measures like encoding stored and transmitted data.

Experts also warn that you should be leery of free apps.

Theyre probably selling your personal data. After all, they have to make money one way or the other, said Consumer Reports Tech Editor Bree Fowler.

Bree Fowler with Consumer Reports says there could be unforeseen issues.

We recommend taking a good hard look before deciding whether to hand over your data or not. Were concerned that if your personal data gets out there it could ultimately lead to workplace discrimination, Fowler said.

As for Maureen, she says shell be more vigilant when using health apps.

I have not only my information but my sons information too, Tsuchida said.

Consumer Reports also says to check the terms of service of the app and whether the app is asking for permission to access your contacts or photos or allows it to share your data with third parties.

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You Should Read the 'Fine Print' of Health and Fitness Apps: Experts - NBC 6 South Florida

More than 71 million U.S. consumers used a health club in 2018, according to IHRSA. With the growth of health and fitness club consumers exceeding 34 percent since 2008, the era of fitness has certainly arrived. Yet less than 20 percent of consumers are health club members. What if health clubs could become a bigger part of the solution for peoples health, thus lowering medical costs and further expanding the market for the health club industry? Working with health care providers can be a big contributor to further growth for the health club industry while doing a lot of good for the nations health.

Reducing health care costs while helping people avoid and manage chronic conditions more productively is a real and present opportunity when considering the numbers. According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, six in 10 Americans have at least one chronic disease. These conditions include cardiovascular disease, depression and diabetes, among many others. Chronic illnesses negatively impact the lives of many Americans and their families every day. These conditions are also costing a lot of money; around $2 trillion of the now $3.6 trillion annual cost of health care in the United States can be attributed to chronic diseases. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, this will only get worse since costs are forecasted to reach an unsustainable $6 trillion by 2027.

In a recent episode of ABC Financials Fitness Industry Innovation podcast, Reshape MD CEO Jeff Skeen discussed his views regarding the integration of healthcare and fitness. (You can listen to the interview here.) According to Skeen, the fitness and medical industry have long existed in a state of friction, while ultimately serving consumers on the same front health and wellness. Skeen and host Kelly Card, chief engagement officer at ABC, dive into the intricacies of how the medical and fitness industries can complement each other with increased medical connectivity. The need for this integration is upon us, according to many industry experts such as Skeen.

Sedentary lifestyles are fueling the epidemic levels of lifestyle-related illnesses. As many studies reflect, exercise is medicine. According to Helen Durkin, IHRSAs executive vice president for public policy: The industry plays a pivotal role in solving our nations current health and health care crises. Americas health clubs provide much-needed support, innovative equipment, and training, and safe, secure spaces that enable people to more easily stay physically active year-round and from year to year. And its precisely because regular exercise is critical to our countrys health and economic future that keeping the health club industry strong not only benefits IHRSA members but the health, happiness and prosperity of the entire country.

Public awareness of the benefits of exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle that helps prevent chronic diseases is increasing. In addition, other factors are creating an emerging opportunity for the health club industry overall when it comes to the integration of health care and other services with fitness. Medical delivery models are changing, and consumers are increasingly becoming the CEOs of their own health and well-being. New technologies, boomer demographic trends and patients increasingly paying out-of-pocket for health care services are all trends combining to create new innovative business opportunities for health club businesses. More Americans are turning to lower-cost alternatives while seeking more convenient practical solutions to prevent or better manage the catastrophic impact of poor health. Physicians are responding by supporting digital tools while ditching traditional methods and medications and, instead, prescribing preventative lifestyle solutions, such as health club memberships.

These trends are just getting started and a wide-ranging set of new and innovative business models that integrate traditional health care with preventive lifestyle servicesincluding nutrition, stress management and exerciseare emerging. As economic pressures continue to increase on the healthcare system investments in alternative preventive and proactive disease management services as a logical alternative will become more popular. This is why medically integrated healthy lifestyle services are going to become a bigger part of the fitness industry. Given that the current health club industry reaches less than 20 percent of the U.S. population, the opportunity to reach a much larger market by offering these solutions is very promising.

Helping our industry understand the challenges and opportunities surrounding the integration of the health care and health club industries is why ABC Financial is sponsoring the Healthcare & Fitness Integration Summit at the Club Industry Show Oct. 9-11, 2019, at the Hilton Chicago. Leaders from the fitness industry will be collaborating with physicians and others interested in working with health clubs, to learn about the issues affecting the industries and to discover how the industries can collaborate to make our country healthier.

By working together, health club industry leaders can integrate fitness services with the medical community and make an even greater positive impact on the health of the nation, while lowering health care costs and expanding the reach of the health club market.

About ABC Financial Services

ABC Financial (abcfinancial.com) is a premier provider of technology and related financial services for the health and fitness industry, renown for exceptional client service for clubs and their members. Its market-leading billing and collections solutions automate the revenue cycle that enable owners and operators to achieve better financial performance, all in a Software-as-a-Service and cloud-based platform. ABCs comprehensive technology solutions include DataTrak advanced health club management and MYiCLUBonline extensible member engagement platforms that allow owners and operators to efficiently manage employees, members, resources and sales and to drive improved member engagement. Founded in 1981, ABC helps more than 7,500 health clubs across the United States, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico perform better and more profitably. ABC Financial is a Thoma Bravo portfolio company, a private equity firm based in San Francisco and Chicago (thomabravo.com).

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Medically Integrated Services and the Fitness Industry - Club Industry

Physically fit young adults have healthier white matter in their brains and better thinking skills than young people who are out of shape, according to a large-scale new study of the links between aerobic fitness and brain health. The findings suggest that even when people are youthful and presumably at the peak of their mental prowess, fitness or the lack of it may influence how well their brains and minds work.

We already have plenty of tantalizing evidence that aerobic fitness can beneficently shape our brains and cognition. In animal experiments, mice and rats that run on wheels or treadmills produce far more new neurons in their brains than sedentary animals and perform better on tests of rodent intelligence and memory. Similarly, studies involving people show strong relationships between being physically active or fit and having greater brain volume and stronger thinking abilities than people with low fitness or who rarely exercise.

But most of these past studies focused on middle-aged or older adults, whose brains often are starting to sputter and contract with age. For them, fitness and exercise are believed to help slow any decline, keeping brain tissue and function relatively youthful. Much less has been known about whether fitness likewise might be related to the structure and function of healthy, younger peoples brains.

So, for the new study, which was published last month in Scientific Reports, scientists at the University of Mnster in Germany decided to look inside the skulls of a large group of young adults.

They began by turning to a hefty trove of data gathered as part of the Human Connectome Project, an international collaborative effort that aims to help map much of the human brain and tease out how it works.

As part of that project, more than 1,200 young men and women in the United States recently agreed to have their brains scanned with a specialized type of M.R.I. that looks at the health of their brains white matter. White matter consists of the many connections between neurons and brain regions. It is, essentially, the brains communications wiring. (The working neurons make up the brains gray matter.)

The volunteers, who mostly were in their 20s, also completed multiple questionnaires about their health and lives, a general medical checkup, and a two-minute walk test, a widely used measurement of aerobic fitness that involves walking as rapidly as possible for two minutes, to see how far you get.

Finally, they sat through a battery of cognitive tests, designed to quantify how well they could reason and remember in various ways.

The German researchers then gathered all of this information and began crosschecking it, comparing the young peoples fitness and thinking skills, their fitness and white matter health, and their white matter health and ability to think.

And they found a variety of interesting correlations. The young people, all of whom were healthy, had covered a wide range of distances in their two-minute walks. Some of those young men and women covered far less distance than others, marking them as the least physically fit.

These relatively out-of-shape young people generally performed worst on the tests of memory and thinking skills, the scientists found. Their brain scans also indicated that their white matter was slightly weaker and more frayed than in the brains of the young men and women who had walked farthest in those two minutes.

These relationships remained intact when the researchers controlled for the young peoples body mass indexes, socioeconomic status, age, gender, blood sugar levels and blood pressures.

In essence, the fitter people in this group were, the more robust their white matter looked, and the better they performed on tests of memory and thinking skills.

The researchers were taken aback by the strength of the associations between the young adults fitness, thinking and white-matter health, says Dr. Jonathan Repple, a psychiatrist and neuroscience researcher at the University of Mnster who oversaw the new study.

There already are a few studies published looking at older people and their brains and fitness, he says, but to observe this in a young sample was quite surprising.

This study provides only a snapshot of one moment in the lives of these young people, though, and can show only links between their fitness, white matter and thinking skills. It cannot prove that greater fitness directly caused their brains to look and function better.

It also did not measure or ask about exercise habits, so it is not clear how much or what kinds of exercise might be needed if you are young and want to raise your fitness and potentially also bulk up your white matter and cognitive skills.

Dr. Repple says he and his colleagues are planning experiments to test whether and how various exercise programs affect fitness and the brain in people of different ages.

But already, this study and others suggest that being fit may matter for brain health earlier than many of us might think.

Even at a young age, physical fitness has beneficial effects not just on the body, Dr. Repple says, but also on brain health and brain functioning.

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Being Young, Active and Physically Fit May Be Very Good for Your Brain - The New York Times

A patent filing has revealed Apple may be investigating how to integrate health monitoring technology into clothing. Filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, it shows a soft, stretchable band potentially designed to be woven into fabric, and could also contain sensors to monitor the bodys vital signs.

What would the band look for? Think about it as the next stage on from whats possible with the Apple Watch. Expect heart rate sensing and an electrocardiogram feature, in addition to blood pressure, blood sugar levels, blood oxygen levels, respiration rates, and additional fitness-orientated measurements including activity and step count.

The filing indicates that the band will connect wirelessly to another device, likely for control and data syncing, which could mean a future iPhone or Apple Watch. However, there is some evidence the band will have touch-sensitive sections for user control when its being worn, and also the potential for voice control through a microphone, too.

The bands stretchable material is key to making it work properly, as it will need to be in almost constant contact with the skin to accurately take the important measurements. Whether Apple sees this as a compression-style undergarment, rather than a casually worn t-shirt, is not clear. Durability is another concern. The patent suggests the fabric, circuitry, and power capacitors for energy storage used will be suitable for washing at home, without removing components first.

Since the introduction of the Apple Watch, Apple has realized the potential in health monitoring technology, and has gone on to introduce important new features to the Watch including an ECG, fall detection, and more. Apple has also invested in research with the medical community to help people monitor, manage, and diagnose health and fitness conditions. A smartwatch enables many of these features, but its size and location on the body limits the amount it will eventually be able to do. Smart clothing is the logical next step.

The patent filing does not guarantee Apple will ever make smart clothing, or integrate a stretchable health monitoring band like the one described into a garment. However, well-known engineer Daniel Podhajny, responsible for Nikes FlyKnit material, is listed as one of the contributors to this particular patent, indicating it has a potentially higher chance of going beyond the idea phase.

Read more from the original source:
Apples next health tracker may be woven into your clothes - Digital Trends

NILES Want to try the Y? Heres your chance to do it for free.

The YMCA of Southwest Michigan is hosting Health Week, which features free activities and free admission, at the Niles-Buchanan YMCA, 905 N. Front St., from Sunday through Oct. 12.

The week kicks off with a Health and Fitness Expo in partnership with Andrews University from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday.

The Veggie Van will visit the Y from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday to offer free healthy foods and nutrition information, courtesy of Spectrum Health Lakeland.

Guests who enter the Y for free during the week will have the same opportunities YMCA members have, including the weight and cardio room (only for those age 16 and older), warm water therapy pool and six-lane lap pool, group fitness classes, indoor track, gymnasium and more.

To receive free admission, community members age 16 and older are required to have identification for entry, or must be checked in with a parent or guardian. Anyone age 15 or younger must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at check-in.

For more information on Health Week, visit ymca- swm.com/healthweek or call the Niles-Buchanan YMCA at 269-683-1552.

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Niles YMCA to host Health Week, offer free admission - South Bend Tribune

Working out too hard and not working out hard enough can both sabotage your fitness progress. The RPE scale can help you exercise at the right intensity.

Fitness progress is all about intensity. You'll only get faster if you practice running faster, and you'll only get stronger if you keep adding more weight. It's the basic rule of progressive overload: You must gradually increase the physical demands of your body to reach your fitness goals.

When working out, you should monitor your intensity to make sure you're exercising at a level that pushes you toward your goals, but not at a level that might injure you. You can do that with metrics like heart rate and VO2 max, but there's something much simpler you can use: perceived exertion.

Related:7 ways to recover from a tough workout

In the world of fitness, there's a nifty scale called Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) that goes from 1-10. Personal trainers often use RPE to gauge their clients' efforts during or after a workout. It's an incredibly simple yet powerful way of tracking fitness, but it hasn't gained much traction outside of the realm of personal training.

RPE basically involves asking yourself, "on a scale of one to 10, how hard is this activity right now?" Because of its simplicity, RPE serves as an easy, accurate way to track fitness progress for beginners.

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If you do any internet research on this topic, you'll notice that there are two RPE scales. The original RPE scale was called the Borg Scale of Perceived Exertion, developed by Dr. Gunnar Borg, who introduced it in the 1950s.

This older model runs from 6 to 20, with 6 correlating to no exertion at all (like watching TV) and 20 correlating to maximum effort (like sprinting at a pace you can't maintain for more than a few seconds).

The Borg scale's range of 6 to 20 might seem odd, but Borg designed it that way to correspond to healthy heart rates. The starting point, 6, corresponds to the healthy resting heart rate of 60 beats per minute (bpm); 8 corresponds to 80 bpm; and so forth.

Over time, a modified version of the Borg scale worked its way to the forefront. It's a typical 1-10 scale, and it's based on overall exertion, not heart rate. This is the scale known today as "RPE" and it's the one most fitness professionals recommend for beginners.

The RPE scale goes as follows:

Level 1: no effort at all (watching TV)

Level 2: barely noticeable effort (tying shoes)

Level 3: very light effort (washing dishes, folding clothes)

Level 4: light effort (leisurely walking)

Level 5: moderate effort (brisk walking)

Level 6: moderately difficult effort (jogging, easy hike)

Level 7: difficult effort (running, lifting moderately heavy weights)

Level 8: very difficult effort (lifting very heavy weights, difficult hike)

Level 9: extremely difficult effort (mountain biking on an incline)

Level 10: maximum effort (sprint at the end of a race)

RPE is based on how you feel during a specific workout, and everyone has different RPEs for different types of workouts.

You can also think of the RPE scale in this way, which is more fun and applicable to any activity:

Level 1: I'm doing nothing and I feel great.

Level 2: Still not really doing much, I could do this all day.

Level 3: I'm breathing a bit harder now, but I can maintain this pace.

Level 4: I'm starting to sweat, but I can still hold a conversation.

Level 5: I just pushed past the point of comfortable, but I can still talk easily.

Level 6: I'm feeling breathless and it's getting harder to talk. I'm sweating more now.

Level 7: I'm breathing very hard and my muscles burn. No talking, just grunting.

Level 8: Don't ask me a question -- I can't answer. I'm dripping sweat.

Level 9: OK, this really hurts. Can we stop now?

Level 10: I think I might die.

Someone who does yoga often might rate a basic yoga class as a level 3. Someone who's never done yoga, even if they are very fit, might rate the same yoga class as a level 6.

Professional runner Megan Roche told CNET that for most people, RPE is event-specific. For example, a runner and a powerlifter will rate a 3-mile run very differently. The runner might log it as a level 4, while the powerlifter might log it as a level 8. If they go on a hike together, they might both rate the hike as a level 6.

"The key is tuning into relative efforts for the activity, which should correlate with fitness over time," Roche said. "However, it's a constant recalibration process. If that 'easy' run makes you sore, it's probably not easy and you need to adjust how you think of your RPE."

Keep in mind, though, that effort isn't everything. You shouldn't misconstrue RPE to mean that you always need to workout at level 7 or higher. Exercising at too great an intensity too often can lead to injury and fatigue, among other symptoms of overtraining.

In fact, as a CrossFit coach, I encourage all of my athletes to take at least one full rest day (do nothing day) and one active recovery day each week. On an active recovery day, you should exercise at an RPE of 2 to 4. This easy level of exercise encourages blood flow, flushes out lactic acid, loosens up stiff muscles and counteracts inflammation.

Related: 6 health stats that matter more than your body weight

Effectively using RPE requires diligent logging, as does any other method of tracking your fitness.

You could always go the old-fashioned route of logging RPE by hand, much like the way you'd keep a pen-and-paper food journal. Make sure to write the full workout and any details that affect your effort level. For a running workout, you'd want to log pace and distance at a minimum. You could also include incline, temperature and terrain.

For a weightlifting workout, write down your sets and reps, weight loads and rest intervals. Don't just write "3x10 squat." Write "Back squat, 3x10, 150 pounds, 60 seconds rest between sets." Then log the RPE.

Here's an example of what might go in my RPE notebook:

CrossFit benchmark workout "Grace": 30 clean-and-jerks for time at 95 pounds. Time: 4 minutes, 51 seconds. RPE: 8.

If I decided to complete "Grace" again three months later, the entry might look like this:

CrossFit benchmark workout "Grace": 30 clean-and-jerks for time at 95 pounds. Time: 4 minutes, 25 seconds. RPE: 8.

According to those entries, I completed more work in less time, but felt the same. That shows I got more efficient (stronger, faster or both) at the clean-and-jerk.

You should also note other variables that play into RPE, such as fatigue level or soreness when starting the workout. You could do the same exact workout twice, but rate the second go-around as more difficult because you were tired or sore before even beginning.

Strava's new features, Perceived Exertion and Fitness, allow you to see long-term RPE trends across your workouts.

There aren't many ways to track RPE digitally, but there are some. Strava, the endurance sport-tracking app, just released a new RPE feature called Perceived Exertion, along with a feature called Fitness. These two features work together to allow app users to manually log workout intensity and view how workouts stack up over time.

Intensity, a workout app for strength training, has a nice setup based on progression tracking, which is what RPE is all about. Its many features collectively allow you to identify strengths and weaknesses among your workouts.

Loaded - Workout Journal also supports RPE tracking, along with a number of other functions.

With so many high-tech and in-depth ways to track health and fitness, you might wonder why you should use RPE. True, RPE might seem old-school, but exercising based on how you feel can offer valuable insights.

As Roche notes, "RPE is valuable because the brain incorporates countless variables to determine exertion. Heart rate is one thing, aerobic capacity another, but also everything from temperature to stress levels to sleep to energy availability."

So on the surface, RPE seems simple, but it actually meshes many fitness metrics into one.

"We have a computer in our head doing all these complex calculations every second, so if we learn to tune into those signals, it can be more powerful than any tracker," Roche said. "Plus, avoiding strict quantification of performance is usually better for love of the process."

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

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