To the untrained eye, a chess grandmaster might not seem like an elite athlete chess, after all, requires intense concentration and hours of sitting.

But for these world class chess players, training their bodies for peak performance is key to staying on top of the rigorous mental demands of the game, ESPN reports.

The World Cup of Chess is taking place now through Oct. 4 in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. During a major tournament like this, chess players can burn up to 6,000 calories per day just from the physiological effects of stress and thinking, Robert Sapolsky, Stanford professor of neurology and neurosurgery told ESPN.

Grandmasters also "sustain elevated blood pressure for hours in the range found in competitive marathon runners," Sapolsky said.

And just like an athlete might adjust their diet and workout routine ahead of a game, chess grandmasters have developed unique ways to stay fueled and focused.

Here are the strict health habits that chess the top two grandmasters use to train for a competition, according to ESPN.

World chess champion Norway's Magnus Carlsen poses with the FIDE world chess championship trophy after beating challenger.

TOLGA AKMEN | AFP | Getty Images

Magnus Carlsen, the 28-year-old chess grandmaster ranked No. 1 in the world, used to drink orange juice and water for energy during chess games, but noticed that the sugar was making him crash.

At the suggestion of an Olympic performance specialist, Carlsen has switched to drinking to a mixture of chocolate milk and regular milk, which provides nutrients like protein and calcium that help him sustain his energy levels longer important since games can last several hours. (Last year, the final game of the World Cup between Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana took two weeks and totaled 48 hours of play time.)

Carlsen also travels with a personal chef who helps tailor his meals to fit his specific nutritional needs. "Before tournaments, you need a lot of energy, so I am trying to trick him to eat some pasta so he gets some reserve energy," Magnus Forssell, Carlsen's chef, told ESPN. Carb-loading is also a trick that runners use the night before a race to increase their stores of glycogen, which is energy stored in muscles.

During games, Carlsen often chews gum, a habit that his father says keeps him alert and energized. This strategy is backed by research: Studies suggest that chewing on gum can improve memory, concentration and reaction times, especially when completing a long task.

Fabiano Caruana (L) prepares to play in the tie-break matches of the 2018 World Chess Championship against reigning world chess champion Norway's Magnus Carlsen (R).

TOLGA AKMEN | AFP | Getty Images

Caruana, the 27-year-old No. 2 player in the world, cuts out certain vices months before a competition as a detox. He doesn't eat sugar, and in past years has stopped drinking too.

Caruana told ESPNhe heard that Carlsen, who beat him in the 2018 World Cup of Chess, went off sugar to keep his energy levels stable and he decided to try it. Anddrinking alcohol can interfere with the quality of "restorative sleep," which is crucial for memory and performance, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

To increase his stamina for chess games, Caruana typically runs, plays basketball and swims, often all in one day. Exercise can also burn off stress before a competition.

Caruana says taking the extra step to prepare physically helps him feel more confident going into a competition. "Sometimes you have to shock your body into listening to you," he told ESPN.

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Magnus Carlsen (R) and Fabiano Caruana (L) during the First Move Ceremony of the FIDE World Chess Championship Match 2018.

Tristan Fewings | Getty Images

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What chess grandmasters eat for peak concentration and performance - CNBC

When the Apple Watch Series 4 landed in 2018, it caused a stir for being one of the first (and unquestionably the most high-profile) wearable to offer an ECG app. Short for electrocardiogram, an ECG records the electrical activity of your heart to indicate whether or not you might be suffering from atrial fibrillation (ABfib), a heart problem experienced by a quarter of the population at some point in their life, and which can lead to life-threatening complications.

While the Apple Watch Series 4 includes a whole lot more for its 399 / $399 / AU$649 price tag, thats still a hefty price to pay for what could be a genuinely life-saving piece of technology. Thankfully, there is now a far more affordable way to keep a regular check on your heart - with the Withings Move ECG.

Although not a fully-fledged smartwatch like the Apple, the Withings Move ECG is a hybrid. This means it has analog dials and no display, but includes accelerometers and a Bluetooth connection for tracking movement, steps, swimming, exercise and sleep, then presenting the data on the free Withings Health Mate smartphone app, available for iOS and Android.

The Move ECG is, as you might expect, very similar to the Withings Move, but with the addition of the ECG function. The newer model lacks a heart rate sensor, but you could argue an ECG app is more important than merely knowing your heart rate; the former is a fitness stat, while the latter relates more directly to your underlying health.

The Move ECG was first shown off at CES back in January 2019, but at the time it didnt yet have the certification required to use its ECG function. This has now been obtained, and the Move ECG is on sale now in the US, UK and Europe for 129.95 / $129.95 (around AU$190).

At the time of writing in early-September 2019, orders placed through the Withings website should arrive in two to three weeks.

(Image credit: Future)

If you have used previous Withings hybrid watches, then the new Move ECG will be immediately familiar. It offers the French companys house style of a compact case, domed front, simple and uncluttered face, and a second dial for showing your daily step count.

There is a single button at three oclock where the crown of a mechanical watch would be.A short press of this button activates the ECG function, and a long press tells the watch to start recording an exercise session.

The sides of the case are plastic, while the bezel and rear are a classier stainless steel that can be used to measure your hearts electrical activity when touched. The button is also stainless steel, and so too is the buckle.

Withings includes a silicon sports-style strap with the Move ECG, which attaches uses industry-standard quick-release lug bars. This means it can be removed easily and replaced with any 18mm strap. The company itself offers a good range of options here, and the black dial of our review sample means it can be matched smartly to straps of almost any material and color.

As well as the time, shown with a pair of stainless steel hands and numbered indices, the Withings Move ECG has a second dial on its face with a contrasting yellow hand. This sweeps from zero to 100, indicating what percentage of your daily step target (set via the smartphone app) you have completed.

This yellow hand also acts as a 30-second countdown timer when you activate the ECG function.

Overall, we like the design of the Withings Move ECG. The watch is smart and subtle, can be worn with just about any strap you like, and blends in neatly with any dress style - unlike other wearables on the market. The compact size means the Move ECG (like most other Withings) doesnt draw unnecessary attention to itself, and it hides its technology in a way fully-fledged smartwatches rarely achieve.

The Move ECG is light and comfortable, with a dozen or so holes on the strap for finding the perfect fit. It was never an annoyance to wear - even when tracking our sleep at night - and the ECG hardware on the back doesnt protrude at all. The new feature has zero aesthetic and ergonomic downsides.

Our only criticism is the use of plastic on its front instead of glass or sapphire crystal. Although our review watch remained scratch-free for the week we used it, we wouldnt expect this to last. This is fine for the 60 Move, but when paying 130 for the Move ECG, wed like to see glass instead of plastic.

(Image credit: Future)

Although a perfectly decent timepiece, the Move ECG really reaches its stride when used as a health and fitness tracker. The watch is always monitoring your movement, automatically counting steps during the day and sleep each night. Withings says the Move ECG can record over 30 different types of exercise, and everything is logged in the companys Health Mate smartphone app.

The headline feature is, of course, the ECG function. This works in a similar way to that of the Apple Watch Series 4, whereby the wearable touches one side of your body via the back of its case sitting against your wrist, and the other via the finger of your opposite hand. By touching the wrist of one arm and the fingers of the other, a circuit is created and the watch can record the electrical activity of your heart.

The Health Mate apps talks you through what the ECG function can and cant do when you first set up the watch. It is important to remember that ECG smartwatches cannot detect heart attacks, and the data they provide should be used in addition to - not instead of - advice from your doctor.

To take an ECG, briefly press the button. The watch then vibrates for a moment and the step-counting hand turns to 100; you then place your thumb and index finger on the metal bezel of the watch case, and keep still while the hand counts down from 30 seconds to zero. The watch vibrates again to indicate that the ECG is complete, and the data can be viewed instantly in the Health Mate app.

The app tells you right away if the ECG reading is normal, or shows signs of ABfib, and the data it collects can be turned into a PDF, ready to be sent to your doctor.

Withings has opted not to fit the Move ECG with a traditional heart rate sensor. This means you cant use the watch to continuously track your heart rate, but you can still get a beats-per-minute reading each time you perform an ECG. This figure is shown alongside the ECG data in the Health Mate app.

The lack of constant heart rate reading also means theres no way to see how quickly your rate returns to normal after exercise (a good indication of overall fitness), and no way to attain a VO2 Max estimate. Both of these stats are provided by other Withings wearables, like the Steel HR Sport hybrid watch, but they do so at the expense of cost and battery life.

The Move ECG has an altimeter for measuring the number of staircases climbed each day, but lacks its own GPS chip for tracking outdoor runs. Instead, the watch can use your smartphones GPS via its Bluetooth connection.

Sleep tracking is automatic, activating each night and giving you a breakdown of your sleep in the Health Mate app the following morning. The watch uses movement to sense when you are in the different stages of sleep, and plots this against time. This works in a very similar way to Withings dedicated sleep tracker, the Sleep, but does not track your heart rate, snoring, or breathing disturbances.

The Move ECGs sleep tracking is fairly primitive compared to wearables with continuous heart rate sensors (or dedicated trackers fitted under your mattress), but it still provides a decent and fairly accurate overview of your nightly slumber.

Being a hybrid smartwatch, the Move ECGs battery life is measured in months instead of hours or days. In fact, the Bluetooth chip, movement sensors and ECG function demand so little energy, the wearable takes a regular CR2430 watch battery, which Withings claims lasts for 12 months.

This will depend on how you use the watch, and those who record daily exercise sessions should expect to see shorter battery life than those who are less active. But either way you cut it, roughly 12 months is very good for a wearable.

Unlike Withings watches which have rechargeable batteries, like the Steel HR Sport, the Move ECGs remaining battery life is not shown in the Health Mate app.

(Image credit: Future)

As with all other Withings devices (and those branded as Nokia Health in the past), data captured by the Move ECG is logged by the Health Mate app, which is free and works on iOS and Android.

Designed to be a one-stop-shop for health and fitness data, Health Mate syncs with the watch via Bluetooth as soon as the app is opened. The main Timeline interface shows your daily steps, percentage of target complete, and floors climbed (thanks to the watchs altimeter). The Timeline also shows every ECG you have taken with the watch, along with your heart rate at that moment. As we said earlier, this wearable does not monitor your heart rate constantly, during sleep, or while exercising.

The app provides a daily and weekly overview of how youve done, showing clearly when you made and missed your daily step goal, your total distance walked and elevation climbed for the week, and averages for both weekdays and the weekend.

For sleep data, the Health Mate app awards a score out of 100 each morning. This is calculated by taking into account the total time you spent asleep, but also the depth of your sleep, how much time you spent in REM, and how many times your sleep was interrupted during the night. Your sleep regularity is also taken into account, which looks at the average time you go to bed and wake up each day, then you are rewarded a score based on your ability to stick closely to this average.

The Dashboard page of the Health Mate app is where you find an overview of all data it has access to. This includes data captured by the watch (and any other Withings devices you have), and also data entered manually, like your gender and weight. Because we also use a Withings smart scale and sleep tracker, our Dashboard shows body fat, sleeping heart rate, muscle mass, body water and body mass, along with the ECG readings taken by the Withings Move.

A number of health and fitness programmes are available to join in the app. These are free and include an eight-week course designed to improve your sleep, plus a five-day program that analyzes blood pressure (so long as you have the Withings BPM Connect). Theres also a 21-day mindfulness course made in collaboration with the Petit BamBou meditation app, and an eight-week course to educate you on body composition and ways to lose fat. Finally, theres a pregnancy tracker which works with Withings range of smart scales.

The Move ECGs silent alarm is set within the app. This vibrates to wake you up and can be set to go off when your are least asleep, within a user-defined amount of time of your actual alarm. Say you set the alarm for 6am, but with a 15-minute window; if the Move ECG detects you waking up at 5:50am, it will vibrate the watch.

Setting the time of the Move ECG is done here too, but the watch generally uses your phone to stay on the right time. That way, it automatically adjusts for daylight savings hours, and when you travel to a different time zone. That said, we found it was slow to adjust when traveling unless we briefly opened the Health Mate app, then the time changed instantly.

The Withings Move ECG makes for an interesting proposition. It follows much of the usual recipe - a stylish and simple analogue watch with exercise and sleep tracking - but also adds an ECG function.

This puts the Move ECG in a position where it takes the regular Move, a budget 60 hybrid watch, and blesses it with a feature most famously used by the Apple Watch Series 4 and Series 5, a pair of flagship, full-fat smartwatches. The Withings therefore takes features from the top and bottom of the market, and marries them to create a 130 wearable.

There are two face color options, each with five straps to help you buy a watch that suits your style, and the metal bezel used by the ECG function adds a touch of class to proceedings. Were particularly keen on the white case and face with blue strap.

The Move ECG is let down by its lack of continuous heart rate monitoring, as this stat is only given when performing an ECG, and we worry that the plastic in place of glass or sapphire crystal will scratch easily.

Theres no denying the usefulness of having an ECG device on your wrist. If you feel you could be more susceptible to atrial fibrillation than most, then its tough not to argue in favour of buying the Withings Move ECG. If the Apple Watch Series 4 or 5 is out of your budget, and ECG support is high on your list of priorities, then the Move ECG could well be the wearable for you.

If you feel you need to keep tabs on your hearts health, then the Withings Move ECG is an affordable way to put an ECG on your wrist. It also acts as a classy and subtle watch which tracks your exercise, swimming, sleep and daily steps.

Add in several free health and fitness programs in the Health Mate app, plus the silent and dynamic alarm function, and you have a feature-packed hybrid smartwatch.

The ECG function adds a large price premium over the 60 Withings Move, so buyers should really ask themselves if taking an ECG is really what they need from a wearable. That said, 130 still isnt much for the peace of mind an electrocardiogram could give - and the knowledge that being alerted to the symptoms of AFib could genuinely save your life.

This isnt a fully-fledged smartwatch - far from it - but its a well-priced wearable which covers the basics, yet also packs a top-tier feature.

First reviewed: September 2019

Read more:
Withings Move ECG review - TechRadar

The Vivoactive 4 is changing the way you track, or more specifically, what you track. You can now track hydration, respiration, blood oxygen saturation, and more besides the typical fitness routine. Did we mention on-screen workouts and music storage? It's pricy but given the upgrades, it's worth it.

$350 at Amazon

The Vivoactive 3 was an instant hit when it was first released in 2017. Today, it still has plenty to offer today in terms of tracking and smartwatch features. You'll enjoy 15+ sports apps, onboard GPS, Garmin Pay, heart-rate monitoring, plus activity, sleep, and stress tracking.

$188 at Amazon

The Vivoactive 3 was first released two years ago and has been a popular choice ever since. Now that there's finally a successor available, it's important to compare the two wearables so you can decide which one is the better pick. The Vivoactive 4 brings with it some subtle changes that are worth discussing as well as some big changes that just might win you over.

From offering two different sizes to making music storage a standard feature, there's a lot of positive upgrades here. Both editions provide you with a solid all-around fitness smartwatch that's going to meet the needs of most casual lifestyle athletes. If you were a fan of the Vivoactive 3, you'll certainly appreciate all the features that come with the new model. It's got a hefty price tag, but it may just be worth it for all that you get this time around.

With the previous model, the only size option was 43mm. The new Vivoactive 4 is available in 45mm and a model called the 4S, which is 40mm. Both watch sizes are the same price. The only difference between the two is the size and battery performance. Additionally, the 4S offers a rose gold variant while the 4 is only available in slate and silver.

Like its predecessor, the new model comes with an always-on transflective display. However, you'll now have two buttons on your watch instead of one. The upper right button is for selecting, stopping, and starting while the lower right button is for going back and lapping.

The Vivoactive 4 offers an impressive eight days of battery life in smartwatch mode and six hours in GPS and music mode. The 4S dips down to seven days in smartwatch mode and five hours in GPS and music mode, which is what you got with the more expensive Vivoactive 3 Music model. The standard Vivoactive 3 gives you seven days in smartwatch mode and 13 hours in GPS mode.

As far as the similarities go, both the Vivoactive 3 and the Vivoactive 4 offer built-in GPS, smartphone notifications, Garmin Pay, and 5 ATM water resistance. You'll have access to some of the same workouts, including strength, cardio, and elliptical training along with stair stepping, floor climbing, indoor rowing, and yoga. They both come with stress tracking, sleep tracking, and heart-rate monitoring.

Other than the physical differences, there are quite a few tracking improvements. The Vivoactive 4 now offers a Pulse Ox sensor for monitoring blood oxygen saturation levels and respiration tracking for monitoring the number of breaths taken per minute. The combination of these two features promises more insightful sleep data. You'll also have Body Battery Energy monitoring, hydration tracking to log daily water intake, and underwater wrist-based heart rate for swimming.

The Body Battery is a great new feature that allows you to check your energy levels throughout the day by collecting data from heart rate variability (HRV), sleep, stress, and activity. This will help you schedule workouts and rest at the most ideal times. Speaking of which, you'll have plenty of options for workouts, including the sports apps with preloaded workouts, preset workouts available to download from Garmin Connect, the ability to create your own customizable workouts, and Garmin Coach training plans.

Not to mention that the Vivoactive 4 boasts over 40 on-screen workouts for strength training, cardio, yoga, and Pilates, which takes a page out of Fitbit's book. You can follow along with your watch as it demonstrates proper form and technique for a chosen workout. It also provides you with new breathwork activities that are intended to promote focus and relaxation.

Last but definitely not least, both the Vivoactive 4 and 4S automatically come with music storage rather than charging you more for a model with this feature. You'll be able to download your favorite playlists and songs from third-party services such as Spotify, Deezer, and Amazon Music. This means you can now enjoy phone-free music when you're working out. Finally! This is a highly-desired feature among fitness enthusiasts, and Garmin delivered.

Not surprisingly, the price of the Vivoactive 3 has been marked down thanks to this new release, which makes it almost half the price of the new Vivoactive 4. If you're content with the more basic tracking and features offered by the predecessor, it's a great deal for those on a budget. However, if you're craving more and don't mind spending more to get it, the new Vivoactive 4 is an excellent pick. Keep in mind that at this price point, you can spend just a tad more for the Garmin Venu, which has a stunning AMOLED display and many of the new features you see here.

When all is said and done, we feel good about the Vivoactive 4. It brings so many well-deserved improvements, like two size options, standard music storage, and a long list of tracking features that help you get an in-depth look at the state of your overall health and fitness. If the cost doesn't deter you, you're going to be more than happy with the new Garmin Vivoactive 4.

Track every little detail

If you've been anxiously awaiting a new Garmin smartwatch, this one is a winner. It gives you a fresh perspective by tracking every little detail to give you a complete overview on your health and fitness.

Cover all the basics

Not concerned about tracking every little detail? The Vivoactive 3 might be right up your alley. Keep in mind it lacks more detailed tracking and you'll have to pay more for a model with music storage.

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Garmin Vivoactive 4 vs. Vivoactive 3: Which should you buy? - Android Central

When it comes to losing weight and getting healthy, there never seems to be a shortage of diet and fitness crazes claiming to hold the secret to easy, sustainable weight loss. Some of the most recent popular diet crazes include the ketogenic diet (low carbohydrate, high fat), the carnivore diet (only eating meat and other animal products), and intermittent fasting (eating only within a strict timeframe, or on certain days).

But another diet plan thats come into the spotlight recently is the hormone diet, which claims that the reason people struggle to lose weight is because their hormones arent working properly. Numerous books have been written about this topic, with advocates of the hormone diet claiming people can experience quick and significant weight loss by using diet and exercise to manipulate or reset their hormones. There are a few variations of the diet, but the main idea with each is that the key to losing weight is by correcting perceived hormonal imbalances in the body.

Hormones play an important role in our bodys everyday processes, from digesting food to helping bones grow. Theyre transported around the body through the bloodstream and act as chemical messengers which instruct cells to perform specific jobs.

For example, insulin is essential for regulating metabolic processes and allows the body to store the carbohydrates from food as energy in our muscle cells. When we eat, it causes blood sugar levels to rise, which results in the pancreas releasing insulin into the bloodstream. The insulin then attaches itself to cells and signals them to absorb sugar from the bloodstream and store it for later use.

Insulin was once thought to play a key role in weight gain, but recent research shows that total calorie intake is actually the primary factor in gaining or losing weight. Fat loss can only be achieved by creating a calorie deficit, which simply means that you must burn more calories than you consume. Similarly, this is why many people have success with intermittent fasting, as it typically results in the consumption of less food and therefore fewer calories.

One popular book promoting the hormone diet uses a three-step programme that claims it will help people lose weight, gain strength, and feel younger. Steps one and two of the diet focus on changing nutritional habits. Step three concentrates on exercise.

According to the author, readers must detox their body. In step one, readers remove foods such as alcohol, caffeine, sugar, red meat, cows milk and milk byproducts (such as cheese or yoghurts) from their diet, while simultaneously eating more fruits and vegetables, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products from sheep and goats, and plant milks. In step two, readers must then cut out processed foods, artificial sweeteners and refined grains. Step three involves an increase in cardiovascular and strength exercises.

The dietary recommendations provided in steps one and two require a decrease in food products that are typically high in calories and low in nutritional value, such as alcohol, high-sugar foods, and processed foods. The diet also promotes foods such as vegetables, fish and fruit, which increase fibre intake (important for the digestive system) and provides the body with a variety of vitamins and minerals which perform numerous bodily functions required for overall health and well-being. These foods are also generally lower in calories than alcohol, high-sugar foods and processed foods. And paired with the recommended exercises in step three, this hormone diet will probably increase calorie burning along with other health benefits.

Generally, the hormone diet recommended in this book is not bad nutritional advice. However, the key here is that any potential weight loss will probably be from the change in calorie intake, rather than an effect (if any) on your hormones.

Weight loss (or body fat loss) is achieved by creating a calorie deficit, not by resetting your hormone balance. Despite what advocates of the hormone diet might claim, hormonal imbalances are usually the result of a more serious underlying health condition, such as diabetes (impaired insulin function) or hyperthyroidism (where the thyroid produces too many thyroid hormones), which couldnt simply be fixed through diet alone, and would require medical treatment.

Read more: The science behind diet trends like mono, charcoal detox, Noom and Fast800

Currently, there is no viable theory to demonstrate that a person can reset their hormones to influence fat loss. There is also no peer-reviewed research in a major journal that has specifically studied the hormone diet and its effects. But there might be a simple explanation for why people think the hormone diet works: it helps to create a calorie deficit through improved nutritional habits and exercise, which will probably result in weight loss.

Ultimately, anyone that wants to lose weight or body fat should focus on creating a calorie deficit. How a person creates this calorie deficit may vary from person to person, and might even include following popular diet plans like keto or intermittent fasting. However, the best approach is whichever someone finds the most compatible with their lifestyle.

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Hormone diets are all the rage, but do they actually work? - The Conversation - UK

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --SportsEngine Inc., an NBC Sports Group company and the leading provider of sport relationship management software, announced today that it has formed a partnership with the National Fitness Foundation (NFF) in support of its mission to expand youth sports and fitness programs across America, with a focus on programs that promote the participation of girls and youth in underserved communities through the NFF's National Endowment for Youth Sports (NEYS).

To celebrate the partnership, SportsEngine and NBC Sports are giving away an all-expenses paid weekend trip to the "Premier League Mornings Live" Fan Festival on October 26-27, 2019 in Austin, Texas. From September 19 through October 6, those who contribute to the National Endowment for Youth Sports at sportsengine.com will automatically be entered into the sweepstakes for a chance to win. Secondary prizes include signed Philadelphia Union FC and Los Angeles FC jerseys along with Premier League Gold Passes.

The positive benefits of youth sports participation are abundant, yet for many Americans, access to youth sports is incredibly challenging. In response, the National Fitness Foundation is raising funds and awareness for the National Endowment for Youth Sports. The Endowment plans to raise more than $100M to provide annual and ongoing grants for youth sports programs run by local communities or nonprofit organizations throughout the country, making them more accessible to all youth including girls, children with disabilities and children in economically distressed regions of the country.

SportsEngine serves millions of athletes, coaches, parents and team administrators across its multiple sports management software platforms, tournament management applications and mobile apps. As part of its commitment to get more kids in sports, SportsEngine also runs the nation's largest youth sports hub and search directory, SportsEngine.com, to make it easier for parents to learn about sports programs in their area and sign their child up for a new sport. In line with its mission to enhance the sports lives of athletes and their families, SportsEngine supports efforts and programs that provide access to sports programs for youth athletes in underserved communities throughout the United States.

"We are excited to partner with National Fitness Foundation and to use our media resources and platform to assist in raising money for a cause that will benefit youth sports programs across the country," stated Travis Shives, Vice President of Sport, SportsEngine. "We look forward to working closely with the NFF on projects that will provide the necessary resources, programs and pathways to sports participation for every young person."

"SportsEngine was the first organization to sign a partnership agreement with the National Fitness Foundation, a testament to its commitment to using its platform to get more kids involved with youth sports," stated Clay Walker, Executive Director, National Fitness Foundation. "Aligning with a company who strongly values youth athlete participation and play is critical to furthering our mission. This partnership will help create more and more opportunities for young athletes to experience the positive benefits of youth sports."

About National Fitness Foundation The National Fitness Foundation is the only congressionally chartered nonprofit focused on health and fitness. Established in 2010 as the official charity of the President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition, the Foundation develops public-private partnerships and raises capital to accelerate solutions that prepare children for a lifetime of health and fitness through youth sports. The Foundation also leads the Presidential Youth Fitness Program, the nation's model for fitness education in schools.

About SportsEngineHelping the world play smarter and live more, SportsEngine, Inc., an NBC Sports Group company, is the leading provider of sport relationship management software serving millions of coaches, parents, athletes, clubs, leagues, governing bodies, and associations. SportsEngine helps sports organizations around the globe reduce the time they spend on administrative tasks, and enables them to focus more on developing their athletes, providing safe experiences, and furthering the love of sport. Additionally, leagues and governing bodies across the country use National Center for Safety Initiatives (NCSI), a SportsEngine, Inc. company, to manage their background checks and safety programs. Learn more at: http://www.sportsengine.com, Facebook.com/sportsengine; or twitter.com/@sportsengine.

SOURCE SportsEngine, Inc.

http://www.sportsengine.com

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SportsEngine, Inc. Partners with National Fitness Foundation to Raise Funds for National Endowment for Youth Sports - PRNewswire

Global Fitness Equipment Market Insights, Forecast To 2025

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Fitness Equipment Market 2019 Business Scenario Cybex, ICON Health and Fitness, Nautilus, Paramount - NewsStoner

The biggest unsolved anthropological mystery of the 21st century is the question: What killed off the Neanderthals and why did Homo sapiens thrive even as Neanderthals withered to extinction?

Researchers and scientists are trying to understand was it some sort of plague specific only to Neanderthals which led to its disintegration? Was there some sort of cataclysmic event in their homelands of Eurasia that lead to their disappearance?

Ancient origins mentions a new study from a team of physical anthropologists and head and neck anatomists suggests a less dramatic but equally deadly cause. Published online by the journal, The Anatomical Record, the study, Reconstructing the Neanderthal Eustachian Tube: New Insights on Disease Susceptibility, Fitness Cost, and Extinction suggests that the real culprit in the demise of the Neanderthals was not some exotic pathogen.

Instead, the authors believe the path to extinction may well have been the most common and innocuous of childhood illnesses that is, chronic ear infections.

Co-investigator and Downstate Health Sciences University Associate Professor Samuel Mrquez, PhD, said, It may sound far-fetched, but when we, for the first time, reconstructed the Eustachian tubes of Neanderthals, we discovered that they are remarkably similar to those of human infants. Middle ear infections are nearly ubiquitous among infants because the flat angle of an infant's Eustachian tubes is prone to retain the otitis media bacteria that cause these infections - the same flat angle we found in Neanderthals.

The study also mentions that in this age of antibiotics, these infections are easy to treat and relatively benign for human babies. Additionally, around age 5, the Eustachian tubes in human children lengthen and the angle becomes more acute, allowing the ear to drain, all but eliminating these recurring infections beyond early childhood.

The structure of the Eustachian tubes in Neanderthals do not change with age - which means these ear infections and their complications, including respiratory infections, hearing loss, pneumonia, and worse, would not only become chronic, but a lifelong threat to overall health and survival.

It's not just the threat of dying of an infection, said Dr. Mrquez. "If you are constantly ill, you would not be as fit and effective in competing with your H. sapien cousins for food and other resources. In a world of survival of the fittest, it is no wonder that modern man, not Neanderthal, prevailed.

The strength of the study lies in reconstructing the cartilaginous Eustachian tube, said Richard Rosenfeld, MD, MPH, MBA, Distinguished Professor and Chairman of Otolaryngology at SUNY Downstate. This new and previously unknown understanding of middle ear function in Neanderthals is what allows us to make new inferences regarding the impact on their health and fitness.

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A Simple Case of Ear Infection Could Be the Reason Why Entire Species of Neanderthals Went Extinct - News18

designed around the concept of life in the east, which lies at the base of chinese culture, yan bookstore by tomoko ikegai / ikg inc provides a space in which visitors can engage in deep self-reflection and create their own unique stories. the 2,475 sqm bookstore is located on the third floor of shenzhens MIXC commercial complex, closed off by a long faade of rammed-earth walls to create a very different, zen world within.all images by nacasa & partners

over the past thirty years, the population of shenzhen has exploded from 300,000 to 14M people, explains tomoko ikegai of ikg inc.it is unique among chinese cities that sixty-five percent of these residents are in their twenties and thirties, giving it a powerful new energy. located in the citys MIXC commercial complex, in a development area facing shenzhen bay where hotels, residences, sports facilities, and office buildings are clustered, yan celebrates chinese culture and offers a space where visitors can feel the calm and dignified spirit of zen buddhism. recently, bookstores have been opening all over china which on a surface level are beautifully and strikingly designed, adds the tokyo-based studio. however, we felt that especially in this proactive city, it was important to value chinas originality and individuality, exploring mystical images of the east in the context of globalization.

the bookstore is closed off from the lavish surroundings of the complex with a long faade of rammed-earth walls, reminiscent of layers of deep strata, that incorporate soils varying in color, from amber to milky white. these shades form the base for the color scheme inside the store, which is composed entirely of natural earth tones. tile in a mock italian travertine pattern covers the floor, expressing the idea of accumulation through marbles visual representation of earth hardening over many long years.

the gold color of the bookshelves derives from the image of minerals within the earth, while the slender, delicate metal shelves express spirituality. by nearly eliminating the presence of these exceedingly thin shelves, the design conveys the concept of immersing oneself in a sea of books. five custom-made original artworks that match the concept have been installed, while each piece of art has a theme to match the pattern and concept of the space. tomoko ikegai / ikg inc has also designed an event area with a small gathering space within the bookstore for a variety of events where visitors can interact and exchange information.

project info:

name: yan ( in chinese)

architect: tomoko ikegai / ikg inc.

sales floor area: 2,475m

client: china resources land limited

design cooperation: arterior co., ltd.

lighting: sola associates

graphic design: ujidesign

location: no.2888, keyuan south road, the mixc (shenzhen bay), nanshan disctrict, shenzhen, china

sofia lekka angelopoulou I designboom

sep 17, 2019

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tomoko ikegai / ikg inc encloses yan bookstore in shenzhen using rammed-earth walls - Designboom

ISTANBUL

Borusan Contemporary has opened the new artistic season by hosting the first Istanbul exhibition of the pioneering U.S. video artist Bill Viola.

Bill Viola: Impermanence, which opened on Sept. 14, features works from different phases of the artists oeuvre, including works from the early years, to delve deeply into the world-renowned artists practice.

Viola has been investigating the mysteries of the human condition for more than 40 years, employing video technology as a medium that during those decades evolved at a rapid pace.

Each work seduces us with its hint of a grand narrative at work, a promise to reveal to us something we dont already know about birth, death, fear, desire, or reality. Certainly the works are enigmatic, but with their lush visual clarity, and with the presence of humans and human agency, with some conflict being confronted, the viewers feel compelled to search for the story.

The works are like koans with their narratives, classic Buddhist riddles that are unresolvable, inviting us to experience a glimpse of what Viola calls the invisible world where our standard intellectual configurations of existence are revealed to be artificial.

Violas work has been shown worldwide and the artist has received numerous awards for his achievements, including a U.S./Japan Creative Artist Fellowship (1980), the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (1989), XXI Catalonia International Prize (2009), and the Praemium Imperiale from the Japan Art Association (2011). His works have roots in both Eastern and Western art as well as spiritual traditions, including Zen Buddhism, Islamic Sufism, and Christian mysticism.

In this exhibition curated by Kathleen Forde, there are themes that run throughout all 10 works: Immersion, transformation, a confrontation with basic elements of air, and water.

Chott el-Djerid, a much earlier video from 1979, addresses the question of perception, and serves to underpin the connective strands of the later pieces. Subtitled A Portrait in Light and Heat, it considers the phenomenon of a desert mirage, the dry Saharan lake of the title, and features the near-whiteout of a winter prairie landscape.

The exhibition will be on view until Sept. 13.

[HH] Inspired by Turgut Uyar

Curated by Necmi Snmez, They Are Uttered and Left Unfinished All the Loves in the World II is an expanded continuation of the exhibition including a selection of works from the Borusan Contemporary Art Collection last season, inspired by the poet Turgut Uyar.

Bringing together important names of contemporary art from across the world, this exhibition aims to produce new interpretations through installations that strengthen the viewers esthetic senses, referring to todays economic and social problems while forming a special parenthesis for visual arts using the images in Uyars poetry.

Ranging from video-sculpture to photography, neon installations to interactive digital works, the exhibition foregrounds experimental approaches and the artists predictions, interpreted through digital media, visualizing what Uyar aptly described as the troubles of today.

The exhibition will be on view until March 8, 2020.

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Borusan Contemporary hosts Bill Violas first exhibition in Istanbul - Hurriyet Daily News

From transport and housing to food production and fashion, our civilisation is driving climate and ecological breakdown.

Its no coincidence that almost every single sector of industry is contributing to the planets downfall, either. A deeper issue underlies each ones part in the malaise enveloping the planets ecosystems and its origins date back to long before the industrial revolution. To truly bring ourselves into harmony with the natural world, we must return to seeing humanity as part of it.

Though a varied and complex story, the widespread separation of humans from nature in Western culture can be traced to a few key historical developments, starting with the rise of Judeo-Christian values 2000 years ago. Prior to this point, belief systems with multiple gods and earth spirits, such as paganism, dominated. They generally considered the sacred to be found throughout nature, and humanity as thoroughly enmeshed within it.

When Judaism and Christianity rose to become the dominant religious force in Western society, their sole god as well as sacredness and salvation were re-positioned outside of nature. The Old Testament taught that God made humans in his own image and gave them dominion over the Earth.

As historian Lynn White famously argued, such values laid the foundations of modern anthropocentrism, a system of beliefs that frames humans as separate from and superior to the nonhuman world. Indeed, those who hold literal beliefs in the Bible tend to express significantly more concerns over how environmental degradation affects humans than animals.

Ren Descartes considered it an absurd human failure to compare the souls of humans and those of non-human brutes.W Holl/Giorgos Kollidas/Shutterstock

In the early 17th century, French father of modern philosophy Ren Descartes framed the world as essentially split between the realm of mind and that of inert matter. As the only rational beings, Descartes saw humans as wholly separate from and superior to nature and nonhuman animals, who were considered mere mindless machines to be mastered and exploited at will. Descartes work was hugely influential in shaping modern conceptions of science and human and animal identities in Western society.

White and philosopher Val Plumwood were among the first to suggest that it is these attitudes themselves that cause the worlds environmental crises. For example, when we talk of natural resources and fish stocks, we are suggesting that the Earths fabric holds no value apart from what it provides us. That leads us to exploit it recklessly.

According to Plumwood, the opposition between reason and nature also legitimised the subjugation of social groups who came to be closely associated with nature women, the working class, the colonised, and the indigenous among them.

Scholars such as Timothy Morton and Bruno Latour remind us that viewing the natural world as separated from humans is not only ethically problematic but empirically false. Microorganisms in our gut aid digestion, while others compose part of our skin. Pollinators such as bees and wasps help produce the food we eat, while photosynthetic organisms such as trees and phytoplankton provide the oxygen that we need in order to live, in turn taking up the carbon dioxide we expel.

In the Anthropocene, we are seeing more and more how the fates of humanity and nature are intertwined. Governments and corporations have developed such control over the natural systems they exploit that they are destabilising the fundamental chemistry of the global climate system. As a result, inhospitable heat, rising seas, and increasingly frequent and extreme weather events will render millions of humans and animals refugees.

The good news is that the perceived separation from nature is not universal among the planets human inhabitants. Australian, Amerindian, and countless other indigenous belief systems often portray nonhumans as kin with intrinsic value to be respected, rather than external objects to be dominated or exploited.

In Bhutan, humans live largely in harmony with the natural world.Pulak Bhagawati/Unsplash, CC BY-SA

Eastern philosophies and religions such as Zen Buddhism also entangle humanity and nature, emphasising that there is no such thing as an independent self and that all things depend on others for their existence and well-being. For example, strongly influenced by Mahayana Buddhism, Bhutan has enshrined ecological resilience into its constitution. Mandating that at least 60% of the nation remain forested, the country is one of just two in the world to absorb more carbon than it emits. It measures progress not by GDP but against a gross national happiness index, which prioritises human and ecological well-being over boundless economic growth.

Of course, entanglement with nature exists in the Western world too. But the global socioeconomic systems birthed by this region were founded on the exploitation of the natural world for profit. Transforming these entrenched ways of working is no easy feat.

It will take time, and education is key. Higher education textbooks and courses across disciplines consistently perpetuate destructive relationships with nature. These must be redesigned to steer those about to enter the world of work towards care for the environment.

However, to bring about widespread fundamental change in worldviews, we need to start young. Practices such as nature journaling in early primary school in which children record their experiences of the natural world in written and art form can cultivate wonder at and connection to the natural world.

Schools should use every opportunity in the curriculum and playtime to tell children a new story of our place within the natural world. Economist and philosopher Charles Eisenstein calls for an overarching Living Earth narrative that views the earth not as a dead rock with resources to exploit, but as a living system whose health depends on the health of its organs and tissues its wetlands, forests, seagrass, mangroves, fish, corals, and more.

According to this story, the decision of whether to fell a forest for cattle grazing is not merely weighed against carbon accounting which allows us to offset the cost by installing solar panels but against respect for the forest and its inhabitants.

Such a world might seem unthinkable. But if we use our imagination now, in a few decades we might find our grandchildren creating the story we want them to believe in.

This article is part of The Covering Climate Now series

This is a concerted effort among news organisations to put the climate crisis at the forefront of our coverage. This article is published under a Creative Commons license and can be reproduced for free just hit the Republish this article button on the page to copy the full HTML coding. The Conversation also runs Imagine, a newsletter in which academics explore how the world can rise to the challenge of climate change. Sign up here.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Teaser photo credit: Reconnecting with nature. Steve Carter/Unsplash, CC BY-SA

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Humanity and Nature are Not Separate We Must See them as One to Fix the Climate Crisis - Resilience