Dubai, October 11 (ANI): A new form of yoga for babies is becoming popular in Dubai.

Some 34 infants as young as a few days old to 12 months were initiated into the "hugely beneficial" exercise along with their moms at a unique workshop organised by the Pampers Mommy and Baby Sleep Academy in Dubai, Gulf News rwported.

As part of the workshop, certified baby yoga guru Odona Farska of the Flow Yoga Dubai Studio took the infants and their mothers through a series of gentle movements that are proven to benefit them physically, physiologically and psychologically.

"Baby yoga helps stimulate bodily systems like the digestive and nervous systems, besides ensure sufficient physical activity for a baby. It helps the child sleep well and heal birth traumas. It is also a bonding time for the mother and child and ensures they are happier," Gulf News quoted Farska, who mastered the art of baby yoga in London, as saying.

She said a typical baby yoga session spans 10-15 minutes for 3-6 month-olds and 20-30 minutes for 6-12-month-olds.

It covers all features of classic yoga, right from the warm-up to the stretching, postures and movements so that the vital organs are stimulated, the muscles toned and the mind and body relaxed.

By extension, baby yoga is said to influence interaction with the child in every aspect, be it the manner in which he or she is lifted, carried, sat down or walked around. (ANI)

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Yoga helps infants as young as few days old to improve bodily systems

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B56lz231n9c

10-10-2012 00:46 Carol Erickson and Beth Morris compete in a sport that many people associate with high school or young adult athletes. But the Kaiser Permanente surgery support staffer and nurse practitioner say water polo is a great workout, and a lot of fun, even if you're in your 60s. The two are part of an 11-member squad from the Peninsula Water Polo club that competed in the Fina World Masters championships in Italy this summer. Peninsula Water Polo:

Link:
Employees Find Health and Fitness Through Water Polo - Video

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwT0Bgjm9kk

09-10-2012 18:00 If you're trying to stay fit and/or lose weight and eating those energy bars, watch this clip first. Celebrity Fitness Trainer Terri Walsh exposes a few little-known facts about popular healthy snacks that may have you thinking twice before eating them. Find out here in this part of the series Mondays with Marlo, on MarloThomas.com.

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The Surprising Thing About Health And Fitness Bars, from Terri Walsh - Video

Western Racine County

FALL SENIOR FAIR: Veterans Terrace, 589 Milwaukee Ave., Burlington. 8 a.m.-noon today, Wednesday, Oct. 10. The following presentations are scheduled: Estate Planning Mistakes to Avoid, 9 a.m.; Senior Scams, 10:15 a.m.; Senior Companion Program, 11 a.m.; and CareMinders Home Care, 11:30 a.m. There will be refreshments and door prizes. Donations of nonperishable food items will be accepted for the Comfort Keepers Feed the Seniors Now Program. For more information, call Judy Bratz at (262) 763-5319.

Waterford Public Library

INFORMATION ON MEDICARE D: Mark Kloppenburg from Walgreens will present information about Medicare D. 2-4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12, or Tuesday, Oct. 23. Free. Registration is required, call the library, (262) 534-3988. Waterford Public Library, 101 N. River St., Waterford

Wind Lake Community

BLOOD DRIVE: St. Clare Church, Holy Family Hall, 7616 Fritz St., Wind Lake, 2:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18. Donors should be in good health, have photo ID, be at least age 17 (or 16 with parental consent). Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are encouraged, go to http://www.bcw.edu/WindLake or call Mary Schopp at (414) 531-6026. The drive is hosted by the Wind Lake Lions.

Jane Cremer Foundation

CANCER AWARENESS PROGRAM FOR WOMEN: The free program, Multiple Myeloma & You: Get the Facts, will be presented from 6-8 p.m. (registration at 5:30 p.m.) Thursday, Oct. 18. Roma Lodge, 7130 Spring St., Mount Pleasant. Free, registration is required by email to: janecremerfoundation.org. Dr. Craig Emmitt Cole of the Gunderson Lutheran Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders in La Crosse will discuss multiple myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells in bone marrow, its symptoms and treatments. Multiple Myeloma affects African Americans significantly more than all other populations.

FLU SHOTS

Kenosha Visiting Nurse Association

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Health and Fitness File, Oct. 10

Online Portal is a New Part of Overall Wellness Program that Includes the Popular SilverSneakers Fitness Program

Rochester, NY (PRWEB) October 10, 2012

The signature piece of the new program is Well-Being ConnectTM, an online portal that allows members to create a tailored approach to accessing and improving their overall health. Along with the new online portal, the program includes popular existing MVP programs, such as wellness classes, the SilverSneakers Fitness Program and outreach designed to help improve the lives of members living with chronic diseases.

The Well-Being Program is currently available to the approximately 85,000 Medicare Advantage members in MVPs service footprint.

This is an informative and fun new way for our Medicare Advantage members to be proactive about maintaining and improving their health, said Patrick Glavey, Executive Vice President of Government Programs for MVP. Our wellness and fitness programs are already so well utilized that we think our members will really embrace these new options for engaging with their health.

The utilization of online technology as a component of an overall well-being improvement strategy represents a significant breakthrough, and we applaud MVP for incorporating this strategy to drive engagement of their Medicare Advantage members, said Ben R. Leedle, Jr., President and CEO of Healthways. Both MVP and Healthways are convinced the real value for members is using Well-Being Connect as the gateway to delivering comprehensive and effectively integrated services.

Well-Being Connect can be accessed by Medicare Advantage members once they log into their MVP account at http://www.mvphealthcare.com. To begin using the new portal, members must first complete the Well-Being Assessment, a confidential questionnaire that evaluates their lifestyle and overall health. Once the assessment is completed, they are provided a full health report and customized action plan, which they are encouraged to share with their doctors.

Completing the assessment provides access to a number of online resources including weight, fitness and medication use trackers; videos and articles; recipes and meal ideas; and tools to help them quit using tobacco.

Additionally, members whose answers on the Well-Being Assessment show that they might benefit from health coaching (for tobacco use, nutrition, physical activity, etc.) will be contacted by Healthways to participate in a coaching program by phone.

For more information about Healthways, visit http://www.healthways.com or http://www.silversneakers.com.

Originally posted here:
MVP Health Care Introduces Well-Being Connect for Medicare Advantage Members

GAINESVILLE - The Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce (GHCC) offered free health screenings to the public and honored area companies that focus on fitness during Wednesday's 6th Annual Health Smart Expo at the Georgia Mountains Center.

Participants had a chance to hear from Fox 5 Meteorologist Jeff Hill, who has suffered complications from a heart disorder, at an early morning breakfast. Then, they were able to take advantage of free health screenings and sharing of health information later in the day; that information was provided by more than 60 health-related businesses from the Gainesville-Hall County area.

As part of the VISION 2030 HealthSmart Community Challenge, the Chamber announced the 2012 Most Fit Company Awards at the HealthSmart Breakfast. Judging criteria for the contest included wellness, nutrition and fitness opportunities provided for employees.

The award is presented in three categories: Large companies (251+ employees), medium (51-250) and small (50 or less):

SMALL CATEGORY WINNER

Aqua-Terra Recycling & Treatment Tammy Neal, CEO; Richard (Dickey) Watson, General Manager

Aqua-Terra Recycling and Treatment was established in 1997 to provide treatment and disposal services for petroleum contaminated water and soil. Aqua-Terra offers customers a treatment facility that has a perfect-permit compliance record with no Notice of Violations. Aqua-Terra expanded into a full service environmental consulting and engineering firm and provides demolition, waste management, industrial cleaning, UST/AST removals, vacuum truck services, drum removal and emergency response services with a team of professional engineers, chemists, geologists, industrial hygienists, environmental consultants and safety professionals, all of which are 40-hour OSHA trained. Aqua-Terra is committed to working with clients to achieve cost effective results and provide quality environmental and waste management services. The company in Flowery Branch has only five full time employees: Tammy Neal, CEO, attends the gym four days per week and Dickey Watson, General Manager, is a tri-athlete and marathoner. They offer yearly physicals, and depending on the project, employees and management staff are screened and given a physical after certain projects.

MEDIUM CATEGORY WINNER

Ace Hardware Buddy Honea, Regional Facility Manager; Lee Setzer, Operations Manager; Jane Cowart, HR Supervisor; Lea Tavani, HR Manager

LARGE CATEGORY WINNER

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GHCC Health Smart Expo offers health info, honors health companies

BETHESDA, Md. & NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Coventry Health Care, Inc. (CVH) and Healthways (HWAY) today announced an agreement to offer the award-winning SilverSneakers Fitness Program to Coventrys eligible Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in 13 states. This three-year agreement, effective January 1, 2013, makes SilverSneakers available to beneficiaries in Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.

For those plans with Silver Sneakers benefits, Coventrys Medicare Advantage beneficiaries will have full access, at no cost to them, to SilverSneakers programs and locations across the country. SilverSneakers is the nations leading exercise program designed to keep older adults active and healthy.

Coventry has offered fitness programs to its Medicare Advantage beneficiaries since 2009 to help them achieve a healthier lifestyle. Coventry and Healthways began their partnership in 2012 by offering SilverSneakers to eligible Coventry beneficiaries in Florida. In the first seven months of the programs availability, Coventry beneficiaries made more than 37,000 visits to SilverSneakers locations.

Coventry believes strongly in helping people get well and stay well for a better quality of life, said Nancy Cocozza, Senior Vice President, Medicare, at Coventry Health Care. The SilverSneakers model focuses heavily on reaching out to older adults to encourage them to become more active, healthy and fit. We have seen a high level of engagement and excitement from beneficiaries in Florida through this program, and we are pleased to offer SilverSneakers to thousands more nationwide.

Fitness and Flexibility Without Cost to Beneficiaries

Beneficiaries who participate in SilverSneakers have free access to more than 15,000 locations in the Healthways fitness center network nationwide, making it easier to take classes and participate in programs close to home or on the road. Staff members are on site at locations to

help beneficiaries meet their personal wellness goals. Many locations offer amenities, such as exercise equipment, pools, saunas, fitness classes and other activities.

Beneficiaries who cannot get to a fitness location can participate in SilverSneakers Steps, a personalized fitness program that offers kits for general fitness, strength, walking or yoga. Kits are mailed to beneficiaries, and include DVDs and other exercise tools that can be used at home or on the go.

The SilverSneakers online community offers a secure environment that allows beneficiaries to create exercise and nutrition plans, track fitness progress, find health articles and recipes and gain additional support and encouragement.

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Coventry Expands Healthways SilverSneakers® Fitness Program to Its Medicare Advantage Beneficiaries in 13 States

Top health and fitness apps in the iTunes charts in countries around the globe include apps for tracking pregnancy, mountain bike rides, clean eating, and snoring.

Here are details on a selection of top ten iTunes paid and free health and fitness apps by country/region for the week, recorded on October 10.

Belgium: Zappybaby This Dutch app lets moms-to-be track the development of their baby, with daily tips, weekly updates about their body and baby, baby name lists, and checklists. 1.59 itunes.apple.com/be/app/zappybaby/id435469463?l=fr&mt=8

Spain: Snoring U This app monitors your sleep sessions and snoring levels, and reports back to you when you wake up. Plus, if you snore, the app will trigger your phone to vibrate, so you'll rouse from sleep to stop snoring, at least in theory. 3.99. itunes.apple.com/es/app/snoring-u/id338989019?mt=8

France: Runtastic Mountainbike Pro This fitness app - 'Suivi de parcours et performances VTT PRO par runtastic' in French - tracks your off-road rides on your smartphone, with an integration sensor that monitors your heart rate, cadence, and speed. 4.99 itunes.apple.com/fr/app/suivi-parcours-et-performances/id478862935?mt=8

Argentina: Your Ideal Weight This popular weight tracking app, 'Tu Peso Ideal' in Spanish, helps you target your ideal weight based on your height, weight, and BMI. Plus the app sets a date in which you can plan to achieve that weight. Free. itunes.apple.com/ar/app/tu-peso-ideal/id331431138?mt=8

Australia: Clean Eating Guide This app offers detailed instructions on how to clean up your diet with healthy foods. Includes meal size guidelines, plate proportion guide, tips for weights loss, and easy recipes. $1.99 itunes.apple.com/au/app/clean-eating-guide/id564725102?mt=8

Hong Kong: WomanLog This app tracks your menstruations and peak fertility days to keep you informed throughout the month. itunes.apple.com/hk/app/womanlog-calendar/id421360650?mt=8

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Top health/fitness apps: Zappybaby, Snoring U, WomanLog

A bout of long-term unemployment can trigger trauma and uncertainty. Some have equated the emotional fallout with that of a divorce or the death of a loved one.

But Alan Moore, founder of Serenity Financial Consulting in Milwaukee sees potential opportunities for smart retirement planning moves.

"If properly managed, I believe this time can be one of the most beneficial periods in my clients' career(s)," he says.

Following are three ways to turn the sour lemons of job loss into the sweet lemonade of financial security in retirement.

Certified Financial Planner professional Clark Kendall, founder of Kendall Capital, has watched many clients struggle with employment income issues over the last decade.

"First it was the IT people who went through an economic fallout, then real estate people, then bankers," says Kendall, whose firm is based in Rockville, Md. "It's been kind of like a rolling recession."

However, people usually overcome hard times and thrive again in the future, he says. His message to hardworking, out-of-work taxpayers is upbeat: "Your income's falling off, your tax rates are falling off -- let's take advantage of that," he says.

Converting a traditional individual retirement account to a Roth IRA is one of the best ways to plant financial seeds that will bloom in later years, Kendall says.

Small-business owners sometimes use this strategy if they anticipate little or no taxable income in the venture's first several years, Kendall says. Each year, the entrepreneur converts tax-deferred retirement savings earned earlier in his or her career to a Roth IRA.

The entrepreneur pays "a little bit of taxes, maybe at 5%" on the converted retirement savings once deductions and write-offs are figured in, Kendall says.

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Turn Job-Loss Lemons into Retirement Lemonade

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Fidelity Investments, a leading provider of not-for-profit workplace retirement savings plans to higher education employees1, today published a best practices guide for plan sponsors in higher education. The insights in the report are based on plan data and millions of employee-level transactions from 415 higher education plans, representing more than $52 billion in assets and over one million participants. The reports purpose is to illustrate ways that Americas academic institutions can improve retirement readiness among employees.

The report, the first in a series, examines trends in mandatory and voluntary plan design, and highlights three key areas for improvements in plan design, employer and employee contributions, as well as plan participation rates.

Higher education plan sponsors are increasingly looking to their retirement plan to help them attract and retain top talent and increase employee engagement, while ensuring cost effectiveness, said John Ragnoni, executive vice president, Fidelity Tax-Exempt Retirement Services. In order to achieve these goals, its essential for employers to assess and benchmark how elements of their plan design could ultimately impact employees retirement readiness and satisfaction with their benefits offering.

Key Findings:

Fidelitys Six Best Practices for Higher-Education Plan Sponsors

1. Target employee and employer contributions totaling 1015 percent of an employees annual salary to increase retirement readiness.

2. Administer a combined benefits plan of contribution and employer match to increase total contributions, employee engagement and potentially lower costs.

3. Use employer match to increase voluntary participation rates and employee contributions.

4. Consider automatic enrollment to raise voluntary plan participation rates.

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Fidelity® Report Defines Best Practices for Retirement Plan Sponsors in Higher Education