MIAMI -- Here at The Other End the smiles are more sincere, the work a lot harder and the satisfaction, well ... step inside Mario Cristobal's office for a moment.

"It's a hell of a book one day," Florida International's 41-year-old coach begins.

And with that Cristobal is off with harrowing memories of what it used to be like at FIU. Six years ago he arrived to find a toddler of a program needing one heck of a diaper change. Cristobal, of sound mind and body apparently, took over a program that was about to go on probation. By the coaches' count, the program lost 17 ineligible players, and sported an APR less than 900 (the new NCAA minimum is 930). Oh yeah, and it was coming off an 0-12 season.

"It's kind of frightening the first meeting we ever had, I was the biggest guy in the room at 250 pounds," Cristobal continued. "That's not good. I was like, 'When is the varsity coming in?' We didn't get a weight room until going into our fourth year."

Before that, the workout facilities consisted of four benches inside roped off racquetball courts. Somewhere in a corner was an infomercial -- a Bowflex minus Chuck Norris.

Here at The Other End of major-college football is a rising program with a rising coach. The school exists in the shadow of big brother (Miami), playing in what is traditionally the lowest-rated FBS conference. The only link, in most people's minds, is that unfortunate 2006 brawl.

That doesn't make Cristobal, the Panthers and the Sun Belt any less worthy. It might make them the next Boise State. That's the standard, isn't it, for every wannabe trying to make do with a 20,000-seat stadium in a "What's That? conference" with big boys monopolizing the sport?

The case can be made: We are witnessing FIU's breakthrough before our eyes. The program is arguably ahead of the standard set by Boise State at a comparable stage. This season will mark Year 7 in FBS for the Panthers. In 2012, FIU has a chance to go to its third consecutive bowl.

Forget Boise for a moment, the comparison here will always be with the U. Cristobal grew up here, played offensive line and won national championships for the Hurricanes. The tall, striking coach oozes hotness as FBS' first Cuban-American coach. Cristobal has had more than one chance to leave, but is sticking around, at least for a bit longer.

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Cristobal turns Florida International around, and himself into a coaching commodity

VALDOSTA For Simone Martinez, leading a healthy life involves so much more that just diets and doctors. She knows because she is submerged in both worlds as a nurse and a student studying towards her health coach certification.

I will graduate by the end of August, said Martinez.

Martinez is currently going to school online through a one year program to receive her health coach certification with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Upon graduation in August, Martinez will enter an immersion program through the institute to further her education in the field.

Martinez was born and raised in East Germany. In 2002, she began working as a nurse in Germany after graduating with her general nurse license.

Ive been a Registered Nurse (RN) for ten years, said Martinez.

In 2005, she moved to Kaiserslautern, Germany where she met her husband who is in the Air Force in 2006. In 2008, Martinez and her husband moved to the United States. Initially, her husband was stationed at Moody Air Force base. However, her husband was leaving the military and changing careers. As a result, they moved to San Antonio, Texas in 2009.

While there, Martinez worked as a nurse at a university hospital. Switching from becoming a nurse in Germany to one in the United States was no easy task.

I had to retake nursing boards in America, said Martinez.

She obtained a Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) certification.

I wanted to show that I got education in America, said Martinez.

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Coaching people to a healthier life

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health and fitness by rob clarke - Video

Washington, July 17 : A new study has found that the more hours young children spend watching TV, the worse their muscular fitness and the larger their waist size as they approach their teens, with possible consequences for adult health.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under the age of two should not exceed more than two hours of TV viewing a day. However, evidence suggests that an increasing number of parents now use the television as an 'electronic babysitter'.

As a consequence, a research group from the Universite de Montreal, Canada, set out to determine whether there is a correlation between the number of hours spent watching TV in early childhood and subsequent physical fitness in the same school-age children.

The Canadian team used participants from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, and assessed parental reports of the number of hours the child spent watching TV per week at 29 and 53 months of age. Muscle strength and abdominal fat correlate with fitness, and, were therefore measured when children were in the second and fourth grade, using the standing long jump test and waist circumference.

The researchers found that each hour per week of television watched at 29 months corresponded to a 0.361 cm decrease in the Standing Long Jump Test, indicating a decrease in muscle strength.

An extra hour's increase in weekly TV exposure between 29 and 53 months of age predicted an extra 0.285 cm reduction in test performance. Also significant was that waist circumference at fourth grade increased by 0.047 cm for every hour of television watched between the ages of 29 and 53 months, corresponding to a 0.41 cm increase in waistline by age 10, or a 0.76 cm increase for those who watched more than 18 hours of TV a week.

Since physical fitness is directly related to future health and longevity, increased waist size and reduced muscular strength that carries into adulthood could predict negative health outcomes later in life.

"TV is a modifiable lifestyle factor, and people need to be aware that toddler viewing habits may contribute to subsequent physical health," the team's lead investigator, Dr Caroline Fitzpatrick from New York University who conducted this research at the Universite de Montreal and Saint-Justine's Hospital Research Centre, commented.

"Further research will help to determine whether amount of TV exposure is linked to any additional child health indicators, as well as cardiovascular health," she added.

The study has been published in BioMed Central's open access journal International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. (ANI)

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Too much TV in childhood could lead to larger waistline later in life

Posted by admin in Outdoor & Sports on July 16th, 2012 | no responses

The National Physique Committee sanctioned amateur bodybuilding, figure, bikini, physique and fitness championship the Tahoe Show is Aug. 25 at MontBleu in Stateline.

The 2012 Tahoe Show adds a Health and Fitness Expo, new mens and womens physique divisions, live video web-stream, new stage design and a Peoples Choice Award where the audience will text their vote for the best athlete.

This will be the first time a live web-stream with a text message Peoples Choices Award has been included at a bodybuilding competition. The winners of this American Idol style voting will be in Muscular Development magazine.

The promoters of the Tahoe Show are bringing back a number features that made the show a success in 2011.

From the website the competitor can register to compete, as well as purchase show photos, tanning, event DVD, hair and makeup, a lakeside photo shoot the Sunday after the show and new this year, a posing clinic with IFBB pro bodybuilder Ben Pakulski and NPC nationals figure competitor Jesse Hilgenburg.

Expected at the show are about 200 competitors and more than 1,700 spectators.

For tickets, information, registration and a full event schedule go online, email [emailprotected] or call (775) 267.7564.

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Bodybuilding show adds health-fitness expo

LONDON -- The last five years have been tough for those in retirement. Portfolio valuations have been hammered, annuity rates have plunged, and uncertainty has ruled the roost. There's no sign of things improving anytime soon, either, as the eurozone and the U.K. economy look set to muddle through at best for some years to come.

A great way to protect yourself from the downturn, however, is to build your retirement fund with shares of large, well-run companies that should grow their earnings steadily over the coming decades. Over time, such investments ought to result in rising dividends and inflation-beating capital growth, especially if you keep the shares within a tax-efficient ISA or SIPP.

It's no coincidence that the world's most successful investor, Warren Buffett, prefers such companies. He recently invested in a large FTSE 100 (INDEX: ^FTSE) company that fits the bill perfectly. You can find full details in this free report.

In this series, I'm tracking down the U.K. large caps that have the potential to beat the FTSE over the long term and support a lower-risk, income-generating retirement fund. Today I'll take a look at Royal Dutch Shell (LSE: RDSB.L) , whose 140 billion pound market capitalization makes it the largest company in the FTSE 100 and one of the world's five "supermajor" oil companies.

In this article I've focused on Shell's class "B" shares, which pay dividends in pounds and are most commonly held by U.K. investors. Shell also has class "A" shares -- Royal Dutch Shell (LSE: RDSA.L) -- which are virtually identical but pay dividends in euros. The total value of these two types of shares gives Shell its 140 billion pound market cap.

Size matters Shell is an integrated oil company, which means that on top of extracting oil and gas and selling it on the open market, it also sells refined products like petrol and diesel to consumers. This means that it is not solely dependent on a high oil price to make big profits -- although that certainly helps! The link between profitability and the price of oil also explains why Shell's yearly performance is not directly linked to the FTSE 100:

2007

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Is Shell the Ultimate Retirement Share?

You don't have to move full-time to reap the rewards of retiring overseas. Selling everything you own, packing your bags, and leaving your home, your family, and your friends to retire in a new country may seem bold, intimidating, even ridiculous. Perhaps you don't want to sell your house. Maybe you don't want to be a plane ride away from your grandchildren all year long. Some people have business or family responsibilities in the United States that would make it inconvenient to reside overseas 12 months a year.

These are all good reasons to retire overseas part-time. Another reason is improving your budget. If your retirement nest egg has taken a beating recently, your prospects for retirement living in the United States may seem grim. But if you spend half the year someplace where the cost of living is significantly reduced and rent out your U.S. home while you're away, your retirement funds could expand accordingly during the months you're stateside. Retirement could go from a source of concern to a cause for excitement.

One good strategy can be to follow the seasons. When the snow starts falling up north, head south. Combine city living with a mountain escape or small-town charm with a beachfront retreat. Soak up Continental pleasures, then withdraw to country life.

A part-time retirement abroad makes even more sense if you can rent out your place back home while you're off enjoying foreign pleasures. Find the retirement haven that complements your situation at home and buy there. If you can also rent out the foreign residence when you're away, your budget becomes a whole lot easier to manage.

One very sensible and manageable approach could be to spend half the year in the States and half the year down south, for example. This snowbird approach to retirement isn't new. Retirees from upstate New York and the Dakotas have been migrating south for decades. The difference today is that they're migrating farther south. Panama has become the new Florida, the top choice among Americans looking to escape winter back home by spending that season in far sunnier climes. Other top snowbird destinations include Mexico and Nicaragua.

Part-time retirement overseas has other practical benefits. Paul and Vicki Terhorst retired 25 years ago. However, they didn't retire to anywhere. They retired, literally, overseas. They move around the world as their wanderlust and, critically, their retirement budget dictates. When Paris was a far more affordable place to live than it is right now, they lived in Paris. When the cost of living in that city became more than their budget could bear, they moved to Buenos Aires. When inflation made Argentina too expensive, they moved to Chiang Mai, Thailand, where they've been living, happily, for the past eighteen months.

One more benefit to part-time retirement abroad: It means you don't have to worry about foreign residency options or visas. Remember, you must obtain a residency visa only if you intend to reside in the country permanently, which generally means more than six months a year. You'd have your work cut out for you trying to organize full-time legal residency as a retiree in Croatia, for example, or New Zealand. Both of these countries offer many advantages and appealing lifestyle options for the would-be retiree, but neither makes it easy for retirees to become full-time residents.

Kathleen Peddicord is the founder of the Live and Invest Overseas publishing group. With more than 25 years experience covering this beat, Kathleen reports daily on current opportunities for living, retiring, and investing overseas in her free e-letter. Her book, How To Retire Overseas--Everything You Need To Know To Live Well Abroad For Less, was recently released by Penguin Books.

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Reap the Many Benefits of a Part-Time Retirement Overseas

By Joanna Robinson

PUBLISHED: 04:23 EST, 16 July 2012 | UPDATED: 11:42 EST, 16 July 2012

Pensioners are increasingly unwilling to sacrifice their quality of life in retirement in order to leave their relatives with an inheritance, a new study has claimed.

The research, from specialist insurer Just Retirement, has revealed a shift away from the traditional desire to leave significant assets to family members.

The belief in a duty to leave something for the next generation seems to be waning in those currently approaching retirement, for whom having a good quality of life takes top priority the study says. But is that really a bad thing and wouldn't any child rather their parents enjoyed retirement than scrimping to give them money? Joanna Robinson takes a look at the debate.

The good life: pensioners choose quality of life in retirement over inheritance for the next generation

The survey, which used 300 hours of interviews with more than 1,000 people, found 61 per cent of older people would not sacrifice their own lifestyle to make sure they can leave money to their family when they die.

One respondent said Id like to leave something to my children if theres anything left, but I wont ruin my retirement.

Another explained: Im not particularly worried as both my daughters are doing well.

One of the most interesting findings is the clear difference between generations, said Stephen Lowe, group director of external affairs and customer insight at Just Retirement.

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Should enjoying retirement be a priority over leaving an inheritance?

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., July 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Elaine Sarsynski, executive vice president of MassMutual's Retirement Services Division and chairman and CEO of MassMutual International LLC, was a featured guest on Bloomberg's "Taking Stock" radio program on July 11. Hosted by Bloomberg news anchors Pimm Fox and Courtney Donohoe, the show focused on the subject of retirement preparedness and what steps Americans can take to better prepare.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100927/NE72118-a )

Ms. Sarsynski is on a crusade to drive awareness of challenges facing Americans as they plan and save for retirement and is particularly focused on helping to bring attention to specific concerns facing women. During the interview, she discussed the findings of recent qualitative research sponsored by MassMutual Retirement Services that provided insights into what retirement plan/401(k) participants are thinking and feeling about retirement.

The research, conducted between December 5, 2011 and February 17, 2012, revealed that, while about a third of surveyed participants in retirement plans administered by MassMutual began saving at an early age, the rest of the respondents ranged in age from late teens to late fifties. Many wished they had "paid more attention" and had implemented a "more strategic plan" to achieve their retirement goals.

On the subject of health care, Ms. Sarsynski affirmed that it is, indeed, a topic of great importance to retirement plan participants. She emphasized that retirement is "not a sprint" but rather a long-term proposition that requires saving consistently throughout an individual's working life to achieve sufficient savings levels.

"This research clearly demonstrates the need for financial advisors and retirement plan providers like MassMutual to help Americans figure out what it means to have adequate replacement income in retirement and then help them devise a strategy to make it happen," says Sarsynski. "At MassMutual, we are trying to change the conversation to one that's more about monthly income and what it will take for an individual saver to reach a sufficient level to sustain them in retirement. Financial advisors have a critical role in this discussion and women often need even more help," adds Sarsynski.

MassMutual's participant website, http://www.retiresmart.com, features its RetireSmart(SM) Ready tool, designed to help individuals calculate and adjust their savings levels to help them increase the likelihood of accomplishing this goal. MassMutual also offers a PlanSmart(SM) Analysis report that helps employers offering retirement plans to evaluate this measure at the plan level.

Ms. Sarsynski quoted one participant as saying, "I started putting money away at 26, but didn't really start planning and paying attention until I was 44." She stated that this was a common theme among survey respondents.

For more information about MassMutual's retirement services, please call your retirement plan advisor or contact MassMutual at (888) 626-4911, http://www.massmutual.com/retire.

MassMutual Financial Group is a marketing name for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) [of which Retirement Services is a division] and its affiliated companies and sales representatives. MassMutual is headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts and its major affiliates include: Babson Capital Management LLC; Baring Asset Management Limited; Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers LLC; The First Mercantile Trust Company; MassMutual International LLC; MML Investors Services, LLC, Member FINRA and SIPC; OppenheimerFunds, Inc.; and The MassMutual Trust Company, FSB.

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MassMutual's Elaine Sarsynski Interviewed by Bloomberg Radio on Retirement Issues Facing Americans

(MoneyWatch) Although women are fairly confident in their ability to achieve financial goals like buying a house, they tend to be less certain about ensuring they have enough money for retirement and protecting their investments from the vagaries of the market, according to a recent Prudential study.

The study also found a difference in the level of confidence between women younger than 35 and female baby-boomers. Both groups have well-defined financial goals, but younger women often identify themselves as investment beginners and are less likely to say they feel well-prepared to make wise financial decisions.

This apparent gap confidence gap also reflects a knowledge and experience gap. That may be due in part to the the economic crisis, which has heightened women's recognition of the need to develop a financial plan that will meet long-term financial goals. It's also long been the case that women typically lag men in accumulating retirement savings.

One reason that's a concern -- women live longer in retirement. For example, if a man and women were each targeting retirement income of $5,000 per month, and the woman was expected to live five years longer in retirement, then she would need to have saved about $120,000 more by the beginning of her retirement. For the average woman, this can translate to an additional savings requirement of two to three percentage points per year over an entire working life, compared to what men must sock away.

Clearly, then, it is important to for women to run the numbers and estimate how much they need to save for their retirement. But what can they do to boost their confidence about being prepared for the future? There are several strategies that, if taken collectively, can help.

Go for retirement benefits

When seeking employment, look forcompanies that offer benefits tailored to women, such as paid-parental leave and retirement savings programs. This combination of benefits can help reduce the impact on retirement savings when taking extended leave. Also look for employers who offer retirement plans that include generous employer-matching contributions.

Contribute to a spousal IRA

A common challenge for women who leave a career is that they do not have earnings and therefore do not participate in an employer-provided retirement program, such as a 401(k) plan. As long as their working spouse is earning an income, the non-earning spouse should consider opening and contributing to aSpousal IRA, where their income earning spouses can contribute up to $5,000 per year ($6,000 if 50 or older). Spousal IRAs allow non-earning spouses to continue to accumulate retirement savings in their own retirement accounts, which provides additional individual retirement security in the event of divorce.

Inventory your retirement benefits

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Retirement confidence boosters for women