Fan Reaction: Should Yoga Be an Olympic Sport?
Posted: May 28, 2012 at 1:21 pm
Yoga has already turned competitive, and the National Yoga Asana Championship was held on March 2-4. Still, many want yoga to turn into an Olympic sport, such as USA Yoga and the Yoga Federation. The Yoga Federation is requesting that the International Olympic committee think about adding yoga to the Olympic games.
Many don't like the idea of yoga being competitive since it originally was meant to be relaxing and noncompetitive.
I feel that yoga would make a great addition to the Olympic sports for the following reasons:
Judging is done on the yoga poses (asanas) alone
Those who chose to compete will be judged on the postures rather than any spiritual aspect of yoga. In this sense, yoga is no different than competing for points in gymnastics, figure skating or any other sport.
Yoga would make a great Olympic sport to watch
Just as it is appealing to watch those who have mastered swimming, basketball and other such sports, it is intriguing to view those who have perfected the art of yoga with grace, flexibility and strength.
Yoga will be recognized as a sport rather than a form of exercise
Many people do not view yoga as a sport but rather as a form of exercise. Yoga can be very relaxing, but certain poses can be very challenging as well. It would be great for it to be recognized as an actual sport since it requires strength, flexibility, concentration and discipline. Mastering poses can be just as challenging as mastering any other sport.
It would break the stigma that yoga is only for women
National Senior Health and Fitness Day Interview – Video
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ALL DONE FITNESS MOTIVATIONAL TRAINING – Video
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Health and fitness magazines take different approaches when motivating women and men
Posted: at 7:20 am
I'm one of those women who likes reading men's health and fitness magazines. Though they all promise bodies and sex lives that most of us will never have, I'm drawn to the funny, self-deprecating tone, the functional workout tips and the emphasis on sweat, competition and strength training.
Yes, women's magazines have these elements but on a vastly diminished scale. They're fluffier, in part because beauty products and clothes are considered health-related, but also because women are still plagued by the irrational fear of "bulking up."
We won't get huge without added testosterone, but some magazines still perpetuate the notion that men should build insanely huge muscles and women need to lose fat.
A recent Muscle & Fitness magazine cover, for example, promised "75 of the Best Muscle Building Exercises."
By contrast, Muscle & Fitness Hers, the female counterpart to the bodybuilder mag, featured thinspiration, including "The Skinny on Fat Loss" and "The Best Natural Appetite Suppressants."
The majority of advertisements touted fat-burning supplements, stimulants and weight loss products.
Men's Health and Women's Health magazines have plenty of overlapping content.
Both recognize that both genders compete in marathons and triathlons, want great abs in 15 minutes and need nutritional guidance. But the editors use considerably different voices to reach their male and female readers.
"For Women's Health, it's a confiding, challenging, sisterly thing -- equal parts encouragement, sympathy and advice. It comes from a place of 'just us girls,'" said David Zinczenko, editor-in-chief of Men's Health and editorial director of Women's Health.
"Guys tend to be a bit more bracing with their counsel, with a healthy dose of humor -- plus self-denigration -- thrown into the mix," Zinczenko added. "First we laugh at ourselves, then we laugh at you, then we deliver the goods straight up, with an expert chaser."
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Health and fitness magazines take different approaches when motivating women and men
Brothers build on success at Harper Technologies
Posted: at 7:19 am
DAPHNE, Alabama -- A lot can happen in five years.
In 2007, brothers Abe and Carl Harper were hard at work and enjoying the successes of their company, Harper Technologies LLC, with several high-profile customers under their belt including Wells Fargo and Learning Tree International.
The company, started in 2002, builds, repairs and customizes personal computers, and offers Web site design and maintenance, networking, data backup, software support and printer repair services.
The business that now gives the brothers a steady paycheck, helped put Carl through college on someone else's dime. Based on his work while still at Daphne High School, Carl, now 23, got scholarships that covered half of his expenses at the University of Alabama.
He graduated with highest honors, earning a degree in business management in December 2010.
With a brick-and-mortar office in Daphne as well as a satellite office in Tuscaloosa to service contracts in central and northern Alabama and northeastern Mississippi, Harper Technologies has weathered the economic downturn.
A private company, Harper Technologies does not reveal annual sales or profit, but the brothers said annual revenue has grown by at least 30 percent every year since 2007, and 40 percent or better in the last two years.
"We heard a lot of references to people losing business because sales were down," Abe, 29, said of the dip in the economy in 2008. "As the economy slowed, our sales number went down but our service numbers went up."The company's profit margin on services and repairs rose at a time when many businesses were struggling to stay afloat. Customers opted to fix what they had rather than buy a new product, Carl said, providing the company a huge benefit.
"It's a very favorable situation for the customer and us," Abe said of the shift to more repairs. "It shows an established confidence between the customer and our ability and our services."The company didn't escape the downturn unscathed. Its office in Tallahassee, Fla., closed, and its client list shrink.
But the Gulf oil spill in 2010 provided a boost via a contract to deliver, install and maintain computer equipment used at catastrophe claims centers stretching from Bay St. Louis, Miss. to Crawfordville, Fla.
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Success Story: Rachele Johnson
Posted: at 7:19 am
Lesley Young/Special to The Commercial Appeal
"I have never felt better," says Rachele Johnson, who signed up with a personal trainer last fall. "I am just elated."
Once Rachele Johnson decided to lose some weight, she progressed from walking with a friend a few times a week to working out sometimes twice a day.
"My friend recommended a trainer for me, and it ended up being an excellent decision," said Johnson, 56.
She signed up last fall with Yvette Smith, and over the course of six months, she has lost more than 60 pounds.
"My weight loss has averaged 10 pounds a month consistently," said Johnson, who lives in Cordova.
Smith first gave Johnson a "calorie budget," based on her weight and age, and Johnson gradually adapted her eating habits to include more fruits, vegetables and lean meats.
"I ate very poorly," she said. "I ate lots of sweets, lots of breads, drank wine regularly, and all the foods that are not good for you."
In the beginning of her workout journey, Johnson met with Smith three days a week for strength training and some cardio exercise.
Once she had mastered that routine, Smith changed it up for her.
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Success Story: Rachele Johnson
Cast, crew efforts recognised
Posted: at 7:18 am
Most of the cast and crew of The Sound of Music, staged by Showbiz Queenstown at the Queenstown Memorial Hall from May 17 to 26. Photo by Geoff Patterson.
Lisa Moore, who lit up the stage as Maria, was selected by director Bryan Aitken to receive the Alan Cheak Memorial Trophy for displaying the most personal development during rehearsals.
Assistant director and stage manager Marty Newell was chosen by Aitken to receive the Scooter Reid Memorial Crew Excellence Award for his technical skill, good spirit, commitment and attitude. Along with the trophy, Newell took home late community stalwart Glenn "Scooter" Reid's tool box for a year.
Chris Parvin, who co-starred as Captain Georg von Trapp, won the Kenny Maurice Memorial Award, awarded to the cast member who made the most positive contribution to the overall good spirit of the show and based on a vote by the cast.
Helen Bird, who played the role of Sister Berthe, was presented with the Showbiz Queenstown Douglas Kamo Scholarship of $500 to help advance her musical theatre career. Bird has performed in every Showbiz production since Chess in 2005.
Head mechanist Jim Gibson was recognised by Showbiz president Alex Derbie with the President's Pick for choreographing set movements.
Jonty Climo, one of two actors who played Kurt von Trapp, was given the Hoofer's Award on Aitken's recommendation for making the most personal growth and contributing the most as a dancer.
Samuel Farr won the Committee Award for his significant contribution to the show, specifically for looking after the children, making sure they had the right costumes on, had the correct props and were in the right places for their entrances.
Derbie told the Queenstown Times the awards recognised those who "excelled even beyond their own expectations and it's a thank you, really, from the society".
The president said The Sound of Music had been one of the Showbiz Queenstown's most successful shows in terms of attendance and staging.
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Cast, crew efforts recognised
Pilates instructor teaches healthy habits
Posted: at 1:14 am
Pilates instructor teaches healthy habits
A group of young girls learns all about getting healthy thanks to the help of a South Florida Pilates instructor who battles with an auto-immune disorder the all natural way.
Tonka Cascias runs ProPilates in Fort Lauderdale, home of her infamous cardio ballet barre workout.
Local 10's Neki Mohan and her Women of Tomorrow mentees were up for the challenge, which introduces heart pumping exercises and health to teen girls who want to feel and look better.
"I really enjoyed the class. It was fun, interesting. I am a cheerleader," said one girl. "Active, but this was a little bit more the other side of hard."
"I was really shocked at first. We started really slow then it started really working my body," said another.
The workout gives the teen's a head start on healthy habits for life.
"What I hope they take from today is the concept of health and how important it is and the simple truth that if you don't have your health, you have nothing because that's what I was faced with," said Cascias.
was diagnosed with a debilitating auto-immune thyroid disorder six years ago.
Doctors prescribed medicine. Instead, she became a raw vegan and reversed her symptoms. Now, she is spreading the word and educating everyone.
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Pilates instructor teaches healthy habits
Wright coaching UCLA while preparing to play for Team USA in Olympics again
Posted: May 27, 2012 at 6:13 pm
Adam Wright climbs out of the pool at Cal Lutheran, quickly changes into his clothes and jumps into his car.
He drives to Westwood to spend a few hours at UCLA's pool before jumping back into his car and heading back to the pool at Oaks Christian School.
Wright has been leading a double water polo life the last few years.
He is a member of the USA Water Polo Men's National Team and also the head coach of the UCLA men's water polo team.
"The easy thing to do is complain because, of course, some days are long and you are rundown and tired," Wright said. "But I am very lucky to be able to do both and I absolutely love doing both."
Wright, 35, just completed his third season as the head coach of his alma mater.
As a player, Wright led the Bruins to back-to-back NCAA titles in 1999 and 2000. Wright was an assistant coach at UCLA for the men's and women's teams in 2008-09 before being named the men's head coach.
During his interview for the job, Wright informed the UCLA administrators that he still planned to participate in the London Olympics.
The core of the national team was intent on pursuing the gold medal after capturing the silver in 2008 in Beijing.
"I made it clear I still had the ambition of playing at the highest level," said Wright, who will be playing in his third Olympics. "I have been with this group for almost 16 years. What we did in the beginning was great, but we really didn't reach our ultimate goal."
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Wright coaching UCLA while preparing to play for Team USA in Olympics again
Phuket Health Club New Touch Screens 2 Thai – Video
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Phuket Health Club New Touch Screens 2 Thai - Video