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The Needham Park and Recreation Department is offering several programs for adults, ages 17 and older, and seniors, ages 50 and older. Ballroom Dancing Class: 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays, April 4-May 16. Outdoor Boot Camp: 9 to 10 a.m. Saturdays, April 29-June 3, L.L. Bean Discovery School, 340 Legacy Place, Dedham. Adult Golf Lessons: Tuesdays, May 2-30, or Wednesdays, May 3-31, at the Needham Golf Club, 49 Green St. Classes for beginners are from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., and for advanced beginner from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.. Outdoor Tennis Lessons: Thursdays, May 4 to June 1, on the Mills Courts, 82 Gould St. Classes for beginners and advanced beginners are at 9 a.m., and advanced beginners at 10 a.m. Senior Golf League: Tuesday mornings, May 2-July 18, at the Needham Golf Club. Senior Exercise Classes: 9 a.m. Mondays, April 3-May 22; 9:15 a.m. Wednesdays, March 22-May 17; and 10:30 a.m. Fridays, March 24-May 26. Fees are charged for each program. Registration is taken from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays at the Park and Recreation Office, 500 Dedham Ave., or online at http://needhamma.gov/parkandrecreation.

Outdoor activity courses at the L.L. Bean Discover School, 340 Legacy Place, Dedham. Geocaching: 1 to 2:30 p.m. March 25 and April 1. For ages 8 and older. Cost: $15. Introduction to Map and Compass Skills: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 22 and 29. For ages 10 and older. Cost: $45. Introduction to Fly Casting: 2 to 5 p.m. May 13, 20 or 27. For ages 12 and older. Cost: $75. Boot Camp: 9 to 10 a.m. Saturdays, April 29 to June 3. Cost: $125. For information: 781-455-7550, ext. 3; http://needhamma.gov/parkandrecreation.

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Needham Park and Recreation Department to offer programs - Wicked Local Needham

Many recognizable faces were noticed during the recent Big 12 Conference Wrestling Championships at the BOK Center in downtown Tulsa.

Among the many former Oklahoma State wrestlers, high school coaches and others associated with the sport, was a familiar face wearing West Virginias colors.

Tanner Kolb, the assistant strength and conditioning coach at West Virginia, attended the tourney in his role within the Mountaineer wrestling program. He joined WVU in 2012 and is in charge of strength and conditioning for the schools wrestling and soccer programs.

His journey to West Virginia included a stop in Stillwater, where I had an opportunity to become acquainted with him and visit with him often.

Kolb, a Pittsburgh native, was a three-year captain of the wrestling team at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, where he received a bachelors degree in sports and exercise science in 2003.

He arrived in Stillwater in 2003 and served as a volunteer in Oklahoma States weight program, working with the football, wrestling, softball and equestrian squads. He spent the summer of 2004 as the strength and conditioning coach at Perry High.

Kolb also spent three years working at Stillwater Medical Centers Total Health facility as a fitness specialist. His duties included teaching Olympic lifting techniques, instructing group exercise classes and working with the weightlifting portion of the citys Pioneer Senior Olympics.

He finished requirements for a masters degree in exercise physiology education at OSU in 2007 and moved away for other job opportunities, leaving behind many friends and acquaintances.

He worked as strength and conditioning coach at two high schools in Michigan and spent three years as the head strength coach and professor at Waynesburg College in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, where he taught four classes and implemented programs for all sports.

Kolb, who had numerous articles published in fitness/training industry publications, left Waynesburg for East Carolina, where he was assistant strength and conditioning coach for one year before accepting the post at West Virginia.

Working and studying in Stillwater werent Kolbs only connection to the city or the university.

His father, Jon Kolb, an all-state football player at Owasso, was an All-American football player for the Cowboys in 1968.

Jon was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 1969 draft. He played for the Steelers from 1969-1981.

Jon, considered one of the NFLs strongest players at the time, became a starting left tackle in 1971 and started in 177 games and played on four Steeler Super Bowl championship teams in 1974, 1975, 1978 and 1979.

The current Pittsburgh resident was the strength and conditioning coach, along with coaching the defensive line and tight ends, with Pittsburgh from 1982-1992.

Jon, who was named to the Pittsburgh Steelers All-Time Team, was inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.

Being a close-knit family, Jon chose Tanner and his brother Caleb to introduce him at the ceremony.

Ron Holt is a sports columnist for the Stillwater News Press. Holt served as sports editor for more than 30 years and resides in Bixby.

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THE HOLT REPORT: WVU coach Kolb has connections to OSU - Stillwater News Press

CHEERS

STORM RESPONSE: Hats off to the highway and forestry workers, volunteer and professional firefighters, law enforcement officers and private utility workers who responded so quickly and effectively to the fallout of the windstorm that tore through Niagara County earlier this week. Despite the extent of the mess and the damage, within 24 hours major roads were cleared of felled trees and power lines, and most residents who lost power had it restored. According to Steve Brady, regional spokesman for National Grid, the storm hit with such gale force that in some places, whole electrical systems have to be rebuilt. Considering that, its safe to say our community came out of the storm relatively unscathed, and we have a small army of first responders to thank for that.

PUMPED UP: Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center officials proudly unveiled the facilitys newest addition this past week about $100,000 worth of upgrades and equipment added to the Center of Niagaras Cardiopulmonary Rehab Facility located at the hospitals Heart Center on 10th Street. The all new, fully handicapped-accessible facility features 18 new pieces of workout equipment. It allows post-operative cardiac patients, and those with other diagnoses, to follow individually tailored exercise programs. It also offers a wellness exercise program to the general public and, in conjunction with YMCA Buffalo Niagara, fitness classes for people with special needs. ... we like to think of it as Club Med comes to Tenth Street, quipped Memorial President & CEO Joseph A. Ruffolo during a ceremony last week. It doesnt sound like hes too far off. In addition, rehabilitation services at the Heart Center of Niagara will be featured as an important part of the Million Hearts Project, a cardiac health and wellness campaign that will kick off at Memorial today.

REVISED ORDER: President Trumps revised executive order on immigration provides some relief to the Niagara Frontier. The original order called for biometric checks fingerprint or iris scanning of all travelers at U.S. border crossings including the bridges in Niagara Falls and Lewiston, raising the possibility of processing delays bringing New York-Ontario trade to a screeching halt. U.S. Rep. Chris Collins, R-Clarence, minced no words when he pointed out to the administration the potentially devastating economic consequences of such a broad border-security order, and the revised executive order appears to have taken his warning into account. Collins says the order now calls for a tracking system for in-scope travelers only and that label does not apply to citizens and permanent residents of the U.S. and Canada.

JEERS

TIPPED OFF: Retention of an expensive, professional crisis communications firm by the board of trustees of Niagara County Community College, a public entity, seems a bit much. The hiring followed recent disclosures of internal emails by college administration regarding the development of the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute. The trustees, who are the overseers of NCCC, should know well enough whats going on to be able to answer questions from the media and the public themselves. If they cant or dont want to, why are they trustees? Perhaps the board should hire Tipping Point Communications to oversee the college, too? Local government watchdog Rosemary Warren hit the nail on the head when she addressed the trustees at their meeting last week and let em know, they own some of the blame for the colleges current clouded circumstance.

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CHEERS & JEERS: The best and worst of the week for March 13 - Niagara Gazette

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Mar 12, 2017

Photo Provided A Temple Challenge group at the Wellness Center at Camden Clark Medical Center is put through an exercise routine. The Temple Challenge has grown to eight sites in the area.

Stacy Housers Temple Challenge incorporates faith, support and nutrition and exercise.

Support is one of the main reasons Temple Challenge has been so successful, Houser said.

Going into its fourth year, the Temple Challenge started at one site in Parkersburg and has expanded to eight locations in the region, she said.

Its a franchise now, Houser said.

Photo Provided Participants in the Temple Challenge are put through a physical fitness regimen.

Programs, led by different fitness trainers, are held at the E.L.I.T.E. Center in Parkersburg, the Victory Baptist Church in Ripley, Doddridge County High School, the Elizabeth Baptist Church in Wirt County, Ritchie County High School, Mountain River Physical Therapy in Vienna, the St. Marys Fitness Center and the Camden Clark Wellness Center.

Hours and schedule vary, but participants can join at any time, she said. The website is thetemplechallenge.com.

Among the trainers are Kim Poling, Chris and Lori Wells, Becky Marshall and Stephanie Bauman. Classes are $5 for a single session; however, multi-week packages are available.

Housers undergraduate degree was in kinesiology from the University of Maryland. Her graduate degree was from Ohio University in sports science.

She is the daughter of Mark and Cathy Houser. Mark is the pastor at the Community Baptist Church and her mother works at United Bank.

Photo Provided Stacy Houser

The basis of the Temple Challenge is 1 Corinthians 6:19, Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.

The Temple Challenge is a multi-week regimen stressing cardiovascular and strength training, core exercises and flexibility, Houser said.

Obviously, youre going to challenge that temple, she said.

Participants are of all ages, from senior citizens to young children who have different goals, whether it be improved conditioning or losing weight, Houser said.

You never do the same workout twice, said Houser.

Photo Provided Two participants in the Temple Challenge program climb a rope.

In the beginning, mostly women were in the Temple Challenge. That has changed, Houser said.

Theres a lot more men than there used to be, she said.

About 100 people participated in the first year the Temple Challenge was started, Houser said. Today more than 1,000 people are in the program requiring it to expand to other sites, she said.

It kept growing, growing and growing, Houser said.

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Fitness training combines faith, support, nutrition and exercise - Parkersburg News

By Staff Sunday, March 12, 2017

Name: Phyllis Norris

Age: 69

Years in Grand Junction: 69

1. Do you support creating a community/recreation center in GrandJunction?

Today the city offers numerous facilities and recreational opportunities to the community.

A few of these are:

The Orchard Mesa community center indoor pool is open year-round, a summer season pool and splash padat Lincoln Park.

A senior center on Sixth Street and Ouray Avenue.

Meeting rooms at Two Rivers, the Avalon, Lincoln Park Barn and the hospitality suite at the stadium.

Athletic and exercise programs at the Lincoln Park Barn, basketball programs at school locations, outdoor recreational programs at numerous parks, and a walking track at Lincoln Park.

We have nine privately owned fitness centers and 11 yoga/Pilates studios currently in the city.

There is a citizens group working to bring everything into one facility. I believe there are a lot of questions to be answered before we ask citizens to approve a tax to build and maintain a center.

2. What should City Councils role be in promoting economic development?

City Council developed an economic developmentplan in 2014. As part of that plan we hired an outside consultant to work with the ED partners in the valley; they developed action plans with goals for each partner. Each year they bring their plan to Council and we budget funding to support theseeconomic development goals. The city also supports the Visitor and Convention Bureau for promoting tourism. Councils role is to continue to support the entities that understand and have the ability to work with businesses to grow the economy.

3. Do you support the presence of retail marijuana businesses in Grand Junction?

According to Rocky Mountain High Drug Trafficking Area, since Colorado legalized marijuana, marijuana-related traffic deaths have increased 48 percent in a three-year period. Youth use of marijuana has increased 20 percent while the nation went down 4 percent. Hospital-related incidents have increased 49 percent. Highway patrol yearly seizures of Colorado marijuana increased 37 percent. I dont want this in our community, and we should remain one of the 68 percent of local jurisdictions who ban medical and recreational marijuana businesses.

4. Identify one or two issues you feel are most important for Grand Junction.

I believe the city of Grand Junction has two major issues. First is providing public safety for citizens. We still need additional police officers as well as another fire station in our community. The second is maintaining and expanding our road system. As our economy grows, funding for these areas will also grow. Council members need to stay focused on improving the economy and budgeting our funds to take care of these two issues.

5. What makes you a qualified candidate for City Council?

I retired as president fromCity Market six years ago and had a successful career because of my leadership skills, dedication to the company, strong work ethic and made decisions to help grow the company. The city needs these skills to help us continue to grow; because of my background, I provide the leadership needed for our city.

Name: Jesse Daniels

Age: 35

Years in Grand Junction: Born and raised in the Grand Valley

1. Do you support creating a community/recreation center in Grand Junction?

Im in full support of a community/recreation center in Grand Junction.Determining if an existing building could be retrofitted to become the facility or if a new facility should be created is paramount.Matchett Park has a space reserved as a potential facility location, and there has also been talk about retrofitting the Orchard Mesa Pool facility to become a community/recreation center.Voters have chosen in the past not to fund the center by way of a tax increase.So the overall health and success of Grand Junction based on tax revenue seems to be how this project would be funded.

2. What should City Councils role be in promoting economic development?

The City Councils role is to further the reach and effectiveness of programs that have proven their worth.Programs like: The Grand Junction Economic Partnership, The Downtown Development Authority, The Grand Junction Visitor and Convention Bureau, and The Business Incubator.Empowering these entities to make a deeper reach into and out of our community to attract economic development is their mission and our support of them should be of the highest priority.

3. Do you support the presence of retail marijuana businesses in Grand Junction?

Developing a healthy economic community is key to the success of Grand Junction; retail cannabis is a prime example of that.Community projects like a community/recreation center could be realized with the influx of tax revenue.Our schools are literally becoming a health hazard to students and faculty, our infrastructure is crumbling, and our emergency services need additional funding.All of these things are extremely costly. Retail cannabis enables Grand Junction to not only collect huge local tax revenues, but it allows for the city to apply for state level funding as well.I assisted GJ CAN to form their nonprofit status and helped them along the way to creating their regulatory framework for retail cannabis.Using their framework, talking with cities in Colorado that are seeing success, and combining all efforts to create the best model for Grand Junction to thrive, while reining in the black market and increasing our tourism this is how we realize a functioning cannabis industry.

4. Identify one or two issues you feel are most important for Grand Junction.

Issue 1: Divorcing our boom and bust mentality to diversify our economy.By simply attracting consumers back to Grand Junction.Achieving this by way of year-round concerts, events, trade shows, festivals and conventions through the expansion of Two Rivers Convention Center.Allowing a comprehensive and well-regulated cannabis industry.Empowering GJEP, the DDA, the GJ Visitor and Convention Bureau, and the Business Incubator to attract new exciting industries to Grand Junction.

Issue 2. Improving the overall quality of life for the Grand Junction community.Achieving this through a stable healthy diversified economy, community outreach programs, improving the mass transit system to once again include a light rail service, and addressing the homelessness issue in a way that creates a support system for mental/physical health, developing a path to success, work programs, and housing pathways.

5. What makes you a qualified candidate for City Council?

I am a qualified candidate because:

I have a common-sense approach to issues.

Being a career bartender and chauffeur Ive had a unique perspective the past 20 years into what people think of and need from this city.

Through activism Ive helped to shore up the needs of underprivileged communities in the Grand Valley.

Having been a business owner in this city, Ive seen what isnt working, how we can improve and how to perpetuate small businesses to their full potential.

Thank you for your consideration! We CAN build a better Grand Junction Together!

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Candidates for Grand Junction City Council, District A - Grand Junction Daily Sentinel

It's oft-repeated but true: exercise keeps you healthy. It boosts your immune system, keeps the mind sharp, helps you sleep, maintains your muscle tone, and extends your healthy lifespan. Researchers have long suspected that the benefits of exercise extend down to the cellular level, but know relatively little about which exercises help cells rebuild key organelles that deteriorate with aging. A study published March 7 in Cell Metabolism found that exercise -- and in particular high-intensity interval training in aerobic exercises such as biking and walking -- caused cells to make more proteins for their energy-producing mitochondria and their protein-building ribosomes, effectively stopping aging at the cellular level.

"Based on everything we know, there's no substitute for these exercise programs when it comes to delaying the aging process," said study senior author Sreekumaran Nair, a medical doctor and diabetes researcher at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. "These things we are seeing cannot be done by any medicine."

The study enrolled 36 men and 36 women from two age groups -- "young" volunteers who were 18-30 years old and "older" volunteers who were 65-80 years old -- into three different exercise programs: one where the volunteers did high-intensity interval biking, one where the volunteers did strength training with weights, and one that combined strength training and interval training. Then the researchers, led by then-post-doc, now University of Oregon faculty member Matthew Robinson and colleagues, took biopsies from the volunteers' thigh muscles and compared the molecular makeup of their muscle cells to samples from sedentary volunteers. The researchers also assessed the volunteers' amount of lean muscle mass and insulin sensitivity.

They found that while strength training was effective at building muscle mass, high-intensity interval training yielded the biggest benefits at the cellular level. The younger volunteers in the interval training group saw a 49% increase in mitochondrial capacity, and the older volunteers saw an even more dramatic 69% increase. Interval training also improved volunteers' insulin sensitivity, which indicates a lower likelihood of developing diabetes. However, interval training was less effective at improving muscle strength, which typically declines with aging. "If people have to pick one exercise, I would recommend high-intensity interval training, but I think it would be more beneficial if they could do 3-4 days of interval training and then a couple days of strength training," says Nair. But, of course, any exercise was better than no exercise.

Nair stressed that the focus of this study wasn't on developing recommendations, but rather on understanding how exercise helps at the molecular level. As we age, the energy-generating capacity of our cells' mitochondria slowly decreases. By comparing proteomic and RNA-sequencing data from people on different exercise programs, the researchers found evidence that exercise encourages the cell to make more RNA copies of genes coding for mitochondrial proteins and proteins responsible for muscle growth. Exercise also appeared to boost the ribosomes' ability to build mitochondrial proteins. The most impressive finding was the increase in muscle protein content. In some cases, the high-intensity biking regimen actually seemed to reverse the age-related decline in mitochondrial function and proteins needed for muscle building.

The high-intensity biking regimen also rejuvenated the volunteers' ribosomes, which are responsible for producing our cells' protein building blocks. The researchers also found a robust increase in mitochondrial protein synthesis. Increase in protein content explains enhanced mitochondrial function and muscle hypertrophy. Exercise's ability to transform these key organelles could explain why exercise benefits our health in so many different ways.

Muscle is somewhat unique because muscle cells divide only rarely. Like brain and heart cells, muscle cells wear out and aren't easily replaced. Functions in all three of those tissues are known to decline with age. "Unlike liver, muscle is not readily regrown. The cells can accumulate a lot of damage," Nair explains. However, if exercise restores or prevents deterioration of mitochondria and ribosomes in muscle cells, there's a good chance it does so in other tissues, too. Understanding the pathways that exercise uses to work its magic may make aging more targetable.

Nair and his colleagues hope to find out more about how exercise benefits different tissues throughout the body. They are also looking into ways that clinicians may be able to target the pathways that confer the most benefits. However, for the time being, vigorous exercise remains the most effective way to bolster health. "There are substantial basic science data to support the idea that exercise is critically important to prevent or delay aging," says Nair. "There's no substitute for that."

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Materials provided by Cell Press. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

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How exercise -- interval training in particular -- helps your mitochondria stave off old age - Science Daily

Just recently weve seen a steady increase in the number of consumer genetics companies offering genetically informed diets or genetically informed exercise programs, or both. The attraction is, of course, the personalization factor and that it will literally be tailored to best suit your needs, but how effective are they really?

For many people, they still believe that these genetic testing methods are somewhat of a placebo. They feel that of course you will perform better of you think you will because of your genetics and you are following what you believe to be a genetically driven training program. Also, will those who believe more in genetic testing have better results than those who feel skeptical about it?

A lot of healing comes down to the therapy thats taken and will be different for each. Even if two people are suffering from the exact form of a disease at the exact stage, they will have different symptoms and therefore different therapeutic requirements. Its not only patients that are tricked by the charms of genetic data. Doctors to find themselves being duped into thinking certain drugs will behave in one way, only to see them act in another.

The same can be seen in biopharma companies that use biomarkers during early drug development to guide important decisions. The biomarkers are praised and embraced when the result they wanted came through but ignored completely if not. However, going back to the patients for a moment, is there anything wrong in using genetic testing to motivate behavior change in those who are susceptible to it (i.e. those that are already seeking it themselves)?

Its clear that genetic testing will become more popular and theres not much anyone can do about it. If it is a placebo, bit still has a positive effect on people nonetheless, then wheres the harm really? And if scientists can, in fact, prove the link between genetic testing and the effectiveness of these tailored diets or exercise programs then thats even better!

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Can Specious Genetic Testing Motivate Real Behavior Change? - TrendinTech

In 1948, the preamble of the new World Health Organizations constitution redefined health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease.

That unprecedented definition, conveying the more positive aspects of health, sparked the worldwide wellness movement. Since then, wellness has become an important part of both community and university life across the U.S.

The heart of campus wellness at the University of Illinois Springfield is the TRAC (The Recreation and Athletic Center), a 72,000 square-foot facility that opened in 2007 thanks in part to a generous gift from the Hoogland Family Foundation of Springfields own Charles and Kathleen Hoogland.

A state-of-the-art wellness and recreation facility, TRAC houses multiple indoor sport and fitness venues, including basketball and volleyball courts, an elevated running track, cardio and weight training areas and a multipurpose exercise room.

Led by director of Campus Recreation James Koeppe, TRAC staff provide a variety of wellness programs for students, faculty and staff, including group fitness classes (like strength and cardio training, Pilates, yoga, martial arts and dance), intramural sports programs and even personal training services.

TRAC is more than just a place to work out, says James. Its a lively gathering place on campus. Theres a real sense of belonging and community here; at the same time, the programs we offer encourage participants to develop healthy habits of exercise and good nutrition habits that improve all aspects of their lives.

Taylor Davis, a sophomore majoring in exercise science, is one of those participants.

I started my fitness journey at the TRAC on Feb. 16, 2016, when I participated in a free fitness assessment, she says.

Taylor now works out on her own or participates in a fitness class six days per week. She is also working on earning certification as a personal trainer and is a student employee at TRAC teaching weight training.

TRAC is also home to UISs Division II Prairie Stars athletics, and a valuable addition to the program this year is Chris Lowe, the new Strength and Conditioning coach. Thanks to a partnership with Springfield Clinic, Chris works with the 260 Prairie Stars student-athletes on all 15 athletic teams.

Though each team has their own strength and conditioning plan, I take an individualized approach, says Chris. Teams with professional strength and conditioning programs are more competitive, and in addition to strength and conditioning workouts, I educate students about the importance of sleep, good nutrition and adequate hydration.

Mike Rothmund, a junior first baseman from Lombard, says working with coach Lowe has changed how he takes care of himself physically and emotionally, making him a better player and a better student.

My diet has changed dramatically for the better, and its nice to have someone here who is really looking out for you on a personal level, says Mike, who is majoring in communications.

Mikes work with Lowe is certainly paying off.

During a four-game swing last weekend, he hit three home runs and drove in eight more, helping the Prairie Stars win three of four games.

Campus Recreation also offers wellness opportunities for UIS employees and their partners via a TRAC membership program, and many faculty and staff utilize the facility to maintain health and wellness.

The importance of exercise is well-established in health-related literature, not only for physical but also for mental health, says TRAC member Rassule Hadidi, UIS professor of Management Information Systems.

Most of us (faculty) do not get the daily required walking and moving that is essential for good health, he continues. I have enjoyed participating in fitness classes at TRAC during my lunch hour, and the instructors are welcoming, knowledgeable and motivating.

Sophia Gehlhausen Anderson, coordinator of Programs and Outreach for the UIS Diversity Center, agrees.

A regular participant each week in the On TRAC fitness class (a popular cardio and strength training program), Sophia especially appreciates the educational opportunities TRAC provides.

Ive really learned a whole new way to work out that exercises the whole body much different than the jogging I used to do exclusively, she says. Its not just the fitness and social aspects of the classes that we like, but also the learning that takes place.

Residents of the Springfield area are invited to visit the TRAC on April 19 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the annual Health and Wellness Fair. The fair will feature a variety of interactive booths and educational opportunities presented by UIS departments and Springfield community participants.

I hope to see you there.

Susan Koch is chancellor at the University of Illinois Springfield.

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UIS' wellness, recreation facility helps many - The State Journal-Register

Lisa Miller and Sanford Miller enrolled in a Methodist Hospital's diabetes prevention program each loosing over 20 pounds after Sanford was diagnosed prediabetic and both registered high cholesterol.(Photo: Jim Weber, The Commercial Appeal)Buy Photo

Construction worker Sanford Miller rarely ate a midday mealthat didn't include a fast-food burger andfries because, as he says, "that's what you did for lunch."

Not any more.

With his weight, cholesteroland blood-sugar levels surging, Miller, 56, decided to make a change. He and his wife Lisa joined a diabetes-prevention class at Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospitaland began taking walks and eatinga more healthful diet. TheMemphis native and Olive Branch resident not only shed nearly 30 pounds, but lowered hisblood-sugar levels from the pre-diabetes range to normal.

Much like Miller, Michelle Norman says she was"absolutely" destined fordiabetes, what with her family history and struggles to manage weight. But that was before she became an exercise devotee, bicycling up to 150 miles at a time and leading a regular Zumba class.Although still considered pre-diabetic, the 49-year-old Whitehaven resident has reversed the steady increase in her glucose levels, which now are dropping toward the normal range.

Miller and Norman are among a growing number of people acrossGreater Memphis and Tennessee who are eludingone of the region's most widespread and devastatinghealth problems diabetes without prescription drugs.Under the National Diabetes Prevention Program, local hospitals and healthcare providers are targeting pre-diabetic residents for intervention efforts focused mostly on diet, exercise and behavioral changes.

There are early, but tantalizing signs that the effort is helpingbluntwhat area health officials have described as an epidemic. The number of new diabetes cases diagnosed in Shelby County fell nearly 19 percent, from a peak of 7,918 in 2008 to 6,439 in 2013, the most recent year for which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has statistics.

Other urban counties in Tennessee have experienced similar drops. In Davidson County, new cases fell from a high of 5,201 in 2007 to 4,032 in 2013, while Knox County experienced a decline from 3,964 to 2,642 during the same period.

Not eventhose declines, however, change the fact that Type 2 or "adult" diabetes remains a major scourge. Greater Memphis,along with most of Tennessee, lies within what the CDC calls the "diabetes belt,"a 644-county region stretching from eastern Texas to West Virginia and the Carolinas in which 11 percent or more of the adult population has been diagnosed with the disease.

In Shelby County alone, more than 82,000 people, or 12.2 percent of the adult population, had diabetes in 2013, according to CDC data. Although thatfigurerepresentsa leveling-off from the previous twoyears, it'ssignificantly higher than2004, when fewer than 60,000residents, 9.4 percent of the adult population, had the disease. In Davidson and Knox counties, the percentage of adults with diabetes in 2013 was 10.6 and 11.2, respectively.

Characterized by an excess of glucose in the blood, diabetes is an incurable disease that can lead to nerve damage, blindness, kidney disease, heart trouble and death. It kills nearly 250 people in Shelby County each year.

The disease also presents a crushing cost burden. People diagnosed with diabetes at age 50 will spend up to $135,600 more in lifetime medical costs than those without it, according to a 2014 study.Nationally, the disease produces an annual$245billion drain on the economy, including$5.8 billion in Tennessee.

But while it may not be curable, diabetes is clearly preventable, even among those who are especially at-risk because theirblood-sugar levels have reached the pre-diabetic stage.

Dr. Sam Dagogo-Jack, professor of medicine and chief of the division of endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, helped lead a major studyshowing that lifestyleand diet changes can reduce by up to 58 percent the occurrence of diabetes amongpeople who are pre-diabetic. Lifestyle and diet, the study showed, wasalmost twice as effective as medication in preventing the transition from pre-diabetes to diabetes.

"We can prevent the progression from pre-diabetes to diabetes, and even sweeter still, we can observe remission from pre-diabetes back to normal glucose levels," Dagogo-Jack told The Commercial Appeal in a 2015 interview.

While 29.1 million Americans have been diagnosed with the disease, 86 million others have pre-diabetes. Because it typically takes five to 10 years for pre-diabetes to turn intoto diabetes, specialattention should be focused on that lattergroup, Dagogo-Jack said.

"Very few diseases give you that much of a window of opportunity for intervention."

People at-risk for diabetes include those who are obese, overweight and sedentary, orhave a family history of the disease. Also, certain ethnic groups, including African-Americans, are more predisposed to diabetes.

Jennifer Reed, diabetes program manager at the Baptist Medical Group Outpatient Care Center, said just the loss of 5-10 percent of body weight can have a "tremendous effect" on blood-sugar levels. She citessugary drinks, particularly thatSouthern favorite, sweet tea, asa good place to start cutting back.

Kristy Merritt,diabetes education coordinator, Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown, instructs at-risk people how to eat healthier, become more active and manage their stress. She said that among arecent class of nine participants, the average weight loss was 7.65 percent, and, by the end of the program,all had reduced blood-sugar levels to the point they were no longer pre-diabetic.

At Church Health, at-risk patients are assigned health coaches help thembecome more active and improve their diets and behavior. It's led to significant reductions in blood-sugar levels, said Dr. Scott Morris, CEO, and the effort should become even more successful with the organization's imminent move to Crosstown Concourse, where the Church Health YMCA is opening.

Preventing diabetes has become a major focus of private-practice physicians in the city. Patients of Dr. Beverly Williams-Cleaves benefit fromthe workout room and learning kitchen at her practice on Lamar. "Between the exercise and nutrition, I have several (pre-diabetic patients)who have totally corrected" their blood-sugar levels, she said.

David Sweat, chief of epidemiology for the Shelby County Health Department, said the key to controlling diabetes is reducing the area's high rate of obesity. There are some hopeful signs in that regard, as well. CDC figures show a slight dip in the county's obesity rate, from 34.7 percent in 2011 to 32.3 percent two years later.

Sweat said the recent addition of walking and bicycling trails is having an effect.

"It's very heartening. If you're out on the (Shelby Farms) Greenline, or atShelby Farms, you see a lot of people walking, biking and hiking," he said.

Reach Tom Charlier by email at thomas.charlier@commercialappeal.com, by phone at (901) 529-2572, or on Twitter at @thomasrcharlier.

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Programs help blunt Memphis' diabetes epidemic - The Commercial Appeal

Technology is pervasive in the fitness industry. While most people dont think of workout equipment as technology, they can indeed be considered machines that enhance the quality of human activity. The industry is shifting away from these rudimentary tools and leveling up to higher tech solutions that do a better job of improving the body and the mind as a complete unit.

Data from Statista shows that the sporting equipment industry hit $5.12 billion in revenue last year, and everything is pointing to continued growth in 2017. The overall fitness and wellness industry is a much bigger generator of revenue, coming in at over $542 billion.

There is also growing trend of companies offering workplace wellness technologies and programs that are helping achieve, on average, a 6 percent reduction in attrition, with some companies like SAS and Biltmore reporting closer to 10% reduction.Todd Musgrove is an expert in the intersection of fitness and technology. Coming from a background creating apps for fitness, Todd now works as the Chief Strategy Officer for Kenzai,an online fitness platform that incorporates mindfulness and community in its home workout experiences.

He shares, Technology and the internet have made it easier to bring together people and information to develop more comprehensive programs that allow real people to connect, train in the same program, and achieve results together.

Services like Kenzai that provide at home solutions on a subscription basis are becoming more popular with consumers. Many have become frustrated with the one-size-fits-all approach that many home exercise videos and programs initially provided, and are searching for more customizable experiences that match their needs. Musgrove explains that the benefit of online fitness platforms is that, People can train anywhere with an internet connection. Since we function online, we are also able to help people utilize personalized diets prepared by a professional nutritionist. These are services that are difficult for traditional gyms and programs to provide due to the overhead involved with employing similar experts in a single location.

Before wearables, the only way to effectively measure your heart rate during a workout was to hop on a smart treadmill at the gym. Today more than 20percent of Americans have smartwatches or other fitness trackers that help them track biometric data all day, according to research from Forrester. The popularity of these devices is helping users better track and evaluate their performance, making gym visits less important to their overall fitness journey.

Musgrove shares, Genetics and medical testing to tailor exercise and nutrition are coming into practice, and were looking at opportunities to integrate it as it evolves to develop more personalized experience. With the growing popularity of DNA mapping services provided by companies like 23andme and Ancestry, the number of consumers interested in finding out how their genetic makeup impacts fitness will grow in coming years.

It may seem peripheral to the more fitness specific technologies listed above, but its important to consider the impact social media tech is having on the fitness industry. Photo and video sharing platforms are making a trend out of posting your fitness efforts. Social challenges on Facebook drive accountability for participants, and the opportunity to snapchat your run and share it with all your followers is motivation for anyone that wants to be perceived as fit.

These technologies have given rise to more workout programs like mud runs, and other experience-based races. As these companies develop new products like Snapchat glasses that make it even easier to share, people will become more intentional about sharing their workouts.

More and more consumers will be looking for ways to use technology to enhance their fitness efforts in 2017. As a result, fitness companies need to adopt developing tech quickly to reach more customers. Especially those that are digital natives. Trainers also need to consider how tech solutions can support their business, and leverage the growing trend of at-home workouts. As fitness tech improves, the hope is that people will be even more effective with their fitness efforts, achieving a healthier and happier 2017.

Link:
How Technology Is Changing the Fitness Industry Today - Tech.Co

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