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When it comes to building fundamental pulling strength, the deadlift is king of the jungle. However, it is also one of the most versatile and customizable exercises out there. If youre looking for a variation of the deadlift that can build muscle, improve posture, and supplement your main pull all at once, look no further than the dumbbell deadlift.

For most lifters, the dumbbell deadlift can be used to increase muscle growth and strength, however stronger individuals may find it has its limitations for top-end strength but is still an amazing movement to incorporate as an accessory.

In this exercise guide, we will discuss in detail everything you need to know about the dumbbell deadlift and how to integrate it into your training program to build muscle, strength, and improve your fitness:

Below is a step-by-step guide on how to perform the dumbbell deadlift. Note that by default the exercise is performed with a pair of dumbbells, one held in each hand.

Coachs Tip: If youre a taller athlete or are missing some flexibility in your posterior chain, setting the weights on a stack of plates can be a suitable workaround as you adjust to the exercise.

Coachs Tip: Do not let your butt pop up while breaking the weights from the floor. The initial joint action should come predominantly from the knees.

Coachs Tip: Maintain control of your tempo all the way through, particularly once the weights pass knee-level again, as this will be the most challenging part of the eccentric.

Below are four benefits of the dumbbell deadlift the lifters and coaches can expect when programming the dumbbell deadlift into their training programs.

The dumbbell deadlift can help improve overall pulling technique in lifters who struggle to maintain proper positioning and/or set their backs. The dumbbells act independent of one another, which means that the lifter needs to establish more acute control and body awareness to maintain scapular tension and not allow any rotational movement to occur.

Additionally, using dumbbells for the deadlift can help lifters feel when they lose balance in the pull, as the dumbbells will easily swing out of their proper pathway.

The dumbbell deadlift can be used to increase lat engagement in the deadlift as the dumbbells act independently, and therefore can easily swing or cause postural instability. Unlike with a barbell, the dumbbell deadlift can readily highlight any unilateral weaknesses that occur, which can help build a stronger back and improve deadlift technique.

Since dumbbells can sometimes have thicker handles than a standard barbell, theres some extra grip strength to be gained when performing the exercise. Your hands and forearms are also challenged to hold onto two individual implements your dominant hand cant pick up the slack to help perform each repetition.

The dumbbell deadlift allows for a greater range of motion than the conventional deadlift. By increasing the range of motion, the muscle fibers acting on the hips and knees will see increased tension and engagement, encouraging extra growth.

The below muscles groups are targeted with the dumbbell deadlift. Note that the dumbbell deadlift does stimulate the entire body, however the below muscle groups are the primary muscle groups trained.

The back muscles and traps are used to maintain proper positioning during the pull and resist anterior flexion of the spine. Additionally, the traps aid in the movement by helping to keep the shoulders and shoulder blades from sliding forwards, which can result in the upper, mid, or lower back going into flexion. The dumbbell deadlift is a great exercise to reinforce lat engagement and well.

Since the dumbbell deadlift is a hip hinge, the glutes and hamstrings get a lot of love in every single repetition. As the load is lowered, the lifter places high amounts of tension and stretch on the hamstrings to control pace and speed. The dumbbell deadlift can be modified to target the hamstrings and glutes to an even greater degree by performing a Romanian deadlift.

The quadriceps are used when the lifter assumes the low start position in the deadlift. As the lifter descends past the knee, the knees themselves must begin to go into deeper flexion, which in turn increases quadriceps engagement.

If your goal is to build bigger quads with dumbbells, squat variations are probably better overall, but the extra-deep range of motion in the dumbbell deadlift does give a bit of bonus work to the knee extensors.

The dumbbell deadlift can be used in a strength and muscle-building program at times, however most individuals should probably stick with the barbell if they are able.

Below is a more complete breakdown discussing how the dumbbell deadlift can be beneficial for various groups.

If your goal is to build maximal strength and power, the dumbbell deadlift may be helpful if you are a beginner or someone who cannot lift more weight than the dumbbells you have access to.

Most intermediate and advanced lifters will be able to deadlift more than the weight of any pair of dumbbells. That said, using dumbbells can be advantageous when the goal is muscle growth or improvement in pulling technique.

The dumbbell deadlift can be very beneficial for lifters who may not be as strong as theyd like, and can be used to increase pulling strength and technique. As nearly every fitness facility or well-stocked home gym will have dumbbells, the exercise is a fantastic all-purpose beginner movement.

Below are common loading schemes that can be used when programming the dumbbell deadlift into training programs.

Note that the below guidelines are here to offer coaches and athletes loose recommendations for programming, and are not the only way to program the exercise.

When using dumbbells for the deadlift, the lifter must maintain positional stability and integrity throughout the pull. This can be helpful for beginners looking to improve technique or for lifters who have issues with spinal rigidity.

Start by performing two to three sets of five to 10 repetitions, using a slow and controlled eccentric, focusing on maintaining proper positioning of the back, and not allowing the shoulder to roll forwards. Rest periods can be as long as needed to ensure proper recovery.

The dumbbell deadlift may best be used to gain muscle and size, as this exercise can be trained in a fuller range of motion and often is not heavy enough for more advanced lifters to increase top-end strength. That said, it makes a great muscle building movement as it allows for higher rep training and fuller ranges of motion.

Start by performing two to three sets of 8 15 reps or more, using a heavy weight and training close to failure. Rest as long as needed to allow yourself to train hard.

When looking to increase systemic muscular endurance, you need to train in high rep ranges and for longer durations. Some lifters may want to train greater muscle endurance for sport performance, in which higher repetition ranges and/or shorter rest periods are recommended.

Start by performing two to three sets of 10 20 repetitions, or do timed sets lasting 45 90 seconds.

Adding variety to your deadlift training offers you ways to increase complexity and continually push progress. These variations of the dumbbell deadlift can find a home anywhere the main exercise would go in your program.

The single-arm dumbbell deadlift, also known as the suitcase deadlift, is a great way to increase unilateral strength and core stability in any lower-body movement. This exercise also has fantastic carryover to daily activity, from performing loaded carries in the gym to bringing in groceries from the car.

By taking a sumo stance, the lifter creates space for the dumbbells to be placed in between the legs. In doing so, they are able to train the same movement patterning and muscle used in the sumo deadlift. This can place more emphasis on the hamstrings and glutes, and decrease stress on the lower back since the lifter is not bent over as much.

The stiff-leg dumbbell deadlift minimizes the amount of knee flexion to increase the demands placed upon the hamstrings and glutes. This is a great variation for lifters who may be too strong to use the dumbbells available to them to drive strength, so they can perform higher rep stiff-leg dumbbell deadlifts as an accessory movement to build more resilient hamstrings and glutes.

If you dont have access to a good pair of dumbbells, you can always fall back to basics. Here are a few alternatives to the dumbbell deadlift that work wonderfully for strength, technique, or muscle gain.

The deficit barbell deadlift is a fuller range of motion deadlift option that can offer many of the same benefits of the dumbbell deadlift. By standing on a pair of weight plates, you can mimic the extra distance of the dumbbell pull and still load up really heavy weights to get strong.

The kettlebell deadlift is nearly identical to the dumbbell deadlift in every way, except that youre using a more functional tool, making it a great option for lifters who dont have access to dumbbells yet still want to train their deadlift patterning.

If a lifter is stronger than the dumbbells available to them, they must perform an alternative that allows them to train heavy enough to elicit a strength response. The trap bar deadlift is a perfect alternative as it trains the exact movement pattern and grip positioning as the dumbbell deadlift.

The dumbbell deadlift is a great deadlift variation to increase unilateral strength, movement coordination and technique, and improve muscular development. For lifters who may be stronger, or do not have access to heavier dumbbells, they may find the dumbbell deadlift to be a more effective muscle builder than top-end strength builder.

Nonetheless, the dumbbell deadlift is a great option for lifters who may not have access to a barbell or trap bar, or for anyone looking to improve muscle mass and address unilateral weaknesses in the deadlift.

The dumbbell deadlift is a pretty common deadlift variation, and can be used by most individuals. The broad application of the dumbbell deadlift may at times, lend itself to many questions from all levels, with a few of the more common ones being addressed below.

This is entirely up to you, as they both offer different benefits. If you place them in front, this is more like the conventional deadlift, and will force you to really stay over the loads longer and keep the knees back. If you place them to your sides, you may be able to stay more upright and train the lats in a different manner, adding diversity to your training.

You can go as low as you desire, as long as you maintain proper form. If your goal is muscle growth, aim to go as low as you can to increase the tension and strength on the muscles.

While working on your depth or starting position, elevating the dumbbells on a stable surface can be helpful.

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Use the Dumbbell Deadlift to Perfect Your Pull - BarBend

The COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching and long-lasting implications for individuals across all aspects of life health, family, work, and more. Given the impact the pandemic has had on employees, many organizations were prompted to examine the support they provide to them. According to Gartners 2020 Well-Being Benchmarking Survey, over three quarters of the 77 U.S. organizations surveyed reported that supporting employee well-being increased in importance in 2020. In fact, despite the fact that most organizations implemented cost-saving measures last year, the same survey revealed that 46% of organizations increased their 2020 well-being budgets relative to 2019, while 64% of organizations introduced a new well-being offering in 2020.

Despite increased investment in well-being programs, many employees who stand to benefit arent participating in them. Gartners 2021 EVP Benchmarking Survey revealed that although 87% of employees have access to mental and emotional well-being offerings, only 23% of employees use them. This pattern also applies to physical and financial well-being programs.

Gartner has identified three strategies organizations can implement to maximize the investments made in employee well-being by boosting employee participation in offered programs:

Succeeding in this effort is good for employees and the business: 48% of employees who utilize well-being programs report being highly engaged, compared to 30% of employees who do not. Further, at organizations that provide holistic well-being programs employees physical, financial and mental wellness improves, on average, by 7-percentage points.

While nearly all organizations (92%) communicated with their employees about well-being more in 2020 than in 2019, many employees still dont know about the programs that their organizations offer. As an example, Gartners 2020 Well-Being Benchmarking Survey found that almost all organizations (96%) offered mental well-being programs, while Gartners 2020 Well-Being Employee Survey revealed that less than half of employees (42%) thought their organizations offered them.

Not only do employees have an incomplete understanding of the well-being offerings available to them; many are also unsure about their own well-being needs. Therefore, the first step is foundational HR must increase employees awareness and knowledge of employer-provided well-being efforts. To reach all employees, the Total Rewards function (the part of HR that is typically responsible for compensation, benefits, and well-being programs) should partner and maximize the strength of other communicators, such as leaders, managers, and peers. Progressive organizations are tapping senior leaders to share their own experiences with personal well-being and how the organizations offerings have helped them. Managers are often overlooked, but given their proximity to their direct reports, they are best positioned to regularly check with employees about their well-being needs and to help personalize available offerings. Last, but not least, peer-to-peer employee relationships are critical to lending credibility to participating in well-being programs.

Employees are often bombarded with information from their employer, and benefits information is often overlooked. To capture employees attention in todays information-rich world, communications must be credible and appealing in order to standout. Communications need to be believable; for instance, it can not overestimate the positive impact of a particular well-being program. One successful example is a short video of a senior leader talking candidly about his experience with mental health issues and how he utilized the organizations resources to address the situation.

Employees will often fall into the cognitive trap of believing that available well-being support is for someone else. Leading organizations are personalizing well-being programs to make the relevance of well-being offerings clear to employees. Mashreq, one of the United Arab Emirates best performing banks and a leading financial institution in the Middle East, encourages employees to self-assess their well-being across six dimensions, such as family well-being and financial well-being, and to make their goals explicit. The results inform a personal well-being action plan that employees are asked to hold themselves accountable to by using the organizations well-being resources. This two-part exercise helps employees understand what support is relevant to their needs and what steps they can take to utilize it to the fullest.

Many employees dont seek well-being support due to fear of being stigmatized, particularly when it comes to mental and emotional health. Additionally, employee apathystymies participation by reducing motivation to act.

One tactic that progressive organizations are employing is empowering trusted employees to communicate the importance and normalcy of seeking support. Genentech, a leading biotechnology company, realized that offering robust and comprehensive mental health support wasnt enough to make employees feel comfortable seeking help. The company launched a campaign to reduce the prevailing stigma. Six leaders recorded videos of themselves sharing personal stories about their mental health with the goal of giving employees permission to share, showing the importance of seeking support, and highlighting the commonality of this challenge. Genentech also built a network of over 300 mental health champions employees who are passionate about mental health who volunteer to educate, encourage, and provide assistance to other employees who could benefit from utilizing mental and emotional well-being offerings.

The importance of managers in conjunction with employee well-being cannot be overstated, yet Gartners 2020 Well-Being Employee Survey finds that only 49% of employees say their manager understands their problems and needs. It is critical that managers feel empowered to discuss personal well-being topics with their team to let employees know that it is okay to not be okay.

Managers have different levels of experience with providing well-being support to their direct reports. Australias biggest customer owner bank, Great Southern Bank, combats this by equipping managers with training and easy-to-understand tools that guide them on how to support direct reports on mental health and well-being issues. These tools include conversation guides for how to broach topics with team members, as well as actions they could take (e.g., identify early warning signs of distress) in order to provide support without being under- or over-involved.

Moreover, Great Southern Bank encourages managers to proactively initiate these conversations. This effectively gives employees that permission to share their mental health and well-being concerns minimizing stigma, and taking a proactive, early intervention approach.

HR leaders can make the benefits of seeking support more tangible by encouraging employees to share their well-being success stories. Employees are more likely to act when they hear multiple ways in which their colleagues utilized specific offerings (e.g., a dietary plan or a financial planning tool) to their benefit.

Among all employees who indicated they could have participated in a physical well-being program in 2020 but didnt, 38% said it was because they were too busy.This is particularly concerning, as those most in need of well-being support often have the least time or energy.

To reach time- or energy-constrained employees, progressive organizations have adopted default enrollment in certain offerings to prevent inertia. HR leaders should design opt-out well-being programs rather than opt-in. In this scenario, all employees are enrolled in certain benefits, such as virtual exercise sessions or sessions with a financial advisor, by default with the option to opt out.

One company that has experimented with this approach is AMD, a U.S.-based semiconductors company. Recognizing that employees were either not taking vacation days or working while on vacation, AMD created a new kind of benefit: global recharge days. The Global Recharge Days Program encourages employees to use a few of their vacation days simultaneously. AMDs goal is to enable more employees to fully disconnect from work and recharge jointly by having entire teams take vacation at once. HR marked the recharge days as vacation days for all eligible employees to make iteasier foremployees to take this time off; employees that wanted to work could easily opt out.

Other leading organizations are using nudges to provide indirect suggestions and positive reinforcement to employees, encouraging participation without restricting personal decision-making. Nudges may take the form of an ongoingwell-being competition such as a steps challenge in which employees can see their progress compared to their peers in real time and are rewarded for reaching certain milestones. On the other end of the spectrum are organizations that are integrating well-being activities into processes and everyday work to avoid the burden of adding one more item in employees long to-do lists. One example: encouraging managers and direct reports to discuss emotional health as part of their regular catch ups.

Offering holistic well-being programs is a great start, but it is not enough.HR leaders must proactively address the challenges preventing participation in well-being programs to realize investments made into well-being programs that support people and make the business thrive.

Original post:
How to Get Employees to (Actually) Participate in Well-Being Programs - Harvard Business Review

My day begins commuting to Yehud where I work at Sport Clinic, under sports medicine professional Ido Dana and his team of physiotherapists. Sport Clinic specializes in rehabilitation and treating sports injuries in professional athletes from Israels basketball, soccer and all other professional Israeli teams. Some of the amazing athletes Ive worked with are basketball professional Gal Mekel and Maccabi Tel Aviv player Dor Perez. My day-to-day work includes evaluating patients, providing manual therapy, using rehabilitation machines and constructing rehab exercise programs. We see a range of injuries that prevent our clients from being active. Outside of work, Dana has arranged for us interns to gain experience in the field as well by shadowing orthopedic surgeries, visiting professional rehabilitation and training facilities to learn from other professionals in Israel as well as being able to observe the practices of the players we work on.

Never miss the best stories and events! Get JewishBoston This Week.

Having the freedom to create my own exercise programs as well as construct rehabilitation plans for clients has helped me see direct results in the planning I do. This internship has given me great insight to the health system in Israel as well as the many sports medicine professions that are essential for successful sports rehabilitation and injury prevention. A big takeaway I have been learning is etiquette of the relationship between patients and professionals, specifically the role of physiotherapists in not only physical improvement, but also the mentality and motivation of patients as they go through the return-to-play process. Providing a balance of empathy and strict encouragement has been shown to be vital in rehab progression and I will continue to use these strategies when working in the future.

Emma Askew, University of Vermont 22, is an exercise science major interning at Sport Clinic through the Boston Onward Israel program. 125 students from Massachusetts colleges have professional internships in their fields of interest in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa this summer.

This post has been contributed by a third party. The opinions, facts and any media content are presented solely by the author, and JewishBoston assumes no responsibility for them. Want to add your voice to the conversation? Publish your own post here.MORE

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A Day in the Life: Interning in Tel Aviv - jewishboston.com

On call plow driver wanted

The town of Burrillville is now accepting applications for an on call seasonal snow plow driver. The temporary position requires experience and pays $20 per hour. Application forms can be obtained at Town Hall and returned to the town managers office.

View the complete notice from the town here.

Women on Target

If you havent caught Wallum Lake Rod & Gun Clubs ongoing instructional shooting program for women, there are still tickets available for the final date remaining this season. The $45 program includes a classroom presentation and safety briefing followed by live firing under the direction of an instructor. Classes typically sell out, and the final date this season is Saturday, Nov. 20 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Learn more or register here.

Parks programs

The Burrillville Parks & Recreation Department has announced a full lineup of classes and programs being offered this fall, including free classes for seniors at the Lodge beginning the week of October 18, along with ongoing sports and exercise classes. View the full schedule here.

Two tenors

Wei En Chan, countertenor and David Rivera Bozon, tenor Leona Cheung and piano will perform music of Mozart & Haydn at Grace Note Farm on Sunday, Oct. 10 from 2 to 4 p.m. Weather permitting, audience members can bring a picnic lunch to enjoy outdoors, walk the picturesque farm trails and view the farm animals prior to the concert.

Tickets cost $30 and all proceeds go to the artists. Call (401) 567-0354 for reservations and information.

Town meetings

The Burrillville Planning Board will hold a meeting on Monday, Oct. 4 starting at 7 p.m. at the Wallace F. Lees Safety Complex at 1477 Victory Highway. The agenda can be found here.

The Pascoag Fire District Board of Commissioners will hold a meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 5 starting at 6 p.m. at 141 Howard Ave. The agenda can be found here.

The Nasonville Fire District will hold its annual meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 5 starting at 7 p.m. at 2577 Victory Highway. The notice and warrant can be found here.

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Nasonville fire annual, Fall parks programs: Five things to know in Burrillville this week - NRI NOW

In a new Athlean-X video, strength coach Jeff Cavaliere C.S.C.S. demonstrates a back exercise which he recommends as a way of improving performance and technique in the bench press. It's the inverted row, an exercise that Cavaliere programs into almost all of his workouts, as it builds strength in the upper back, which in turn aids shoulder positioning and health.

"If you do this right, it reinforces something important that's going to carry over onto the bench press," he says. "What I want to do is get the chest out, and not just that. We have a stationary bar here and a moving body; I want to have my body be as active as I can to get up towards the bar. In other words, reach for the bar with my chest."

Cavaliere goes on to explain that shoulder pain can become an issue during the bottom portion of a bench press. "A lot of times, you're lacking the stability in the shoulder to do the tightness of the back during the exercise," he says. Just like in the inverted row, though, Cavaliere says that the body doesn't have to be static; it can be an "active participant" in the move: "Try to meet the bar, as opposed to just having the bar come down to meet you."

By slightly reducing the distance that the bar has to travel in the lower half of the movement, you can take things easier on your shoulders. "I'm basically rowing the bar down... and rowing myself up," says Cavaliere.

"Again, you're establishing a tight back from the beginning," he adds. "You're getting the chest up from the beginning, but as the bar comes down, you're actively trying to expand the ribcage and get yourself a little higher, decreasing the range of motion even just by half an inch, which can alleviate some problems... As the chest comes up, the shoulders go back, when the shoulders are back, the shoulder blades are down, and you have a safer position for the shoulders, making it not just beneficial for people who have issues or pain doing the bench press, but ultimately leading to a bigger bench press because you can remain tight."

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

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A Top Trainer Shared the Best Exercise to Boost Your Bench Press - menshealth.com

This article was originally published here

Exp Gerontol. 2021 Sep 30:111580. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2021.111580. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

COVID-19 lockdowns restricted physical activity levels for individuals in many countries. In particular, older adults experienced limited access to their usual activities, including physical exercise programs. How such restrictions and interruptions in physical exercise programs might impact the physical and mental health of older adults has not yet been studied. We sought to analyse changes in the physical and mental health of older adults enrolled in a group-based multicomponent physical exercise (MPE) program that was interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We followed 17 participants of this program from October 2018 to October 2020, including the interruption of the program during the pandemic. The MPE program included strength, balance, and stretching exercises. We compared anthropometric and cardiovascular parameters, physical fitness, frailty, quality of life, and psychoaffective status of participants before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most parameters followed the same pattern, improving after 8 months of the first MPE season (Oct. 2018-Jun. 2019), worsening after 4 months of summer rest, improving from October 2019 to January 2020 in the second MPE season (Oct. 2019-Jan. 2020), and severely worsening after 7 months of program interruption. We show that an MPE program has clear benefits to the physical and psychoaffective health of older adults, and interruption of these programs could adversely impact participants. These results highlight the need to maintain physical exercise programs or facilitate engagement in physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour in older adults, particularly in situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

PMID:34601075 | DOI:10.1016/j.exger.2021.111580

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Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the physical and psychoaffective health of older adults in a physical exercise program - DocWire News

Trigger warning: Disordered eating

As a former bulimic, my past relationship with food was certainly not the best. These days its hard to stay sane about food and not get sucked into the whirlwind of diet culture, especially as a college student. Our society places a heavy emphasis on weight and being thin, resulting in the mass production and dissemination of crash diets, diet pills, exercise programs, detox teas and calorie counting apps on the market.

I got stuck in the hamster wheel of diet culture; counting every calorie, tracking every macro and restricting my intake only to end up binging later on. Amid my eating disorder, I fell out of tune with my natural hunger cues, thus losing trust in my body and feeling more out of control than ever. Such a cycle harmed me physically, mentally and emotionally.

One of the biggest factors behind my recovery journey was learning to eat intuitively. Intuitive eating is simply about regaining your natural hunger and satiety cues, thereby eating in a way that best supports your physical and mental well-being. Rather than focusing on dieting to lose weight, intuitive eating is all about creating a healthy, nourishing and trusting relationship with food. As an intuitive eater, I dont attach a moral label to food, but see food as a neutral energy source. I dont demonize any food group and honor my cravings. I reject the tenets of diet culture and simply listen to my bodys biological responses to tell me when to eat and when to stop.

Anyone can become an intuitive eater. None of us were born with the innate knowledge of knowing how to use My Fitness Pal, rather, we were born with perfectly calibrated hunger and fullness cues. Through the course of our lifetimes, certain traumas, conditions or events may cause us to fall out of sync with our innate biological responses, but its never too late to regain them. Here are the biggest changes that left a positive impact once I decided to embark on my intuitive eating journey and ditch diet culture once and for all.

I stopped binging

A common misconception chronic dieters may have that prevents them from trying out intuitive eating is that theyll simply eat everything in sight. While you may initially eat more than normal when you first start eating intuitively, ultimately your body will balance out and relearn your hunger cues, resulting in you settling at the optimal healthy body weight for you.

Before intuitive eating, I refused to let a morsel of any food I deemed bad pass through my lips. Fried foods, processed foods, pastries, cake, cookies, chocolate and ice cream were all strictly off-limits. In addition to restricting certain types of foods, I restricted my caloric intake to a number that was too low for my body to meet its energy needs. This set the stage for immense cravings and late-night binge eating. When I started intuitive eating, I no longer demonized foods or restricted my calories, choosing to honor my cravings and my bodys wants. If I craved a cookie, I allowed myself to have one. I was astonished to see that when I removed the black-and-white thinking, caloric restriction and simply listened to my body, I no longer wanted to eat the whole box of cookies, but felt content and happy with just one.

I stopped thinking about food 24/7

Religiously logging every calorie and tracking every macro onto My Fitness Pal put food at the forefront of my mind everyday. My mind was imprinted by the calculator dictating how many calories I had eaten so far and how many I had left. As I ate one meal, I was already planning the other. So much of my mental energy was directed towards planning my next meal that I didnt have the ability to think about other things, such as school, my relationships and enjoying the little moments of life. Through intuitive eating, I was able to free up the mental space that obsessions over food once occupied and dedicate my newfound energy and time to more productive things.

I became more mindful

At the core of learning how to be an intuitive eater is mindfulness. Especially when first starting out, practicing mindfulness during meal times is imperative to relearning and listening to your natural hunger signals. Savor and taste the flavors and textures of every bite of food that enters your mouth and take note of how it makes your body feel. Dont rush to finish your food, but eat slowly and revel in every bite! I know many of us have the habit of going on our phones when we eat, but try to eliminate all distractions so that you can accurately gauge when youre satiated and appreciate the food youre eating. Practicing mindfulness during meal teams helped me build a foundation for practicing mindfulness in all areas of my life. As a result, Ive learned how to manage stress better and deal with my anxiety more effectively.

I became more social

Prior to intuitive eating, I avoided social situations where I knew food was going to be involved. I hated the thought of other people preparing my food because I didnt know what was going to be in it, so I couldnt accurately log the nutrition information. This led me to feeling more isolated than ever as I distanced myself from friends and new potential connections. Many of our social interactions involve eating with others and food can be a mode through which we make memories and connect with one another. When I began intuitive eating, I found food freedom and rid myself of food fear. This helped me no longer be afraid of going to restaurants or social gatherings with food. Instead of obsessively thinking about the calories or macros, I could focus on enjoying the conversation and banter with those around me.

Healing your relationship with food is a hard thing to do, but its totally worth it. Though it may sound difficult and scary, the intuitive eating framework changed my life and I hope it can change yours too.

Contact Madeleine Lorie at [emailprotected].

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Things that changed once I started eating intuitively - Daily Californian

The RPAC will host four separate cycling sessions for its Road to Game Day event Friday. | Credit: Lantern file photo.

The Buckeyes are hitting the road again after three consecutive home games, but this time, students can join in on the road trip from campus.

To kick off Saturdays football game, the RPAC is hosting multiple sessions of the Road to Game Day cycling event Friday, where students work together to bike 530 miles the distance from Ohio State to Rutgers University.

Four separate cycling sessions will take place throughout the day at 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:45 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., according to the Recreational Sports website. All rides will occur in the RPAC Northwest Plaza, where exercise bicycles will be outdoors for students to participate.

Aliyah Valdez, a group fitness graduate assistant and second-year masters student in higher education and student affairs, said the purpose of the event is to build community and promote Group Fitness programs and services, while being outside and together.

What we do for special events comes from what students want, Valdez said, If we continue to offer these new and different things and students like it and its successful, then its something we can revisit again next fall.

Alice Ryan, group fitness manager, said about 30 RPAC employees are bringing the 40 bikes outside to prepare for the day of riding.

Its a big team effort for a big team ride, Ryan said.

Valdez said attendees will receive free rec sports-themed items, be entered in a raffle for a sweatshirt and can enjoy food, pictures and a photobooth after the ride.

Ryan said anyone in the university community can participate in the free event to build awareness of the fitness programs offered and root on the Buckeyes at Rutgers University this weekend.

Students can select and register for a time here.

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Bike the distance to Rutgers University in Road to Game Day fitness event - OSU - The Lantern

Glammed Up Tutoring. Jackson College. Mentoring and Tutoring Initiative. Students who attend tutoring at the Center for Student Success or Multicultural Center for three hours per week will receive a FREE service from a licensed cosmetologist. Attend one hour per week, receive $5 off a service. Bert Walker Hall, Multicultural Center. 6 9 p.m. Details here.

Boos Center Active Aging Program. The City of Jackson presents Active Aging programs at the Boos Center, Loomis Park. Walk This Way: Self-led indoor/outdoor walking program: Boos Center/Loomis Park M/W/F 9:30 am 10:30 am. Movement Matters: A standing, no-impact exercise program to strengthen your heart, increase muscle strength and improve flexibility: M/W/F 9:30 am 10:20 am.Sit & Stay Fit, A seated exercise program to strengthen your heart, increase muscle strength and improve flexibility: M/W/F 10:40 am 11:30 am.

The Great Pumpkin Decorating Contest. Jackson District Library. Decorate a pumpkin as your favorite literary/book character! All ages are welcome to participate. To submit, send a photo of your pumpkin tomarketing@myjdl.comwith your name and phone number any time from October 1-25. All entries will be entered into a drawing for prizes including an Amazon gift card, movie tickets and a Meijer gift card. The winner will be announced on November 1 and entries will be displayed on JDLs Facebook page.

Craft Work: Braided Bracelets. Jackson District Library. 3 PM to 4 PM. During October, the teen-themed celebration, Teentober, is being honored by teaching teens new crafting skills. We will be providing materials that will teach a Japanese braiding technique, called Kumihimo, which involves hemp cord, a disk to place the cord on, and include optional beads to add to the bracelets. This program will teach teens some new crafting skills, and well provide other resources to showcase other crafts that teens can learn more about, should they like to learn more. Craft kits will be available at all JDL branches starting October 4, while supplies last. An instructional video will be available onJDLs Facebook pageandYouTube channel.

Tinkergarten Fall Class. Tinkergarten is created by experts and loved by children and their families! Its a weekly class that meets outdoors for an hour of nature-based play, insights to help you learn alongside your child, research-based benefits of nature, socialization, and learning that is child-led. Enroll today to be a part of this amazing community of parents and children! Our season will be emphasizing FOCUS to help children build executive functioning skills like self-regulation among other skills. We will meet at beautiful Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve! Sign up athttp://www.tinkergarten.com

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Events of Monday, October 4, 2021 - jtv.tv

This is a single-blinded randomized control trial testing the efficacy of a dietary and exercise intervention for women with overweight and obesity undergoing infertility treatment. Ethical approval was obtained from the UAMS Institutional Review Board (UAMS IRB-260113), version 10 of the protocol. This article follows the SPIRIT (Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for International Trials) guidelines for reporting clinical trial protocols [25]. Table1 and Fig.1 detail the time schedule of enrollment, interventions, and assessments. Findings will be disseminated via peer-reviewed manuscripts and presentations at scientific conferences, at which time protocol amendments will be discussed.

Study Flow Chart. Protocol schematic diagram including informed consent, visits, randomization, intervention and control groups, fertility clinic procedures, and cross over design. AF&GA: Arkansas Fertility and Gynecology Associates, BMI: Body Mass Index

This multi-component intervention will be conducted primarily via telemedicine, thus the location will vary and may include places like the participants homes or a local gym. Participants will be undergoing fertility treatments at Arkansas Fertility and Gynecology Associates (AF&GA), which serves Arkansas and surrounding states. Data collection will take place within AF&GA and the Arkansas Childrens Nutrition Center (ACNC), both of which are located in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Criteria for study inclusion are women with a BMI between 25 and 45kg/m2, age of 21years or over, and planning to undergo in vitro fertility treatment. Participants reporting the following will be excluded from the study: pre-existing conditions (e.g. sexual transmitted diseases) that will affect the outcomes of the study as determined by the principal investigator; current use of recreational drugs, tobacco, nicotine, or alcohol; food allergies, food intolerances, or food preferences which would interfere with compliance to the meal plan; and contraindications to exercise or already meeting the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans [8] (150min moderate activity/week or 75min of vigorous activity/week with resistance exercise on 2 or more days/week.

Recruitment of participants will be conducted by the AF&GA team using IRB-approved tools. Advertisements and information sheets will be distributed to eligible participants electing to undergo fertility treatments. Women who are interested in participating in the study can inform the AF&GA team, call the ACNC recruitment line, send an e-mail expressing their interest, or express their interest through the ACNC website. To establish eligibility for participation in the study, a standardized questionnaire will be administered by phone.

The informed consent process will educate potential participants about the research study through IRB-approved methods. Eligible participants will be contacted, and a copy of the informed consent will be provided to the participant prior to signing consent documents. A research team member will reach out to potential participants 2days prior to the scheduled visit to perform a COVID-19 screening and answer questions on the intervention components of the study. At the first visit, the research team will review all study procedures and the informed consent documents with the potential participant. Participants will be given sufficient time to review the consent form, ask questions, and receive clarification prior to signing any documents. If eligible and interested in enrollment, informed consent will be obtained from the participants and documented.

Women will be randomized, with computer generated randomization, to a standard of care group (N=60) and an intervention group (N=60). Due to the high incidence of obese women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (1530%) [26], compared with other infertility diagnoses, women will first be classified into one of two strata based on the presence or absence of PCOS. Within each stratum, the proposed study will randomize the enrolled participants into either the intervention group (N=30) or the standard of care group (N=30). Thus, the potential for confounders of infertility, besides PCOS, should be equally distributed between the groups and not affecting the main outcome of interests. The study will have four experimental arms: PCOS-standard of care, PCOS-intervention, no PCOS-standard of care, no PCOS-intervention. Allocation will happen at the second visit (after consent and the collection of baseline measures) by providing the participant with an opaque, sealed envelope containing their allocation.

The intervention, combining an exercise and a dietary component along with the standard practice from AF&GA, will take place during the weeks leading up to oocyte retrieval and continue until 2 weeks after implantation. We expect the intervention to last 812weeks, depending on the participants specific fertility treatment plan.

The intervention will be delivered by trained research team members who will meet with participants twice weekly and serve as their health coach in order to track compliance and support adherence to the meal and exercise plan. This contact will occur via their preferred contact method (e.g., telephone, text messages, email, or using applications such as FaceTime). All interventionists will complete an intensive training on the intervention protocol and motivational interviewing techniques [9, 27]. They will be provided with detailed counselor guides to follow. Prior to conducting a coaching session with a participant, they will be required to be certified by one of the study investigators in providing both initial and subsequent intervention sessions. All sessions will be video or audio recorded; 15% of sessions will be randomly selected, reviewed, and scored on a fidelity rating scale to ensure that the protocol is being implemented as intended. Fidelity ratings will include building and maintaining rapport; discussion of daily meal plan adherence and compliance; discussion of weekly exercise adherence and compliance [28]; use of SMART goal setting techniques [29]; engagement with participant in problem solving as needed; and use of reflective listening, positive reinforcement, and summarizing techniques [30]. Feedback will be provided to the coach on every session reviewed.

The exercise intervention will be based on the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans for exercise prescription (150min of moderate exercise per week and muscle strengthening exercises on two or more days per week). The exercise program will be customized to the participant and delivered using a web- and mobile-based application. The exercise program will be built for 8 to 12weeks, depending on study length, with increasing intensity of combined aerobic and resistance exercises over the course of the study. The goal is for participants to perform at least 3 routines per week at their desired location. Total session time may vary by participants depending on number of breaks and rest periods. Exercise routines will combine aerobic, resistance and stretching exercises. In addition, participants will be encouraged to walk daily and increase their daily steps by 500 steps per day every week until they reach 10,000 steps per day. They will be able to monitor their steps with provided pedometers (Fitbit, Garmin, Apple Watch, etc.). Participants adherence to their exercise prescription and walking goal will be assessed weekly by the coach.

The dietary intervention is based on the Mediterranean diet. The meal plan was designed by a Registered Dietitian and follows the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans healthy Mediterranean-style eating pattern (Tables2 and 3) [31]. Participants will be provided with all meals (3 meals/day) throughout the 812-week intervention that are in compliance with the Mediterranean diet in the form of refrigerated packaged meals from a company with the capacity to provide made-to-order meals and deliver them to the participants home address. The meals will be heated using conventional equipment found in most households and require no further preparation. Depending on calorie and macronutrient requirements, as assessed by the coach in accordance with participant feedback, snacks that adhere to the Mediterranean meal plan may be added. Snacks will include nutrient dense foods such as whole grains, fruits, nuts, low-fat milk, yogurt, and/or cheese. This nutrition intervention is not designed for participants to lose weight, however with the meal plan that could occur. Participants will be provided with a detailed weekly meal plan and will be asked to keep record of what they eat daily, on paper and/or using RedCap surveys.

Participants in the standard of care group will be provided with dietary and physical activity recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans at their first study visit and will follow the standard of care practice at AF&GA up to their retrieval procedures. Participants will not be required to wait 8weeks prior to their retrieval procedures since no intervention is needed. If participants in the standard of care group plan to undergo a second oocyte retrieval cycle, they will be offered to join the intervention group at that time as a cross over design.

Participants will be compensated for their time spent at the research facility, their traveling costs and efforts with a monetary value of $50 per visit. Participants randomized to the intervention group will also receive all free meals for a period of 8 to 12weeks depending on their fertility treatment plan. They will also receive training assistance, coaching, and reimbursement for monthly fees to a gym of their choice up to $50/month for the duration of the intervention. As an incentive to keep up with the exercise intervention, participants will be offered $10/week for meeting their step and exercise goal. A bonus of $80 will be provided to participants who completed all weekly exercise sessions prescribed. Participants in the standard of care group will receive a completion bonus with a monetary value of $200 at their last visit. Total compensation for the standard of care group (all paid by checks or gift cards) will be up to $350 dollars.

Participants will attend three research study visits at the ACNC, two at the beginning of their fertility procedures and the last within 5days of their oocyte retrieval procedures. Table 1 and Fig. 1 detail the time schedule of enrollment, participant visits, and the intervention. On average, we anticipate that there will be 812weeks between visit 1 and 3 depending on the participants fertility treatment plan. Questionnaires will be administered on paper or via online platforms such as RedCap.

Women who agree to participate will provide background information including their name, address, date of birth, education, number of people living in their household, marital status, and health history. Participants will be required to obtain an exercise release form from their physician at AF&GA prior to the study visit. They will also be required to sign a consent for release of medical information in order to obtain data relating to the clinical results from the fertility procedures as well as pregnancy and delivery outcomes.

Anthropometric data will include height, weight, and waist and hip circumferences. All measures will be repeated in duplicate or triplicate in order to ensure measures fall within stated tolerance ranges. Height will be measured to the nearest 0.1cm with a wall-mounted stadiometer (tolerance of +/1cm). Weight will be measured to the nearest 0.1kg on a scale that has been tared with clothing the participant is wearing (tolerance of +/0.1kg). Waist and hip circumferences will be measured to the nearest 0.1cm using a tape measure against bare skin or form fitted shorts (tolerance of +/1cm).

Vitals will include blood pressure, pulse, and temperature. Blood pressure and pulse will be measured with a digital blood pressure monitor twice (with 5min in between each measurement); a third measurement will be taken if the two measures have a difference of 6mmHg for systolic or 4mmHg for diastolic blood pressure. Temperature will be taken upon arrival for each visit with an infrared non-contact forehead thermometer in accordance with COVID-19 screening procedures. Participants with a temperature100.4F will be asked to reschedule their visit while those with a temperature below 100.4F will have it taken again orally with a SureTemp Plus thermometer for data collection purposes.

Body composition and bone mineral content will be measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA; Hologic Horizon A, Bedford, MA). This technology involves very small amounts of radiation and yields a very important measure of body composition and bone mineralization [32]. Quality control calibrations will be performed each day and subjects will be positioned according to the manufacturer recommendations for the whole body scan while wearing light clothing without metal.

Resting energy expenditure will be measured using indirect calorimetry (MOXUS, AEI technologies, IL) following an overnight fast while wearing a heart rate monitor (Polar, Finland) [33]. The instrument measures the flow of oxygen consumed and the flow of carbon dioxide produced to calculate energy expenditure. The system will be calibrated daily. Activity energy expenditure will be assessed using the ActiGraph9XLink accelerometer (ActiGraph, Pensacola, FL) worn for 7days and a previously validated physical activity questionnaire (International Physical Activity Questionnaire) [34].

A cardiorespiratory fitness test will be performed on a treadmill following the guidelines for exercise testing from the American College of Sports Medicine. After evaluating the participant at rest and during the 35min warm up, speed and/or incline will be increased in periods until exhaustion. During the entire test, breath composition will be sampled and measured using a metabolic cart (Medgraphics Ultima PFX system, MGC Diagnostics Corporation, St. Paul, MN, USA). Leg strength will be measured by an isokinetic dynamometer (Humac Norm, Computer Sports Medicine Inc., Stoughton, MA). The Humac dynamometer will be used for testing of right and left legs for flexion (hamstrings) and extension (quadriceps) at certain angular velocities.

Blood samples, up to 35ml, will be collected from the participants at visits 1 and 3 by a trained phlebotomist under overnight fasted conditions. During the entire study, we will collect up to 70ml total. Blood samples will be centrifuged to separate plasma, serum, and red blood cells. Blood samples will be used to assess glucose, insulin, HOMA-insulin resistance score, interleukin-6, C-Reactive Protein, tumor necrosis factor, leptin, lipid profiles or any other biomarkers or analytes of interest using ELISA, electrochemiluminescence (ECL), colorimetric assays, metabolomics or any other appropriate methodology. Urine and stool collection will be obtained to evaluate metabolites, hormones or bacteria/microbes. Samples will be obtained using sterile collection cups. All biological samples will be aliquoted and stored at 80C until further analyses.

Maternal depression will be evaluated using the Beck Depression Inventory-II, which has been shown to have high reliability and validity [35]. Participants level of perceived stress will be evaluated through the administration of the Cohens Perceived Stress Scale which is a validated 14-item questionnaire examining the perception of stressful life events and levels of experienced stress over the course of the 4 weeks prior to the completion of the survey [36]. Participants with elevated scores will be provided with mental health resources and referred to their primary care provider.

Baseline dietary intakes will be assessed using 3-day food records. Dietary data will be evaluated by a trained research assistant for completeness and analyzed with the Nutrition Data System for Research (NDSR, Nutrition Coordinating Center, University of Minnesota, MN). Data entry into this software will be randomly audited (10%) by a trained research assistant to ensure quality control.

AF&GA will provide the research team with oocytes (eggs), cumulus cells (cells surrounding the egg), and follicular fluid (liquid surrounding the egg that also contains granulosa cells) that are not needed for the IVF procedures (e.g., too many eggs retrieved). These samples will be collected during the standard oocyte retrieval procedures performed as part of standard care for the participants undergoing fertility treatment. Participants will undergo standard procedures at AF&GA for ovarian stimulation, which include hormonal superovulation and oocyte retrieval 36h after human gonadotropin injection. Any deviations from the standard clinic procedures will be documented and sensitivity analyses will be performed to determine whether deviations to stimulation protocol yielded in significant differences. It is possible that the research team will not obtain samples in the case that the retrieval yields only enough eggs for the IVF procedures. In this case, only follicular fluid will be obtained. The research team will not obtain samples that could have been fertilized or frozen as agreed with the participant prior to the retrieval procedure. The research team will obtain only samples that are unneeded by the clinic. Thus, no additional treatment or clinical procedures will be required for the participants. The embryologist at the clinic will collect the cumulus cells during the processing of the oocytes. Granulosa cells will be isolated from the follicular fluid by centrifugation at 4000rpm for 10min. Follicular fluid samples contaminated with blood will not be used for analysis. Samples will be placed on ice and transported by the research team to the ACNC where they will be stored in messenger RNA lysis buffer and frozen at 70C until processing. Oocytes and cumulus cells will be used to study gene expression while follicular fluid will be used to measure metabolites and hormones that may be influenced by diet and exercise. Both mRNA and genomic DNA will be isolated from individual oocytes as previously described [9]. cDNA libraries will be prepared and fragmented cDNA will be evaluated to determine size distribution of the libraries. Samples will be sequenced using the NextSeq 500 System (Illumina). Individual libraries will be generated and RNA-Seq will be conducted. Sequencing reads from each sample will be trimmed and filtered before being aligned to the human genome (hg19). All data will be analyzed using SeqMonk and R software. Differentially expressed gene expression will be identified using the DESeq2 package which will include multiple testing corrections. Serum and follicular fluid glucose, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels will be assessed using colorimetric or electrochemiluminescence assays. Serum and follicular fluid insulin, leptin, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-, C-reactive protein (CRP), and interleukin-6 will be measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent or electrochemiluminescence assay kits. Serum lipid profilesnon-esterified fatty acids, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein will be analyzed by enzymatic methods on a clinical analyzer. All assays will be performed in accordance with the manufacturers instructions.

Feasibility and acceptability will be measured primarily through structured qualitative interviews that will take place after intervention completion. These interviews will be conducted by trained team members in-person or virtually through video conferencing and are expected to last approximately 60min. They will be audio recorded and transcribed before being coded and analyzed to identify key factors contributing to feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. Compliance with the intervention provides another measure of feasibility and acceptability. Participants in the intervention group will track their daily dietary intake for the duration of the intervention using paper and/or RedCap surveys. These surveys will be reviewed weekly by the health coach for completeness before being analyzed with NDSR (NDSR, Nutrition Coordinating Center, University of Minnesota, MN). To account for deviations from the meal plan, overall dietary compliance will be evaluated by comparing participants Healthy Eating Index (HEI) score to that of the standard meal plan. Participants will track their adherence to the exercise intervention (150min/wk. exercise) using personal training software (FitSW, FitSW Inc., Colorado Springs, CO) and their steps will be continuously monitored by a pedometer (Fitbit, Garmin, Apple Watch, etc.) provided by the research team. Compliance with the exercise prescription (150min/week) and walking goal (500 extra steps/week) will be assessed weekly by the health coach. Coaches will document the average number of weekly steps and total exercise minutes.

All investigators and research team members will complete and maintain appropriate CITI training. All data will be entered into the ACNC clinical relational database and/or RedCap. The database will be housed on a shared drive that is backed up nightly off-site Monday through Friday. Access to the server is password protected, as is access to the study database. Data and study samples will be labeled with a unique identifier (e.g., MB-101). This identifier will be in no way associated with the participants personal information, such as name or date of birth. The key to the coded information, all identifiers, and biological specimens will be destroyed 7years after the study close date. Data and samples will not be used for future research, either with or without identifiers. Participant names, contact information, and address will be shared with the meal preparation and delivery company. Data and samples will only be accessible by investigators, research assistants, and institutional oversight offices (e.g., IRB).

Prior to inferential analyses, exploratory data methods will be used to check for potential outliers and aberrant observations and measurements. The following will be tested between the PCOS and no PCOS groups to assess potential differences: fertility diagnosis (male factor, ovulatory disorder, tubal factor, endometriosis or unexplained), pregnancy, live birth, age and race using Mann-Whitney U nonparametric tests for each strata. Follicular fluid and serum metabolites will be analyzed using a one factor Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) at four levels because of the potential unbalanced data structure. Pair-wise comparisons using Tukey-Kramer post-hoc tests will be used to identify groups whose means differ significantly while retaining the family-wise error rate at 5%. If the distributional assumptions for ANOVA are not met, and if a suitable data transformation is not found, a Kruskal-Wallis equality-of-populations rank test will be used, followed by Dunns test of multiple comparisons. When the design is balanced, two-way ANOVA or non-parametric Friedman test will be used in data analysis. As alternatives, generalized linear models may be also used to test the effects of treatment and presence of PCOS and ANCOVA may also be used to control for additional confounding factors Correlations will be determined using the Pearson Product Moment or the Spearman Rank Order for non-parametric tests. Significance will be set at p<0.05. RNA-seq data will be analyzed using SeqMonk and R software. Gene expression levels will be expressed as raw read counts for differential expression analysis and as log-transformed normalized reads per kilobase per million mapped reads for visualization. Differentially expressed gene expression will be identified using the DESeq2 package and filtered at two-fold change and statistical significance with a p value 0.05. Gene Ontology (GO), transcription factor (TF) target analysis, and pathway analyses will be conducted with DAVID bioinformatics and/or WebGestalt, which include multiple testing corrections. For participants assigned to the standard of care whose fertility treatments were unsuccessful, they will be offered to re-enroll and be directly assigned to the intervention group. The data from these participants will be analyzed separately, using paired t-tests or non-parametric equivalent to evaluate the effect of the intervention (pre and post).

Based upon existing data in the literature, a power of 0.8, and a p-value set at 0.05, with 20 women per group, we will be able to detect a mean difference of at least 0.37 standard deviation units in follicular levels of C-reactive protein and of insulin. In our previous study, we found follicular fluid CRP differences of 3.2g/ml (2.7 vs. 5.9g/ml, respectively) between normal weight and obese women [12]. Thus, we are confident that this sample size will be sufficient to detect clinically meaningful differences. Based on our experience, we expect that we will be unsuccessful in obtaining a good quality oocyte from approximately 33% of women enrolled. Therefore, we will enroll 30 women in each of the 4 groups (PCOS- standard of care, PCOS-intervention, no PCOS- standard of care, no PCOS-intervention) to assure that we will have at least 20 oocytes per group.

A Data and Safety Monitoring Plan is in place for this study. Adverse events, enrollment numbers, lost to follow up counts, and withdrawals will be monitored by the Clinical Coordinator. A continuing review will also be completed annually. Any adverse events and deviations will be reported to the IRB and included in the continuing review. Any adverse effects or unanticipated problems will be reported to the study PI, the IRB, and the study sponsor in accordance with IRB policies. At all times, the IRB will be promptly provided with the information from the Clinical Coordinator as needed.

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Effect of a dietary and exercise intervention in women with overweight and obesity undergoing fertility treatments: protocol for a randomized...

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