On the market for a new fitness tracker? On April 12, Garmin released its newest wearable, the Vivosmart 3 ($140; amazon.com), the update to its Vivosmart HR+ fitness tracker that was released almost a year ago.
The Vivosmart 3 comes with a few new features that make it useful not only for cardio fanatics, but also your run-of-the-mill gymgoer. As a self-proclaimed cardio hater (sorry, but you�ll never catch me “just going for a jog”), I decided to put the Vivosmart 3�s features to the test. Here�s what I thought.
The look:
Fitbit diehards may have a run for their money when they see how slim (and Fitbit-like) Garmin�s newest model looks. According to Garmin, this wearable is �a master of subtlety.� The touchscreen is smaller than the tracker’s previous versions, so it doesn�t look like a clunky brick on your arm. Plus, the display isn�t perpetually lit up�the screen only brightens when you tap or lift your wrist slightly to check the time. Other features include the traditional watch-buckle band and two color options: black or a grayish-purple.
New standout features:
Garmin has always offered step and mileage counting in its fitness trackers, but now you can also use the device to long your strength-training workouts. A rep-counting feature can be turned on to track your reps and sets and record them in the Garmin Connect app.
The Vivosmart 3 can also track your VO2 max�the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use at any given moment�and translate that data into your �fitness age.� For challenge-loving exercisers, it�s an easy way to notice changes in your athletic ability over time.
The coolest new feature, in my opinion, is the device�s ability to track your stress levels. The Vivosmart 3 uses your heart rate variability to estimate how stressed you are on a four-level scale. If it turns out you�re feeling the pressure, the watch can help you calm down with a breathing exercise. Set the duration (1 to 5 minutes) and hit start; the watch then commands you to breathe in and out in counts of four.
Features like sleep tracking, a heart rate monitor, a 5-day battery life, and a waterproof shell have been passed down to this latest installment.
The bottom line:
This watch provides all the features you’d expect�smartphone notifications, heart rate and step tracking, and other fitness tracking features�but it�s the new abilities that really make the Vivosmart stand out. I love to lift (and hate cardio), and now, there’s finally a watch that can help me achieve my goals in the gym. I’m also a fan of the stress-level indicator. The streamlined design makes the watch much more attractive than its predecessors, and is something I’m not embarrassed to wear all day.
At $10 less than Fitbit�s newest wearable, the vivosmart 3 could be a top fitness-tracking contender. I give it an A+ in my cardio-loathing book.
Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Alexander Jimenez offers some tips for back pain.
Our patients in El Paso have always appreciated our 5 Tips for Back Pain. Have you missed work, had to give up a recreational activity that you enjoy, or had trouble sleeping at night because of back pain? If so you�re not alone. In fact, it was recently found that 80% of Americans will experience back pain at some point throughout their lives. In addition to this startling statistic, back pain has also risen to capture the number one spot as the leading cause of disability in the United States. While pain is the primary concern for sufferers of back pain, it often causes a significant financial burden as well. In 2012 alone, it was estimated that the American people spent nearly 30 billion dollars seeking treatment for their back pain.
With back pain rising to epidemic proportions, patients, doctors, and researchers are searching high and low for a cost effective solution. �The field of Chiropractic hopes this article will give you some information on the latest discoveries in research about back pain.
Five Simple Tips to Help You Manage Your Back Pain:
Weight
1. While being overweight or obese has been shown to be correlated with a greater incidence of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes, it has also been found to be one of the biggest contributing factors for the development of back pain. Since our body’s frame is designed to only carry a certain amount of weight, excess weight puts an immense strain not only on our spine, but also on other joints throughout our body. This excess strain has been shown to increase the rate of degeneration of the vertebrae in our back, leading to the early development of back pain.
In addition to the degenerative effects of being overweight, those extra pounds have been shown to increase the odds of developing osteoarthritis, a herniated disc, and sciatica. Unfortunately, people who are obese also have a greater tendency to undergo unwanted back surgeries. So the next time you feel the urge to stop at your favorite fast food establishment, think twice and head home to get some of those fresh fruits and veggies.
Smoking
2. Since the time that cigarettes were invented there has always been someone saying smoking is bad for you. While many people have heard that smoking increases the risk of cancer, these same people may be surprised to hear that research is showing it also contributes to the development of back pain. In fact, smoking is related to spinal pain in a couple of different ways. First of all, smoking has been identified as one of the main factors in causing atherosclerosis (blockage of the small arteries throughout the body). The spine and its related tissues such, as the intervertebral discs, primarily receive their blood supply and nutrients from these small vessels. As these structures become obstructed due to smoking, the tissues are unable heal properly leading to early degeneration and pain.
In addition to the effects of atherosclerosis, the nicotine that is found in cigarettes has been shown to decrease the activity of the bone forming cells called osteoblasts. This can be considered another contributing factor to the spines decreased healing capability and as a direct result the presence of pain. These findings only give you another reason to quit smoking.
Posture
3. I bet you can still remember your parents yelling at you to sit up straight while at the dinner table or doing your homework. While you may have rebelled against your parents then, you should listen now; your posture has a large effect on your spine and the development of back pain. With the increased time people spend in the seated position at work or on the computer at home, learning how to correct your posture will go a long way in helping you obtain relief from back pain.
The effects of poor posture range from putting extra strain on the discs, vertebrae, and muscles throughout your back to causing an increase in pressure on the nerves exiting the spine. All of these factors contribute to pain not only in your back, but also throughout other areas of your body. So the next time you think about slouching in your chair, sit up straight and follow your chiropractors advice.
Sitting Too Long
4. Have you ever noticed that you back pain becomes worse when sitting in one position for too long? It has been shown through research that inactivity is one of the primary factors for the development of long-term musculoskeletal pain. Not only does inactivity lead to weight gain (which causes back pain in itself), it also causes the structures that support the spine to weaken, resulting in a greater incidence of back pain. In addition to weakening, the muscles and discs tend to shorten as certain positions are maintained for long periods of time. Simply developing a daily exercise and stretching program can go a long way in helping you gain relief from your back pain.
Pain: Body’s Mechanism Telling You Something Is Wrong
5. While many people wait until they can hardly stand the pain to visit a chiropractor, it is important to understand that pain is your body’s last mechanism for letting you know something is wrong. While the effectiveness and safety of chiropractic for the treatment of lower back pain is undebatable, many people are still unaware of exactly how chiropractic helps. Chiropractors simply focus on allowing the body to function properly, typically concentrating on the musculoskeletal and nervous system. While each patient is treated individually depending on their condition, chiropractors are skilled at identifying and correcting spinal misalignments. Since every message from your brain to your body travels through your spinal cord you can imagine how important the alignment of your spinal bones is for protecting this important structure. While chiropractic has been shown to be one of the most cost effective treatments for back pain, chiropractors are even better at preventing back pain from beginning in the first place.
Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Alexander Jimenez offers insights into choosing a chiropractic office.
Whether you are looking to change from your current chiropractor or you�re trying chiropractic treatment for the first time, it�s important to choose the right one to suit your needs and your lifestyle. Chiropractic care is an effective way to eliminate scores of health issues naturally, but it�s still important to find a chiropractor you feel at ease with. Here are tips on how to choose a El Paso chiropractic office.
Ask the Right Questions
When you have your initial consultation with a new chiropractor it�s important to ask questions. Find out how long he or she has been practicing, ask if they have a special area of expertise, and make sure to ask about their experience with your specific health issue. You�ll also get a good sense of whether they�re the right one by watching how they respond to your basic questions. Ideally, you�d like someone that is patient, friendly, and courteous throughout the consultation.
If you notice the chiropractor seems agitated or isn�t allowing you to finish your sentences before answering, you might want to shop around. Since chiropractic treatment is foreign to a lot of people, it�s important for the chiropractor to take the time necessary to explain the entire process clearly until you understand it.
Follow Your Instincts
Sometimes everything seems to check out but you just have a bad feeling for one reason or another. You�re always in control when it comes to selecting a El Paso chiropractic office, so follow your instincts whether they are good or bad.
You’ll find that most chiropractors are great people that are looking to provide you with the best possible care.� If you do your homework you’ll find one the resonates with you.
Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Alexander Jimenez discusses chiropractic care for back pain.
Back pain, especially lower back pain, is a constant for many people in El Paso and around the world. Chiropractors have always been known as �back pain doctors� to a certain degree, and while they can treat a much wider range of ailments, this moniker is certainly true. El Paso chiropractic care for back pain includes a range of individualized treatments designed to remove the pain permanently.
Some Facts About Back Pain
One estimate places the number of back pain sufferers in America at roughly 31 million.
Here are some other interesting facts that illustrate just how serious the problem is:
A 2010 report entitled Global Burden of Disease placed lower back pain as the leading cause of disability around the world.
Back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work days and the second-leading reason for doctor�s visits behind infections in the upper-respiratory tract.
50 percent of all working Americans say they experience back pain symptoms each year.
Mechanical issues cause the majority of back pain cases, meaning they are not the result of an underlying health condition.
Conservatively, Americans spend about $50 billion on back pain.
Some experts say that as much as 80% of the population will experience back pain at some point in their lives.
Why Do I Have Back Pain?
The causes of back pain can vary quite a bit. With so many muscles, bones, ligaments, and joints all working together in a complex structure, strains and other injuries leading to back pain are common. You may be experiencing back pain due to improper lifting, poor posture, stress, being overweight, a past sports injury, or a car accident. Conditions like arthritis and osteoporosis also cause back pain, as does disease that originates in certain internal organs.
Chiropractic To The Rescue
Chiropractic care is a safe and effective way to treat many types of back pain. With proper chiropractic care for back pain, you will have greater mobility and fewer flare ups. For many patients eliminating the side effects of prescription pain medication is a welcomed benefit they never even considered. Chiropractic treatment focuses on the underlying cause of the back pain while most conventional treatments focus on the symptoms. When only treating the symptom or the pain you may experience relief, but whatever is causing that pain will still be there.
Reputable chiropractors will also suggest lifestyle changes you can make to help prevent back pain from returning. These include maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding prolonged sitting, staying active throughout your life, staying hydrated, wearing low-heel shoes, stretching your body, and using proper body posture. By helping yourself and receiving high quality chiropractic care, back pain should be a thing of the past.
You don’t need to scald your hands to get rid of germs. For effective hand hygiene, water temperature matters less than time, new research states.
The finding runs counter to U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines recommending that food establishments and restaurants deliver water at 100 degrees Fahrenheit for hand washing, the researchers said.
Scientists at Rutgers University in New Jersey said they found that cold water is as effective as hot in getting rid of harmful bacteria and other germs. What’s more important, they said, is that people scrub their hands with soap for at least 10 seconds.
“People need to feel comfortable when they are washing their hands, but as far as effectiveness, this study shows us that the temperature of the water used didn’t matter,” said Donald Schaffner, a specialist in food science at the university.
And, using cold water saves more energy than warm or hot water, Schaffner pointed out.
“Also, we learned even washing for 10 seconds significantly removed bacteria from the hands,” he said in a university news release.
For the study, the researchers contaminated the hands of 21 volunteers with high levels of a harmless bacteria several times over six months. The participants were then asked to wash their hands in 60-degree, 79-degree or 100-degree water.
The amount of soap the people used didn’t affect the findings. The researchers noted that more study is needed to determine exactly how much soap and what types are best for removing potentially harmful germs.
Referring to the FDA guidelines for the food service industry, Schaffner said their findings suggest a policy change is in order.
“Instead of having a temperature requirement, the policy should only say that comfortable or warm water needs to be delivered,” he said. “We are wasting energy to heat water to a level that is not necessary.”
The study appears in the June issue of the Journal of Food Protection.
UTEP�s freshman Emmanuel Korir was named the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCA) National Athlete of the Week on Tuesday morning.
Korir�s 800m performance at the Brutus Hamilton Challenge was one of the most impressive by any freshman in NCAA during a regular season meet. Korir clocked in a time of 1:43.73 to garner the second-fastest time in NCAA history just behind Donavan Brazier�s record of 1:43.55 in 2016.
The Kenyan came through the first 400m in about 52.48 seconds and pushed the final lap in 51.25 seconds for a negative-split, crossing the finish line eight seconds before the nearest competition.
The mid-distance runner is one of only three men in history to have personal-bests under 1:44 (800m) and 45.00 (400m). Korir (21, Kenya), Mark Everett (22, USA) and Alberto Juantorena (25, Cuba).
This is Korir�s third national weekly honor and he will return to the track when UTEP hosts the Conference USA Outdoor Championships on May 11-14 at Kidd Field.
For live updates and breaking news be sure to follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter and uteptrack on Instagram.
Following an impressive performance at the Brutus Hamilton Challenge, Emmanuel Korir (800m) and Lilian Koech (800m) were named C-USA Tack Male and Female Athlete of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday Afternoon.
Korir clocked in a time of 1:43.73 to garner the second-fastest time in NCAA history just behind Donavan Brazier�s record of 1:43.55 registered in 2016.
The mid-distance runner is one of only three men in history to have personal-bests under 1:44 (800m) and 45.00 (400m). Korir (21, Kenya), Mark Everett (22, USA) and Alberto Juantorena (25, Cuba).
Koech clocked a personal-best 2:04.68 winning the 800m run. Her time ranks eighth in the country and third in the league.
This is Korir�s second C-USA outdoor weekly honor and Koech�s first of the season.
The Miners will return to action when UTEP hosts the Conference USA Outdoor Championships on May 11-14 at Kidd Field.
For live updates and breaking news be sure to follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter and uteptrack on Instagram.
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