All posts by admin

Editorial administrator
AFT Features, Men’s Health, Women’s Health

Differences between men and women

Understanding the differences between men and women in long distance running

It’s a fact. Men and women simply have different morphology. Most runners will have a training plan to clock in the distance in order to achieve their goal of be it a 5km or an ultra marathon.  While we are determined to cross the finish line with our personal best time, it would help to get to know your body better so you can reach the maximum potential of your given anatomy. In order to optimise your training and improve your performance, I’ve compiled a few differences that will create a better understanding of the differences between men and women.

Physiological gender differences & implications for training and performance

Before boys and girls hit puberty, their body structures are similar in terms of body weight, height, length of their legs and upper-arm circumference. During puberty, development occurs and boys will start to develop larger shoulders while girls start to develop larger and wider hips. Due to the smaller shoulder size of women, this poses a disadvantage for women to develop upper-body strength, limiting their body strength on the upper-body in comparison to men throughout adulthood. Women’s narrow shoulders compared to men’sare also generally shorter and women are naturally born with larger pelvis width-to-height ratio and shoulder-to-hip ratio than men.

“We some times hear the term pear-shaped being used to describe a woman’s shape, but the basic truth thata woman has wider hipsis specifically for the purpose of child bearing. Notice that most professional female runners tend to have smaller and narrower hips, so it’s their natural born physique that also aids them towards excelling in distance running”.

The Q Angle (or Quadriceps Angle)

The anatomical and biomechanical features are disparate between men and women. Women have a larger pelvis because they are designed to carry the child. This larger pelvis combined to a shorter femur lead to a different Q angle at which the quadriceps muscle – from the pointiest position of the pelvis, scientifically known as the Anterior Superior Iliac Spine – meets the kneecap (or patella), compared to the line connecting the ligament attaching the patella to the shin. The angle between these two lines forms the Q angle.

Males have a Q angle between 8 and 15 degrees while females have a Q angle between 12 and 19 degrees.

SOURCE:PHYSIOPEDIA,Q ANGLE

How does this difference influence the running?

Women, as they have a broader angle, are more subjected to Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries while exerting themselves. The Q-angle dissimilarity refers to a difference of knee alignment as well. In short, men are anatomically better designed than women for running. The space for ACL movement is more limited by women than in men, putting the ACL in a critical position as it can easily get pinched and lead to rupture of the ligament, especially while stretching or twisting. However, when you practise how to train properly, you will lower the risks of getting injuredmale or female.

In summary,

  • A larger Q-angle puts women at a mechanical disadvantage when running.
  • Wider hips and a large Q-angle put the femur at an angle when the foot is on the ground.
  • Elite female runnershave narrower hips, which closely resemble male runners. Research has also shown that the hip width of very good female runners is similar to that of both athletic and even non-athletic males.
  • Women’s anatomy also affects their stride mechanics. Research has shown that female runners take shorter strides than male runners when running at the same speed. Although it’s interesting that the combination of stride rate and stride length differs between female and male runners, it’s not completely clear why women take shorter strides.
  • Obvious reason is that women are generally shorter than men and have shorter legs, hence the shorter strides. (misconception among runners)
  • Research has also shown that taller runners don’t take longer strides than shorter runners. Stride length is more a product of hip extension and how much force your muscles produce as you push off the ground.
  • Therefore, something else must cause female runners to take shorter strides than male runners when running at the same speed

Differences in body weight and body composition

Muscular differences

Muscle mass is on average 35% of the total mass of a man against 28% in women. Moreover, women have more “fat” than men. The fat of a woman averaged 20% against 13% in a man.

  • Women have a smaller muscle than men
  • Women can’t produce much muscle as much as men
  • Men are able to sprint faster than women

Knowing that muscle activity is the cause of energy expenditure during exercise, and the woman has less ability to produce energy and therefore less strength and endurance.

Cardio muscular distinctions

The heart

The heart is a cardio muscular muscle that enables oxygen through blood stream to be pumped to your muscles.The female heart is smaller. While it weighs 118 grams on average in women, men’s hearts weighin at about 178 grams on average. Training improves the heart skills in both women and men. This enhancement is however limited in women.

Maximum Heart Rate is the maximum number of beats the heart can achieve in the space of a minute. This value is unique to each individual and it also changes with age and gender.

The Maximum Heart Rate is thus higher in women than in men. On average, a woman will reach 174 beats per minute against 169 beats per minute. Women’s hearts beat faster because the volume of blood ejected by the heart is lower than men’s.

However, a smaller heart doesn’t mean men are better at running marathon. Even though you first impressions turn into men’s advantages, women are still in the run!

 

VO2max: maximal oxygen consumption

Femaleshave less blood than males. This could be explained first by the period women experience every month, but that isn’t the only factor. The blood plays an important role while running. Indeed, the vital oxygen you need to make your muscles work is transported through blood.

VO2max is the maximum capacity to store, transport and use oxygen during aerobic exercise. In other words, this is the maximum volume of oxygen consumed during exercise. Your muscles and oxygen are necessary to produce the required energy for training. The more your VO2 max is, the more your body is able to use oxygen to produce energy.

The VO2max on average for male is45-50 ml/min/kg and 35-40 ml /min/kg for women.

Men have an average of 13.6 to 17.5 grams of haemoglobin per decalitre in their blood. Women have 12.0 to 15.5 grams per decalitre.

Women therefore have less capacity to store and transport oxygen, a difference that translates both during tests of strength or resistance during endurance events.

 A more advantageous metabolism in women

Carbohydrate (or glucose) is stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver. These stores represent the prime source of energy but they are limited. Indeed, the muscles can store about 400 grams of glycogen and the liver 100 grams.

After running out of this energy, a runners’bodywill seek another source of energy through the fat. You store fat all over your body, especially beneath the skin and around internal organs. An important note is that proteins are generally not used as the main resource of energy, except in extreme circumstances.

Men will use glycogen as the energy used while running whereas women can easily usefat and less carbohydrate at a given intensity of exercise. Men will need to recharge their hydrocarbon stocks to fuel their running capacity. It takes about 30 minutes to hydrocarbon/sugar to reach your bloodstream.

As a conclusion, women need to approach their training and racing differently than men to optimise their unique characteristics.

More than that, hormones in both males and females differ in amounts and in the effect that they have in the body. Indeed, for women, the best time to run is during the Follicular Phase, which is during your sixth to 15th day after your period. The differences occur in muscles and metabolism as well.

Being aware of these differences means is also a way to realise that your needs are different, that is why tailoring your diet and your training is necessary.

Women, you may be physiologically weaker, but you are still champions J

Alissa Laurent, a Canadian runnerwon the Canadian Death Race in 2015 and ended 90 minutes before the second winner, a man.

In short, women are scientifically better distance runners than men. So go ahead and with safe and consistent training, you can outrun the boys!

References:


Physiological

http://running.competitor.com/2015/10/training/the-physiological-differences-between-male-and-female-runners_136993#gEgRJdShz2kqmvQq.99

Heart, blood, arteries

https://www.sharecare.com/health/womens-health/health-guide/womens-health-guide/differences-in-heart-health-for-women

Energy

http://www.runningforfitness.org/book/chapter-7-eating-drinking-and-running/energy-while-running

https://runnersconnect.net/running-training-articles/cience-of-bonking-and-glycogen-depletion/

Q-angle

http://www.physio-pedia.com/’Q’_Angle#Recent_Related_Research_.28from_Pubmed.29

https://casi-acms.com/index.php/en/q-angle-explained

Muscle and VO2 max

http://www.ilosport.fr/articles/hommes-et-femmes-quelles-differences-de-performa/

First published on 3 May 2017, rehashed and refreshed.

AFT Books, Mental Health

UNSPOKEN by Suria Tei

Dear Bookworms,

We’re pleased to announce a new title – UNSPOKEN – from award-winning writer Suria Tei, a raw and courageous memoir about living with mental illness. As more and more people around the globe struggle with mental health issues exacerbated by the on-going COVID saga, Suria’s book is a timely reminder that speaking out and getting help are important first steps in dealing with mental illness. In Malaysia, we don’t usually give mental health issues much thought and tend to flippantly dismiss people going through such turmoil as ‘gila’ or ‘siao’ (or worse!). Suria’s book really opened my eyes to the day-to-day issues faced by depressives as well as what their family and friends can do to walk with them on their journey.

Click to buy Unspoken.

I’m also sharing a recent article from The Guardian by Dave Eggers on his new book and aversion to Amazon. There’s a hidden cost to the cheap books/cheap delivery promised by Amazon and it is publishers and booksellers (and Amazon’s exploited workers) that are paying the price.

“Amazon is a monopoly that uses unfair business practices to drive out competition. They do not play by the rules and they do not pay anywhere near their proper tax burden. Meanwhile, you can bet your local indie bookstore is paying taxes. Amazon loses money on book sales because they can make up those losses through other revenue streams. That’s the essence of predatory pricing, and it should be illegal under existing antitrust laws.”

Dave Eggers

We’re always happy to hear from our readers and if you have any thoughts, books etc to share please do get in touch.

Happy reading!

Rosalind Chua

Publisher/Editor, Clarity Publishing

Synopsis

During a Scottish summer, author Suria Tei was struck by an acute psychotic episode that left her mentally paralysed. After a few sessions of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), she gradually regained awareness.

As she recovered from her ordeal, Tei delved into the roots of her chronic depression and psychosis, eventually finding answers in her formative years growing up in a conventional Malaysian Chinese family.

From grief to depression, from psychosis to catharsis, from East to West, Tei shares her past encounters and insights into life with an unflinching honesty. Unspoken is a journey of self-discovery and understanding how the past conditions our present.

Unspoken is now available for sale online with free postage (throughout peninsular Malaysia). 

Click here to buy Unspoken. Available at all good bookstores nationwide across Malaysia from December 2021.

Suria Tei is an award-winning writer. Her first novel, Little Hut of Leaping Fishes, was listed for the Man Asian Literary Prize and Best Scottish Fiction, and won Malaysia’s Readers’ Choice Award. Her second book, The Mouse Deer Kingdom, came third in the Readers’ Choice Award.

She was the script writer for Night Swimmer which won Best Short Film at the Vendome International Film Festival. Born and raised in Malaysia, Tei came to Scotland to study in the 1990s and now lives in Glasgow.

AustraliaFitnessToday.com is pleased to share this exclusive interview by Clarity Publishing’s publisher, Rosalind Chua (RC) with the author, Suria Teh (ST).

RC: You’re known as a writer of fiction, what made you decide to venture into non-fiction? And why such a personal account?

ST: The writing of Unspoken came to me at the time that was deemed necessary. I was overcome by grief after my sister’s passing in 2014, which triggered my depression. I lost the motivation to work on another novel. As I was finding ways to help myself out of the dark abyss, I became aware of the need to dig into the roots of my mental illness, which is my childhood trauma. I was attending a counselling course then, which required me to confront my past and led me to a journey of self-discovery, and I explored it further through writing. At the same time, the process of writing was in itself therapeutic. It helped me to express and release the feelings and emotions I had been supressing over the years.

I am inherently a private person. The idea of laying bare my experiences to the world does scare me. However, if my writing can benefit others – for persons with mental illnesses to understand that they are not alone, for their loved ones to get a handle on how to care for them, and to raise mental health awareness in general – I have no regrets in bringing this book to readers.

RC: Do you feel that attitudes towards mental health/depression in Malaysia or the UK have changed during the global lockdowns?

ST: I am unsure about the situation in Malaysia. But in the UK, there has been more coverage on mental health issues in the media during the pandemic. On social media too, I noticed there has been more openness in discussing mental health matters. I am trying to do my part in raising mental health awareness. On Twitter, I regularly share my experiences with my followers, give advice where appropriate and encourage them to talk about their problems.

The idea of writing about family and sharing family secrets is still quite a touchy affair in Asian culture (there are so many sanitised biographies floating around our bookstores!). What’s your take on this and how were you able to overcome any resistance, internal or external?

I did not inform my family before writing Unspoken. The book is personal but there weren’t any dark secrets involved in it. I grew up in a small town where everybody knew everybody so there were not really any secrets to speak of. As such, I did not think there would be anything offensive. I simply stated the truth. My family was aware that I was writing a memoir and they were proud of me when it was first published in the UK, though they had not read it. My eldest brother read Part I of the book and was emotional for my experience of mental illness.

RC: What do you think are the biggest misconceptions the public may have about mental illness or depression?

ST: One of the biggest problems faced by persons with mental illness, especially the depressives, is that there are still many people out there who do not recognise mental illness as a form of illness. The symptoms of depression, such as unexplained lurgies and the lack of motivation to assume daily activities, are often dismissed as laziness. The last thing a depressive wants to hear is to be asked to ‘get a grip’ and ‘get on with your life.’ They simply can’t. That is why raising mental awareness among the public is so important.

RC: What effect did your depression have on your writing? And how did that make you feel?

ST: I was working on my second novel, The Mouse Deer Kingdom, when my second bout (the first was after my father’s death seven years before) of depression struck following the passing of my mother. For months, I withdrew into hibernation state and lost the motivation to do anything. I couldn’t make myself sit at the desk and write as my body was heavy with lurgies and my mind couldn’t concentrate. My agent had to negotiate for a new deadline with the publisher then and again. After my psychotic episode in 2018, my mind wasn’t functioning properly. I had problems with writing, reading and speaking. I thought I would never be able to write again. The thought scared me. I felt like an invalid, useless. I had loved writing since a child. If I couldn’t write, what use was I? That thought made me even more depressed.

RC: What does a typical week look like for you now?

ST: My days are quite different from most writers, I guess, as I am still recovering from the acute psychotic episode three years ago, during which I totally lost my mind. For someone with mental health issues, every day is a struggle. I try to establish a routine, as advised by my psychiatrist. With the help of the Glasgow Association for Mental Health (GAMH), I volunteer at a community allotment for persons recovering from mental illness every Monday. The organisation also arranges for me to go cycling and play tennis during the week. Every Thursday I attend a Buddhist study group, which has been moved online since the pandemic began. I also find time to be in nature, going to the woods or seaside. In between these activities, I try to write a little bit at a time when I am able to. I understand that the recovery needs time, and I always count myself lucky that I can still write, despite being slow.


Click to buy Unspoken.

More AFT Books

Originally published in AsiaFitnessToday.com, AFT Books shares some of the latest titles from a growing community of independent publishers in Asia Pacific each month. In keeping an active community, we ask for your support by purchasing directly from the publishers.

Features Indonesian

Pelajari rahasia alam dengan Kenny Peavy yang berbasis di Bali!

 

Pelajari rahasia alam!

Jelajahi Alam dan Pelajari misteri Alam dan penghuninya. Kami akan menjelajahi habitat yang sejuk, mempelajari fakta-fakta menyenangkan, dan menemukan kisah-kisah menakjubkan dan menarik yang harus diceritakan alam kepada kita! Mari kita terhubung dengan sebanyak mungkin penduduk di sini sambil menciptakan kehidupan yang penuh petualangan, belajar dan membangun komunitas yang sehat dan berkelanjutan! Sepanjang jalan, kita akan menjelajahi Rahasia Alam bersama Sustainable Living, BALANCED Living, Wellbeing, Mindfulness, Creating a Healthy Lifestyle, dan menemukan bagaimana kita dapat terhubung dengan Manusia dan Planet. Sangat penting bahwa kita membuat hubungan yang mendalam dengan Alam dan menghabiskan waktu menemukan rahasianya saat kita Belajar Mencintai Kehidupan di The Pale Blue Dot.

 
 

Kita hanya memiliki satu planet sejauh yang saya tahu. Saya rasa akan lebih baik jika kita belajar untuk bergaul dan mulai berbagi tempat ini kita semua sebut rumah. Untuk Samara. Anda tidak akan pernah tahu berapa banyak kebahagiaan dan sukacita yang Anda bawa kepada saya. Semoga matahari selamanya bersinar setelah hujan di Pale Blue Dot ini kita semua berbagi. Semua foto oleh Kenny Peavy diambil di lokasi di Borobudur (Jawa, Indonesia), Prabanan (Jawa, Indonesia), Kuala Lumpur (Bukit Kiara, Malaysia), Pulau Tioman (Malaysia), FRIM (Malaysia), Taman Nasional Sirinat (Phuket, Thailand) Krabi (Thailand), Taman Nasional Gunung Leuseur (Bukit Lawang, Sumatera), Terinspirasi oleh The Pale Blue Dot oleh Carl Sagan.

Kenny Peavy

Atribusi: Semua foto oleh Kenny Peavy diambil di lokasi di Borobudur (Jawa, Indonesia), Prabanan (Jawa, Indonesia), Kuala Lumpur (Bukit Kiara, Malaysia), Pulau Tioman (Malaysia), FRIM (Malaysia), Taman Nasional Sirinat (Phuket, Thailand) Krabi (Thailand), Taman Nasional Gunung Leuseur (Bukit Lawang, Sumatera), Terinspirasi oleh The Pale Blue Dot oleh Carl Sagan.

Jika Anda tertarik dengan Alam, Biologi, Ekologi, Sejarah Alam & Kehidupan berkelanjutan, ikuti Kenny Peavy:

Republish this article:

Diterbitkan oleh Asia Fitness Today, “Pelajari rahasia alam dengan Kenny Peavy yang berbasis di Bali!”, Penulis: Jasmine Low, URL: https://www.asiafitnesstoday.com/learn-natures-secrets-with-bali-based-kenny-peavy/, diterbitkan pada 29 Agustus 2021.

Reprint this:

klik disini

Features Indonesian

A Thousand Cuts (2020): untuk membela kebenaran dan demokrasi

Nowhere is the worldwide erosion of democracy, fueled by social media disinformation campaigns, more starkly Tidak ada erosi demokrasi di seluruh dunia, yang dipicu oleh kampanye disinformasi media sosial, lebih jelas daripada di rezim otoriter Presiden Filipina Rodrigo Duterte. Jurnalis Maria Ressa menempatkan alat-alat pers bebas – dan kebebasannya – di telepon untuk membela kebenaran dan demokrasi. Diproduksi, ditulis dan disutradarai oleh Ramona S. Diaz (IMELDA, TANAH AIR). Dari PBS Distribusi dan FRONTLINE | PBS www.athousandcuts.film | Maria Ressa Maria Ressa Penerima Hadiah Nobel Perdamaian 2021

AFTNews

The Future is Unwritten – Healing Arts Symposium

Cover image: Hannah Brown, Atrium, Hellingly Centre, Courtesy Hospital Rooms

The Healing Arts 2021 campaign was launched on 22-26 March 2021 by CULTURUNNERS as part of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) series of solidarity events to address mental health crisis caused by Covid-19. Gillian Anderson, Antony Gormley, William Kentridge, Agnes Denes and Martin Creed were among artists to support programme.

The Future is Unwritten – Healing Arts Symposium Live streamed event: 10:30am – 5:00pm (Eastern Standard Time), November 14, 2021, The Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Symposium presented in partnership with the World Health Organization and The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a “cultural call to action” to invest in the arts to improve physical, mental, and social health.

On November 14, 2021, leading policy advocates, artists, and researchers from cultural organisations, healthcare centers, government, and the United Nations will convene at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in a call to action to acknowledge and act on the evidence base for the health benefits of the arts.

The day-long Healing Arts Symposium, presented in partnership with the World Health Organization, and produced by CULTURUNNERS in partnership with the Creative Arts Therapies Consortium at NYU Steinhardt, the NeuroArts Blueprint, an initiative of the International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and the Health, Medicine, and Society Program at The Aspen Institute, and the Open Mind Project positions the arts as necessary to physical, mental, and social health across the lifespan. The event will be live streamed.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, commented about the symposium, “We are particularly pleased that Museums like The Met are rethinking their missions to see themselves not simply as repositories of valuable objects, but as centres of creative engagement with their communities in the pursuit of promoting the wellbeing, and health, of the public.”

The event will be centered around three themed panels exploring the intersection of research, cultural practice, and global policy in the arts and health. Opening remarks by Max Hollein, Marina Kellen French Director of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, and Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Direct-General, will frame the panels which are being hosted by Heidi Holder, The Met’s newly appointed Frederick P. and Sandra P. Rose Chair of Education; Nisha Sajnani, Founding Director of Arts & Health @ NYU; and Susan Magsamen, Executive Director of the International Arts + Mind Lab. Participating artists include soprano and arts and health advocate Renée Fleming; American singer, actress, and founding member of Black Theatre United, Vanessa Williams; and Syrian-American artist and architect Mohamad Hafez. Also participating are Aduke Gomez, Chairperson for Art4Health in the Ministry for Health in Lagos, Nigeria; Patrick J. Kennedy, former congressman and mental health advocate; Sunil Iyengar, Director of the Office of Research & Analysis at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA); and Emmeline Edwards, Director of the Division of Extramural Research of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH).

Martin Creed, Work No. 3439: EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT, White neon, 7.5 x 206.5 cm, 2020. Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth © Martin Creed. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2021
Photo: Sim Canetty-Clarke

Christopher Bailey, Arts & Health Lead, World Health Organization, comments, “With a growing body of evidence that embedding the arts into systems and places of healing can improve health outcomes, lower costs and support recovery from illness and injury, now is the time for a ‘healing arts revolution’ that improves the wellbeing of millions of people worldwide.”

The program will shine a special light on arts and health interventions on the ground, and highlight projects on the “frontline” of the pandemic where the crisis has exacerbated pre-existing threats to the environment, equity and access, economy, public health, political stability, and human rights.

https://flic.kr/p/2mJkwtZ
Agnes Denes Flag. Agnes Denes, The Future is Fragile, Handle With Care (Pyramid), Flag, 2021.

The Healing Arts Symposium marks the culmination of Healing Arts New York, the last of a series of 2021 city activations, produced by CULTURUNNERS, to convene global arts and health researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. As the world emerges from the greatest health crisis in a generation, Healing Arts aims to affirm what artists have always known and research is now proving—that the arts can heal.

This program is made possible, in part, by donors to The Met’s Education Department in honor of the Museum’s 150th anniversary.

These events will be produced in accordance with institutional and City COVID-19 protocols to ensure the health and safety of presenters.

For the full Healing Arts New York program, visit our website. 

Fit Tech & Gadgets, Fitness Apps

LES MILLS+ introduces a world first omnichannel fitness platform

LES MILLS+ bridges the gap between digital and live workouts to provide the ultimate fitness experience

Launched on October 4th, the LES MILLS+ app is designed to meet modern demands for both convenient digital workouts and thrilling live experiences and features digital Les Mills workouts that users can also seek out in 21,000 gyms globally.

Fitness fans are flooding back to gyms for the added motivation and social connection of live fitness experiences, but the COVID-driven boom in digital fitness looks set to continue, with new research* showing the majority of exercisers now favor a 60:40 split between gym and home workouts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWcs4cyGyb8

LES MILLS+ replaces LES MILLS On Demand (LMOD), which saw rapid growth during the digital fitness boom, with a 900% increase in downloads in 2020 alone! The upgraded app meets growing demand and shifting consumer preferences and comes with a range of enhancements. In addition to 1,000+ world-leading workouts including BODYPUMP™, BODYCOMBAT™, and BODYBALANCE™, LES MILLS+ now features:

  • Class-finding functionality that connects users to live workouts in their local area
  • Personalised workout dashboards and tracking technology
  • Tailored user journeys including starter guides, challenges, and workout plans
  • Wellness content covering nutrition, stretching, recovery, mindfulness, and breathwork

What is omnichannel?

“We’re entering the age of omnichannel fitness, with research showing the majority of consumers worldwide want a 60/40 split between in-studio and digital workouts,” says Les Mills CEO Clive Ormerod.

“With consumers keen to blend live and digital experiences in pursuit of better overall wellbeing, we’ve created LES MILLS+ to put world-class gym workouts in the palm of your hand and help you augment this with incredible live experiences.”

“LES MILLS+ transports you into the middle of the greatest group workouts on the planet – from anywhere. Our fitness masterclasses are powered by science to maximize results, crafted to incredible music and presented by some of the world’s leading instructors, to motivate you and transform your body, mind, and life.”

Historic, authentic, and scientifically proven

A world leader in group workouts, Les Mills combines blockbuster production to its digital content, an unparalleled network of 21,000 gym partners and 140,000 certified Instructors across 110 countries.

Created with elite teams of physiology experts, fitness trainers, and musicians, each Les Mills workout is scientifically designed to maximize results and inspirationally crafted by the world’s leading choreographers to incredible music. The classes are cinematically filmed by award-winning production crews and presented by a huge selection of the world’s best instructors.

Of the new launch, Clive Ormerod goes on to explain: “We deliver group fitness classes to over six million people per week globally. What started as a small family-run local gym in Auckland, New Zealand has evolved into a (still family-run) global business in 110 countries, working with 21,000 of the world’s leading gyms and an army of 140,000 Instructors.

“Our mission is to create a fitter planet and we hope the launch of LES MILLS+ can break down barriers, helping more people to start their fitness journey and reap the rewards of an active lifestyle.”

Accessible and affordable

LES MILLS+ is presented by the world’s best instructors and is supported by expert training guides. There are 13 different programs to choose from for all fitness levels, from high intensity to low intensity, equipment or no equipment – there is something for everyone on LES MILLS+. Classes range from 15-minute to full-hour sessions.

LES MILLS+ is available as a mobile app for phones and tablets, and can be streamed from any Internet browser and via popular TV platforms including Android TV, Amazon Fire TV™, Chromecast™, Apple TV®, Roku, and Xbox.

Existing LES MILLS On Demand users can access both LMOD and LES MILLS+, app and website platforms, with their existing log-in details.

*Les Mills 2021 Global Fitness Report

Visit the platform: ​​www.lesmills.com/plus.

About Les Mills

Watch the Les Mills Story: https://youtu.be/pTZ8apUJnA0

https://youtu.be/pTZ8apUJnA0

Les Mills is the global leader in group fitness and creator of 20 programs available in leading fitness facilities around the world. Les Mills programs include the world’s first group exercise resistance training workout BODYPUMP™, BODYCOMBAT™ (martial arts), RPM™ (indoor cycling), BODYBALANCE™ (yoga), LES MILLS GRIT™ (30-minute high-intensity interval training) and the revolutionary immersive cycle experience, THE TRIP™. Each workout is refreshed and updated with new choreography and music every three months.

The company was founded by Les Mills – a four-time Olympian and head coach of New Zealand’s track and field team – who opened his first gym in 1968 with the aim of taking elite sports training to the masses. Today, Les Mills workouts are delivered by 140,000 certified instructors in 21,000 clubs across 100 countries and are available as live, livestream, virtual and immersive classes, as well as via the LES MILLS™ On Demand streaming platform.

By AFT News team AFTNN/PRNewsGIG

Documentary

A Thousand Cuts (2020): in defense of truth and democracy

1 Comment
Nowhere is the worldwide erosion of democracy, fueled by social media disinformation campaigns, more starkly evident than in the authoritarian regime of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Journalist Maria Ressa places the tools of the free press—and her freedom—on the line in defense of truth and democracy. Produced, written and directed by Ramona S. Diaz (IMELDA, MOTHERLAND).
 
From PBS Distribution and FRONTLINE | PBS. www.athousandcuts.film | Maria Ressa announced Nobel Peace Prize 2021 co-recipient
 
Watch link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy_gWR0dEpY
AFTNews, AFTNews

International Cheer Union (ICU) gains IOC recognition & ICU 2021 World Championships

Cheerleading takes a virtual spin this year at the 2021 ICU World Championships and Junior World Championships

On 20 July 2021, the International Olympic Committee has given full recognition status to the International Cheer Union (ICU), marking an important milestone for the 100 year old sport. In a press announcement issued by President of the International Cheer Union, Jeffrey G. Webb, he affirmed that this recognition is a culmination of decades of work to establish Cheer as a respected, highly athletic sport that appeals to millions of young athletes throughout the world.

“I can truly say that this achievement would not have been possible without the amazing efforts of our National Federation members. Your enthusiastic efforts to build our sport in your respective countries and your unwavering support of the ICU, even in challenging times, have helped us carry the day”.

Recognition by the IOC will help Cheer grow as a sport at the grass roots level in a healthy and constructive way.

Watch the videos on the best moves and choreographies from Cheerleading teams all over the world in the virtual edition of the 2021 World Championships which took place on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th.

View video on the official Olympic Channel.

Broadcast performance order: view link

History of Cheer

Although various forms of Cheerleading (“Cheer”) have certainly been in existence for thousands of years (e.g. leading crowds in Cheers & Chants, and entertaining during sport events), the Sport of Cheer’s beginning is traditionally defined from an era when USAuniversity students and faculty, at their respective university sporting events – led and entertained their crowds with Chants and Cheers starting in the later 1800’s. (See ICU History www.cheerunion.org).

Cheerleading Associations in Asia

Cheerleading Association and Register of Malaysia (CHARM)
President: CHONG Siew Han
No. 34, Jalan 12/12
46200 Petaling Jaya
Selangor
Malaysia

Asosiasi Pemandu Sorak Indonesia (Indonesian Cheerleading Association)
President:  Dee Anggraini
Jl. Sidomukti No. 28, Sukaluyu, Bandung
Jawa Barat
Indonesia – 40123

Philippine Cheerleading Alliance (PCA)
209 M. Paterno Street, Bgy. Pasadena
San Juan City, Metro Manila, NCR
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
President: Carlos Valdes III
Vice President: Paula Nunag

Cheer Association of Thailand (CAT)
Dr. Suebsai BOONVEERABUT, President
Rutchanee PREEDAKAMONRAT, Secretary General
55 Srinakarin Road, Nongbon, Prawet
Bangkok 10250
KINGDOM OF THAILAND
www.tcathai.com

Cheerleading Association (Singapore)
President:  Lin Fuxiang Jimmy
170 Upper Bukit Timah Rd
SINGAPORE
588179 #B2-11
cas@cheerleading.org.sg

Chinese Taipei Cheerleading Association(CTCA)
Address: Rm. 909, 9F., No.20, Zhulun St.,
Zhongshan Dist., Taipei City 104,Taiwan (R.O.C.)
Phone Number: +886-2-8772-6372
Fax:+886-28772-6373
Website: http://www.tca-cheers.org.tw/
Facebook: CTCA or Cheer Taiwan
Email Address: no.1@tca-cheers.org.tw or cheer924@yahoo.com.tw

Cheerleading Federation of Hong Kong, China (CFHK)
Honorable President: YEN Danny
Vice Presidents: HSU Kenneth, Jimmy Chan, Chan Wing Hong
Mailing Address: H.K.G.P.O.Box 5750, Central, Hong Kong SAR. China
Phone: +852-25279288
Email: cfhkemail@gmail.com

For more information, visit: https://cheerunion.org/

This article has been compiled from various sources of the International Olympic Council and International Cheer Union.

Reprints & Sharing: Learn more about reprinting / sharing this article.

AFTNews, AFTNews, Features Phlippines

The Nobel Peace Prize 2021

AFT congratulates Philippine’s Maria Ressa of Rappler and Dmitry Muratov of Russia’s Novaja Gazeta

On Oslo, 8 October 2021, The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2021 to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.

Ms Ressa and Mr Muratov are receiving the Peace Prize for their courageous fight for freedom of expression in the Philippines and Russia. At the same time, they are representatives of all journalists who stand up for this ideal in a world in which democracy and freedom of the press face increasingly adverse conditions.

Maria Ressa uses freedom of expression to expose abuse of power, use of violence and growing authoritarianism in her native country, the Philippines. In 2012, she co-founded Rappler, a digital media company for investigative journalism, which she still heads. As a journalist and the Rappler’s CEO, Ressa has shown herself to be a fearless defender of freedom of expression. Rappler has focused critical attention on the Duterte regime’s controversial, murderous anti-drug campaign. The number of deaths is so high that the campaign resembles a war waged against the country’s own population. Ms Ressa and Rappler have also documented how social media is being used to spread fake news, harass opponents and manipulate public discourse.

Dmitry Andreyevich Muratov has for decades defended freedom of speech in Russia under increasingly challenging conditions. In 1993, he was one of the founders of the independent newspaper Novaja Gazeta. Since 1995 he has been the newspaper’s editor-in-chief for a total of 24 years. Novaja Gazeta is the most independent newspaper in Russia today, with a fundamentally critical attitude towards power. The newspaper’s fact-based journalism and professional integrity have made it an important source of information on censurable aspects of Russian society rarely mentioned by other media. Since its start-up in 1993, Novaja Gazeta has published critical articles on subjects ranging from corruption, police violence, unlawful arrests, electoral fraud and ”troll factories” to the use of Russian military forces both within and outside Russia.

Novaja Gazeta’s opponents have responded with harassment, threats, violence and murder. Since the newspaper’s start, six of its journalists have been killed, including Anna Politkovskaja who wrote revealing articles on the war in Chechnya. Despite the killings and threats, editor-in-chief Muratov has refused to abandon the newspaper’s independent policy. He has consistently defended the right of journalists to write anything they want about whatever they want, as long as they comply with the professional and ethical standards of journalism.

Free, independent and fact-based journalism serves to protect against abuse of power, lies and war propaganda. The Norwegian Nobel Committee is convinced that freedom of expression and freedom of information help to ensure an informed public. These rights are crucial prerequisites for democracy and protect against war and conflict. The award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov is intended to underscore the importance of protecting and defending these fundamental rights.

Without freedom of expression and freedom of the press, it will be difficult to successfully promote fraternity between nations, disarmament and a better world order to succeed in our time. This year’s award of the Nobel Peace Prize is therefore firmly anchored in the provisions of Alfred Nobel’s will.

Related:

  • The Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine goes to pressure and temperature sensing – read more
  • Watch A Thousand Cuts, the award-winning documentary featuring Maria Ressa, produced, directed and written by Ramona S. Diaz.

Source: MLA style: The Nobel Peace Prize 2021. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach AB 2021. Fri. 8 Oct 2021.

AFT Podcast, Public Health

AFT Podcasts on Public health

AFT Podcasts curates some of the most interesting audio documentaries on public health. In this edition, we share BBC’s The Compass, with a particular focus on sugar, and industries it supports. Have a listen to Lainy Malkani’s Sugar-coated World.

Lainy Malkani digs into the history of sugar and how it helped shape the city of London.

Released On: 29 Sep 2021

Available for over a year

Lainy Malkani focuses on the story of sugar in the USA. From one of the oldest confectionery shops in New Orleans where the local delicacy of pecan nut pralines are made every day, to a former sugar plantation along the Mississippi river, she hears about the role of sugar in the history of Louisiana. She speaks to Khalil Gibran Mohammed about the legacy of sugar and slavery in the region, and hears from the manager of the Whitney plantation about what remains there today. From there to the sugar beet plains of the mid-West, Lainy looks at how sugar has influenced government policy over time, and how the commodity has become central to American culture, its diet and economy today.

Released On: 06 Oct 2021 Available for over a year

Lainy Malkani looks into the story of sugar in Thailand, now the second biggest exporter of sugar in the world. We hear how farmers there are coping with climate change, what sustainable production might look like and what sugar cane can be used for once the sweet juice has been removed, from fuel to water bottles. Lainy looks at the future of sugar, talking to those experimenting with sugar to try to make it healthier, like the company Douxmatok, who are hacking sugar crystals at a structural level in an effort to help us eat less of it without compromising on taste.

Presenter: Lainy Malkani

Producer: Megan Jones

Listen to more AFT Podcast Recommendations here.