ON THE BALL - The Record (Bergen County, NJ)

BOB CONDOR and BRIAN ABERBACK
The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
03-06-2000
ON THE BALL -- EVERYONE FROM FITNESS BEGINNERS TO PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES IS BUILDING
UP STRENGTH THROUGH THE LATEST EXERCISE TREND
By BOB CONDOR and BRIAN ABERBACK
Date: 03-06-2000, Monday
Section: LIFESTYLE
Edition: All Editions -- Two Star B, Two Star P, One Star B

Most exercise trends trickle down from the more fit among us.

A lithe Jane Fonda kick-started aerobic dance classes. The
weightlifting regimens of seniors hoping to retain bone strength and
independent lifestyles are inherited from bodybuilders. Even
exercise-walking can be traced to the running boom that took off in the
early 1970s.

So it is refreshingly unusual that the next big thing in fitness
might be an innovation first used some 50 years ago in Europe to treat
patients with neurological disorders and spinal injuries. It was
introduced in the United States by physical therapists during the 1960s.

The oversized, inflatable spheres called exercise balls (and
sometimes flex-a-balls, therapy balls, Swiss balls, or stability balls)
are standard equipment in a growing number of health clubs. The American
Council on Exercise, an organization that certifies personal trainers
and tracks fitness trends, estimates that about half of all workout
facilities have them.

What sets them apart from other fitness fads is their value to
anyone who wants to stay in shape. They can help young and old,
beginners or professionals, to build the muscles that improve balance
and stabiity.

'There are so many wasy to use the ball to strengthen different
body parts,' says Andrea Singer, who uses exercise balls in her
Jazzercise classes at the YM-YWHA in Wayne. Exercise balls are
important, Singer said, becasue they strengthen the body's trunk, which
includes back and posterior muscles.

These muscles often are overlooked by those primarily interested in
improving their upper-body strength.

It initially wasn't easy convincing people -- including herself -- to
take exercise balls seriously, Singer said.

'When I first saw [the ball] at a Jazzercize convention [five years
ago], I thought it was a big joke,' she said. But once she took a class
using the ball, her feelings changed.

'I felt muscles working that I had no clue I ever had,' she said.
'Doing a few curl-ups on the ball is the same as doing hundreds
traditionally.'

Just by sitting on the ball and keeping it from rolling, your back
has to naturally straighten out, while 'stabilizer muscles' in the
abdomen, back, buttocks, and torso do the work of keeping you upright.

When you add other exercise movements, keeping your body on the
ball (and stopping it from rolling) recruits even more stabilizer
muscles in the legs, chest, and arms.

'There's no other traditional machine or free-weight exercise other
than plain old crunches or back extensions that works the back and
abdomen so well,' said Robin Schear, fitness director of the Spa at
Glenpointe in Teaneck.

Besides strengthening core muscles, the balls can improve
flexibility. The balls let you 'get into a deeper stretch' compared to
stretching on a mat, Singer said. An example, she said, is a back-arch
stretch: 'One of the best stretches is to drape your back over the ball,
keeping your feet on the floor and arms over your head. It's a
tremendous back stretch.'

At Glenpointe, Schear said, older clients were the first to use the
balls, because of their 'functional' benefits. They can be used to
simulate sitting on and getting off a chair, a potentially dangerous
activity for an older person whose back muscles and coordination have
deteriorated. For older women, strengthening back muscles and posture
helps combat osteoporosis.

Singer also has a fair share of older students -- she calls them her
'senior hard-bodies' -- and agrees that the benefits of the ball carry
over to everyday activities, such as carrying groceries.

But exercise balls aren't only for the older set.

'Even the big-muscle guys get on them,' said David Wilshire, a gym
owner in Chicago who offers three exercise-ball classes each week.

At the Spa at Glenpointe, one staffer regularly uses the ball
instead of a bench while lifting weights, working his posterior and
abdominal muscles at the same time he strengthens his arms and pecs,
Schear said. This should be done only after mastering the balance
necessary to stay on the ball, she added.

Shifting from solid ground to an exercise ball can be awkward at
first.

'I see people all of the time who have no problems handling the most
advanced cardiovascular class workouts, then find it difficult when they
come to an exercise ball class,' said Randy Bichler, an aerobics
instructor in Chicago. 'It requires an entirely different set of
muscles, which is good for the body.'

Classes can be customized for all fitness levels. Adjustments of
where your body is positioned on the ball can add or reduce difficulty.
The less body on the ball, the harder the exercise. For the most
experienced, there is always the challenge of doing exercise ball
movements with your eyes closed.

The use of exercise balls is not limited to workout facilities.

Singer has read about hyperactive children using the balls in the
classroom. 'It gives them an opportunity to adjust their bodies
comfortably instead of sitting rigidly at a desk,' she said.

In Phoenix, an office ergonomics expert is recommending the balls
as alternatives to chairs for clients who sit in front of a computer all
day.

'When we sit on a stationary object all day, our muscles aren't
doing much work,' said Tony Swain, a training coordinator for a Chicago
fitness club. 'Getting on a ball helps your muscles progress faster.'

A University of Texas study of 55 women provides some scientific
support for exercise balls. It found that women ages 20 to 40 who
trained for 10 weeks with exercise balls made greater gains when tested
for muscle strength, coordination, and balance than a control group of
female participants who followed a traditional flexibility program of
floor-based stretching and toning exercises.

Women using the exercise balls gained a greater range of motion in
their joints during the 10 weeks.

Researchers at San Diego State University conducted a similar study
of 20 older exercisers, age 65 and up. Although all participants
improved leg flexibility, the seniors who attended exercise ball
workouts increased strength in their legs, upper bodies, and backs by 25
to 50 percent more when compared to the control group.

They were judged on such practical motions as lifting objects,
stepping up, and avoiding back strain during a sudden shift in body
weight.

Bob Condor writes for the Chicago Tribune. Brian Aberback is a Record
staff writer.

Illustrations/Photos: 1 - COLOR PHOTO - NANCY STONE / THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE -
At the Cheetah Gym in Andersonville, Ill., Heather Riordan instructs a class
on Resist-A-Ball techniques. Classes can be customized for all fitness levels,
and adjustments of where your body is positioned on the ball can add or reduce
difficulty. The less body on the ball, the harder the exercise. 2 - PHOTO -
BETH BALBIERZ / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER - Patty Duffy of Wayne, left, and Kathy Dumani
of Lincoln Park have a new bounce in their push-ups.

Keywords: PHYSICAL FITNESS

Copyright 2000 Bergen Record Corp. All rights reserved.

Overkill on code control? Need for 9 hires is challenged - The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)

GLOBE NORTH 1

Most city councilors agree with Mayor John Hanlon that Everettneeds more workers to help enforce laws on litter, illegalapartments, and other quality-of-life issues, but some arequestioning the need for nine new positions.

Hanlon's request for $223,642 to fund the nine new CodeEnforcement Division positions was recently approved, 6 to 1, by theBoard of Aldermen and, 10 to 4, by the Common Council.

If those positions are filled, it would bring the total number ofCode Enforcement employees to 11. Common Councilor Lorraine Bruno ofWard 5 called that 'overkill.'

'Eleven people is just too many,' said Bruno, who voted againstthe mayor's request. 'I do not want to abolish code enforcement; it'sa very necessary part of keeping the city clean, but it's too manypeople being added to the payroll to accomplish what three otherpeople did before.' Bruno pointed out that the funding request is noteven for the full year, but goes only through June 30, the end of thefiscal year.

Common Councilor Rosa DiFlorio of Ward 5 said she voted for therequest because she wants to expand the scope of code enforcement,although she opposed the number of proposed hires. She said shefeared that by voting against the request, she would be perceived asbeing against code enforcement.

'We already have three building inspectors,' DiFlorio said. 'It'snot fair to hire 11; it's easy to hire, but hard to fire. ... I hadto say yes to vote on it because I was trapped.'

But Hanlon told councilors that budgeting for nine new people didnot mean that all those positions would be filled.

Hanlon did not return calls for comment, but budget directorJanice Vetrano said that any money that isn't used will revert to thegeneral fund.

This is the first year Code Enforcement, headed by Frank ChiampiJr., is an independent department within the city budget, with$118,381 for 2 1/2 positions already in place, according to fiscal2007 budget figures. Chiampi is currently the only person in thedepartment, since the other code enforcement officer left lastspring, Vetrano said.

While Code Enforcement positions have already been advertised,Vetrano said it is likely that not all of the 11 will be filled.

She said that Hanlon picked that number, taking into considerationtalks he had with councilors, aldermen, and Chiampi, and that it'wasn't written in stone.'

'With any plan, you have to start with a canvas, and that's whathappened,' Vetrano said. 'We're going to follow Mr. Chiampi's lead.No monies will be expended without approval of the Common Council andthe Board of Aldermen.'

Positions will be filled in three components: one clerical, some'flex-hour' (for nights and weekends), and some that would specializein the enforcement of the city's new ordinance that requireslandlords to submit to the inspection of rental units before newtenants move in, Vetrano said.

Ward 4 Common Councilor Joseph F. Hickey, who voted for therequest, said he is confident the total number of hires won't go to11.

He said he can't see the city putting '11 people in there all atonce. I think it gives them the leeway to run that department as theysee fit. The Common Council and the aldermen have been screaming fora while to get code enforcement back because of the conditions of thestreets, trash, conditions of apartments, and implementing theinhabitability law.'

Ward 6 Alderman Joseph W. McGonagle said the city has seriousproblems with litter, illegal apartments, and the infrastructure ofstreets, but added: 'There is nothing that we couldn't have takencare of with what we have. We have three building inspectors, membersof the Board of Health, fire, the Police Department, all for 3 squaremiles.'

McGonagle, the lone dissenting vote among the aldermen, said hewould like to see Chiampi get more assistance, but not nine newhires.

'This new mayor has hired 34 new people and raised the budget $10million, with new personnel and salary increases of $2.1 million,'McGonagle said.

'I've had it with him,' he said. 'If you call other cities andtowns, their code enforcements consist of a head code enforcer, andtwo compliance officers. ... The city of Everett will be looking foran override at the rate he's going.'

Fat, Dumb and Happy - The Washington Post

'What can one say about a presidential campaign one of whosemain theme is a hunt for herpes?' This could have been an importantelection, until the Republicans lost their nerve. They once thoughtthey had a mandate for the assault on the welfare state they hadpromised in their smashing electoral victory of November 1994. Thencame 1995, and three things happened.

First, the Republicans misplayed their hand, with tacticalblunders culminating in Newt Gingrich's gripe that he'd shut downthe government in part because Clinton had made him use the backdoor of Air Force One. Second, Clinton/Morris moved rhetorically tothe center. Third, and most important, the people -- sovereign andinfallible -- let on that they'd been bluffing all along aboutcutting government.

New series features feet soft enough for walking, yet stiff for running.(Freedom Series of prosthetic feet from Freedom Innovations Inc.) - Health & Medicine Week

2002 NOV 11 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Freedom Innovations, Inc., (FI) recently debuted the Freedom Series of high-quality, affordable, and easy-to-buy artificial feet for lower limb amputees.

The Freedom Series includes three new prosthetic feet - the FS 1000, 2000, and 3000 models - in which amputees gain what the company says the industry has lacked: quality prosthetic feet for a wide range of activity levels at affordable prices, according to Richard M. Myers, Jr., Freedom Innovations.

'Amputees are often forced to use one prosthesis for normal, everyday ambulation and another for more strenuous or athletic activity,' Myers said. 'We created the Freedom Series so prosthetists can fit amputees with a comfortable artificial limb that is strong enough to withstand high levels of activity.'

Myers said the Freedom Series uses patented, and patent pending, technology that provide feet with the highest degree of performance while simulating natural foot motion for amputees with moderate to high activity needs. He explained that, until now, the biggest challenge facing prosthetic feet manufacturers was providing a device that not only was flexible and resilient for comfort, but also strong and durable to withstand higher levels of activity and various weights of the users.

The Freedom Series delivers artificial feet that are versatile, smooth, and strong enough to be appropriate for 95% of moderate- and high-activity level amputees, according to Myers.

The feet were invented by Dr. Roland Christensen. 'In a natural foot,' explained Christensen, who holds several patents for his prosthetic devices, 'the foot and toe flex and adapt to conform to the slope of the terrain. However, previous artificial feet with a unitary foot and toe platform were incapable of such independent response. Almost all of the past designs have focused only on ankle or foot movement for the purpose of walking or running. Few designs consider the workings of the toes or the less conspicuous movements of the foot and ankle.'

Myers said Freedom Innovations is able to provide the high-performance, high quality prosthetics at lower prices due to its low-cost manufacturing facility in Fayette, Utah and 'factory direct' approach. He said buying direct from the manufacturer affords price savings, which can be passed on to the prosthetist, instead of being lost with a 'middle man' provider.

Additionally, the factory-direct strategy offers custom ordering, same-day, and overnight shipping upon request, personalized service, free foot covers with the purchase of each foot, and the longest warranty (36 months) available in the industry on feet and composite components.

The Freedom Series contains two basic elements that help vary the foot's stiffness according to the user's needs. Each foot consists of carbon-fiber composite materials to deliver lightweight, yet strong and resilient performance. The interlocking design eliminates potential 'stress concentrations' caused by bolt connections. The full-length sole plate removes 'dead spots,' guaranteeing smooth transition throughout the gait cycle. This patent-pending design also features a 'soft toe' to also assist in a smoother rollover.

Ladbroke's winning hand seals end of the Stakis era - The Scotsman

DAVID Michels said the lunch at which he and Peter Georgethrashedout the principles of Ladbroke's takeover of the Stakis grouptowardsthe end of last year was cheap, long and on neutral ground at aForterestaurant.

Mr George, the chief executive of Ladbroke, picked up the tab onthat occasion and has now done the same again, paying GBP 1.2billionfor Stakis in cash and shares, an important element for Mr Michelssince Stakis' shareholders will retain a share of any upside fromthedeal. That upside could be considerable.

Singer: building on confined sites poses construction challenges.(Brad Singer)(HRH Construction Corp.) - Real Estate Weekly

Two construction challenges distinguish projects in dense urban areas from those in the wide-open spaces of the suburbs. The first is the formidable task of building in tight, narrow lots. Second is designing construction plans that permit building around occupied space. In heavily congested New York, one of the nation's largest and densest cities, overcoming these challenges takes on a unique dimension.

Urban construction specialists possess the unique set of skills and expertise that allow high-rise residential, commercial and institutional construction to fit seamlessly into the urban fabric without disrupting activity. Further, builders who are experienced at building within such tight confines are also equipped to tackle suburban projects where site restrictions may pose similar challenges.

HRH Construction is an urban construction specialist that has been building on the most difficult sites for more than 75 years. Over the past several decades, the firm has been involved with the building of some of New York's most recognizable landmarks, such as the Jacob K. Javits Center, the renovation of Madison Square Garden and the conversion of the Gulf & Western office building into Trump International Hotel and Tower.

HRH's commanding knowledge of urban construction sites is also on view in several of the firm's recent projects, including The Capri at 235 East 55th St. The company built this 170,000-SF, 46-story flex dormitory residential building for Manhattan Marymount College. The 'building on top of a building' design dedicated the first 31 floors to the college, with 120 dorm rooms, five lecture rooms totaling 1,210 SF, three student lounges totaling 1,800 SF, and an 800-SF health club. The top 15 floors of the tower comprise 42 terraced luxury rental apartments and penthouses developed and owned by Bhatia Development.

The Capri offered relatively commonplace challenges, such as constructing separate entrances, lobbies and elevators to serve each of the uses. It also presented some extraordinary ones, due to the restrained lot it sits on, just 50 feet in width and 100 feet deep, and bordered by two office buildings and an active parking garage.

HRH had little room to maneuver equipment and personnel. Since it is illegal to swing a crane over existing buildings, the team implemented a tower crane with an unusually small tail swing to comply with code. Further, because of the site's active surroundings and limited building frontage, project managers had to stagger the timing of deliveries to prevent street congestion.

Also in Midtown, HRH is building The Alex, a 32-story luxury residential hotel at 205-209 East 45'' Street. The building is located on an unusually narrow site, mid-block between Second and Third Avenues. Here again, HRH has little room to operate cranes and other heavy equipment, creating a unique logistical situation.

As a result, HRH's construction strategy eliminated use of a mason's hoist, normally standard, in favor of a dual rack-and-pinion hoist that can be utilized for multiple applications. The mason's hoist is a material-only car that allows the contractor to bring the brick and block to each floor, but requires a significant amount of clearance to operate. The dual rack and pinion hoist, on the other hand, is configured with two cars running on a single vertical tower. This allows for loading of material or personnel with either car and is ideal for sites where space is at a premium.

HRH's involvement with the Collegiate School's expansion on the Upper West Side would prove to be a similarly formidable task. Building in and around a school environment presents its own set of challenges. When a growing student population forced the Collegiate School to expand, the directors of the oldest independent school in the United States had few options for growth in their crowded neighborhood.

To solve the problem, HRH helped design a plan for construction of a six-story steel-framed structure that would be slipped into a 15-foot-wide gap between two existing school buildings on West 78th Street. The new structure added a valuable 50,000 SF of space. Simultaneous renovations to both adjacent buildings helped Collegiate transform itself for a new era of education. HRH managed to complete the work with minimal disruption to the school community, despite classes being in session.

The delicacies of working in and around a functioning health care facility - potential power loss, noise considerations, sanitation concerns - create a critical need for expertise such as HRH has demonstrated. Patients' lives depend on the smooth operation of the hospital. A firm that

is building in and around a medical facility has to be constantly mindful of any disturbances that could turn tragic. Unlike other projects, extra precautions have to be taken to minimize the side effects of construction that on other sites are merely inconveniences.

When the Memorial SloanKettering Cancer Center, one of the world's premier cancer treatment hospitals, sought to expand its onsite surgical capacity, HRH was called in to build a five-story 'infill' addition, over a five-story portion of the MSKCC's existing main facility. The addition, which will house state-of-the-art operating rooms, laboratories and facilities for the hospital's pathology and pediatric units, is essentially a free-standing shell over a part of the hospital that rests on six 'super-columns.' These double-strength support columns extend five stories to the ground, two stories below grade to a sub-basement, and are then anchored further down into bedrock.

This project represents another 'building on top of a building' challenge, and is further complicated by the close proximity of a 21-story hospital wing, and two adjacent 10-and 14-story buildings, that ring the site like a horseshoe. HRH designed a system that used an outside hoist but interior elevator to shuttle personnel and supplies and conserve. space, a decision that allowed the team to build under tight exterior constraints. Further, thanks to a construction plan that relies heavily on night and weekend work, no existing hospital functions or operations will be interrupted during the entire complex construction process.

HRH's extensive work in congested urban areas helped prepare the firm for a major challenge in downtown White Plains, New York. Located on a 2.6-acre site on Main Street, Bank Street Commons is one of the largest projects in Westchester County's recent history. It comprises 500 luxury apartments in two 20-plus-story towers, and will add 540,000 SF of residential space to the tight White Plains market.

The large size of the Bank Street site affords HRH the rare luxury of an open expanse of space in which to work. However, the property abuts the city's Metro North Railroad tracks, an enormous obstacle that complicated the logistic plan, requiring special steps to protect the railway as well as workers, passersby and equipment.

The difficult building situation was one of the reasons that the site languished undeveloped for many years before HRH took it over. In those years of inactivity, the site earned for itself the dubious nickname of 'The Hole in the Ground.' When developer LCOR sought a construction firm to tackle the difficult site, HRH's success in a range of difficult sites made the firm a natural choice.

THE FLIP SIDE; FOOTBED MAKER MOSZKITO IS CASTING ITS NET WIDER WITH A SUCCESSFUL SPIN-OFF SANDAL COLLECTION. - Footwear News

Byline: Barbara Schneider-Levy

The name Moszkito, Hungarian for the pesky insect, may seem lighthearted for a line of comfort footwear and accessories, but the collection has quickly snagged the attention of serious foot-care professionals.

Following the launch of its prefabricated footbeds in 2001, the Moszkito line was expanded in spring '06 to include support flip-flops under the Archy Sandal label that are built around the brand's signature orthotic footbeds. In the year since their launch, the flip-flops have come to dominate Moszkito's business, according to Laurin Fox, president and co-founder of the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based components company. And based on their success, another companion series of closed-up footwear is on the drawing board for 2009.

'A big part of our growth has been word of mouth,' said Fox, referring to the sandals' distribution among foot-care specialists, which account for about 75 percent of Moszkito's overall business. Currently, he said, the company opens four to five new accounts weekly in this market segment, with the sandals driving most of the interest.

And since baby boomers, in particular, will continue to experience foot issues as they age, necessitating more frequent visits to the doctor, Fox knew he had a built-in customer base for the sandals among the company's existing medical accounts. '[Doctors] know that 99 percent of their clients are wearing flip-flops,' Fox said. 'There's only one way to fight the battle: Put a healthy pair on their feet.'

While medical professionals make up the core of Moszkito's distribution, both the footbeds and flip-flops are carried by footwear independents, as well as by outdoor specialty stores. Even powerhouse e-tailer Zappos.com offers the full breadth of the collection on its site. In fact, moving into spring '08, Fox said he expects business to be split evenly between medical professionals and the traditional retail sector. As the company continues to strengthen its sales force, comfort independents will be a new target, the founder said.

Although Fox and his wife Sandy, a VP at the company, have carved out a niche in the footbed business with a broad offering of more than 150 SKUs available in three different levels of support (Semi Rigid, Flex and Rigid), the couple is striving to offer a flip-flop with the same health-minded features and benefits as the footbeds. '[Flip-flops] have a bad name in the industry,' said Fox. 'That's why we went after [this market].'

Case in point: Scottsdale, Ariz.-based chiropractor Chris McDaniel has sold about 250 pairs of sandals at his practice within the past six months; he has an additional 150 pairs on display in his waiting room. '[The sandals] fill a void no one else has been able to fill,' McDaniel said. 'They're flip-flops with a noticeable and purposeful arch support. They're not only good-looking shoes but functionally better than anything around.'

Moszkito's Archy Sandal collection, available for both men and women, features a choice of two arch heights: a medium version at 16 mm and a high version at 19 mm. Even the high Wedge style offers enhanced comfort, explained Fox, since there is only an inch difference in elevation heel to toe. It's a silhouette, he said, that was developed in conjunction with a podiatrist.

Since the sandals deliver added features and benefits, they carry a heftier price tag than tradition flip-flops: $40 to $65. But that hasn't deterred sales, according to Fox. 'Our customer is willing to pay for support in flip-flops,' he said, adding that the line is now attracting a younger audience in addition to the 30-and-over crowd that initially embraced it.

Although fit is first and foremost when it comes to the sandals, the Foxes have not forgotten about the fashion element. Included in the spring '08 mix is the brand's signature Archy style, a unisex model in a wide color spread that accounts for 65 percent of sandal sales, as well as new styles such as the Archy Crocodile, a croc-print version at $60 retail; and the Wave, priced at $65 and featuring an upper lined in pigskin and a nonmarking outsole with added traction.

Royal Oak, Mich.-based women's boutique Sole Sisters has been carrying the Moszkito sandals since April. 'I'm always trying to find different things,' said owner Nicole Sterling, who placed a first-time order of seven SKUs - a big commitment for an unfamiliar and relatively high-priced flip-flop line. And while she was initially concerned that consumers would balk at the brand's higher price points, she said all they had to do was put a pair on their feet to be convinced.