Latest news with #physicalfitness
The Independent
01-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
The fitness classes in Indian schools that have religious leaders outraged
Kerala schools introduced Zumba classes as part of a government initiative to improve physical fitness and combat drug use among students. The program, which also includes yoga and mindfulness, has faced strong opposition from both Muslim clerics and Hindu nationalist figures. Opponents claim the classes promote "immorality," are "un-Islamic," and represent a "cultural invasion" undermining traditional Indian practices. Kerala's education minister, V Sivankutty, defended the initiative, stating it is a short physical fitness program, mandatory under the Right to Education Act, and aims to create a healthy school environment. Despite the backlash and protests, the Kerala government has indicated it will not withdraw the program, with Zumba training already underway in many schools.
Khaleej Times
28-06-2025
- Health
- Khaleej Times
Philippines: Overweight cops get 12 months to meet weight standards or lose jobs
Police officers who are overweight have one year to meet physical fitness standards or risk losing their jobs, according Speaking in a radio interview, Gen. Nicolas Torre III Torres emphasised his commitment to enforcing health and fitness requirements across the Philippine National Police (PNP). 'After one year, there will be a separation from the service," the PNP chief warned. Torre cited Republic Act 6975, also known as the Department of the Interior and Local Government Act, which mandates that officers maintain a weight no more or less than 5kg from the standard based on their height, age, and sex. "The standard weight will adjust automatically because one's build is taken into consideration. So you cannot say that you're overweight just because you're bigboned," Torres underscored. He also noted that the qualifications for police officers listed in the law are 'continuing in nature and failure in any one of them can be a cost for termination". "We have regulations for that. They will be given one year to comply with the standard," the PNP chief added. 40 push-ups required To support physical fitness, police officers working the 8am to 5pm shift are now allowed to end their workday at 3pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so they can engage in their chosen fitness routines. Personnel on frontline duties, however, must find their own time to exercise. The PNP chief also added that officers should also be able to perform at least 40 push-ups — or face dismissal. "The reckoning will come during the physical fitness test. We won't show any mercy there," he said. He also warned that if he gets suspicious and he encounters someone who supposedly passed the test, but couldn't do 40 push-ups when asked, he will "find out who approved his results — and both will be dismissed". Fitness as core standard Torre, the PNP's 31st chief, has made physical fitness a cornerstone of his leadership — one that applies to everyone from senior officials down to rank-and-file patrol officers. "It is incumbent upon every police officer to maintain a physical appearance acceptable for a police officer,' said PNP spokesperson Brigadier General Jean Fajardo. Fajardo encouraged officers to start monitoring their Body Mass Index (BMI), which is computed by dividing a person's weight in kilos by the height in meters squared. For officers dealing with health issues, the PNP chief said they are exploring two options: either a full disability discharge or reassignment to administrative roles. The PNP leadership also plans to consult the National Police Commission (Napolcom) regarding proper handling of personnel with medical conditions that affect their weight or fitness levels. 'The directive does not dictate how you are going to lose weight, but of course, we will give considerations,' Fajardo said. Not the first time This isn't the first time fitness has been pushed within the police force. In 2000, then-PNP chief and now Senator-elect Panfilo Lacson also introduced strict standards, famously saying no policeman should have a waistline exceeding 34 inches. His rationale: physical fitness helps project discipline — and a fat policeman 'gave the illusion' of being more prone to corruption. Back then, officers were given only a few months to comply, triggering a wave of fitness programs and mandatory workouts. Even senior officers found themselves under scrutiny, with at least one high-ranking official scolded by Lacson for missing a scheduled fitness test.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jurassic World Rebirth : Mahershala Ali Shares Hardest Part of Training
Originally appeared on E! Online Staying fit is all in a day's work for . While his role in Jurassic World Rebirth required him to be in top physical form, the two-time Oscar winner explained that maintaining his mental wellness was just as important to him while making the upcoming blockbuster. 'It was really about being able to emotionally sustain this journey more than anything,' he exclusively told E! News' at the film's premiere in New York City June 23. 'I got on the bike every day, or did my little curls, my little workout, but it was really [about] sustaining the feeling of being terrorized by these things over the course of four months. That was the tough part.' Fortunately for the 51-year-old, who attended the red carpet affair alongside costars , , Rupert Friend and more, the sequel's international filming locations offered him plenty of options to help him relax when cameras weren't rolling. Jurassic World Rebirth opens in theatres July 2. To see all the stars who attended the film's New York premiere, keep scrolling. (E! and Universal Pictures are both part of the NBCUniversal family.) More from E! Online Tallulah Willis Shares Rare Photos of Dad Bruce Willis Amid Health Battle Jennifer Garner and John Miller Share Rare Kiss During Just As Rare Outing How Much Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders Make After 400 Percent Pay Increase 'We were in Thailand, and then we were in Malta, and London was pretty great too,' he continued. 'We were in some wonderful locations, so it was easy to shake things off.' And while the actor—who shares daughter Bari Najma, 8, with wife Amatus Sami-Karim—was far from home during the extensive shoot, he pointed out that being away from his day-to-day life helped him bond with his castmates. 'What I think was a little bit different was being out of it all,' he shared. 'I've shot a lot domestically, but being out in such a special place like Thailand led to us having this feeling of being at a summer camp together.' Jurassic World Rebirth opens in theatres July 2. To see all the stars who attended the film's New York premiere, keep scrolling. (E! and Universal Pictures are both part of the NBCUniversal family.) Scarlett JohanssonJonathan BaileyMahershala AliRupert FriendBrianna LaPagliaLuna BlaiseDavid IaconoBechir SylvainAudrina MirandaPhilippine VelgeEd SkreinErin Lim RhodesPatrick Crowley, Manuel García-Rulfo, David Iacono, Audrina Miranda, Gareth Edwards, Bechir Sylvain, Philippine Velge & Frank MarshallFrank Marshall, Manuel García-Rulfo, Luna Blaise, David Iacono, Audrina Miranda, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Scarlett Johansson, Gareth Edwards, Rupert Friend, Bechir Sylvain, Philippine Velge, Ed Skrein & Patrick Crowley For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
The Independent
20-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
The simple test that could predict how long you will live
A new study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology explored whether a simple sitting-rising test could predict premature deaths. Researchers tested 4,282 adults aged 46-75 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 1998 to 2023, to evaluate non-aerobic physical fitness, including muscle strength, flexibility, and balance. The test required participants to sit and rise from the floor without using support from hands, elbows, or knees, with points deducted for any assistance or loss of balance. The study concluded that non-aerobic physical fitness, as assessed by this test, was a significant predictor of natural and cardiovascular mortality. After about 12 years, participants with a perfect 10 score had a 3.7 per cent death rate, while those scoring 0-4 points showed a dramatically higher death rate of 42.1 per cent.
Medscape
18-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
How You Sit and Rise Predicts Longevity
You might want to sit down for this — then stand up as smoothly as you can. The ease with which a person can sit on the floor and rise to their feet, using as little support as possible, may help predict how long they will live. Adults who aced the so-called sitting-rising test were far less likely to die of natural or cardiovascular causes over about 12 years of follow-up than those who scored the lowest, according to a study published online on June 18 in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology . The study added to the body of evidence showing that various measures of physical function beyond aerobic fitness, including flexibility, the ability to stand on one leg, and grip strength, can predict longevity. The sitting-rising test measures several key components of non-aerobic fitness at once, including muscle strength or power, flexibility, balance, and body composition, without the use of any equipment, according to the researchers. The study by Claudio Gil S. Araújo, MD, PhD, dean of research and education at Clinimex, an exercise medicine clinic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and colleagues expands on a 2012 study that found scores on the test were associated with all-cause mortality. 10 Points Possible To get a perfect score on the sitting-rising test, you must complete the tasks without using your hands, forearms, knees, or the side of your legs for support, and you must remain steady. If you start to lose your balance or, say, need to kneel or put a hand down to support yourself, you start to lose points from a perfect 10 (5 points possible for sitting and 5 for standing). If you cannot complete the tasks without external help such as a table, wall, or another person, you score a 0. (This video illustrates the test and scoring.) The investigators analyzed data of 4282 individuals (age, 46-75 years; 68% men) who completed the sitting-rising test as part of a voluntary fitness evaluation between 1998 and 2023. None had physical or clinical limitations that restricted their participation in the fitness tests. During a median follow-up of 12 years, 665 participants died of natural causes (15.5%). Among those who scored a 10 on the sitting-rising test, 3.7% died. Of those who scored an 8 on the test, 11.1% died. Among participants with the lowest scores (0-4) on the sitting-rising test, 42.1% died. In an analysis that adjusted for age, sex, BMI, and clinical variables, the researchers found people who scored the lowest were 3.8 times more likely to die of natural causes and six times more likely to die of cardiovascular causes than those with the highest score. Key questions remain, the authors acknowledged: What 'exercise prescription' would best improve or maintain sitting-rising test scores? Would improving the scores prolong survival? And how do predictions based on this non-aerobic fitness measure compare with those based on aerobic fitness tests? More Than Swimming Clinicians and researchers are increasingly recognizing the role that non-aerobic fitness plays in health, said Daniel Forman, MD, with the University of Pittsburgh and the Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System, both in Pittsburgh. A recent statement on the core components of cardiac rehabilitation programs, which Forman co-authored, highlights the importance of strength training and physical activity, in addition to aerobic exercise, which had historically been the focus. 'It's not enough to think that 'I have to go swimming several times a week,'' Forman said. 'We are talking now about adding in strength training at least twice a week. And it is just as essential if not more so to prevent decline.' Rising from a seated position is a dynamic exercise that incorporates strength and balance, and difficulty performing this action can reveal impairment, Forman said. While many clinics in the US would not necessarily be set up to conduct the sitting-rising test, it is inexpensive and yields important information, Forman said. The underlying principle may be more important than the exact technique used to test and score physical abilities, he said.
