3 Cool New Ways to Find Classes

If you've spent any time in or around the New York City boutique fitness scene, you know that the options are endless -- and slightly overwhelming. It used to be that you went to class at your gym, or maybe that one local yoga studio; now, we've got cycling, boot camp, barre, CrossFit and countless other workout-specific studios that hone in on one particular niche. And now, the pay-per-class trend is catching on in cities all across the country, as well. But how do we keep track of what classes are offered when and where? Luckily, we've got options there now, too.

1. Classivity: This online directory contains class listings throughout your city (and currently covers eight major metro areas), for everything from photography and cooking to martial arts and yoga. The main draw, though, from Classivity, is it's signature "Passport" deal:  For $40, you can book 10 classes that normally retail for $20 to $30 a piece. Score!

2. FitMapped: A new app for iOS, FitMapped is currently available only in NYC and LA, with Boston and Chicago next on its agenda as the services continues to expand. FitMapped uses your phone's GPS to find gym and studio classes filtered by location, time, activity, price and membership type (i.e., whether you can just walk right in or not). You can even book right through the app, and rate and review the class afterward. No iPhone? No problem: You can also search for a class using the online neighborhood map.

3. Gravy: Available nationwide for iPhone or Android, Gravy is another app which also aggregates a variety of events focused around active lifestyles, music, brainy stuff, arts and crafts, and more, and includes cool features like estimated driving times and highlighted free events. Find a Spin class one day, a pottery lesson the next, and a lecture after that. How cultured of you.

Not sure which type of class is best for your fitness goals? Check out our handy cheat sheet!

How do you find cool workout classes near you? Tweet us at @amandaemac and @SELFmagazine.

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Image Credit: Courtesy of Classivity

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chinese menu. help

What is the best thing to order. Can't eat noodles. Have wheat intolerence. Should i just order appetiser

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Isolation, Loneliness May Raise Death Risk for Elderly

Study found lack of social contact a bigger predictor of early death than just feeling alone

By Steven Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, March 25 (HealthDay News) -- Elderly people who are socially isolated and lonely may be at greater risk of early death, British researchers report.

Lack of social contact might be an even bigger risk factor than loneliness, they added. Why, however, isolation is such a powerful predictor of death isn't clear.

"Social contact is a fundamental aspect of human existence. The scientific evidence is that being socially isolated is probably bad for your health, and may lead to the development of serious illness and a reduced life span," said lead researcher Andrew Steptoe, director of the Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care at University College London.

There is also research suggesting that loneliness has similar associations with poor health, he said.

"In many ways, social isolation and loneliness are two sides of the same coin. Social isolation indicates a lack of contact with friends, relatives and organizations, while loneliness is a subjective experience of lack of companionship and social contact," Steptoe said.

The investigators found that social isolation was a more consistent predictor of not surviving than was loneliness, and was related to greater risk of dying even after age and background health were taken into account, he said.

One expert said the findings were a little unexpected.

"You would think that loneliness would compound the risk for mortality, as opposed to just isolation -- it's a bit of a surprise," said Dr. Bryan Bruno, acting chair of psychiatry at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, who was not involved with the study.

However, Steptoe explained, "Knowing about how lonely participants felt did not add to our ability to predict future mortality. This is not to say that loneliness is unimportant, or that we should not strive to reduce loneliness in older men and women," he said.

"But, we need to keep an eye on the social connections of older people, since maintaining social contacts among seniors and reducing isolation may be particularly important for their future survival," Steptoe added.

Bruno agreed that isolation is a significant factor in both reduced quality of life and mortality. "It is a difficult, challenging problem," he said.

"For my elderly patients, I often do a lot of education about the risk associated with being isolated and encourage them to spend as much time with other people as possible, whether it be family, friends or joining groups, community organizations or doing volunteer work," Bruno noted.

The report was published March 25 in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

To look at the risks of loneliness and social isolation on dying, Steptoe's team collected data on 6,500 men and women aged 52 and older who took part in the English Longitudinal Study of Aging in 2004.

People who had limited contact with family or friends or community were classified as socially isolated. The researchers used a questionnaire to assess loneliness, which was described in background information in the study as a person's "dissatisfaction with the frequency and closeness of their social contacts, or the discrepancy between the relationships they have and the relationships they would like to have."

During nearly eight years of follow-up, 918 people died and social isolation and loneliness both predicted an early death.

Social isolation, however, increased the risk of dying regardless of one's health and other factors, while loneliness increased the risk of dying only among those with underlying mental or physical problems, the researchers found.

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8 Tips for Picking a School for Your Child With ADHD

Reviewed by Patricia Quinn, MD

From kindergarten through to grade 12, the average U.S. student spends 2,340 days in school. For a child with ADHD, that's a lot of time with teachers; as a result his educational experience can be positive or negative, depending on the school he attends.

As parents, picking the right school for your child with ADHD can be a major factor in his long-term success. Looking for the following eight things will help you choose a school that provides a positive learning environment for your child, and help you work with the school that may be your only option.

One of the first things you should do when choosing a school for your child with ADHD is to talk with its leaders and educators -- the principal, vice-principal, and the teachers -- to better understand how they approach the learning process.

"Get an idea of who they are and what their learning philosophy is," says Terry Dickson, MD, director of the Behavioral Medicine Clinic of NW Michigan, and an ADHD coach.

Specifically, find out how they approach kids with ADHD.

"What do they offer?" Dickson says. "How do they position these kids for success and help them thrive? Is there flexibility in the learning program to adjust to a student's needs? How do they model good behavior? These are some of the questions you should be asking."

When it comes to kids with ADHD, structure in school is a really good thing, notes Patricia Collins, PhD, director of the Psychoeducational Clinic at North Carolina State University.

Schools that are suited to a child with ADHD focus on structure and consistency as core foundations for learning, with clear timelines, processes, and expectations, and they take a step-by-step approach to learning and homework.

Teachers can be excellent role models for all kids, but this is especially true for kids with ADHD, notes Dickson, who is a parent to two children with ADHD.

A teacher who is impatient and judgmental will make most kids resist learning, but those children might get by. For a child with ADHD, it could derail his entire school year.

A school that encourages a values-based learning process and prides itself on teachers who are excellent role models will most likely be a better fit if your child has ADHD. You'll want your child to be taught by people who are firm but offer integrity and who create a safe and comfortable learning environment.

Children with ADHD do much better using a hands-on approach to learning, Collins says. 

To ask a child with ADHD to sit and listen for hours will probably not work. So instead, look for a school in which kids are actively engaged in learning by experience.

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Happy International Waffle Day, We Guess?!

Today, we bow our heads, maple syrup in hand, and celebrate the beauty that is the waffle. Whether you're a chicken 'n gravy on waffles person or prefer to smother 'em in a hearty coating of Mrs. Butterworth's, waffles hold a special place in the hearts of Americans, despite their roots in Ancient Greece.

Athenians cooked the waffle between two metal plates over a fire and the savory cakes were seasoned with spices and cheese. The patterns came later, when Catholics in the Middle Ages began printing communion wafers with religious symbols. Bakeries and street vendors adapted the style with interlocking crosses (the waffle design we know and love,) and served them up as sweet treats. The waffle trend spread throughout Northwestern Europe, but it was the Dutch who brought it to America in 1620, and for that we epically thank them.

Waffle House and IHOP may be calling your names, and while we heart them at 3am on any given weekend, today calls for a homemade ode to the fluffy, cratered breakfast staple we hold so dear.

Whole Grain Waffles with Strawberries and Almonds: Packed with filling fiber from oats, whole-wheat flour and flaxseed, these griddlecakes will become your new standby for indulgent Sunday brunches. Feeling salty? Nix the strawberries, almonds, and yogurt and top with an egg!Chocolate Cornmeal Waffles: Topped with nonfat vanilla frozen yogurt, these make a super-amazing dessert, but we won't tell if you want to have them for breakfast. Permission to top with chocolate (dark, of course!) granted.

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Image Credit: Jim Scherer Photography/Stockfood

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Need help getting motivated again

Hey cc!

I always enjoy reading the forums and all of your helpful advice AND now I need help.

I whole year ago I was really committed to counting calories and not going over my cc burn (1700 calories). I exercised often and felt great. However, lately I have been sabotaging my healthy eating efforts. It's almost as if my willpower has disappeared. I have been overeating, snacking at night, and indulging in treats. Or on days that I seem to eat healthy, I have been snacking out night because I see friends and family snacking. Everyday I seem to have an excess of calories and I am slowly putting on weight. I want to nip this in the bud before it gets worse.

Have any of you temporarily fallen off of the wagon? How did you find the inner strength to get back on track? Any advice or tips?

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Eva Mendes wants paparazzi protection for her and Ryan Gosling’s dog

Eva Mendes apparently wants protection against the paparazzi for snapping her and Ryan Gosling’s dog.

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