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If CESC has become the most sought after name in the city, desperation is driving Calcutta neighbourhoods to unparalleled lengths in their effort to catch hold of linesmen.

At Suryanagar in Bansdroni on Sunday morning, a group of CESC workers were repairing cables, surrounded by a group of residents who had not had power over the past four days.

Yards away, a knot of Calcuttans had formed another ring. They were from an adjoining neighbourhood, Pallishree, keeping vigil so that they could ensure the linesmen accompanied them to their locality instead of being hijacked by some other desperate group bereft of power.

We are all camping here so we can catch hold of them, homemaker Gouri Kanjilal said, pointing at the CESC team.

In Lake Gardens on Saturday, a middle-aged woman was grateful and gracious enough to offer snacks to the CESC workers but not before she had taken the universal precaution of grabbing the ignition key from their pick-up.

She tied the key to her sari-end and kept it with her for several hours till late Saturday afternoon, that is, until the repairmen had fixed the lines.

She offered them biscuits and tea. But the keys were with her till the job was done, an eyewitness said.

Scenes of linesmen being chased, cajoled, detained and released from captivity only after the mission has been accomplished have been playing out across a city shaken by the aftershocks of the cyclone.

In both tree removal often a prerequisite for power cable repairs and the restoration of electricity, there was visible improvement on the ground on Sunday. Several teams of tree cutters, including some from the army, were at work.

The state home department tweeted the names of several places where power had been restored.

CESC today informed the state government that power was restored in Jadavpur, Selimpur, Mukundapur, Survey Park, Patuli, Regent Estate, NSC Bose Road, Behala Chowrasta, James Long Sarani, Silpara, Lake Town, Jessore Road, Nagerbazar, Rashbehari Connector, BB Chatterjee Road (1/2), the tweet said.

(A resident of the main Survey Park told this newspaper at 9.30pm on Sunday that her home was without power for the fifth consecutive evening. She said the army had on Sunday cleared the area of fallen trees, some of which had already been cut down by workers hired by the residents.)

(The state-run) WBSEDCL today informed the state government that power was restored in Garia, Bansdroni, Kestopur, Baguiati, Teghoria, Salt Lake, New Town, Barasat, Tamluk, Egra, Contai, Krishnanagar, Santipur, Ranaghat, Gayespur and Kalyani (1/2), Sonarpur, Baruipur, Rajpur, Narendrapur, Kakdwip and Namkhana, the home department tweet added.

A bus stop away from Suryanagar, in Netaji Nagar Colony, a five-member CESC team that was about to move on after an inspection was held inside a club building from Sunday morning.

Some of the residents said the five would be set free once power returned. We have not misbehaved with them. We just want them to restore the power connection, said Arunabha Basu.

Basus neighbour Ashis Das said boys from the adjoining Sanghati Colony had come and taken away two of the five personnel.

This triggered tension among the residents of the two colonies but both sides had reason to act in such desperation; CESC must mobilise more men, Das said.

CESC has said that several of its staff had gone home to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh because of the virus-fuelled lockdown and have been unable to return at short notice.

At Suryanagar, scores of residents, wearing masks because of the Covid-19 threat, had assembled on Sunday morning around the point where the CESC workers had raised their ladder to disentangle cables from an uprooted radhachura tree.

No one was allowed to pass through the lane lest their movement disrupt the pace of work.

It would not be proper to disturb them. Please wait, Jignesh, who identified himself only by his first name, was heard telling a young man on a bike.

For the Pallishree group, it was a long vigil. Standing a few feet from Gauri, Pradip Majumder said they were taking turns keeping watch. We cannot afford to lose sight of the workers, he said.

The CESC team, which had started on the job on Saturday, worked till 3pm on Sunday to restore power in Suryanagar.

From Suryanagar, they were whisked away to Pallishree, which had its power restored by 6pm.

A doctor in the Rathtala area of NSC Bose Road was left wondering whether her side of the road was paying the price for not protesting on the streets.

The houses on the opposite side of the road had their supply restored today but ours havent. They had agitated yesterday; we only made a formal complaint. Perhaps thats why, the doctor said.

Read the rest here:
City in hot pursuit of power repairmen - Telegraph India

Last week it was revealed Tom Brady will have his own Last Dancetype documentary titled Man In the Arena.

ESPN will air the nine-episode series,with each episode covering one of the ex-New England Patriots quarterback'snine Super Bowl runs. Gotham Chopra, a name Pats fans may recognize as the director of Tom vs. Time,is a producer for the docuseries which is set to premierein2021.

Chopra recently caught up with Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated's MMQB to chat about the upcoming documentary and what fans should expect.

Download the MyTeams app for the latest Patriots news and analysis

"It's not Tom Brady'sLast Dance," Chopra told Breer. "It's not that. That may or may not exist 20 years from now, I don't know. There's this sort of immediacy to this. The premise [ofThe Last Dance] was telling stories about the seasons, whereas [Brady's], it does feel a little bit more real time. Tom continues to be an active player. So the idea is, O.K., let's talk about these nine seasons, this incredible body of work across 20 years, and how it's still sort of affecting him.'"

"Jordan's sitting on a couch, looking back, literally looking at stuff on the iPad, reminiscing about things. Tom's kind of, just when you're talking to him, it's still very fresh, because he's still processing a lot of things that may have happened across a season."

As for who elsewill make appearances in the series, that remains to be seen. Chopra notes the COVID-19 pandemic has stalled the interview process, but important figures in Brady's career such as Bill Belichick and Drew Bledsoe have already been reached out to.

"This is inside the mind of Tom," Chopra said. "So we'll ask Tom, I'll use the most obvious one, 2001,What was it like working with Drew [Bledsoe] that season?Got it, now we go talk to Drew, and get his perspective on that. So yeah, there are other voices, other players, coaches, etc., and people off the field that had a lot of influence across those specific seasons that we're trying to get. Now, we've got the added layer of complexity of getting to those people, like everyone else in the world, we're dealing with that."

Story continues

Along with the Super Bowl appearances, Chopra saysMan In the Arenawill cover both the "Spygate" and "Deflate-gate" controversies. As for whether Brady's 2020 campaign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be included in the series, Chopra says there are no plans for that as of now.

'Man In the Arena' producer sheds light on what to expect from Tom Brady documentary originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Continue reading here:
'Man In the Arena' producer sheds light on what to expect from Tom Brady documentary - Yahoo Sports

New findings highlight the role of self-disgust in geriatric loneliness, pointing to a mechanism of avoidance. An eye-tracking task found that geriatric adults who were high (vs. low) in self-disgust displayed avoidant viewing when looking at images of their faces. The findings were published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

Loneliness is alarmingly common in the older population and has been linked to numerous detrimental outcomes such as difficulty sleeping, risk of cardiovascular disease, and even suicide. Ypsilanti and colleagues wanted to explore a psychological construct that might predispose geriatric adults to loneliness self-disgust.

Researchers conducted two unique studies. In Study 1, 102 adults between the ages of 55-90 completed the Self-Disgust Scale, which included items like I find myself repulsive and I often do things I find revolting. Subjects also completed the UCLA Loneliness Scale, a short version of the Geriatric Depression Scale, and a short version of the State and Trait Anxiety Index for Adults.

After controlling for various demographic variables, results showed that self-disgust was positively correlated with loneliness, depressive symptoms, and anxiety. Furthermore, mediation analysis found that self-disgust significantly explained the association between loneliness and anxiety. This new finding is important, the researchers explain, because it sheds light on an emotional process that may influence anxiety in older adults who are especially lonely.

A second study was conducted to explore whether geriatric adults who rank high (vs. low) in self-disgust would avoid looking at images of their own faces. The authors explain, If this is the case, then levels of self disgust may cause and/or maintain loneliness via avoidance, as the person avoids inflicting their presence on others.

A total of 80 adults between the ages of 55-89 participated in an eye-tracking study. Subjects were shown a series of faces and asked to gaze at them naturally. Eight of the images were unknown faces and one photo was of the participants own face. Each image was shown 6 times for a total of 5 seconds and researchers used an eye tracker to measure vigilance (time to first fixation), maintenance (fixation duration at 1000 ms), and avoidance (changes in fixation duration over time).

Participants also completed the UCLA Loneliness Scale and the Self-Disgust Scale and were separated into either the high-disgust group or low-disgust group based on their scores. While results showed no differences in the two groups when it came to vigilance and maintenance scores on the eye-tracking task, differences were apparent when it came to avoidance.

Results showed that those in the high-disgust group displayed avoidant viewing at seconds 4 and 5 when looking at images of their own faces, while those in the low-disgust group did not. This suggests that those with high self-disgust scores intentionally avoided stimuli that evoked a reminder of the self (images of their own faces). The authors theorize, as time passes, the picture depicting their own face may induce dysphoric feelings or dysphoric thoughts representing a negatively valenced schematic representation of the self.

The researchers express that their findings provide important evidence for the association between self-disgust and psychological issues in older adults. While previous interventions have focused on combating loneliness by strengthening social networks, the authors suggest instead that interventions for lonely older adults should address issues surrounding self-perceptions and feelings of worthlessness that may contribute to the development of self-disgust.

The study, Self-disgust, loneliness and mental health outcomes in older adults: An eyetracking study, was authored by Antonia Ypsilanti, Anna Robson, Lambros Lazuras, Philip A. Powell, and Paul G. Overton.

(Image by Mihai Paraschiv from Pixabay)

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Eye-tracking study sheds light on the role of self-disgust in geriatric loneliness - PsyPost

Teaching and learning at home, has been a challenge for many families. However, imagine having to teach your children in a language you don't know. Or, being a child fearing not passing to the next grade because you simply don't understand.

"There's hurt feelings, people not getting along, said licensed clinical social worker, Millie Gaitan Gonzalez. People being unsatisfied and the emotional chaos at home could get worst every time."

"The struggles that I see with the families are, first they don't know the language and another big struggle is the internet, said Maria Juarez, who is the lead migrant liaison for the Jerome School District. Even though Chromebooks were available to students through the school, if they don't have internet then they aren't able to do their homework."

About 100 migrant families from Latin America immigrate to Jerome each year. Juarez says, these families sacrifice everything in their lives to give their children a better future.

"They don't understand the language but they're using google translate to translate all the emails the school is sending them. So, I've seen parents that are there, wanting their kids to have an education."

This language barrier issue only mirrors some of the challenges the Hispanic community faces, on an everyday basis. According to peer reviewed journal, Globalization and Health, first generation Latino immigrants, who are the parents of second generation Latino children, are at a higher risk for mental health disorders compared to the settled population.

"The adults may feel more isolated than the children because the children adapt and they're more resilient, said Gaitan Gonzalez. Even if they're not from here, if they were born in a different country, the children adapt they adapt really quickly. I think the grown-ups are the ones who more have that sensation of, I don't belong here.

On the other hand, second generation Latino children can suffer with mental health conditions too. This is due to feeling like they don't belong in both the Hispanic culture and the American culture. That's according to licensed marriage and family therapist, Dr. Michael Whitehead, who researched the effects of parenting and Latino immigrants at Michigan State University for his dissertation.

"Second generation immigrants typically have a higher risk for mental health problems as a result of their identity split and the pressure they feel from both their parents and society. Identity development and identity formation actually leads to a lot of difficult problems for kids. If they're not sure who they are or where they fit-in in a culture, they will try to find a place where they fit in. Sometimes that could be in gangs, delinquency or substance abuse. Obviously anxiety and depression fall into those things."

However, professional help isn't always sought after, even though it might be needed. Latinos sometimes prefer the help of their own inner groups.

"The natural thing is to talk to my comadre, go talk to mom, grandma and get help from each other because we're more of a collective society. We help each other out. So, seeking help from a stranger is not natural," Gaitan Gonzalez said.

Even though there are hardships, there is hope when the whole family and community shows compassion.

"I would just encourage parents, teachers and other caregivers in that child's life, to offer compassion. Offer help, and allow the child to be able to find support in some way," said Dr. Whitehead.

"I would tell the people to not be afraid to look for help. I know it's hard but its okay, it just means that you want to get better and there is help for you and your kids, said Gaitan. You don't have to suffer and go through this all alone."

"I think it takes the student, the parent, the teachers and just the whole community to be able to work together to see these kids succeed," Juarez said.

More:
Pandemic learning hardships in the Hispanic community sheds light on mental health - KMVT

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) Respiratory problems from COVID-19 are well-publicized, but a new study sheds more light on the neurological dangers of the coronavirus.

COVID-19 does serious damage to several internal organs in severe cases. Doctors in New York studied 2,500 patients and found an increased risk for stroke in older people with underlying conditions.

According to Dr. Brian Steig, chairman of the brain and spine center at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, that's "seven times higher than the average number of strokes seen in patients that have routine influenzas."

Another major problem, he explained, is people putting things off because they're afraid to go to the hospital.

Related:

"Despite the fact that we were taking care of this pandemic crisis in New York City, the hospital was still open for managing medical and surgical emergencies. We did that without turning an eye," he said.

Steig said some people who had strokes or ruptured aneurysms were waiting almost a week before seeking treatment because they were scared of being exposed to COVID-19.

More:
New study sheds more light on COVID-19 and strokes - Talk Radio 1210 WPHT

The ESI Digital Summit (#ESIDIGITAL) is just a day away, providing insights into the esports industry for attendees in the comfort of their own homes. As well as hosting panels on emerging trends, pressing topics, and debate subjects, the event gives a platform to companies whove chosen to activate within esports.

As part of whats become tradition for Esports Insiders business conferences, such as ESI London and ESI New York, the ESI Digital Summit will follow suit and host multiple brand showcases. Rights-holders and select commercial partners will grace the stage well, the screen in this case to shed light into how the partnerships came to be, successful activations theyve executed in esports, and how these experiences compare to other markets.

Just last month, North American organisation Rogue entered a deal with Kia Motors specifically for its European League of Legends team. Interestingly, Kia Motors was an existing sponsor of Riot Games LEC the very league that Rogue is a long-term partner of.

While the one-year partnership has only just taken to the road, its still a significant partnership between an esports organisation and a major player in the global automotive market. Rogues players will utilise Kia Motors vehicles while travelling, but there are plenty of topics to discuss when looking at a brand deal of this nature.

With that in mind, Anna Baumann, Managing Director of Rogue Sports Europe, andSaeGyul Yoon of Kia, will speak at the ESI Digital Summit to look under the hood of this exciting collaboration.

London-based organisation Fnatic and smartphone manufacturer OnePlus realised a global partnership in January 2019 after first collaborating at Paris Games Week in 2017. What has followed is regarded by many as one of the deepest brand integrations in esports to date.

Not only does OnePlus activate through a standard jersey sponsorship, the smartphone giant introduced the One Plus FNATIC Mode in its OnePlus 7 Series. This setting is the models enhanced performance mode specifically devised for gaming, and bringing Fnatic into the fold so heavily was an integration nobody could have predicted years prior.

Fnatics Partnerships Manager, Edward Gregory, and OnePlus Director of Global Brand Partnerships, Eric Gass, will delve into the partnership on day one of ESI Digital Summit.

Nestl managed to turn whats effectively a negative aspect of a broadcast into a great marketing opportunity with its KitKat brand. Sponsoring the pauses in LECs broadcast which typically take place due to unforeseen technical difficulties and are only amplified by online play and making a play on KitKats well-known Have a break, have a KitKat slogan.

KitKat sponsored the pauses to make those minutes of downtime fly by with a rather organic and logical activation, opting out of just slapping its logo on the leagues social media channels and leaving it there.

Alban Dechelotte, Head of Partnerships & Business for Riot Games EMEA, Georg Fischer, Marketing Manager for KitKat in Europe, Middle East, North Africa forNestl, and Nazar Syrotiuk, Emerging Tech Manager, Innovation & Service Models atNestl will break down the partnership at ESI Digital Summit.

Read more:
Kia, KitKat, and OnePlus to shed light on esports partnerships at ESI Digital Summit - Esports Insider

A young Scot who tipped the scales at the start of the year at 21 stone has shed three stone during lockdown.

Andrew Barnsleys weight ballooned as he struggled to cope following the sudden death of his mum.

The 21-year-old said he hit rock bottom when mum Linda Barnsley died age of heart failure two years ago at aged just 43.

The former call centre worker said he struggled with his mental wellbeing and would comfort eat to make himself feel better.

He told The Record: The trauma of losing my mum had a huge effect on my mental health.

"I'd comfort eat and the weight piled on, making me feel even worse.

"I had to leave my job and by January this year I felt at my worse.

"I'd written suicide notes and had it all planned out because I just didn't know how to go on."

But after Scotland was plunged into lockdown he decided to get his life back on track.

Andrew from Paisley, Renfrewshire, with the love and support of his family and girlfriend, Jenna Russell, 18, is now setting about making 2020 his year.

His progress has gone viral, after he showed off his weight loss and encouraged other young Scots to join him on taking back control of their own lives.

He says he feels physically and mentally and is now an ambassador for Scottish mental health charity, back onside.

He added: "My diet now compared to before is like night and day.

"I used to comfort eat and choose a lot of junk food.

"These days I eat healthy meals and low calorie snacks, and I drink three litres of water a day.

"Before lockdown I was going to the gym a lot, but now I go out running and do some weights at home.

"I have never felt happier."

His Instagram account, Behind The Smile, candidly discusses his mental health journey and the page has amassed over 5,500 followers.

With no plans to go back to his former size, Andrew hopes sharing his story will help others facing similar battles.

"I'm lost for words at how much better I feel in such a short space of time," he said.

"Everybody's weight and fitness struggles are different.

"We should use lockdown as a way to better ourselves. "

Andrew added: "My motto now is to always try to be better than yesterday.

"Take one day at a time and don't look back.

"Just look at where you want to be with your health and you'll get there."

Top news stories today

You can contact the Samaritans 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling 116 123 or by visiting their website.

Follow Behind The Smile on Instagram.

Originally posted here:
Young Scot sheds three stone in lockdown transformation after struggling with mental health - Daily Record

This is an artistic life reconstruction of Nannopterygius. Credit: Andrey-Atuchin

The skeleton of an extinct fish lizard locked in a glass case over 16ft from the ground for the last 100 years has finally been studied, thanks to a selfie stick on a fishing rod.

The 145 million-year-old Nannopterygius is a species of ichthyosaur, which swam the seas of our planet for about 76 million years. It is on display in the Natural History Museum, London, but its glass cabinet is hung too high for easy examination.

Russian paleontologist Nikolay Zverkov was desperate to see the London specimen as he thought some of the Russian ichthyosaurs might be similar.

It turns out he was right and that this particular species of swimming prehistoric reptile was common in its day, the Jurassic period.

To photograph and assess the skeleton, Nikolay attached a digital camera on a selfie stick to a fishing rod and connected it to a PC via a very long USB cable. He passed the photos on to University of Portsmouth paleontologist Megan Jacobs who was working on Ichthyosaurs for her Masters Degree.

Nikolay Zverkov capturing the ichthyosaur in the Marine Reptile Gallery of the Natural History Museum, London UK. Credit: Nikolay Zverkov

Megan and Nikolay have now published a paper on the findings in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.

Megan said: Nicolay obtained excellent detailed photographs which significantly expand our knowledge of Nannoptergyius enthekiodon.

I realized that fossil expert Dr. Steve Etches had also discovered examples of Nannoptergyius near to where the original specimen was found and hed also discovered other examples across the UK.

Finally being able to study this enigmatic animal has shown that it was actually very common and widespread in the Late Jurassic occurring not only in England, but also in European Russia and in the Arctic.

Thanks to this new study, several more specimens of Nannopterygius have been found in museum collections across the UK in Oxford, Cambridge and in the Etches Collection in Kimmeridge, Dorset, as well as in Russia and Norway, showing this animal to be much more common than previously thought, and making it one of the most widespread of any similar swimming reptile.

University of Portsmouth Professor of Palaeobiology, Dave Martill, a world leading expert who supervised Megans research, said: We previously only had detailed knowledge of a type of ichthyosaur called Ophthalmosaurus, which was known from hundreds of specimens, including well-preserved skeletons from the Middle Jurassic Oxford Clay Formation of England.

The excellent data available for Ophthalmosaurus contrasted with the impoverished record of other Middle and Late Jurassic ichthyosaurs, so being able to access the Nannopterygius a formerly inaccessible specimen has given us fascinating new insight into a particular species of ichthyosaur we knew very little about.

Nikolay added: For decades the scientific community thought that Nannopterygius was the rarest and most poorly known ichthyosaur of England. Finally we can say that we know nearly every skeletal detail of these small ichthyosaurs, and that these animals were widespread. The answer was very close we just needed a fishing rod.

Reference: Revision of Nannopterygius (Ichthyosauria: Ophthalmosauridae): reappraisal of the inaccessible holotype resolves a taxonomic tangle and reveals an obscure ophthalmosaurid lineage with a wide distribution by Nikolay G Zverkov and Megan L Jacobs, 15 May 2020, ,Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa028

See the original post:
How a Selfie Stick and Fishing Rod Accessed an Ancient Skeleton to Shed First Light on 145 Million-Year-Old Reptile - SciTechDaily

Doing laundry is a relatively boring task. But it doesnt have to be done in a drab, boring room.

With a few strategic changes, even a small laundry room can become a space thats appealing to be in and can double as a room for other activities too.

Laundry rooms dont need to be a space that we apologize for anymore, says New York-based interior designer Deborah Martin.

Here, Martin and two other designers HGTVs Brian Patrick Flynn and Miami-based Raquel Mothe, of Mothe Design offer advice on turning a basic laundry room into a space you love.

Especially in older homes, one of the least convenient things about the laundry room is where it is often far from where laundry gets generated.

If youre remodeling, Flynn says, consider relocating your laundry room as close to the master bedroom as possible. In fact, make it part of your master bedroom closet, if theres enough space.

This makes it way easier for homeowners to tackle their laundry without having to bring it back and forth across the house, he says.

And though its a splurge, its worth considering having more than one space where laundry gets done.

When working on new luxury home projects, Mothe says, she often includes one laundry room on the houses main level for cleaning things like small rugs, pet toys, pool towels and other household items. She puts another laundry space with similar design and the same machines on the second floor near the bedrooms.

Have fun with color and pattern, the designers say.

Mothe rarely uses white for a laundry room, aiming for a cozier vibe.

If there are colors you love but think are too bright for other rooms, Flynn suggests using them in your laundry room. Its also a great place for patterns that seem too much for a living room or bedroom. Wallpapers a good way to do that.

Nine times out of 10, Flynn says, I find that simply adding wallpaper to a laundry room or laundry closet instantly makes it feel more inviting.

If youre updating the floor, Martin suggests creating a cheerful space with an interesting tile design.

Martin and Mothe both advise including a really large sink in a laundry room. And Martin suggests adding a drain in the floor.

We never plan for accidents, but accidents happen, she says.

Martin also recommends built-in bins or baskets for separating clothes.

And make sure you have plenty of space for drying items that you wont be putting in the dryer. Lets say you are washing a silk blouse that you are not sending to the dry cleaners, Mothe says. Install a bar with hangers or a retractable hanging rack.

Mothe also adds drying racks for clients who will be washing things like sneakers and other shoes.

Laundry rooms need plenty of light, and that can include what designers call statement lighting something gorgeous that brightens the room and adds a dose of style.

Flynn suggests adding a pendant light or even some kind of chandelier, if space allows.

Recessed ceiling lighting is also helpful, Martin says, especially over areas where youll be trying to get out a stain or sorting clothes.

And if youre doing new construction or remodeling, Martin says, give your laundry room plenty of windows. Even if were just doing laundry, she says, We can enjoy a little light. We can enjoy a view.

Dont forget to add a few tall cabinets for things like brooms or ironing boards, Mothe says. And she thinks its worth investing in high-quality countertops.

A detail like that, she says, can make a difference between a regular laundry room and a luxury one.

If your laundry room also includes open shelving, Martin suggests storing items in apothecary jars or large Mason jars. Theyre a nice option to store stray things like collar stays, misplaced buttons or even detergent pods, she says. Theres no reason we cant put our detergent in something pretty.

But do add plenty of closed storage, since much of what you may be storing probably isnt especially attractive, Flynn says.

Concealed storage is super important, especially counter-to-ceiling when possible. There are so many essential supplies involved with laundry and not many are aesthetically pleasing, Flynn says. Keeping everything behind cabinet doors is key.

Martin has one client who uses her laundry room to cut and arrange fresh flowers. So the room was designed with extra storage space related to that hobby.

If youre building or remodeling, consider expanding your laundry areas size and purpose, perhaps combining your mudroom and laundry room.

This is especially good for active families with kids and pets, Flynn says.

Ive found that the more space allotted to a laundry room, he says, the less of a task space it becomes and the more of a social space it begins to feel like.

Read this article:
Take your laundry room to the next level - Minneapolis Sun Times

Prepare for a germ reckoning at the gym.

As the coronavirus lockdown restrictions begin to ease, gyms and fitness studios have started to roll out reopening plans.

But health experts warn that your regular sweat seshes are about to look very different. Some worry about a repeat of what happened in South Korea, where more than 100 coronavirus cases were linked to a group of dance instructors.

The gym is a perfect storm for transmitting respiratory disease, says Dr. Purvi Parikh, a member of Physicians for Patient Protection and an immunologist at NYU Langone who points to crowds, heavy breathing and touching, as possible COVID-spreading culprits.

She warns that not all workouts are equally contagious, but says all gyms will have to take drastic measures to comply with the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions guidelines for social distancing.

Gym owners such as Kelvin Gary, who runs Body Space Fitness in Union Square, have already begun to make serious changes. Gary has sunk about $12,000 into remodeling efforts to make his space more sanitary.

Were setting it where essentially each client has their own mini gym, Gary tells The Post.

At Equinox, expect shorter hours, temperature checks and prescheduled workout slots. The luxe chain announced these among other changes earlier this month, while its sister brand, SoulCycle, says theyll require gloves for staff, close their showers and cap the number of available bikes per class to ensure a socially distant sweat.

Big box gyms such as Retro Fitness have pledged to scrub down [using] hospital grade cleaner to clean the entire gym, according to a press release. Plus, they promise to enact touch-free check-ins and preorders for smoothies to limit hand-to-hand contact.

But will it be enough?

Here, the experts share what the gym of the future might look like.

Expect machines to be more spread out at your local gym. The way you see airlines blocking seats, we might see that, where gyms are blocking treadmills or bikes, says Parikh. In Hong Kong, some gyms have installed Plexiglass barriers to keep exercisers sweat and germs from mingling. But Parikh is skeptical this will make a real difference.

Plexiglass is great, but only if its being cleaned after each use or else the germs stay enclosed, she says.

You might be asked to wear a mask, or be required to, depending on where your gym is located. This can make working out tougher, or downright dangerous a man in Wuhan, China recently passed out while running with a mask.In two other incidents involving physical activity, two Chinese boys dropped dead within a week of one another recently while wearing masks during gym class.

Your best bet is to wear a mask when you can, but when it comes to workouts that require a lot of oxygen, such as running or heavy weightlifting, you might be forgiven for removing your mask, Parikh says.

Realistically I dont think many people will be able to work out [that heavily] with a mask, Parikh says.

Depending on the material of the dumbbells at your gym, these might be your best bet.

The virus tends to last the longest on plastic, says Parikh. Steel and aluminum surfaces are after that.

And, maybe skip using an exercise bench: If you press one button on a treadmill, thats less to worry about than an entire bench, where more onus is on the gymgoer to clean the entire thing, says Parikh.

Russian twists, planks and yoga moves that take place on communal mats will require the most prep.

Your whole body is being exposed at this point, rather than one area [using a weight, or machine], says Parikh, who points out that gym cleaning policies will matter most in these high-traffic areas.

Expect more disinfecting products in this area of the gym. Gary, the Union Square gym owner, plans on providing liquid sanitizer that can be used on both hands and equipment, and virus-killing UV light wands for each training station, too.

Classes may be the last thing to return at your local fitness center.

Classes used to be a lot of people in one room breathing heavily with their heart rate up, says Parikh. If everybody is dancing and gasping, youre probably not 6 feet apart, and you may be touching your face because youre sweating. Youre basically doing all the things weve been telling people not to do since January.

New-age classes will likely mean less people, and markers on the ground for everyone to keep a safe space from each other. Gary says looking forward, he plans on keeping his gyms group classes online, but venturing out to meet his clients. Were looking at potentially doing some group classes outside, he says.

Be careful not to get too comfortable in the locker room. Towels everywhere, close quarters and high turnover all concern me in terms of cleanliness, says Parikh, who adds that saunas and steam rooms are a no-go. Sweaty, enclosed rooms are where the virus thrives, and social distancing becomes a problem immediately, she says, adding that it might be a better idea to hit the showers at home.

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Here's what will gyms look like after the coronavirus - New York Post