Three Simple Workout Ideas That Will Get You in Shape

Working out can be confusing with the hundreds of thousands of articles on the web. They seem to be providing different advice which makes it difficult to figure out which one works. Should you run, use weights, yoga, sports, walk? The list of different activities can go on and on. The basics of working out are pump, sweat, and stretch. If you can do these three then you are going to get in shape.

Pumping means using resistance to grow your muscles. This can be in the form of push or pull exercises that force the muscle to slowly adapt by getting stronger and bulkier. Over time, with the right kinds of food, it is possible to develop a solid physique.

Sweating is necessary to get your cardiovascular system working well and ensure your insides are in good health. There are lots of activities such as walking, biking, jogging, swimming and tennis that can help a person work on their overall health and lose weight.

Stretching is the act of stretching, balancing, and giving rounded strength to muscles. People stretch before working out but may get into activities such as yoga. Small stabilizer muscles are strengthened while larger muscles are stretched.

Norms and Influence in Virtual Education

Students create norms with each other in the same way as people in face-to-face situations. Those norms create shared perceptions on how the group views others and the type of choices they are to make. The power of shared norms and peer relations create stronger online educational cultures that enhances academic achievement.

Interaction creates shared values and perception of in-group behavior that reduces inter-group conflict (De Tezanos-Pinto, Bratt, & Browth, 2010). The more people contact and interact the more quickly they are able to create these shared perceptions. This can be pronounced in higher education where in and out-group can be defined through education level or the type of school one attends.

Students in a class also feed off of each others comments. According to a study in the Journal of Virtual Worlds Research confederates that chose certain answers impacted the way in which the rest of the class answered (Rayburn-Reeves, et. al 2013). Students actively looked at previous responses of other students before formulating their own responses.

The same norms that apply to our physical world also apply to the virtual world. At times these norms are positive while at other times they can be very destructive. Listing to the type and kinds of conversations people have can determine which of the cultures are being formulated. Developing strong online cultures can create powerful business cultures. 

Rayburn-Reeves, et. al. (2013). Do as we do, not as you think: the effect of group influence on individual choices in a virtual environment. Journal of Virtual Worlds Research, 6 (1).

Ferris, et. al. (2015). Ostracism, self-esteem and job performance: when do we self-verify and when do we self-enhance? Academy of Management Journal, 58 (1).

Can San Diego Walk Away from the Chargers?

You are not ready to negotiate until you are willing to walk away. This means that if everything else fails, there are no options, the other side doesn't want a win-win outcome, and you would substantially lose by an agreement you have to be willing to walk away. San Diego and the Chargers seem to be at an impasse and one or the other might walk away. Are there other options?

That doesn't mean San Diego shouldn't fight to keep the Chargers in the city. Nor does it mean they shouldn't pitch their case to the NFL in order to gain additional leverage that can be used to bring the Chargers back to the table.  It does mean that at the end of the day if it doesn't work out it could be necessary to walk away.

It doesn't matter if discussing labor relations or the Chargers. If one side absolutely cannot afford to walk away under any circumstances then they are not really negotiating. Leverage and options are low and it gives one side more leverage to dictate the terms of an agreement. In the case of stadiums this could include tax contributions, new stadiums, tax reductions, and more.

To truly know if one side can walk away all of the options must be explored and evaluated for feasibility and opportunity. The most advantageous courses are taken and the secondary courses are maintained as options. The secondary courses for San Diego may be many and if the Chargers decide to leave lots of ideas will hit the airwaves. It would have been better to know those options in advance.

I believe that the Chargers add value and retention is important. However, that retention may come with too big of a cost. Sometimes finding an alternative course may do more to spark the economic development of San Diego than a subsidized team. Studies have been mixed about how much a team really helps local residents. For example, could a water plant, an innovation complex for new businesses, biotech development, a soccer stadium, or manufacturing site generate higher economic input? Answering questions like this requires research and comparative analysis.

Marketing to Customer's True Needs

Customers have perceived needs and real needs. Many customers are not aware of their real needs which leads them to purchase products that only provide temporary relief. Differentiating between real needs and perceived needs can help in grouping similar products for consumption. The difference between real and perceived is fundamental to human character. It is possible to offer similar products to extend reach.

We are designed to obtain, improve, and gather more stuff because it once ensured our survival. If one person had something of value then it is natural for others to want that something as well. The more it helps fulfill our perceived needs the higher the positive impressions the customer has. The more motivated we are.

Consider the latest Maserati with all of the bells and whistles that come with it. The need for a $80 K+ car is not in the luxury but in the perception that one is valuable. It makes a statement about the person driving it that stands out from all the other cars in the lot. The owner has money, style, and success written all over them. Recognition is more fundamental than purchasing power.

This need for social interaction and recognition is a fundamental one across all humans. How this is expressed depends on the individual and what they believe their needs are. The purchase of expensive products is a path the consumer has taken which leads them to purchase other status centered products that help feel that image. No wonder why Google Key Word Ads work.

Depending on one's financial and personal abilities they may find other paths to stand out in the crowd to make themselves unique. This may be through writing books, running social programs, being the life of the party or anything else that gives opportunities for individual praise. Once a company figures out a fundamental need and how it manifests itself in the world they can continue to feed new products and services that will appeal to hungry appetites.

The Power of San Diego's Bike Paths

Your trying to get in shape and reduce your carbon foot print so you decide to buy a bike and start using it to commute to work. Recently, I bought a new road bike, thereby replacing my multi-gear cruiser, and heading to work. It was great! I shaved 15 minutes off of my bike commute. The only problem is that it became apparent that there are significant risks from motorists that don't give enough space.

Bicyclists can get caught between the door of parked cars and a large moving vehicles during their commutes. Some motorists are in a rush to get to work and feel perfectly safe zipping by slower moving bikes at 40+ miles an hour. No slowing down, no 3 feet of distance, no concern what-so-ever! The bicyclist moves closer to the cars and soon finds they are being squeezed out by the occasional aggressive driver.

Sharrows, shared bike lanes, are a shared lane between the bicyclist and the car. Unlike unmarked lanes where bikes must be on the right hand of the road putting them in danger they are free to use the whole lane when it is designated as such. It gets bikes away from parked cars while notifying drivers they must "share" the road.

Yesterday I rode my bike into work and was nearly hit by an aggressive driver that left less than a food of distance between his vehicle and me. Even though I drove today I was pleasantly surprised to find shared road markings. The gods of fate must be smiling down on my bike path today as I seek to navigate the benefits of biking while still protecting myself from becoming road kill. It may or may not actually make me safer but at least I feel bold enough to use the lane.

http://www.sandiego.gov/tsw/programs/bicycle/

https://calbike.org/bicycling-in-california/sharing-the-road/

Higher Education Develops Critical Thinking Skills

If there is one thing that higher education does is to teach people to think critically---well sort of. People are prone to think in ways that confirm existing beliefs. I have seen this over and over with students that must write the pros and cons on any controversial topic. By the time I read the introduction I can tell which way they are leaning in their coverage. The process of confirming pre-existing beliefs makes its thematic way throughout the entire paper.

The reasons is that many people justify their answers without seeking alternative explanations. Much of their time is spent in seeking confirming information while ignoring that information which counters their main point of view. By the time they are finished with their paper they have written in favor of one point of view, gave a few tid bits of information against that point of view, and then disconfirmed the competing information.

 The amount of effort expended in seeing or understanding another perspective on an issue was little to none. Critical thinking is one of the purposes of higher education and students cannot be blamed for learning how to critical think. If such bias in thinking is common in a university setting where people are actively engaged in learning it is likely more prevalent in the "real world".

That "real world" is full of people who can't think beyond their own self-confirming beliefs. These beliefs come from some impression, logic, or confirmation of their identity and are hard for people to shake. To admit there are other valid arguments and to integrate them into a whole understanding of a situation requires a type of personality focused on self-development.

Arguments and conflict are based in two disagreeing points of view where each person puts forward their logical points to persuade another person. Unfortunately, two people put forward ideas but neither of them may be listening to what the other is actually saying. It is difficult to find a solution when either of the parties refused to see any point but their own.

Students that focus on understanding more than justifying their existing beliefs are likely to learn more. This learning process can be used each time they run into an argument and situation. To create a full understanding of a situation by being open minded to alternative explanations is not a sign of weakness but more of a sign of internal and intellectual strength. A person who understands situations by looking at multiple points of view and then adjusts their arguments accordingly has greater credibility. 

Early Morning Workouts

You wipe your eyes, splash some water on your face, and make your way to the gym, living room, or basement. There isn't much time before having to get ready for work and keeping up with a solid fitness plan. Early morning workouts may require a lot of motivation but offers opportunities to improve cardio strength and generate fat burning metabolism.

Once you get into a routine of working out in the morning everything becomes easier and you are less likely to skip on your practice. Exercise at night must compete with family, t.v. and any other activity. It becomes easy to find excuses why one should not work out at night when there are so many other things to do.

Early risers don't have all of those distractions. As soon as they wake up and finish their coffee they can start their workout. There are less distractions and it gives you a jolt of energy that can last throughout the entire day. Because you have completed your workout you can focus on other stuff.

If you frequent a gym there are less people and more available equipment in the mornings. Most people either go after work or later on in the evening. Those who go in the morning are generally older and more mature. Most of the equipment is still available and in good order.

In addition to the open gym, cardio boost, and early accomplishment of your goals you may be able to get the first breath of sunlight in the morning. If that doesn't provide you with a mental boost in the morning to go along with your physical boost then your a hopeless case. Get up early, get it done, and got on with your day.