(CNN) -- It has been almost 30 years since Maggie Rajnic lost her leg in a motorcycle accident. Since that time, she's tried to stay competitive, not allowing her disability to alter her life.
Maggie Rajnic says group boxing class helped her develop "a a fitness component to my body."
But for years Rajnic has been looking for a way to improve her strength and endurance. Four months ago she found it at the LA Boxing gym in Rockville, Maryland.
Designed to teach responsible and injury-free boxing, the gym offers group sessions in the sport, which is much like an aerobics class but with punch.
Combining boxing, kickboxing and a mixture of martial arts, class participants use bags, jump ropes, weight machines and funky music to get fit. Although the gym offers one-on-one sparring as well, the gym's manager, Felix Pagan, said many members choose to battle a bag in group class.
For Rajnic, the class was everything she had been looking for. Not only did she lose 25 pounds and inches from her waist, but she also gained the confidence to participate in a marathon -- something she never thought she'd do. She credits it to boxing. "It creates agility where I don't have the agility or the mobility [because] of a missing limb," she said. She added that the program has helped her develop "a fitness component to my body that I've never been able to achieve before."
Traditionally thought of as a combat sport between two people and four fists, boxing is now seen as an excellent form of exercise. Although physical fitness experts have touted boxing as a good way to tone up and bust fat, some people may shy away because of a fear of injury. But injuries can be avoided by working with experienced instructors on proper form, all while building muscle tone and improving cardiovascular endurance, said Pagan. "When your form is the way it should be, it helps you execute [your moves] and your exercises are more effective," he stressed.
Although the amateur athletes at LA Boxing may not be in the same league as Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson, they're still burning calories and staying healthy. Dr. David Johnson, an orthopedic surgeon in the sports medicine division of the Washington Hospital Center in Washington and a former Olympic swimmer, said boxing is a perfect way to combine cardio with strength training. "A lot of my women patients have taken up boxing," he said. "They like the idea of losing weight and getting in better form."
Johnson said a group boxing class is a good idea. "They teach you the basics: how to hold your hands, your arms," he said.
He added that he sees a lot of hand and arm injuries in patients who box. "They don't know where to hold their thumbs, how to hit a bag," he said. "Any class that can teach people how to safely box can't hurt."
LA Boxing and other gyms across the country say an hour workout can burn hundreds of calories -- even up to 1,000. If that sounds like a lot, Johnson noted it takes plenty of effort and stamina to pound and kick a bag for an hour. "Just keeping your arms up for that length of time takes real muscle strength," he said.
Pagan said his members not only claim they've lost pounds, but also say they've improved their strength. "Our members, especially our women, say it makes them feel empowered," he said. "It's not a bad skill to kick some butt."
Rajnic couldn't agree more. "I've become more toned," she said enthusiastically. "My body is more shapely, and I have an overall sense of euphoria after one hour of working out, which is hard to come by in a lot of classes."
========================
Extracted from CNN
'enuff said.....
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Focus on Problems vs Focus on Solutions
One of the most memorable case studies on Japanese management was the case of the empty soap box, which happened in one of Japan's biggest cosmetics companies.
The company received a complaint that a consumer had bought a soap box that was empty. Immediately the authorities isolated the problem to the assembly line, which transported all the packaged boxes of soap to the delivery department. For some reason, one soap box went through the assembly line empty.
Management asked its engineers to solve the problem. Post-haste, the engineers worked hard to devise an X-ray machine with high-resolution monitors manning by two people to watch all the soap boxes that passed through the line to make sure they were not empty. No doubt, they worked hard and they worked fast but they spent whoopee amount to do so.
But when a rank-and-file employee in a small company was posed with the same problem, did not get into complications of X-rays, etc but instead came out with another solution. He bought a strong industrial electric fan and pointed it at the assembly line. He switched the fan on, and as each soap box passed the fan, it simply blew the empty boxes out of the line.
Moral of the story :
Always look for simple solutions. Devise the simplest possible solution that solves the problem..
When NASA began the launch of astronauts into space, they found out that the pens wouldn't work at zero gravity (Ink won't flow down to the writing surface). In order to solve this problem, it took them one decade and $12 million.. They developed a pen that worked at zero gravity, upside down, underwater, in practically any surface including crystal and in a temperature range from below freezing to over 300 degrees C.
And what did Russians do....................??
The Russians used a PENCIL !!!
So, learn to focus on solutions not on problems.
"If you look at what you do not have in life, you don't have anything".
"If you look at what you have in life, you have everything"
Extracted from an email....
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Land of a Thousand Smiles
I finally got outta town recently and into the heart of the 'Land of a Thousand Smiles' with a BKK regular, SS..
We stayed @ the Baiyoke Boutique Hotel (BBH) which is actually 'hidden' behind the towering Baiyoke Sky which several cab drivers were unaware of. So if you wish to stay at this affordable and funky-looking hotel, be sure to either direct the driver to drive to the back of Baiyoke Sky or alight at Baiyoke Sky itself and walk over by foot, 3mins away :)
I considered this trip fulfilling as I've managed to achieve 80% of my objectives. The only unfulfilled one being to watch a Muay-Thai fight as we both found the cost rather exorbitant and the atmosphere not being really fantastic. It cost 1500baht for a standing ticket and 2000baht for a ring-side seat alone!! We ended up visiting the next door Suan Lam Night Bazzar instead.
SS brought me to Paul's Fashion located at level 2 of the Amari Watergate Hotel (abt 15mins walk from BBH) to tailor-made some clothes. The guys there are very friendly and helpful. Most importantly, they spoke English!! I made a French-cuff shirt, a normal shirt and a pair of pants all for 3100baht. Considering the number of friends recommending them, I guess they must have built up quite a good reputation for their superb worksmanship if not for their very reasonable price :) They'd even gotten my name embroidered on the left sleeve of both shirts!!
We also visited Kanchanaburi for its famous 'Death Railway', built during the 2nd World War by Allied POWs and forced labourers. Checking the various tours itinaries offered online as well as those locally, the rate of such a tour cost typically around 2000baht. We decided to make the trip by ourselves via public transport and the entire trip from our hotel to Kanchanaburi and back to our hotel cost ONLY about 800baht each!!! Of course, if you ain't the adventurous sort, I'd strongly recommend that you stick to the tour. As mentioned earlier, SS's a BKK regular and that's why we're daring enough to go on our own...Some friends of mine who had visited the place prefer to go by tour, some even private tour. Its all a matter of preference. If you prefer convenience and fuss-free, stick to the tours. If you prefer to self-explore/save cost, then do it like the way I do....
We visited the JEATH (Japan, England, Australia, Thailand and Holland) War Museum, the Kanchanaburi War Cementary, the Thailand - Burma Railway Museum and the famous 'Bridge over River Kwai' by an open tailboard, pick-up look-alike taxi which charges us 300baht per pax. This cost only marginally more compared to a trishaw asking for 100baht lesser. I chose the taxi for the comfort and speed of getting to our destination. You do your own math. :)
The deal with the taxi is such that it would bring us to the various stated places above and wait for us while we explore the places. The driver gets paid only at the end of the entire trip, so you need not be afraid that the driver will disappear after dropping you off. I especially enjoyed train ride (20baht, 15mins ride) across the bridge spanning the River Kwai. You may also walk on the bridge along the rails across the river if you do not wish to take the train ride. However, do be careful with your steps as there isn't and safety railings or netting to prevent things from falling straight into the water.
We had one of the better shark's fin in a Chinese restaurant sited along the main street in Chinatown called Nam Sing. One rather filling pot of fins meant for one cost 300baht! If this ain't cheap enough, I don't know what is... There's also a shop selling Thai specialties opposite Nam Sing which we dropped by after the filling dinner. Chinatown's basically all about food after dark as one can see from the numerous push-cart stalls that came alive only at night, according to SS.
My 'tour guide' also brought me to several other places such as the Hyatt 4-Faced Buddha, Platinium Shopping Mall, MBK, Siam Discovery and others... I've not bought so many items during a trip. SS DOES indeed knows BKK like the back of her hands. I'm very impressed!
PS : if you needed more info regarding my trip, just drop me a comment herein :)
Kanchanaburi War Cemetary
Bridge spanning River Kwai
The railway tracks of the 'Death Railway'
Aerial view of BKK's criss-crossing highways from Baiyoke Sky Observation Deck
We stayed @ the Baiyoke Boutique Hotel (BBH) which is actually 'hidden' behind the towering Baiyoke Sky which several cab drivers were unaware of. So if you wish to stay at this affordable and funky-looking hotel, be sure to either direct the driver to drive to the back of Baiyoke Sky or alight at Baiyoke Sky itself and walk over by foot, 3mins away :)
I considered this trip fulfilling as I've managed to achieve 80% of my objectives. The only unfulfilled one being to watch a Muay-Thai fight as we both found the cost rather exorbitant and the atmosphere not being really fantastic. It cost 1500baht for a standing ticket and 2000baht for a ring-side seat alone!! We ended up visiting the next door Suan Lam Night Bazzar instead.
SS brought me to Paul's Fashion located at level 2 of the Amari Watergate Hotel (abt 15mins walk from BBH) to tailor-made some clothes. The guys there are very friendly and helpful. Most importantly, they spoke English!! I made a French-cuff shirt, a normal shirt and a pair of pants all for 3100baht. Considering the number of friends recommending them, I guess they must have built up quite a good reputation for their superb worksmanship if not for their very reasonable price :) They'd even gotten my name embroidered on the left sleeve of both shirts!!
We also visited Kanchanaburi for its famous 'Death Railway', built during the 2nd World War by Allied POWs and forced labourers. Checking the various tours itinaries offered online as well as those locally, the rate of such a tour cost typically around 2000baht. We decided to make the trip by ourselves via public transport and the entire trip from our hotel to Kanchanaburi and back to our hotel cost ONLY about 800baht each!!! Of course, if you ain't the adventurous sort, I'd strongly recommend that you stick to the tour. As mentioned earlier, SS's a BKK regular and that's why we're daring enough to go on our own...Some friends of mine who had visited the place prefer to go by tour, some even private tour. Its all a matter of preference. If you prefer convenience and fuss-free, stick to the tours. If you prefer to self-explore/save cost, then do it like the way I do....
We visited the JEATH (Japan, England, Australia, Thailand and Holland) War Museum, the Kanchanaburi War Cementary, the Thailand - Burma Railway Museum and the famous 'Bridge over River Kwai' by an open tailboard, pick-up look-alike taxi which charges us 300baht per pax. This cost only marginally more compared to a trishaw asking for 100baht lesser. I chose the taxi for the comfort and speed of getting to our destination. You do your own math. :)
The deal with the taxi is such that it would bring us to the various stated places above and wait for us while we explore the places. The driver gets paid only at the end of the entire trip, so you need not be afraid that the driver will disappear after dropping you off. I especially enjoyed train ride (20baht, 15mins ride) across the bridge spanning the River Kwai. You may also walk on the bridge along the rails across the river if you do not wish to take the train ride. However, do be careful with your steps as there isn't and safety railings or netting to prevent things from falling straight into the water.
We had one of the better shark's fin in a Chinese restaurant sited along the main street in Chinatown called Nam Sing. One rather filling pot of fins meant for one cost 300baht! If this ain't cheap enough, I don't know what is... There's also a shop selling Thai specialties opposite Nam Sing which we dropped by after the filling dinner. Chinatown's basically all about food after dark as one can see from the numerous push-cart stalls that came alive only at night, according to SS.
My 'tour guide' also brought me to several other places such as the Hyatt 4-Faced Buddha, Platinium Shopping Mall, MBK, Siam Discovery and others... I've not bought so many items during a trip. SS DOES indeed knows BKK like the back of her hands. I'm very impressed!
PS : if you needed more info regarding my trip, just drop me a comment herein :)
Kanchanaburi War Cemetary
Bridge spanning River Kwai
The railway tracks of the 'Death Railway'
Aerial view of BKK's criss-crossing highways from Baiyoke Sky Observation Deck
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Top of the 'World'
One of my favourite lyrics goes "I'm on the top of the world lookin down on creation....". Able to recall the name of the song?
I've got this habit of having to visit the Observation Deck of the tallest building in whichever city I visited if possible. That's basically because I enjoyed the feelings of being at the top of the world (well, almost) and looking down on the activities going on below. Not only do you get to admire the splendid view from atop but you'd also get to observe how the local authorities do their city plannings....
I've visited the following in the course of my previous trips (in chronological order) :
1. Effiel Tower - 2004
2. Taipei 101 - 2006
3. Oriental Pearl Tower - 2008
4. Stratosphere Las Vegas - 2008
5. Petronas Tower - 2009
6. Baiyoke Sky - 2009
I resolved to continue adding to the above listing......
I've got this habit of having to visit the Observation Deck of the tallest building in whichever city I visited if possible. That's basically because I enjoyed the feelings of being at the top of the world (well, almost) and looking down on the activities going on below. Not only do you get to admire the splendid view from atop but you'd also get to observe how the local authorities do their city plannings....
I've visited the following in the course of my previous trips (in chronological order) :
1. Effiel Tower - 2004
2. Taipei 101 - 2006
3. Oriental Pearl Tower - 2008
4. Stratosphere Las Vegas - 2008
5. Petronas Tower - 2009
6. Baiyoke Sky - 2009
I resolved to continue adding to the above listing......
Friday, June 19, 2009
Close Brush with H1N1
An email was circulated XXX-wide about this foreign visitor to our premises for a meeting. He was subsequently confirmed a victim of H1N1. The 13 XXX staff in the same meeting room as that guy was immediately given Home Quarantine 'Orders' by MOH I think....
It so happened that me and 2 other colleagues had been in the same XXX shuttle bus as one of the 13 staff involved on the same day after their meeting. That makes us 3 a 'Secondary' contact. The first thought coming into my mind was, "Wow! H1N1 IS HERE!!"
It had never crossed my mind what I would do if I were to come into contact with it but now that I've been in potential contact, I'm kinda in a lost of my next steps.... I've lost my usual self for the rest of the day. When I got home, I got Zarah to buy Dettol and disinfect the necessary places, especially my chair, table, lappy, etc... I also informed my siblings to stay away from here IF they are not comfortable about me being a 'Secondary' contact. At the same time, I'm also keeping track of my body conditions for any unusual signs and ring 993 if yes.
I'd be going to Bangkok this weekend and am supposed to serve a XXX-mandated 3-days quarantine when I return, using my own AL!!! This is the part that got me mad.... I mean.... I've book this trip B4 MOH added Thailand to the list of 'affected countries'. Why penalised me for planning ahead? It would be more appropriate if XXX can impose the AL portion on staff who deliberately booked tours to 'affected countries' AFTER that country had been listed. For those like me, record the quarantined days as MC....
Good idea?
It so happened that me and 2 other colleagues had been in the same XXX shuttle bus as one of the 13 staff involved on the same day after their meeting. That makes us 3 a 'Secondary' contact. The first thought coming into my mind was, "Wow! H1N1 IS HERE!!"
It had never crossed my mind what I would do if I were to come into contact with it but now that I've been in potential contact, I'm kinda in a lost of my next steps.... I've lost my usual self for the rest of the day. When I got home, I got Zarah to buy Dettol and disinfect the necessary places, especially my chair, table, lappy, etc... I also informed my siblings to stay away from here IF they are not comfortable about me being a 'Secondary' contact. At the same time, I'm also keeping track of my body conditions for any unusual signs and ring 993 if yes.
I'd be going to Bangkok this weekend and am supposed to serve a XXX-mandated 3-days quarantine when I return, using my own AL!!! This is the part that got me mad.... I mean.... I've book this trip B4 MOH added Thailand to the list of 'affected countries'. Why penalised me for planning ahead? It would be more appropriate if XXX can impose the AL portion on staff who deliberately booked tours to 'affected countries' AFTER that country had been listed. For those like me, record the quarantined days as MC....
Good idea?
Sunday, June 14, 2009
135mins.......
What can you do in 135mins? Sleep? Watch a movie? Travel from CCK to Tampines by 67? I spend 135mins in TF STC, attending a 'special' 2hr (extended to 2hr 15mins) class by Jo and ZJ.
Its not my first time attending Jo's nor ZJ's class.... But today is different. Somehow, the 'fans' of both instructors turned up and turned the class into an ultra high energy session! Both of them, by themselves, lifted the energy high enough in previous sessions. Today's session is simply out of this world. Members shouted without prompting at every opportunity, most of the tracks selected by Jo & ZJ were 'all-time' favourites.
Not sure about the others, but I gave my 110% for the first 90mins, thereafter, i was only able to maintain at 75% due to fatigue and the heat in the studio. For the first time in my participation of 2hr classes, my shorts was dripping sweat and threatening to drop!! It was getting dangerous as I slipped a few times on the wet floor as my sweat was all over. To prevent further trouble, I skipped a track to do some damage control work 'squeezing' the sweat off the ends of my shorts in a bid to lighten it (prevents dropping) and to reduce the sweat collected in the ends (prevents dripping).
On return to the studio, I stood at the back near the door.... OMG! I fell in love with this location instantly!! I should have stood here earlier.... The studio door is wide open for ventilation purposes (cooler air), the space is aplenty (quite some members had 'bitten the dust') and the fan is blowing right in my face! However, this location also has its drawbacks.... Its far from the stage (can barely see the instructors), sound not loud enough (easily remedied) and its easy for me to drop out of class for a quick skive (option exercised several times) .....
Overall, I would rate the class today (in terms of energy) as superior to the Mega Combat, to any 2hrs classes so far and even to Sue's classes.
Should I now switch from Sunday VVO to STC instead?
Saturday, June 13, 2009
WTF is wrong with him????
I found it getting increasing hard to get along with Hero recently.....
He :
1. is easily agitated
2. nag for the TINIEST of reasons
3. does things in his own 'unique' way
4. keep switching channels when watching TV, causing much displeasure to 'co-watchers'
5. other misc. which I do not wish to mention here.....
Case Study 1 :
Some time back, the stove was spoilt due to a blocked/damaged vent. The repairman suggested replacing it for safety reason which I agreed. He recommended us a brand new stove for $360 which is already rather cheap as compared to those retail shops. However, when told of the price after the purchase, Hero flew into a rage and keep scolding and nagging about us having been cheated by that guy. He'd still be at it today if reminded.....
Case Study 2 :
My sister was asking him for her old report card so that she could register her soon to be Primary One daughter in her old school, CHIJ Bukit Timah. Hero got agitated again... scolding her for intending to put her daughter in a school thats about 15mins bus-ride away rather than in the numerous (3 actually) primary schools around our vicinity. Oh, did I ever mention before that my sister currently stays about 5mins walk from us? She's be moving to her new place near the CCK MRT soon but thats still about 15mins from her preferring school. I simply could not see the reason for him to get angry over a report card or where my sister is sending her daughter for schooling.
Case Study 3 :
My sister once wanted to replace her main door for a fire-proofed one and she got the contractor to replace our's too. When she brought the contractor over to do a site-survey, he screamed at him about 'cheating' us and all those stories.... My sister ended up having to apologise to that poor fellow who got scolded for nothing, and we STILL didn't get the door changed.
Can anyone please teach me how to get along with him?
PS : He's now still nagging away in Hokkien to Zarah..... :s
He :
1. is easily agitated
2. nag for the TINIEST of reasons
3. does things in his own 'unique' way
4. keep switching channels when watching TV, causing much displeasure to 'co-watchers'
5. other misc. which I do not wish to mention here.....
Case Study 1 :
Some time back, the stove was spoilt due to a blocked/damaged vent. The repairman suggested replacing it for safety reason which I agreed. He recommended us a brand new stove for $360 which is already rather cheap as compared to those retail shops. However, when told of the price after the purchase, Hero flew into a rage and keep scolding and nagging about us having been cheated by that guy. He'd still be at it today if reminded.....
Case Study 2 :
My sister was asking him for her old report card so that she could register her soon to be Primary One daughter in her old school, CHIJ Bukit Timah. Hero got agitated again... scolding her for intending to put her daughter in a school thats about 15mins bus-ride away rather than in the numerous (3 actually) primary schools around our vicinity. Oh, did I ever mention before that my sister currently stays about 5mins walk from us? She's be moving to her new place near the CCK MRT soon but thats still about 15mins from her preferring school. I simply could not see the reason for him to get angry over a report card or where my sister is sending her daughter for schooling.
Case Study 3 :
My sister once wanted to replace her main door for a fire-proofed one and she got the contractor to replace our's too. When she brought the contractor over to do a site-survey, he screamed at him about 'cheating' us and all those stories.... My sister ended up having to apologise to that poor fellow who got scolded for nothing, and we STILL didn't get the door changed.
Can anyone please teach me how to get along with him?
PS : He's now still nagging away in Hokkien to Zarah..... :s
Saturday, June 6, 2009
On my hands now....
1. Evaluation of a Data Loss Prevention Software
2. Evaluation of a Log Co-Relation Software
3. Evaluation of a Desktop Firewall Software
4. Setting up a Test Network for my team
5. Management of Vulnerability Scannings
6. Management of SecureAge
7. Exercise Mer****
8. Disaster Recovery Planning Exercise
9. Monthly Generation of Server Compliance Report (AV)
10. Monthly Generation of USB Insertion Report
11. Monthly Generation of File Decryption Report
There also other misc. tasks which may come my way whenever possible..... I feel so much better now that I'd doing things.... REAL THINGS.....
2. Evaluation of a Log Co-Relation Software
3. Evaluation of a Desktop Firewall Software
4. Setting up a Test Network for my team
5. Management of Vulnerability Scannings
6. Management of SecureAge
7. Exercise Mer****
8. Disaster Recovery Planning Exercise
9. Monthly Generation of Server Compliance Report (AV)
10. Monthly Generation of USB Insertion Report
11. Monthly Generation of File Decryption Report
There also other misc. tasks which may come my way whenever possible..... I feel so much better now that I'd doing things.... REAL THINGS.....
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Mega Combat 2009
Last Saturday was the annual Mega Combat, an event held at the Fountain of Wealth at Suntec City whereby participants come together for an hour of 'Sauna Combat'. Reason being we're all used to BC-ing under the air-con, now moved outdoors surely will feel the heat. I was sweating like hell even before the conclusion of the Warm-Up Track....
This year's Event-Tee is f**king fugly!! Purple in colour with the usual sponsors' logos at the back. The front were some 3 lines of MS-Word 'designed' wordings with differing font sizes, full stop! There weren't even any effort to try and design some Word-Art for the Tee..... And I've not even mentioned they scrapped the buffet dinner too.
Budget must be damn tight after spending money to invite Andrea Fonseka and Roland Kickinger aka Kick-Kin-Joe (kick banana). One's simply a vase while the other's a 200lbs slab of beefcake. Both are BC noobs!!
4 of us, Shaw, Alan, Garion and myself took abit of pains to become 'Xmas Tree' for the event. We put on the Arm-Band and Mongkol (badminton racket) that Shaw had bought for us during a recent trip to Bangkok.... You should have seen Sue's eyes when she saw us take out the 'rackets' and put in on!! :p
Here's some pics to enjoy....
:)
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