From the Alpha variant to Delta to Omicron, the COVID-19 virus is changing, but it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. Incarcerated people and their families wonder what the future of COVID means for them.
Incarcerated people have been acutely impacted by the highs and lows of the pandemic. Not only must they cope with the fear of getting ill and dying, or suffering from long-term COVID symptoms, but the pandemic has meant periodically losing much of the few freedoms they still have, such as outdoor recreation time and family calls and visits.
For incarcerated people, frequent lockdowns have meant more time in a cell, sometimes with other people, some of whom are sick, sometimes all alone, often for 23 hours a day.
Researchers argue that these experiences are adding to the trauma that already exists from spending time behind bars.
To prevent widespread illness and additional trauma, advocates for incarcerated people have called for decarceration. This means reforms that would limit the number of people sent to jails and prisons in the first place and reforms that would allow certain people to exit prisons early.
As it becomes clearer that quick fixes will continue to be Band-Aids on the larger problem, advocates press for long-term solutions.
COVID and incarceration
The United States prison system is not built for a pandemic.
“In addition to everyone being on top of each other, there are too many of them in the space allotted,” Finholt said. “The prisons generally have one sort of air circulation system that is common to the whole prison. And so if you get a lot of virus in the air, it’s just going to be in the air everywhere in the prison.”
Additionally, staff move in and out of the prison, making the prison far from a closed bubble.
“Prisons are ongoing, constant mass gatherings,” Finholt said.
One study using mortality records from the Florida State Department of Corrections found that COVID-19 led to a four-year decline in life expectancy in Florida’s prison population.
The North Carolina Department of Public Safety (DPS) has reported that 57 incarcerated people have died of COVID in North Carolina’s prisons. It is possible that more people have died of COVID, but their deaths have not been properly reported, a North Carolina Health News/ VICE News investigation showed.
DPS spokesperson Brad Deen said that as the Omicron variant surges across North Carolina’s prisons, most cases “are asymptomatic or manifest mild symptoms in the vaccinated, and that unvaccinated offenders with underlying medical issues are the most at risk of this variant.”
Incarcerated people who died of COVID are not the only casualty. Three incarcerated people have died by suicide just this calendar year, according to DPS press releases.
COVID has been and continues to be a problem for incarcerated people, even as the world tries to move on, said Wanda Bertram, communications strategist at the Prison Policy Initiative, which researches the harms of mass incarcerations.
Public officials who have declared COVID endemic are “basically admitting that prisons are going to be more dangerous in terms of health risks than they’ve been before,” Bertram said.
The way prisons have handled COVID thus far is likely to have a lasting effect on incarcerated people. Some people who contracted COVID while they were incarcerated will experience long COVID, but even if they didn’t get sick, the pandemic “absolutely makes it worse in terms of just the trauma of prison,” Finholt said.
Addressing the dangers of COVID through decarceration
As COVID-19 continues to evolve, so will DPS, Deen said.
“DPS will continue to be adaptable and resilient and will continue to follow the science and do what is possible to prevent COVID-19 from getting into the facilities, to help prevent it from spreading to other facilities and to confine it within a facility if it does get in,” Deen said.
To combat deaths in state prisons, some advocates have called for large-scale decarceration, which would reduce the prison population and create more space.
It has been almost a year since 3,500 incarcerated people were released early from state prisons following a legal settlement between a number of advocacy groups and the state (NAACP v. Cooper) that aimed to decrease the harms of COVID against vulnerable incarcerated people.
C. Daniel Bowes, director of policy and advocacy for the ACLU of North Carolina, says it wasn’t enough.
“Obviously the problem has not been solved,” Bowes said.
The ACLU of North Carolina is part of a coalition of North Carolinians who have called on the state to address the COVID-19 crisis behind bars through the Vigil for Freedom and Racial Justice, a month-long demonstration outside the North Carolina Executive Mansion.
Bertram said now is the time for governments to pursue criminal justice reforms that make sentencing reforms retroactive. She also believes states need “any kind of plan” to release older incarcerated people and incarcerated people who are immune-compromised, especially if they are getting close to the end of their sentence.
“The Department wound down the ELC initiative in late 2021, and there are no plans to reactivate it at this time,” Deen said.
Finholt said if the pandemic continues to pose a public safety threat to the prisons, officials will have two options to make them safer: mass decarceration or vastly increasing funds to prisons to properly staff them.
The state budget that Gov. Roy Cooper signed into law in November includes a provision that sets aside $3 million to make the adult corrections of DPS a standalone department by 2023.
One proponent for prison reform, Sen. Bob Steinburg, R-Chowan, told the Daily Advance this move will give the state’s prisons a “seat at the table.”
Advocates for incarcerated fear it might be too little too late.
Impact upon reentry
Almost all incarcerated people in North Carolina will return to society. About 98 percent of people who are incarcerated in North Carolina will be released in the future.
However, many Americans tend to ignore the health of incarcerated people.
“They just stop at ‘they’re criminals and whatever they get, they deserve,’” Bowes said.
As the pandemic caused lockdowns and shut down visitation to prisons periodically, that means communication from inside prison to the outside world has also suffered.
“I think the problem with the way we use incarceration is that it disappears people,” Finholt said.
“In turn, disappearing people makes it so that the problems those people face are not visible.”
But those people will return and when they do, they are likely to have more health problems than they entered prison with, said Eric Reinhart, resident physician in the Physician Scientist Training Program at Northwestern University’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.
More people will be reentering society with long COVID, Reinhart said, and many people will be reentering traumatized from the conditions they’ve lived with.
“I think there is a multi-generational burden of care that we are producing now by subjecting people to horrific conditions in U.S. jails and prisons during the pandemic,” Reinhart said, “before as well, and especially now during the pandemic.”
There are things that states can do to make reentry more successful, Bertram said.
Researchers at the Prison Policy Initiative found that simply facilitating contact between incarcerated people and their family and friends on the outside world could improve the mental health of incarcerated people and reduce recidivism.
“It’s one of the cheapest ‘programs’ that you can have,” Bertram said.
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by Elizabeth Thompson, North Carolina Health News February 10, 2022
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Though New Mexico wellness leaders continue to be encouraged about a decreasing selection of new COVID-19 scenarios, the state’s mask mandate will continue being in location for the foreseeable future. The update arrived Wednesday throughout the state’s standard weekly COVID-19 briefing.
New Mexico Office of Wellbeing Performing Secretary Dr. David Scrase stated although he is continuing to experience “optimistic” about the decrease in the amount of new instances, the state is nonetheless anxious about the force hospitals are facing. That was a person of the key aspects highlighted Wednesday amid news of numerous other states positioning expiration dates on their mask mandates, which includes Oregon, New York, California, Massachusetts and other individuals.
“We really do not genuinely make decisions in New Mexico, for New Mexicans based on what other people today are undertaking in other states, we use our very own data,” Dr. Scrase said. “The preponderance of proof I think is extremely clear that masks get the job done to prevent the spread of condition, and I imagine when issues awesome down in the healthcare facility, we’re organizing on rescinding the mask buy.”
New York state officers introduced it would carry mask orders on Wednesday. California is expected to lift its mask mandate by February 15, followed by Connecticut and Massachusetts which set a February 28 conclusion day for their respective mask mandates. Delaware and Oregon are expected to conclude their mask mandates by the conclude of March, though New Jersey is envisioned to end its mandate on March 7.
“When folks talk about their requires to end the mask mandate, I believe … that form of way of thinking genuinely fully excludes the encounter of our hospitals in the state, who’ve been in crisis fundamentally for 6 months now,” Dr. Scrase explained. “They’re [hospitals,] sending [me] emails indicating, ‘please go on it, no matter what we do, for the reason that we merely can’t have much more circumstances.’”
Scrase introduced information Wednesday showing New Mexico’s for each-capita COVID situation price stands around 97 circumstances for each 100,000 people today. Which is about 3 occasions what New Jersey and Connecticut are at the moment averaging.
“We have slightly bigger hospitalizations fees than most of the states [that have announced changes to mask mandates] nonetheless, we have a decrease variety of clinic beds,” Dr. Scrase mentioned. He also highlighted the variety of traveling nurses and health care personnel that remain doing the job in several hospitals around the state. This 7 days, New Mexico is having to pay for additional than 400 traveling healthcare employees, when two of the state’s largest health devices in Albuquerque have brought in an approximated “over 1,200” supplemental health care employees, in accordance to Scrase.
“Believe me, no one wants to conclude [the mask mandate] a lot more than I do, but we have to use the science and we have to use the data we have for New Mexicans, and the details we have about masks as effectively,” Dr. Scrase said. Developed into the state’s recent community wellness buy, New Mexico’s mask mandate is currently slated to conclusion on March 4, 2022 if the health purchase expires with no getting renewed. There’s no sign, so far, if the condition will do that.
New Mexico’s omicron-fueled circumstance surge which peaked in late January has now been in drop for all-around two weeks. In accordance to an NMDOH report released Monday, February 7, in the week from February 1 by 7, the state described 13,432 new COVID cases. That’s down from the prior week’s report, revealed January 31, which documented 26,844 new COVID 19 scenarios from January 25 through 31.
Meanwhile, the state’s health and fitness details indicates the omicron variant is impacting far more little ones. Through Wednesday’s information meeting, Dr. Scrase mentioned although loss of life costs and hospitalizations are quite reduced in youngsters, the major pediatric age team with omicron currently stays young children aged 12 to 17 a long time outdated.
“In young children, around 87{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of children are symptomatic now,” Dr. Scrase claimed. “They use to lag powering older people but now they have caught up with omicron.”
Picture the scene: you’ve got a new tyre to mount on a wheel but, no matter how hard you try, you can’t get it on. It’s a scenario many cyclists have found themselves in.
In this article, we’ll run through the proper technique for changing a bike tyre (both installation and removal), explain why some tyres are so difficult to fit, and suggest what tools you can use when you need help with a particularly tight tyre and rim combination.
While installing a tyre on a wheel is something most riders can normally manage comfortably, even seasoned cyclists will experience combinations where muscling the last bit of tyre bead over the rim edge appears to require super-human strength and thumbs of steel.
The rise of tubeless tyres and rims across road, gravel and mountain bikes has increased the frequency of such issues too, as tubeless-ready tyres are made with stiffer beads and to tighter tolerances than equivalent clincher tyres.
To save yourself stress, sore thumbs and to prevent damage to delicate or expensive bicycle parts, proper technique when installing or changing tight bicycle tyres is crucial.
Beyond that, there are also now many useful tools to help ease tight tyres onto rims (as well as some tools you should avoid).
Before we get started, you can also use the links below to jump straight to the section you need:
How to change a bike tyre
Getting your tyre-mounting technique up to standard is the best way to ensure your tyres go on with the minimum amount of fuss.
The increasing prevalence of tubeless-ready tyre and wheel systems on bikes of all kinds means proper technique is more vital than ever.
The following steps apply equally to both clincher and tubeless-ready tyres, though it’s worth checking our guide on how to set up road tubeless tyres or our tips for understanding mountain bike tubeless setup, if you’re installing tubeless-ready tyres.
If you’ve come here looking for tips on how to install tubular tyres, we’ll direct you to our how to glue a tubular tyre guide.
1. Begin by ensuring the tyre is unfolded (if you have folding tyres) and appropriately shaped to go on the rim.
Unfold the tyre and get the shape as round as possible before attempting to fit it.Yogamaya von Bromley / Our Media
If the tyre is not brand-new, now is a good time to check its condition and the condition of the rim.
Replacing a worn-out tyre or damaged rim tape is key to safe running and for preventing future punctures.
If you’re replacing a tyre after a puncture, ensure you find the culprit (the object that caused the puncture) and remove it before patching or replacing the tube and reinstalling the tyre.
If the tyre is brand-new, it’s a good idea to ‘massage’ the tyre into a vaguely round shape because this will make getting the first bead on much easier.
2. With the tyre properly shaped, install one bead of the tyre onto the rim
Once the tyre is properly shaped, you can begin installing it onto the rim.Yogamaya von Bromley / Our Media
If your tyre has a directional tread, be sure to install it in the correct orientation for optimum performance. This is usually marked on the tyre sidewalls.
It will usually be possible to get the first bead onto the rim without tools, using the palms of your hands (rather than your thumbs) to lift the whole tyre over the rim edge, though a tyre lever can be used to pull it over in exceptional circumstances.
Installing tyres with the name label located centrally above the valve not only looks good (in our opinion), but it also locates key information, such as tyre size and minimum/maximum inflation pressures, above the valve where it can be easily viewed while inflating the tyre.
3. Install the inner tube or tubeless valve
With the first tyre bead on the rim, you can install the inner tube or tubeless valve.Yogamaya von Bromley / Our Media
If using an inner tube, add a little air before installing it. This will help prevent the tube being pinched by the tyre bead while installing the tyre.
Avoid adding too much air, however, because this will make the tube take up too much space inside the tyre and prevent the tyre beads from falling into the deepest part of the rim’s central channel. Enough air to give the inner tube some basic shape is plenty.
Bonus pro tip: if you’re using latex inner tubes, a light dusting of talcum powder on the inner tube will help prevent it from sticking to the tyre or rim walls, or getting caught under the tyre bead. This can further reduce the likelihood of pinching the tube during installation.
4. Begin installing the other tyre bead onto the rim
Start working the second bead onto the rim from opposite the valve stem.Yogamaya von Bromley / Our Media
Start opposite the valve and slowly work your way around each side of the rim, leaving the last bit of unmounted tyre located centrally around the valve.
As you go, ensure both beads of the tyre fall down into the central channel of the rim.
With tubeless tyres and rims, the newly installed bead will sometimes sit on the rim shelf, instead of falling into the central channel, decreasing the amount of slack in the bead. Simply push the tyre bead into the channel using your thumbs.
5. Install the final part of the tyre bead onto the rim
Installing the final part of the second bead is usually the most difficult.Yogamaya von Bromley / Our Media
This is where things will usually start getting difficult.
As you get to the final part of the bead, use the palms of your hands to pull the whole tyre up and roll both sides of the bead over the rim edge bit by bit.
While it can be tempting to use your thumbs to push the bead over the rim edge, if the combination is very tight you’ll likely just end up with sore thumbs.
If you’re using very thin or wide tyres, which make it difficult to grab the whole tyre in the palms of your hand, you may have to resort to using your thumbs to push the tyre sidewall over the edge. In these instances, it’s advisable to wear protective gloves.
If you’re struggling, go back around the rim and double-check all of the installed parts of the tyre beads (on both sides) have fallen into the rim’s central channel. This is absolutely crucial to getting the last part of the bead on with the minimum of fuss.
It’s best to install the remaining tyre bead without resorting to tools, if possible, as incorrect use of tyre levers and other similar tools can potentially damage the rim, inner tube or rim tape.
If it’s not possible to install the remaining tyre bead by hand, however, careful use of tools can help you pull the last bit of a tight tyre bead onto the rim. We’ll talk more about that soon.
6. Check the tyre is correctly installed, then inflate
Ensuring all parts of both tyre beads fall down into the deepest area of the rim is crucial to installing tight tyres.Yogamaya von Bromley / Our Media
Go around the rim and check the inner tube (if you’re using one) is not being pinched or squashed under the tyre bead. If it is, simply lift the tyre up in that area to release the tube and allow it to rebound back into the middle of the tyre.
If using tubeless valves, with tubeless-ready tyres, make sure the tyre beads are sat on either side of the valve, and be sure to add the valve stem retaining nut onto the other end of the valve.
Once you’ve double-checked everything is properly fitted, you can inflate the tyre.Yogamaya von Bromley / Our Media
Once you’re sure both tyre beads are correctly installed around the entire circumference of the wheel, you can pump up the tyre. We’ve got a guide to help you find the correct tyre pressure for your road bike, as well as advice on perfecting mountain bike tyre pressure.
How to remove a bike tyre
Just as some tyres can be tricky to install, removing a bike tyre from a wheel can also be difficult.
Proper technique is key to making things as easy as possible, and while it’s sometimes possible to remove a bike tyre without tools, a couple of good tyre levers can often make life much easier.
1. Deflate the inner tube
Begin by fully deflating the inner tube. Simon von Bromley / Our Media
Next, remove the valve retaining nut, if you’re using one. Simon von Bromley / Our Media
If you’re removing the tyre because of a puncture, the inner tube (assuming your wheel has one) will already have lost some air, but you may still need to deflate it fully to aid removal.
Unscrew the head on the valve and press it down to remove any excess air, then remove the retaining nut that threads over the valve and sits against the rim (assuming you’re using one – many riders don’t). You’re now ready to start removing the tyre.
As with installing tyres, pushing both beads into the deeper central channel of the rim gives you the maximum amount of slack to work with.
2. Removing a tyre without tyre levers
Push all of the bead down into the middle of the rim, and firmly grab the tyre in both hands. You should be able to lift a supple tyre up and over the rim edge by hand.Simon von Bromley / Our Media
With supple clincher tyres, it will generally be possible to remove the tyre without resorting to using tyre levers.
Grab a section of the tyre opposite the valve stem firmly in both hands and lift up and over the rim edge.
With a small section of the tyre bead over the rim edge, the rest of the tyre should come away from the rim with ease.
This can be useful if you’re caught short on a ride without tyre levers, but also means you’re less likely to damage your rims, rim tape or inner tubes.
That said, tougher road or mountain bike tyres (particularly those in inflexible tubeless-ready beads) will likely require the use of tyre levers.
3. Removing a tyre using tyre levers
If it’s not possible to remove the tyre by hand, a tyre lever can be used instead. Simon von Bromley / Our Media
Insert the scooped edge of the tyre lever under the tyre bead and lever a small section of the bead over the rim edge. Simon von Bromley / Our Media
Then push the tyre lever forward around the rim to remove the tyre. Simon von Bromley / Our Media
Insert the scooped edge of a tyre lever underneath the tyre bead and gently lever the bead over the rim edge
With a small section of the tyre bead off the rim, hold the tyre lever firmly in your hand and push it forward (away from you) around the rim edge to remove the tyre.
If the tyre is too tight to lift off using only one tyre lever, don’t resort to brute force.
Instead, insert a second tyre a few centimetres away from the first and use both to lift off a larger section of tyre.
This should then give you the required slack to slide the rest of the bead off using a tyre lever.
Leaning on the top of the wheel can help, as it means you aren’t working to stop the wheel from rolling away from you as you push the tyre lever forward.
With one full side of the bead off the rim, you can then pull the whole tyre away from and off the wheel.
Why are some tyres harder to install than others?
Modern bicycle tyres and wheels are sized according to ISO standard 5775, set by the European Tyre and Rim Technical Organisation (ETRTO).
A size 28-622 tyre code, for example, indicates a tyre with a nominal 28mm width and a 622mm inner-bead diameter.
As you might have guessed, such tyres are compatible with wheels that have a 622mm rim diameter. In old money, that’s a 700c wheel.
However, as there are many different types of bicycle tyres and rims, made by countless different manufacturers, there can be a number of reasons why some bicycle tyres are harder to install than others.
In this section, we’ll explore some of the main culprits in greater detail.
Tyre construction
To start with, anything that makes a tyre casing or its bead stiffer and less supple is likely to make it harder to install on any given rim.
It’s for this reason that high-end clincher tyres designed for road racing and time trials, such as those made with unvulcanised cotton casings and flexible tyre beads, are typically easier to install.
Supple, lightweight clincher tyres for road bikes are typically fairly easy to install because they have relatively flexible casings and beads.Matthew Loveridge / Immediate Media
In contrast, a burly tyre designed for durability, high mileage and low cost – perhaps a winter training tyre or a tyre intended for cycling to work – may prove a much tougher nut to crack.
On mountain bikes, lighter, fast-rolling tyres designed for cross-country racing are likely to be easier to install than tougher ones designed for enduro or downhill use. This is especially true of super-tough downhill tyres with heavy casings and wire beads.
Furthermore, the beads on tubeless-ready tyres are designed specifically to be unstretchable, both for performance and safety reasons. This typically means there is less margin for poor installation technique, and greater strength or specialist tools may be required.
In contrast, burly mountain bike tyres designed for enduro or downhill use can prove difficult to install, as they feature tough casings and stiff tubeless-ready beads.Dan Milner / Our Media
Rim shape
The size and shape of the rim you’re trying to install a tyre on can also make a significant difference to how easy the process is.
Modern, wide, tubeless-ready rims (either hookless or with traditional bead hooks) will likely feature a deep central channel. This helps because it reduces the effective diameter of the rim once the first side of the tyre bead is installed, which increases the amount of available slack in the second bead.
Pushing the second bead down into this channel as you work it onto the rim is key to making tyre installations as easy as possible.
Rims designed for use with clincher tyres only may lack such a deep central channel, and can therefore make the installation of tight tyres harder.
This can make installing a tubeless-ready tyre onto a clincher-only rim very difficult, and is generally something to avoid, even if the two may be technically compatible (providing you use an inner tube).
The three most common rim shapes available today.Enve
These days, non-tubeless compatible mountain bike wheels are virtually unheard of.
Thanks to a longer history of tubeless technology in mountain biking, even non-tubeless-specific legacy rims also may be convertible, with conversion systems available from many brands, such as Stan’s and Muc-Off.
Furthermore, the vast majority of modern mountain bike tyres will be tubeless compatible, even down to the most budget offerings from major manufacturers. Thus, ‘clincher only’ is a term largely reserved for road cyclists.
Size tolerances and unlucky combinations
While the exact sizes of any wheels and tyres are supposed to precisely match the international standards, in reality, variations in the manufacturing process will mean any product’s dimensions will fall within what is deemed to be an acceptable degree of tolerance.
A wheel’s rim diameter may, for example, be a few tenths of a millimetre larger than specified, and a tyre’s bead diameter may be similarly undersized.
While each in isolation may not cause any noticeable issues, an unlucky combination of an oversized rim and an undersized tyre can lead to a particularly difficult installation process.
Tips for installing tight bike tyres
Some tyre-fitting tools can be incredibly helpful, but careful use is advised.Simon von Bromley / Our Media
The best tip we can give for installing tough tyres is that practice makes perfect.
The more familiar you are with the proper technique, the easier it will be when you’re outside, far away from home, trying to fix a puncture with cold hands.
Nevertheless, there will undoubtedly be times when you need to resort to using specialist tools, such as tyre levers or tyre bead seating tools.
There is, of course, no shame in this. After all, there are no prizes for being able to install tyres without tools.
All that matters is you are able to easily and safely set up your bike, whether doing so at home or by the side of the road or trail.
Gloves
Some tough gloves can be invaluable in protecting your hands and getting a good grip on tyres during installation.Joe Norledge / Immediate Media
Tough workshop gloves can help protect your hands from strain and friction.
They can also make grabbing a handful of tyre securely a little easier, especially if you’re working in hot conditions or with sweaty palms.
Tyre levers
Tyre levers can help with getting tight tyres on and off rims.Simon von Bromley / Our Media
Tyre levers can be invaluable in coaxing the final section of a tight tyre bead onto a rim, and are something every cyclist should carry with them while riding (often in a saddle bag). They are also very useful when removing a tyre.
While holding the opposite side of the tyre in place on the rim, use a single tyre lever to lift a small section of the bead onto the rim. Repeat until all of the remaining bead is installed.
Don’t start in the middle of the remaining bead and attempt to lift it all over in one go. That’s a recipe for a broken tyre lever and lots of swearing.
Likewise, be careful not to damage the rim tape while using tyre levers – especially ones that have seen heavy use and may have nicks or sharp edges.
Tyre levers can be used to carefully lift stubbornly tight tyres onto a rim.Yogamaya von Bromley / Our Media
The best tyre levers are typically made out of tough plastic, with a thin but strong and wide tip. Pedro’s tyre levers are favourites of ours, but anything similar should do the job.
Generally, metal tyre levers should be avoided, especially if you have carbon rims, as these can damage your rims.
There are also modern evolutions of the humble tyre lever, such as the Tyre Glider or the Crankbrothers Speedier Lever.
The Tyre Glider is a modern evolution of the standard tyre lever.Simon von Bromley / Our Media
These aim to continuously install the bead as you push it around the rim edge. Both tools also include a more traditional scooped edge to aid removal of tyres.
At a similar size and weight to traditional tyre levers, they are also suitable for carrying in a saddle bag or jersey pocket.
Tyre bead-seating tools
Tyre bead seating tools can be invaluable for quickly seating tight tyres without risking damage to delicate components.Simon von Bromley / Our Media
Specialist tyre-seating tools, such as Kool Stop’s Tyre Jack (and similar devices by other brands), can save you a great deal of hassle when installing tight tyres.
The rigid part of the tool rests on the rim edge, while the hinged part reaches over the tyre and hooks onto the tyre bead. The bead can then be pulled up and over the rim edge.
In our experience, these tools are fantastic at getting stubbornly tight tyres onto rims with minimum fuss.The only downside is they’re typically too big to carry in a saddle bag or jersey pocket for road-side use.
However, they are generally light enough to carry in bikepacking bags, a cycling backpack or a hydration pack.
A bead-seating tool could, therefore, be a sensible piece of kit to take on an adventure or long mountain bike ride, if you know you might have trouble reinstalling your tyres after a puncture.
Soapy water
If installing tubeless tyres, some soapy water can help lubricate the rim and tyre bead interface, easing the ability of the tyre bead to slip over the rim edge.
It’s not worth trying this trick when using inner tubes, however, as a wet tube can stick to the inside of a tyre, possibly causing a puncture.
Warm water
BikeRadar’s technical editor, Tom Marvin, suggests tough, box-fresh mountain bike tyres can be made a little more pliable by heating them in warm water for a few minutes.
Once they’ve warmed up, the rubber and tyre carcass should have softened enough to allow you to more easily shape the tyre and install the first bead onto a rim.
Tubeless tyre plugs
Muc-Off’s Stealth Tubeless Puncture Plug set is a highly rated option.Andy Lloyd / Immediate Media
As already discussed, installing tubeless tyres can often be more difficult than installing equivalent clinchers.
For this reason, repairing a tubeless puncture using tyre plugs can often help you avoid needing to remove the tyre bead from the rim while away from home.
Stan’s NoTubes DART tubeless repair kit and Muc-Off’s Stealth Tubeless Puncture Plug set are two kits we rate highly.
We’d still recommend carrying a spare tube or two as a last resort, but tubeless tyre plugs are typically the BikeRadar team’s go-to flat-fixing solution, in the first instance.
What else can make the problem worse?
Too much rim tape
Using too much rim tape can make tyre installation harder, so always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.Joe Norledge / Immediate Media
When installing rim tape (tubeless-specific or otherwise), it’s important to not use more layers or thicker tape than is required.
An overly thick rim tape, or one or two wraps too many, effectively increases the diameter of the wheel, meaning there will be less slack in the bead when you come to install a tyre.
Tubeless tyre liners
Adding a tubeless tyre liner can make installing a tyre very difficult. Note: if your tyres look like this, it’s time to replace them.Oliver Woodman / Immediate Media
Tubeless tyre liners, such as the CushCore tyre protection system or Vitorria’s Air-Liner kits for road, gravel and mountain bikes, are great for offering increased rim and puncture protection, and the ability to safely run lower pressures in tubeless-ready tyres.
However, they also take up significant space within the tyre by design, which can prevent the tyre beads from dropping into the rim’s central channel during installation.
As we keep repeating, this reduces the available slack in the tyre bead, making tyre installation and removal harder.
For this reason, Vittoria includes a specific set of tyre bead pliers and bead retaining tabs with its Air-Liner road kit. You’ll almost certainly need them.
Using inner tubes with tubeless-ready tyres
While tubeless-ready tyres are compatible with inner tubes, the inner tube can function somewhat like a tubeless tyre liner during installation.
Again, it takes up space within the tyre and prevents the tyre beads from falling into the deepest part of the rim channel.
This is especially true when installing narrow (sub-25mm) road bike tyres on relatively narrow rims (sub-19mm internal width), as there’s less room for the beads and the tube in the central channel of a narrow rim. Even a slightly inflated tube can push against the walls of a narrow tyre.
While we do advise slightly inflating the inner tube prior to installation to avoid it getting pinched by the tyre, it may be necessary to fully deflate the inner tube to allow the maximum amount of slack in the tyre beads.
Would you like to know how to have a stronger heart and are living a lengthier lifestyle? Very well, no a person is familiar with superior than the cardiologists at UT Doctors! For American Heart Month in February, these gurus will share how they just take care of their very own hearts and what they suggest for a lifetime of good health and fitness.
I have a 30-minute exercise session regimen that I do 4 instances for each 7 days, focusing on main muscle exercise routines (to assist with carrying all that significant guide in the cath lab!), cardio stationary biking, and modest fat-lifting. I also pack my own lunch to operate and avoid gentle drinks wholly.
– Nils P. Johnson, MD, UT Medical professionals Cardiology – Texas Health care Centre
We all know that food plan and exercising are the critical to health in standard, like heart well being. I read through somewhere that a single simply cannot training their way out of a poor diet regime, and I strongly believe that in it. I endorse every person to refrain from fried and processed foods and workout on a regular basis
– Anju Bhardwaj, MD, Center for Sophisticated Heart Failure – Texas Health-related Middle
I work out 5 to 6 moments a week for one hour at a time and make certain to keep a heart rate of at minimum 80{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of my maximum predicted coronary heart fee. Also, when the weather conditions is allowable, I consider strolls and hikes. My assistance to the standard public to retain cardiovascular overall health is to keep going. Each and every minimal bit assists, and it helps make you really feel superior.
– Mary Lim-Fung, DO, UT Doctors EP Coronary heart – Elaborate Arrhythmia Centre
Sluggish down when you are by you and silence your mind. This raises your vagal tone and enhances sympathovagal balance.
– Susan T. Laing, MD, UT Doctors Cardiology – Texas Medical Middle
Avoidance is crucial to dwelling a extensive, healthy life. Because coronary heart disease is the number 1 motive for loss of life in the U.S., we should really all try to encourage lifelong, healthy practices. These habits include a diet regime wealthy in veggies, complete grains, fiber, and lean sources of protein a common physical exercise regime avoidance of tobacco cigarette smoking and standard visits with your doctor to screen for troubles this sort of as substantial blood strain, diabetes, or higher cholesterol.
– Enrique D. Garcia-Sayan, MD, UT Physicians Multispecialty – Cinco Ranch
Check out to remain transferring all through the day and integrate it into routines you are previously accomplishing. For occasion, park farther away from the shop or get the stairs.
– Deepa Raghunathan, MD, UT Medical professionals Multispecialty – Heights
I inspire cardio physical exercise, protecting healthy diet, and excellent quality sleep.
– Viacheslav Bobovnikov, MD, UT Doctors Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgery – Texas Healthcare Center
Try to eat a healthy, vegetarian diet program. Do the job out — Peloton, swimming, etc.
– Sukhdeep S. Basra, MD, Center for Sophisticated Cardiology – Southwest
Normal bodily workout routines at whichever exercise you can enjoy for at minimum four to five occasions for every 7 days. My program is composed of a 35-moment a.m. and a 45-moment p.m. work out five days a 7 days for toughness and reasonable aerobic teaching. Food stuff incorporates a smaller volume with adequate protein from smaller amounts of lean cheese, milk or meats, vegetables, non-sweet fruits, minimally refined carbs or darkish chocolate for rigorous excess weight manage to BMI 21 and 10{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} human body fat.
– K. Lance Gould, MD, UT Doctors Cardiology – Texas Healthcare Heart
I go for very long walks a few occasions for each 7 days, and I do dance aerobics as properly. We all know how important physical exercise is to preserve the coronary heart healthier, but I recommend my individuals who may well struggle with doing exercises to tie it to an exercise they enjoy. So, you could hear to tunes when you walk or even hear to an audiobook or plan that you take pleasure in. Alternating your training will make it extra interesting. For occasion, you could alternate outside walks, or hiking, with joining a new dance class.
– Simbo M. Chiadika, MD, UT Medical professionals Multispecialty – Sienna
I believe that in regular work out and a healthful, sensible diet regime. I do swim often and now play basketball (albeit badly). I consume extremely minor number of processed meals — largely handmade food stuff and a properly-well balanced diet. I endorse the very same for my patients.
– Poyee P. Tung, MD, UT Medical professionals Cardiology – Texas Medical Centre
I boost well being and properly-being by self-treatment for the intellect, human body, and soul. My major self-care things to do include things like meditation, excellent rest hygiene, plant-based diet regime, cardio training for at the very least 150 minutes for every week, connecting with character, walking my pet dog, and paying out time with beloved ones.
– Monica Patel, MD, UT Physicians Cardiology – Texas Medical Center
South Carolina’s Senate gave preliminary approval to a medical marijuana legalization bill on Wednesday.
If the legislation clears a forthcoming third reading vote for final passage, which is expected on Thursday, it will formally proceed to the House of Representatives.
Senators, who spent weeks debating the legislation and considering dozens of proposed amendments, voted 28-15 on second reading passage Wednesday evening.
Gov. Henry McMaster (R) said earlier this week that it was too early to comment on the proposal, as changes were still being made by lawmakers. “This is one that’s going to depend on a lot of things,” he told a local FOX station, adding that he’ll wait to see the final version before deciding whether he would potentially sign or veto the bill if if were to arrive on his desk.
The Compassionate Care Act was prefiled in late 2020 and passed out of the Senate Medical Affairs Committee last March, but a lone senator blocked it from reaching the chamber floor in 2021. Since then, the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Tom Davis (R), has redoubled his efforts to get the bill across the finish line, arguing that South Carolina voters are ready what he’s repeatedly called “the most conservative medical cannabis bill in the country.”.
Davis said last month that House Speaker Jay Lucas (R) has agreed to “allow the bill to go through the House process” if it advances through the Senate, but a spokesperson for Lucas later told the Charleston Post and Courier that “Sen. Davis doesn’t speak for Speaker Lucas.”
Medical Cannabis Bill passes second reading in the South Carolina Senate with a vote of 28-15. Major step to passing this legislation. Congrats to Sen. Tom Davis for leading this compassionate effort. Proud to join you. pic.twitter.com/w0cBx97K3R
The bill, S. 150, in its current form would allow patients with qualifying conditions to possess and purchase cannabis products from licensed dispensaries. Smokable products, as well as home cultivation of cannabis by patients or their caretakers, would be forbidden. Merely possessing the plant form of cannabis could be punished as a misdemeanor.
While more qualifying conditions could be added in the future, the bill specifies cancer, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and other neurological disorders, glaucoma, Crohn’s disease, sickle cell anemia, ulcerative colitis, cachexia or wasting syndrome, autism, nausea in homebound or end-of-life patients, muscle spasms and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) provided a patient can establish they experienced one or more traumatic events. Patients diagnosed with less than one year to live could also qualify.
— Marijuana Moment is already tracking more than 1,000 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. —
The bill would also allow access among patients with “any chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition for which an opioid is currently or could be prescribed by a physician based on generally accepted standards of care,” for example severe or persistent pain.
Medical marijuana would be subject to the state’s 6 percent sales tax. Local governments were initially prohibited from adding further taxes of their own, but an amendment from Sen. Sandy Senn (R) removed that restriction.
Senators spent most of Tuesday and Wednesday’s floor sessions discussing dozens of amendments to the legislation, taking action on some while tabling or carrying over others.
Davis successfully urged rejection of some of the more hostile proposals, though he embraced other restrictions in the name of getting the bill passed. Under one amendment approved Tuesday with the sponsor’s support, for example, the medical marijuana law would sunset entirely at the end 2028. Lawmakers would have to take affirmative action for the program to continue into the next year.
Among other new restrictions adopted in amendments, senators altered the bill’s language around medical marijuana and driving to clarify that DUI laws still apply and add a provision that patients who refuse to submit to a blood test if suspected of impaired driving would lose their license for six months. It would also be a misdemeanor for patients and caretakers to have an open container of cannabis in a vehicle unless it’s in the trunk, glove compartment or other sealed section.
Further changes did away with dispensaries under the bill’s language and instead creating so-called cannabis pharmacies. The facilities would need to have a pharmacist on site at all times, and the South Carolina Board of Pharmacy would promulgate business regulations.
That sweeping amendment, which Davis eventually backed, also revised the bill such that only physicians could recommend cannabis, rather than physician assistants and some nurses as allowed in previous versions of the legislation. A later amendment specified that retired law enforcement, former military or another qualified agency provide security to cannabis pharmacies.
Other new restrictions say that doctors who recommend cannabis would need to independently verify the qualifying diagnosis with the patient’s treating physician, and that cannabis cultivation centers could not be multi-level facilities. People with felony-level drug convictions would also be prevented from participating in the new industry for a period of 10 years.
Another change, dubbed the South Carolina First amendment, would give in-state businesses extra points in the state’s cannabis licensing process in an effort to prioritize them over larger, multi-state businesses that supporters said might otherwise dominate the market. Yet another amendment would clarify that state-licensed cannabis businesses could obtain cannabis only from other in-state businesses.
Just adopted. “South Carolina First” Amendment would prioritize South Carolina businesses and farms over out-of-state competitors, giving them a better shot at the limited number of licenses that could be made available for those interested in entering the cannabis industry. pic.twitter.com/UeXZew5Rqt
Lawmakers held a lengthy debate on an amendment that would have replaced the main patient access provisions of the bill with a limited program of clinical trials on medical cannabis’s effects, but it was tabled. A revised version of the amendment was reintroduced later to create a complementary system of clinical trials that would exist alongside the general program, a change senators approved.
Other adopted changes adjusted the makeup of the program advisory board, removed qualified immunity for doctors who recommend cannabis, restricted certain shapes of edibles in an effort to reduce their appeal to children, required cannabis businesses require liability coverage of at least $1 million and mandate that the state annually publish details on qualified patients by age group and type of debilitating condition. Another prohibits members of the General Assembly who vote on the cannabis bill, as well as their direct family members, from owning or benefiting financially from a medical marijuana business.
Amendments to the bill made last year in committee, meanwhile, were formally adopted on the Senate floor late last month. Those made a number of small changes to the proposal, for example allowing visiting patients with medical marijuana cards from other states to access South Carolina dispensaries. Another clarified that legalization would not require health plans to cover cannabis.
Revenue allocation would also change slightly as the result of recent amendments. Under the amended bill, 75 percent of tax revenue after expenditures would go to the state’s general fund, with another 10 percent going to drug use disorder treatment service providers, 5 percent going to state law enforcement, and the remainder going to cannabis research and drug education.
For the initial rollout, regulators would approve 15 cannabis cultivators, 30 processing facilities, a cannabis pharmacy for every 20 pharmacies in the state, five testing laboratories and four cannabis transporters. The bill initially allowed state regulators to add other license types, but an amendment adopted Wednesday made it so only elected lawmakers could do that.
The bill initially allowed state regulators to add other license types, but an amendment adopted Wednesday made it so only elected lawmakers could do that.
Local governments could ban medical cannabis businesses from operating in their jurisdictions under the amended bill, but otherwise the it says that local land use and zoning burdens “should be no greater for a cannabis-based business than for any other similar business.”
After yrs of hard work & perseverance, we’ve finally gotten 2nd reading on our bipartisan Compassionate Care Act (med marijuana) tonight in the Senate. Vote was 28-15…a significant 1st step. Appreciate @SenTomDavisSC & all who worked w/us to reach this milestone.#Progress 💪🏾 pic.twitter.com/2hx8vnsSzZ
The state Department of Health and Environmental Control would oversee licensing and other regulations of the new industry. A newly established Medical Cannabis Advisory Board would be in charge of adding or removing qualifying conditions. Under amendments adopted this week, it would meet at least once per year and be led by a governor-appointed chairperson.
Davis has championed medical marijuana in South Carolina since 2014 and at a rally last week brought out a binder that he said contained eight years of research into the issue. He said he would use the information to “take on every single argument that has been raised in opposition to this bill, and I’m going to show that they cannot stand in the way of facts and evidence.”
He’s also continued to push back against opposition to cannabis legalization from his own party, for example calling out an attack ad that was paid for by the state GOP.
The state Republican organization separately slammed a federal legalization bill from U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, a Republican who represents South Carolina in Congress. And last month cannabis opponents sent a mailer accusing Davis of wanting to turn the state into “one big pot party.”
A former White House chief of staff under President Donald Trump also recently calling out his home state South Carolina Republican Party for opposing the medical marijuana bill medical marijuana. Mick Mulvaney, Trump’s top aide for more than a year and a former congressman, called the legislation “something that merits discussion and reasoned analysis,” even if it’s not a proposal that is conventionally considered a conservative priority.
Davis referred to the maneuvers by his own party as “the elephant in the room” on the Senate floor as debate on the floor kicked off last week, saying he was offended by the misinformation and planned to rebut every misleading claim the group made.
“I’m going to go through every single legal argument that’s been put up there—lack of medical evidence, unintended social consequences—and take them all up and discuss them and refute them,” the senator said.
A poll released last February found that South Carolina voters support legalizing medical marijuana by a five-to-one ratio. But the state does not have a citizen-led initiative process that has empowered voters in other states to get the policy change enacted.
Support for medical marijuana legalization among South Carolina residents has been notably stable, as a 2018 Benchmark Research poll similarly found 72 percent support for the reform, including nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of Republicans. Davis said last year that if the legislature didn’t advance the reform, he’d propose a bill to put the question of medical marijuana legalization to voters through a referendum.
Also in 2018, 82 percent of voters in the state’s Democratic primary election voted in favor of medical cannabis legalization in a nonbinding ballot advisory vote.
Lawmakers prefiled four marijuana measures for the 2019 session, but they did not advance.
As debate on the bill kicked off in the Senate this session, Davis said that after years of effort, even seeing his bill advance to the chamber floor was a victory.
“If you pound at the door long enough, if you make your case, if the public is asking for something, the state Senate owes a debate,” he told the Charleston Post and Courier. “The people of South Carolina deserve to know where their elected officials stand on this issue.”
Congress Briefed On Federal Courts’ Diverging Opinions On Medical Marijuana Protection Rider
Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer.
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Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s mortality data from 2020. And, February is American Heart Month, where the U.S. highlights the implications of heart disease.
On a global scale, cardiac arrest kills more people than the collective deaths caused by colorectal, breast and prostate cancer, influenza, pneumonia, automobile accidents, HIV, firearm incidents, and house fires combined, according to the American Heart Association.
Due to the hecticness of college life in which Penn State students need to focus on homework assignments, internships and independent living, many students said they pay minimal attention to their heart health.
For Kylie George, she said she hardly focuses on preventative measures to help her future health.
“I don’t think it’s something a lot of people really think about,” George (senior-English) said. “So I don’t think there’s a big effort made by a lot of people our age.”
However, she said students should improve their heart health awareness — in terms of how their actions consequently impact their bodies — and attempt to improve their daily behaviors.
“It’s never a bad thing to be aware of what you’re doing and how that can impact your overall health, especially your heart health,” George said. “It’s good to be aware now and be preventative — if at all possible — at our age because a lot of people get to [a] point when they’re older and say, ‘Oh, I wish I had done this and that when I was younger.’”
George said the main way she maintains her health is through her daily walks around campus to get from class to class.
Maintaining an active lifestyle can improve one’s heart health due to lowered blood pressure, improved blood circulation throughout the body and reduced stress levels, according to the American Heart Association.
Research from the University of Michigan Health highlights the benefits of consistent walking, since it’s a form of aerobic exercise.
“A lot of people our age do a lot of walking,” George said. “But that’s not even really by choice or done in an effort to be healthy.”
Since George lives a decent distance away from campus, she said she walks approximately 30 minutes each day to get on campus alone — not including the time it takes to travel to the necessary buildings.
Although participating in daily exercise for approximately 30 minutes to an hour a day aids people’s physical and mental well-being, a Johns Hopkins Medicine article said people should not solely rely on periods of exercise and instead increase their overall hourly activity.
In fact, Johns Hopkins Medicine said people’s health would benefit from less sedentary behavior as a whole.
To do this, the article said people should aim for 10,000 steps a day, five minutes of movement or activity per hour and a minimum of 30 minutes of vigorous exercise throughout the week.
According to a study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, college students typically experience changes in their lifestyle that increase their risk for heart health issues, including cardiovascular disease.
The main lifestyle changes include a decline in activity levels and an increase in sedentary behavior — along with worsened sleep, eating patterns and stress levels.
A 2019 NCBI study found that decreased or poor sleep schedules increase students’ risks of being stressed, overweight and having higher blood pressure.
High blood pressure, without interference by medical professionals and lifestyle changes, can lead to increased risk for “heart disease, stroke, heart failure, kidney disease, pregnancy complications and cognitive decline,” according to the CDC.
Although George has never taken a first-aid or CPR course in the past, she said she finds the skills to be “very helpful” to know and may look into certification processes in the future.
Immediately performed CPR, which is a lifesaving procedure performed in times of emergency when a person’s heart stops beating, can “double or triple” the likelihood of survival following an incident of cardiac arrest, according to the AHA.
“It’s obviously a good tool to have, especially since so many of us are living with others and out taking care of ourselves without our parents to help with everything,” George said.
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Kareena Pandya, who currently serves on the diversity and health care task force within Penn State’s pre-medicine honor society Alpha Epsilon Delta, said people should begin considering their heart health early and learning how to approach heart issues.
Beyond taking personal measures to prevent heart disease, Pandya (freshman-genetics and developmental biology) said early access and certification in CPR is “super duper” important today because individuals can be better prepared for any situation that develops.
Pandya said Campus Recreation is an American Red Cross Authorized Provider for safety courses like American Red Cross Adult CPR/AED and First Aid, which teaches participants how to appropriately respond to emergencies regarding cardiac issues, breathing or general first aid.
“Before I got started, I thought it would take months [to learn CPR] and would be a long windy process to get certified [and] understand all the different nuances to the actual technique,” Pandya said. “But in reality, it actually only takes a couple hours to learn and perform.”
She said students and community members have an array of CPR certification resources available to them across campus — even through programs offered through Penn State’s Kinesiology Department.
“A lot of different demographic groups and ethnicity groups have different risk factors for heart disease compared to others,” Pandya said. “I think if you couple that with [the] lack of proper health care access that they have, then that can also contribute to heart health [outcomes] overall.”
For instance, Pandya said Indians are “three to 20 times at higher risk of developing heart disease compared to other demographics,” and she said other minoritized groups are also disproportionately affected.
“I would say a healthy heart is central to overall good health,” Pandya said. “Embracing a healthy lifestyle at any age — no matter if you’re a college student or older — can really help you in taking the preventative steps toward heart disease and lowering your risk for both heart attack and stroke.”
Pandya said college students go through a period of adjusting when transitioning to college life due to their new environment and routine, and these adjustments can create risks for heart disease.
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For instance, Pandya said some college students may struggle with maintaining proper sleep schedules, physical fitness regimes or dietary decisions — all of which can increase one’s risk for heart disease.
“Some major lifestyle choices that college students can make toward improving their heart health for the future would be decreasing their use of tobacco, cannabis and alcohol consumption,” Pandya said.
Pandya said exposure to secondhand smoke acts as a significant contributor toward coronary artery disease, which she described as a “very, very significant heart disease within our society.”
Beyond these limitations, Pandya said students could take preventative measures by monitoring their blood pressure levels and educating themselves about their family medical history, especially heart history, so they can “make better and more appropriate lifestyle changes.”
In terms of her own personal health, Pandya said she tries to complete physical activity at the on-campus gym at least twice a week and simply increases her fitness by walking to class rather than taking the bus.
When selecting meals at Penn State’s dining halls, Pandya said she keeps in mind Michelle Obama’s “MyPlate” dietary guidelines that help people balance their carbohydrates, proteins, vegetable, fruit and dairy intakes.
To maintain one’s health, many doctors promote healthy diets composed of “fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and low-fat dairy products,” according to the CDC.
Foods containing high levels of omega-3 fatty acids — which is commonly found in fish like salmon and tuna — also aids heart health, according to research conducted by the AHA.
Consumption of nuts like almonds, walnuts and pecans is known to lower one’s risk for cardiovascular disease due to the high amounts of healthy fats, proteins and fibers within the products, according to the AHA.
Although the costs of healthy food can limit some students’ purchases, Pandya said she’s found many dining locations on and off campus that provide reasonable heart-healthy food options, such as Roots Natural Kitchen and Playa Bowls.
She said the a la carte food locations within on-campus dining locations, such as Bowls @ South and In a Pickle, allow students to choose exactly what they will eat for the day — unlike the buffets where food is already prepared in its entirety.
Pandya said she especially enjoys eating at In a Pickle because she can choose how many vegetables are in her meal and whether she wants to use wheat or white bread, which are decisions that “help make sure you’re getting proper nutrition.”
After finishing a workout at the gym, Pandya said Shake Smart is another dining location that consistently offers healthy food options for the student body.
Since stress is a contributor to heart disease as well, Pandya said she attempts to minimize her anxiety by listening to music and participating in yoga, which helps “bring [her] back to [her] center.”
Pandya said students should consult with their primary care doctor about methods to improve and monitor their heart health if they’re interested in undergoing a lifestyle change.
Kelsey Eckerd, a student involved in Penn State’s chapter of the American Medical Student Association, said many factors impact heart health — some controllable and some not.
“I don’t think college students really think about heart health unless they have some sort of medical condition,” Eckerd (senior-biology) said.
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Nevertheless, Eckerd said college students can begin monitoring and considering how their daily behaviors affect their current and future health.
Eckerd said college students have access to a wide range of health-related programs and resources that they’ll likely never have access to later in life — at least not in such breadth.
“For college students, this is probably the only time in [their] life that [they] have access to a free gym and free workout classes, so take advantage of that while you’re here,” Eckerd said.
While attending Penn State, Eckerd said she utilizes the free workout classes at the Intramural Building to achieve her recommended amount of exercise each week.
Penn State also has the Nutrition Clinic that provides free, individual nutrition counseling provided by a registered dietitian, according to the Nutrition Clinic website.
“It’s easier to start a [healthy lifestyle] now rather than after you graduate and are truly on your own,” Eckerd said. “It’s easier to start with the safety net of college, that way when you’ve [graduated], you know how to do it yourself.”
She said an easy modification college students can make is being more aware of their alcohol consumption.
“Obviously it’s pretty characteristic to be a heavy drinker in college, but if that continues throughout your life, it could increase your heart rate and blood pressure over time,” Eckerd said.
A study conducted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health discovered individuals who engage in binge-drinking behaviors were 72{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} more likely to have a heart attack than their counterparts who didn’t participate in the behavior.
Eckerd said college students could also work to make their daily meals more nutritious by considering different add-ins or substitutions that could be made.
To enhance her dinners from Trader Joe’s, Eckerd said she adds her own proteins and vegetables into the frozen food products to make them more healthy.
Eckerd said students should also be aware of the training programs available to them.
Beyond CPR certification, Eckerd said students should look into automated external defibrillator training because AEDs provide users with “verbal cues” on what to do for the victim, and they’re required in every building.
Mariella Dixson, who is also a member of AMSA, said learning CPR and AED is “smart” because “you never know if you could be in an [emergency] situation,” and by learning basic medical protocols “you could be able to help someone.”
Dixson (senior-biobehavioral health) said choosing heart-healthy lifestyle choices while in college can make it easier to continue those behaviors at an older age.
“A lot of people will at least eat fruits and vegetables semi-regularly, so that’s better than nothing,” Dixson said. “There’s no point in doing cold turkey [diets] or jumping right into new routines because you’re not going to be consistent [with major adjustments].”
If students hope to implement heart-healthy behaviors into their lives, Dixson said they should make “attainable goals” that could slowly be met — like adding a certain amount of fruits or vegetables to one’s diet each week.
“A lot of college students — I’m sure — love pasta because it’s a very easy meal to make,” Dixson said. “But what I started doing was adding a bunch of cooked vegetables into my pasta dinners, [which] was a [simple] way to start adding in various vegetables to [my diet].”
Dixon said making small changes during young adulthood is essential.
“Establishing those patterns while you’re younger will most likely make it easier to continue [making heart-healthy decisions] when you get older and are more at risk for disease.”
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