Aaron Allen-Murdock wont let a little knee injury discourage his hoop dreams.

The 19-year-old Marion native was all ready to run the fast break right into the Old Rochester Regional High School gymnasium to retrieve his Class of 2020 yearbook when he was whistled for a three-second lane violation.

Allen-Murdocks momentary miscue amused the faculty and staff charged with managing the arrival of up to 175 graduating seniors who on May 27 participated in an organized campus drive-through arranged by homeroom for safe-spacing purposes.

A big reason for the smiles and laughter was the positive energy exuded by a student whose goals have dimensionally expanded thanks to a dramatic loss of weight from 250 to 170 pounds. Eager to make his mentors proud, the 5-foot-7 guard is essentially paying forward the support he received from classmates who noticed he was on a mission.

Ive been losing weight since the beginning of last (school) year. I started lifting (weights), going to the gym and I started boosting everything. And they noticed it, said Allen-Murdock, who had his heart set on playing varsity basketball for ORR when he tore the anterior-cruciate ligament in his right knee while playing basketball last fall at the Gleason Family YMCA in Wareham.

During recovery, he gained back 15-20 of the 60 pounds he had lost from habits and the injury part because I was down. The thing is, when youre down, you want to eat because you feel bad so you just do it, he explained. The thing is I wanted to work out, and youve got to remember I just lost 50-something pounds, and Im injured and I cant go to the gym at all now. It was hard on me.

Along the way back to full mobility, Allen-Murdock righted his ship, resumed what he calls the 16-8 diet (i.e. 16 hours of fasting and an eight-hour window to eat) and got his weight down to 170 pounds. Now he wants to add muscle mass while continuing to lose fat.

My goal is to get in the best shape of my life, he said. I think Im capable of walking on. At a very healthy weight with muscle mass, I think I am capable of playing for a (Division III) college basketball team.

Allen-Murdock plans to attend Cape Cod Community College for the next two academic years before transferring.

His dream job is to someday call play-by-play for an NBA team. To that end, he studied in Mike Besons sports-media class. Allen-Murdock has an Instagram page on which he posts Celtics analysis and NBA-related notes.

Beson says Allen-Murdock was always a hard worker in high school. Anything that sports came into it, he was so excited about it.

The value in a sports-media class, says Beson, is in exposing students to what really goes on and whats required on a daily basis.

To have to write and do something for hours at a time and not just love it when youre watching it, is a true test, one that Beson said Allen-Murdock passes with flying colors. Aaron loves doing anything and everything with sports. (For him its) pure excitement.

Allen-Murdock participated in his high schools fledgling Unified sports program, impressing former ORR basketball player and future superintendent Mike Nelson, who was on hand for the May 27 graduation-related event.

His personality and the way he went about it, in terms of the care he brought and the attitude to make everyone feel included; it was contagious, said Nelson. I feel that anyone who would watch any of the games would be proud of him I think he really set the stage for future years.

Led by Principal Mike Devoll who was at curbside with clipboard in hand, several members of the ORR faculty and staff gave the arriving seniors in their cars a memorable sendoff. Students returned textbooks and received COVID-19 kits and a Bulldog Quarantine long-sleeve t-shirt.

The first to arrive was Rochester native Abby Aldworth, 18. A former Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School student, Aldworth changed course and attended ORR for her senior year. She plans a gap year for 2020-21 and will take online courses at Bristol Community College while plotting a new direction.

I wanted to be a nurse initially, and then I kind of figured out that that wasnt the path I wanted to take, said Aldworth, who did become a certified nursing assistant and works at Sippican School.

Aldworth, who drove up with her mother Donna, graduates the same year as older sister Lindsay Aldworth, a Bristol Aggie alumna who just graduated with Bridgewater State Universitys Class of 2020.

By Mick Colageo

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Hardwood Has Not Heard the Last of Allen-Murdock - Wanderer

In a perfect world, you had planned for your pregnancy in every way possible. This included getting down to your ideal weight beforehand. But for many women, this isnt realistic. Pregnancy, while an exciting time, can turn into a weight dilemma for women who are already overweight. This is because of the inevitable weight gain associated with having a baby.

Fortunately, growing research suggests that losing some weight during pregnancy might be possible and even beneficial for some women who are extremely overweight or obese (have a BMI over 30).

Losing weight, on the other hand, isnt appropriate for pregnant women who were at a healthy weight before pregnancy. If you believe you can benefit from weight loss during pregnancy, talk to your doctor about how to do so safely without affecting your baby.

Even before theyre born, your future baby relies on you in numerous ways. Your body nourishes and carries them for about 40 weeks, helping them grow and develop. Having excess weight can cause problems during pregnancy because it can get in the way of these processes.

Being obese while pregnant may lead to:

Despite such dangers, your best approach to weight loss is through a consistent, yet gradual plan with a focus on healthier lifestyle changes. Gradual weight loss is best for your body and your baby.

If your doctor recommends that you lose weight, heres how to do so safely during pregnancy.

Being overweight during pregnancy can sometimes change the focus to only losing weight. But the fact is, youll still gain some weight, and it is important to know how much a healthy amount of is. After all, there is a human growing inside of you!

Follow these pregnancy weight gain guidelines from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, based on your weight before you became pregnant:

The first way you can lose excess weight is by reducing your daily calorie intake. Eating more calories than you burn off is the most common cause of weight gain. It takes a 3,500-calorie deficit to lose 1 pound. Over the span of a week, this equates to about 500 calories per day to cut out.

Before you slash this many calories from your diet, be sure to keep a log and figure out just how many calories you really eat. You can talk to a dietitian to discuss food plans. You can also look up nutritional labels for foods from stores or restaurants to get a sense of how many calories are in each food.

Keep in mind that pregnant women should eat no fewer than 1,700 calories per day. This is the minimum and helps to ensure that both you and your baby are getting enough energy and nutrients on a regular basis.

If you normally consume far more calories than this, consider cutting down gradually. For example, you can:

Take a daily prenatal vitamin to ensure that you are getting all of the nutrients you and your baby need. Folate is especially important, as it helps decrease the risk for birth defects.

Some women are afraid to exercise out of fear of it harming their babies. But this definitely isnt true. While some exercises, such as situps, can possibly be harmful, exercise overall is extremely beneficial.

It can help you maintain your weight, reduce birth defects, and even ease some of the aches and pains you experience during pregnancy.

The current recommendation isnt different from nonpregnant women: 30 minutes of activity per day. If this is too much for you to start, consider breaking up the 30 minutes into shorter blocks of time throughout the day.

Some of the best exercises for pregnant women are:

On the flip side, you should avoid any activities that:

While youll certainly gain weight naturally from your pregnancy, the majority of this weight gain happens in the second and third trimesters. Your baby also grows rapidly during the last two months of pregnancy. You cant control weight gain attributed to your baby and supporting elements like the placenta, so its best to address any weight issues earlier in pregnancy.

Some success in weight intervention among pregnant women has been reported through a study published in the journal Obesity.Researchers found that women who received advice between weeks 7 and 21 of pregnancy were less likely to gain excess weight during the third trimester. The same group of women studied also benefited from weekly support group meetings.

This is just one example of when early planning helped to stave off excess weight gain. If you want to lose weight, or control the amount of weight you gain overall during your pregnancy, be sure to have your doctor help you come up with a plan early on. Your doctor can also refer you to a dietitian for more advice and meal planning.

For most pregnant women, weight management is safer than any form of significant weight loss. Despite the benefits of having a lower BMI during pregnancy, losing weight isnt appropriate for all women.

Part of the concern comes from the methods of traditional weight loss: calorie cutting and exercise. Its important to watch your calorie intake and to exercise during pregnancy. But overdoing it to an extreme could potentially harm your baby. This is why most doctors dont recommend weight loss during pregnancy, unless youre significantly overweight. Discuss any questions or concerns you have with your doctor.

Your doctor can help you make the safest decision for you and your baby. You can always revisit an overall healthy weight loss plan after your baby is born.

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How to Lose Weight During Pregnancy Safely

Weight loss at any age can improve your sense of well-being, your body's functions and overall health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that losing just 5 to 10 percent of your body weight -- about 10 to 20 pounds for a 200-pound person -- can improve your blood pressure, blood cholesterol and blood sugar levels. As a 60-year-old woman, weight loss may come more gradually than it did in your youth, but the positive effects are undeniable. The typical weight-loss tactics -- moderating portions, choosing foods with a high nutritional quality, and becoming more physically active -- don't change as you age.

Activity helps you manage your weight at any age.

Image Credit: moodboard/moodboard/Getty Images

Principles of Weight Loss

A calorie deficit helps you lose weight no matter how old you are. Consume 3,500 calories fewer than you burn to lose 1 pound. If you create a deficit of 250 to 1,000 calories per day for a week, you'll end up 1/2 to 2 pounds lighter.

As a 60-year-old woman, you most likely burn fewer calories than a woman half your age. You have less muscle mass from the natural effects of aging, which lowers the number of calories your body burns per day. Exercise and other daily physical activity can help you burn more, though. An average, sedentary woman at age 60 burns 1,600 calories; but if she's moderately active, that number increases to 1,800. If you're highly active, you could burn as many as 2,200 calories per day.

Eat Adequate Calories

Consume a minimum of 1,200 calories per day to get all the nutrients you need and prevent your metabolism from slowing down further. For all but the most active 60-year-olds, cutting 1,000 calories from your daily intake to lose 2 pounds per week will result in an intake that's too low. Instead, plan on a more moderate loss of 1/2 to 1 pound per week, which means you'll create a deficit of just 250 to 500 calories per day. Use an online calculator or talk to a dietitian to get your baseline calorie needs from which to subtract calories and create a deficit.

Starving yourself won't provide you with the nutrition or the energy you need for your daily activities. Avoid processed foods, such as snack mixes, baked goods, refined white flour foods and soda. Choose whole foods for meals, with your portion sizes depending on your goal calorie intake. An intake of 1,200 and 1,400 calories per day is considered low and will mostly likely yield weight loss.

Dietary Choices for Weight Loss

Base each meal on lean proteins, whole grains and fresh vegetables. Between meals, snack on low-fat dairy, healthy fats and fresh fruit.

Typical breakfast foods include eggs, whole-grain toast and an orange; oatmeal, strawberries and skim milk; or low-fat plain yogurt, slivered almonds and blueberries.

For lunch and dinner, have a 2- to 4-ounce serving of protein, such as tofu, white fish, skinless poultry, white-meat pork or lean steak. Adequate protein while dieting helps postmenopausal women preserve essential lean body mass, showed a 2008 study published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging.

Serve the protein alongside approximately 1/2 cup of whole grains, such as wild rice, quinoa, barley or brown rice. Fill up your plate with watery, green vegetables, such as broccoli, fennel, asparagus, kale and spinach. Other colorful vegetables, including cauliflower, bell peppers, eggplant and cabbage, are also appropriate. Vegetables have a low number of calories per serving, but lots of phytonutrients and also fiber, which helps fill you up.

Watch sauces and dressings; they can add a lot of extra calories without much nutritional value. Opt for lemon juice or vinegar, olive oil and fresh herbs for flavor.

The Importance of Exercise for 60-Year-Old Women

If you're sedentary, plan on burning extra calories with at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio activity most days and weight training three times per week, advises a comprehensive review published in 2011 in the Journal of Midlife Health. Deep breathing, yoga and stretching can help reduce stress, which also contributes to weight gain.

Weight training with exercises such as the leg press, squats, lat pull-downs, military presses, seated rows and back extensions, helps you preserve lean muscle mass and improves bone density once you've passed menopause, especially when you're taking in a restricted number of calories. A 2010 study of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise followed the effects of six years of resistance training on previously sedentary post-menopausal women. Researchers determined that the exercise prevented weight gain and loss of lean muscle mass, compared to participants who did not practice resistance training. When you've cut calories to lose weight, the weight training helps ensure you lose fat, rather than muscle.

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The Best Way to Lose Weight for a Female of Age 60 ...

The chin up vs pull up question may never go away but the truth is, they are both excellent compound exercises, albeit not easy to perform correctly. Although similar to some degree, chin ups and pull ups work different muscles, or at least work similar muscles differently. Choosing one over another very much comes down to what muscle groups you would like to focus on more in your workout routine.

There are many different ways to build muscle and lucky for you, we have many great workout options here at T3: have a look at the best full body workout routine, this two-day push-pull workout, we also have a two-day push-pull upper body workout as well as the best beginners calisthenics workout too, just to mention a few.

Make sure the pull up bar is drilled in properly at home

(Image credit: mirafit)

Especially is you are trying to perform chin ups or pull ups at home, make sure that the pull up bar you're using is safe to use before you apply your weight onto it. These exercises might not seem too dangerous at first but your bodyweight provides plenty of resistance and if you fall off the bars for any reason, you can hurt yourself, pretty badly.

Before you even attempt to do either chin ups or pull ups, improve your grip strength by just hanging from the bar, resting your legs on the floor or on an elevated surface like a chair or aerobic step. When hanging, try not to drop your shoulders and engage your core as well.

Doing multiple sets of chin ups/pull ups require a lot of strength so don't try to rush progress and hurt yourself in the process.

Important: if you are new to exercising or haven't done much exercising in the past, try easing your body and mind into working out rather than going too strong at the beginning. If you have some excess body fat, we have a few handy tips on how to lose weight fast (relatively) as well as many articles on different diet methods (link to these are in the article above). Just be sensible.

Chin should go over the bar at the top

(Image credit: Future)

Best for: sculpting big arms, especially the biceps and strengthening the lats

Muscle worked: biceps, lats, forearm, shoulders, core

Chin ups are probably a tad bit easier to perform than pull ups, mainly because in the case of chin ups, your arm muscles especially your biceps can be utilised more during the movement. For the same reason, chin ups are better to build arm definition and to really make the biceps pop.

To perform a chin up, grab the bar with an underhand grip (palms facing you), hands being shoulder apart. Even in the lowermost position, you should drop your shoulders completely and engage your core too. This will help you stabilise your body, especially on your descent.

At halfway point, your chin should be over the bar. otherwise it's only a half-rep and you don't want to half-rep. It is not only less effective but also promotes bad form as well.

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Hands wide apart for a nice V-shape

(Image credit: Future)

Best for: achieving the coveted V-shape, building a strong upper back

Muscles worked: lats, teres major, rhomboids, biceps, core

Being able to perform pull ups correctly is the ultimate power move in a gym. Many people who can powerlift twice their bodyweight would struggle to do eight clean reps of pull ups.

Pull ups are challenging because you need to be agile as well as strong to be able to do the pull ups, not to mention shoulder mobility, something a lot of people ignore and just assume they have because "they use to rule the monkey bars in primary school".

To perform a pull up, hold the bar with an overhand grip (palms facing away from you) and hands being wide apart. A nice wide grip will help activate the lats even more and will help you shape that back-V sooner.

The same rules apply to pull ups as for chin ups: core engaged, not dropping shoulders, being mindful of the descent. As with any exercise, the slower you can perform it within reason the longer you activate the muscles and the quicker you are going to see results.

Munch on the right snacks

(Image credit: Grenade)

To avoid any injuries and to help recovery, keep an eye out on your protein intake and always stretch after your exercising sessions. And make sure you drink plenty of water as well. A decent gym water bottle doesn't cost all that much.

Supplement-wise, you only really need two: protein powder and creatine. The former will help in the muscle repair process and latter will boost performance. Both are safe to use and there is a wide variety of offerings so you can choose a flavour you prefer.

With creatine, we recommend you get the unflavoured variety because it mixes well with any liquid and you only need a small amount to keep your creatine levels saturated. This means you can mix your 3-5 grams of creatine with anything in the morning (water, juice, even coffee) without having to worry about an aftertaste.

If you feel like you need a nibble throughout the day, opt in for low-sugar protein bars and snacks as opposed to Mars bars.

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Chin up vs pull up: what's the difference, which muscles are worked and most importantly, WHAT IS THE BEST ONE? - T3

One of the positive side effects of this unique pandemic time has been the growing number of folks exercising outside.

Thanks to the nice spring weather and the sudden abundance of extra time on their hands, especially with those who normally are in school or those used to participating in some sort of team-oriented sport or working out in the gym, countless numbers of folks have turned to running and walking as their main mode of daily exercise.

As a longtime community running and walking coach, Im absolutely delighted to see so many people using these two wonderful and simple forms of exercise, as a physical and mental outlet, during this uneasy time.

The benefits of these two wonderful activities are endless, from great accessibility to low cost, and all research points towards healthier living and longevity if you can get out for 45 minutes or more 4-7 days per week. Because both activities are weight bearing and aerobic in nature, theyre incredibly efficient at quickly helping you to build your cardio engine, in addition to helping with weight loss.

Having said that, left unchecked, these two healthy activities can also just as quickly injure you. Im seeing lots of shin splints, Achilles and knee issues cropping up due to folks making some basic mistakes. Even those fit athletes, such as swimmers, volleyball players and soccer players, are hitting some speeds bumps as they accelerate into this new turf. Here are three tips to help you get safely started with what will hopefully become a lifelong exercise regimen:

1. Dont hear yourself breathing. Say what? You should work hard enough to sweat but absolutely no heavy breathing. Thats reserved for anaerobic athletes, like sprinters. I call it conversational pace, which simply means that you should always be able to comfortably talk while running or walking. So, your effort should stay constant as your pace varies based on terrain, weather and how youre feeling.

2. Less leads to more. For some reason, the classic distance many folks start an exercise program with is three miles. Ouch! Even though it may feel easy, for most folks just starting out, thats simply too far to go and too much time on your feet. I recommend starting out with a half-mile or 5-7 minutes and gently building from there. Its okay to exercise every day but I highly recommend undulating the distance. So, shorter one day and longer the next or run one day and walk the next.

3. Nose over toes. Long stride lengths and heel-to-toe mechanics are out and shorter strides, that keep you off your heels and more on your shock absorbency arches, are in. This leads to greater efficiency and less risk of injury.

Ive got an off-the-couch program all mapped out and ready to go for you. Just text me at 962-1694 and Id be happy to get it to you to help you get started.

Speaking of a recent surge of injuries, weirdly enough, one of the other main sources of new aches and pains is at the opposite end of the spectrum: sitting. Because many of us are sitting more than normal, were experiencing hamstring, back and calf discomfort and pain. Three quick tips to fend this off:

1. No perching. Always sit completely to the very back of the chair or couch.

2. No slouching. Always sit upright with your back slightly arched and no leg crossing.

3. Get up. Try to get up every 30 minutes and take a lap around the room. Its actually better to sit six hours with 30-minute breaks than to sit for 90 straight minutes without getting up. As socially awkward as it may sound, Ive been known to get up in the middle of a board meeting and walk back and forth behind my chair. Weird guy but with a great feeling 65-year-old back!

And, for many, the new not-leave-the-house routine has led to one other sneaky source for injury: walking around the house shoeless. No shoes, no support. Going without shoes throughout the day has been the catalyst for a surge in plantar fasciitis injuries. And, sorry, bedroom slippers dont count.

With all of the large regulation four-lap tracks closed except the Curtis Elder venue at Charlottesville High School, many folks have flocked to this beautiful new facility for their running and walking pleasure over the past three months. CHS Athletics Director Rodney Redd has been gracious in keeping the gates to this wonderful neighborhood venue open to all of us, but he only asks for us to stay out of lanes 1 & 2. Why? Because it prematurely wears out those important competition lanes. This goes for everyone, from those doing speed workouts to walkers. We have measured what it takes to run or walk for a mile in lanes 3 and 8 and its all available on a video on the Charlottesville Track Club site. Thanks for respecting this simple request. And heres to a round of applause to Redd, agood neighbor, and the Black Knight community.

The Charlottesville Track Club is once again hosting its annual summer training program to prep runners for a half or full marathon in the fall. Ive had the pleasure of serving as the coach of this safe, personalized program for the past 30 years and this summer will be different due to the pandemic. Well be practicing safe distancing in guiding all of our participants to a local half marathon in October or full marathon in November. This popular program is open to all abilities, from runners with a 6- to 14-minute pace to those starting with a one-mile run to folks already running 7-9 miles at a time. Come join us! We kick things off on June 20. Go to charlottesvilletrackclub.org for more information.

At the other end of distance spectrum, my son Adrian, who takes the summer off from coaching the Albemarle High School cross country and track teams, has started a Cville Milers Club for anyone interested, this summer, in learning to race the mile or improving on a previous time. All abilities are welcome to this personalized program and its all free. Contact him at adrian.lorenzoni@gmail.com

Fast Times at Senior High! Weve seen a flurry of impressive times recently from our 65-and-over crew. Speedy folks like 75-year-old Jim Bell (8:02 pace for 5K), 72-year-old Jeffrey Plank (8:35 pace for 5K), 69-year-old Linda Scandore (sub-10-minute pace for 10K) and 67-year-old Harry Landers (7:40 pace for 10K), have been burning up the roads during this pandemic.

Stay tuned for information on the Womens Four Miler training program plus virtual runs for the Kiwaniss Independence Day 5K, the NPR 5K and a Summer Series for Kids and their Parents. All will be posted in the coming weeks, on the CTCs website.

Mark Lorenzoni has been coaching community runners and directing local charitable footraces, on a volunteer basis for close to 40 years. He can be reached by at 434-962-1694. Follow him on Twitter @CoachZoni.

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On the run: Tips for making the most of your walk during the COVID19 pandemic - The Daily Progress