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Economic Exercise: Regions Teaches Financial Fitness For A Better-Feeling Future

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Economic Exercise: Regions Teaches Financial Fitness For A Better-Feeling Future

(MENAFN- 3BL) By Nestor Mato | April 25, 2024

Interactive and engaging. Regions bank Shared the Good this April by helping students across the Gulf Coast.

Regions Next Step ® is the bank’s free financial wellness program, and during Financial Literacy Month, Regions associates used the Next Step Reality Check series to give students an interactive and engaging way to learn about building and balancing a budget. The Reality Check challenges students to make financial decisions during the course and complete the experience with a budget surplus. During the Reality Check, students are assigned a persona and then make decisions based on common scenarios that will directly impact their budgets.

Finance Park – Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida

Regions associates volunteered with middle school students from both Academy Prep Center of Tampa and Academy Prep Center of St. Petersburg to teach banking basics at Junior Achievement’s Financial Park.

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Leading up to the Finance Park, Regions volunteers provided a series of lessons in the classroom, where they focused on personal finance, including learning about balancing a family budget, interest rates, how education affects earning potential, and how saving today pays off tomorrow.

“These presentations are a fun and interactive way to help students gain the knowledge and skills they need to make informed financial decisions,” said Tricia Johnson, market executive for Regions Bank in St. Petersburg-Clearwater.“We are happy to serve a role in helping these young people learn more about banking so they can set themselves up for a more secure future.”

During the event, Regions associates partnered with students to assume randomly assigned family and income scenarios. They utilize banking services, purchase housing, transportation, insurance, and other expenses, as well as make investment decisions.

“It is the unfortunate reality that many young people are not taught about managing their finances before adulthood. This has afforded students the opportunity to consider how their future career choices may impact their financial mobility,” said Jenna Dufficy, Assistant Head of School and Academic Dean of Academy Prep Center of Tampa.“Community partners like Regions Bank are transformative, helping our students fulfill the school’s mission of becoming future community leaders.”

Family Game Night – Dothan, Alabama

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Children as young as 10 and their families were invited to a dinner and game night that included a Reality Check experience. Crimson Ridge Apartment residents were treated to pizza, sponsored by Regions Bank, as they learned about building and balancing a budget.

“These financial education events are designed to empower people with the knowledge and skills they need to make informed decisions including in saving, investing, and debt management,” said John Brown, market executive for Regions Bank in Dothan.“This partnership has the ability to teach skills that can last a lifetime and help lead to greater financial stability and success.”

In addition to Financial Literacy Month, April is also Fair Housing Month. Crimson Ridge is an affordable housing community of Dothan Housing and houses over 100 families. Participants also received giveaways and prizes from both Regions and Dothan Housing.

“There was excitement in the air as the Regions team brought the Next Step Financial Literacy Program to Crimson Ridge Apartments to impart valuable financial management lessons to our families,” said Samuel P. Crawford, CEO of Dothan Housing.“Community partnerships and initiatives like this unite the community and inspire positive change intergenerationally.”

Financial Fitness for Teens – Baton Rouge, Louisiana

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Physical education is important. Regions joined the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana to make it clear financial fitness is, too.

In collaboration with the Boys & Girls Clubs Louisiana Alliance 2024 Teen Summit, Regions volunteers taught 90 teens from around the state about the fundamentals of money management and financial responsibility.

“We wanted to help make sure young people know it is about more than making money; it’s about appreciating the value of money,” said Regions’ Baton Rouge market executive, Amy Province.“It is especially helpful for these students who will soon step out into the world. Between bills, groceries, and other expenses, this exercise really does help them understand the importance of budgets and balances.”

Regions associates also took part in a“Career Pathways” class to help give students the knowledge needed to navigate their professional journeys. A career in banking can take several forms, they shared, from roles at the branch around the corner to positions in Commercial Banking, the Mortgage division, Human Resources, Information Technology, and Marketing.

“Helping our Club members have these discussions fuels our mission, which is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, become productive, caring, responsible citizens,” said the CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana, Angel Nelson.“With the support of community partners like Regions, we’re able to expand our financial education programming and provide valuable resources. In turn, Regions is helping our young people approach their finances with confidence and knowledge.”

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Reality Check – Shreveport, Louisiana

Regions Bank teamed up with Volunteers of America of North Louisiana for three Regions Next Step Reality Check events in Shreveport. The LightHouse Teen Club at Highland Center, as well as the afterschool programs at Booker T. Washington High School and Broadmoor STEM Academy , all took part.

“These children are the future of our community, and it is essential they have the knowledge to be successful,” said Regions’ Shreveport market executive, Denny Moton.“It is especially helpful for the older students as they prepare for life after graduation. This exercise really does help them understand money management as they step into the real world.”

In total, volunteers taught 50 students about avoiding financial pitfalls and understanding how to manage income and debt.

“It is essential for our LightHouse kids to learn about personal finance because this portion of the curriculum is often missing in class. A lot of our older kids have jobs, and this activity allowed them to experience a scenario where they would have to provide for a family, prepare for daily life occurrences, and be an adult with limited income,” said Victoria Morris, Volunteers of America Director for LightHouse Programs.“To see them contemplate and make the best decisions was refreshing. They learned to work with what they had, compromise, go without, and even negotiate.”

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And with what students learned at all these events, they’re better prepared to build up savings, keep debt in check – and achieve financial confidence and success over time.

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“Don’t be a lone wolf, that’s my number one life hack”—Peloton instructor and ultra runner Susie Chan shares her weekly fitness routine and tips to get started

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“Don’t be a lone wolf, that’s my number one life hack”—Peloton instructor and ultra runner Susie Chan shares her weekly fitness routine and tips to get started

In just 16 years, Susie Chan has accumulated more miles and conquered more feats of endurance than most of us achieve in a lifetime.

All seven major marathons? Check. The notoriously punishing 156-mile Marathon des Sables more times than any other British woman? Check. A 12-hour treadmill world record? Check. Check. Check.

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At 31, I’m the Strongest I’ve Ever Been—This Female-Focused Training Plan Is to Thank

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At 31, I’m the Strongest I’ve Ever Been—This Female-Focused Training Plan Is to Thank

I was in my early 20s when I first experienced the power of strength training firsthand. I was working at Women’s Health magazine and was tasked with learning to deadlift for twelve weeks at a CrossFit-style gym with a personal trainer.

I’d always been into movement, but found the concept of weights pretty terrifying before that. Most of the gyms were male-dominated spaces, and the gym plans were male-specific, too; plus, I’d grown up in a generation terrified of weight training making you “bulky” and determined to typecast muscle mass as “non-feminine.”

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Unlikely habit helped new parents shed 50 kilos

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Unlikely habit helped new parents shed 50 kilos

Books are getting Australians into the gym and keeping them there longer, and the benefits of this emerging health trend aren’t just physical – they’re mental too.

Listening to audiobooks and podcasts helped Yvonne Kong, 41, and her husband get back into fitness after becoming parents and lose a combined 50 kilos.

Yvonne Kong, 41, used podcasts to get back into exercise and stay motivated. Yvonne Kong

It also helped them broaden their minds and carve out a bit of “me time” in our busy modern world.

Audiobooks and podcasts have given Aussies the chance to turn exercise into a vehicle for learning, training their minds and bodies simultaneously. Some are even taking their e-readers and paperbacks to the gym (more on that later).

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“Listening to a story while working out actually helped me stay motivated and more consistent,” Kong told nine.com.au.

Like many Aussies, she used to dread hitting the treadmill and constantly found herself counting down the minutes until her session was over.

That changed when she hit play on a true-crime podcast during a workout.

Kong got so caught up in the story she forgot about the timer on her treadmill until her workout was over.

“I did an hour treadmill course and actually finished it without noticing,” she said.

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Have you got a story? Contact reporter Maddison Skipper at mleach@nine.com.au

Since then, she’s found herself looking forward to exercising because it gives her an hour of dedicated listening time.

Her husband does the same while running; he took up listening to audiobooks because it motivated him to run longer and more often so he could get through the story.

The benefits of reading/listening while exercising

About one in three Aussies now listen to audiobooks when they exercise, according to data from Audible.

More than a third of them exercise for longer because of it, one quarter work out more often, and half experience better mood during exercise.

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Data released exclusively to nine.com.au revealed both men and women reported these positive experiences at an almost identical rate, despite often having different workout routines and attitudes towards exercise.

Audiobooks are particularly popular with runners, more than a third of whom say they feel more focused on their run while listening.

Personal trainer Ben Lucas is one of them; he started listening while running to make time pass quickly and train his mind as well as his body.

“You’re out there anyway, so you may as well be learning something valuable while you do it,” he told nine.com.au.

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What the experts think

Mindfulness expert Luke McLeod told nine.com.au there has even been some research into how exercise increases blood flow to the brain, which helps information retention.

Lucas devours business and personal development audiobooks like Atomic Habits by James Clear while working out, a trend which has become known as ‘personal development/PD stacking’.

The goal is to “double-up of some type of personal development like listening to an e-book, which works out the mind, while also working out the body,” McLeod said.

Luke McLeod, author and founder of Soul Alive and Workplace Wellbeing Australia.

‘PD stacking’ is the new health optimisation trend, according to Luke McLeod. Luke McLeod

It’s all about optimising time in our busy world, which is particularly appealing to Aussies who are time-poor; like new parents trying to juggle work and a baby.

“When I’m with [my daughter], I’m trying to be present for her, so I’m not going to be listening to podcasts or anything,” Kong said.

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“When I exercise, that’s my time.”

Ben Lucas, personal trainer and head coach of TCS Sydney Marathon.

Personal trainer Ben Lucas has been using audiobooks to stay on track with his running. Ben Lucas

McLeod agreed that reading or listening while working out can be a great form of self-care for some Aussies.

The only pitfall is that not every workout is suited to it.

It’s hard to keep up with an audiobook or podcast if you’re trying to count reps while strength training, and there’s no way to read an e-book on a rowing machine.

“I find podcasts and audiobooks work best during longer, slower cardio sessions,” Lucas said.

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“Whether it’s an easy run, walk, or long ride, you can relax into the session, tune out a little, and focus on what you’re listening to while still getting the work done.”

He also warned Aussies to stay aware of their surroundings and hazards like traffic, cyclists, other pedestrians, or uneven paths if they listen while exercising outdoors.

McLeod added that stacking habits like exercise and reading isn’t worth it if one interrupts the other.

Road testing reading at the gym

I’ve been in and out of the gym a lot over the last decade, jumping from strength training, to reformer Pilates, and other programs in between.

But my favourite way to exercise is to hop on a treadmill with my Kindle.

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I rest it on the console, set a slight incline and a moderate speed and lose myself for an hour. No workout has ever felt faster or easier.

Reporter Maddison Skipper reads a Kindle while walking on the treadmill at her local gym.

My Kindle fits perfectly into the little divot on the treadmill console meant for a phone or tablet. Maddison Skipper

The pros: Focusing on what I’m reading takes my mind off the clock and get through an hour of cardio without getting bored or losing motivation.

Reading at the gym also helps me stay consistent because it’s one of the few places I can just switch off and focus on my book without interruptions, so I want to keep coming back.

That hour of dedicated reading time has also been great for my mental health because it forces me to slow down and focus on something completely removed from any stress in my own life.

The cons: It did take a few sessions to get used to reading while moving, but raising the brightness on my Kindle and setting it to a larger font really helped.

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Those who prefer to listen don’t have to worry about any of that though; just download an audiobook and you’re good to go.

I also invested in a pair of noise-cancelling headphones to muffle the dance music that plays over my gym’s loudspeakers, which made it much easier to focus.

Reporter Maddison Skipper reads a Kindle while walking on the treadmill at her local gym.

Reading at the gym allows Aussies like me to work on my physical and mental fitness simultaneously. Maddison Skipper

Now the only downside to reading at the gym that I sometimes hit a slump after I finish a really good book because I don’t want to hit the gym again until I find something new to read.

The verdict: It’s not for everyone, but I have found that reading at the gym has been the best way for me to stay motivated and consistent.

I feel good about taking the time to work on both my body and my mind a few times a week, and I’ve been able to check some amazing books off my ‘to be read’ list while working out.

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Audiobooks make it even easier for Aussies who want to exercise without the hassle of a physical book or e-reader, or who have different accessibility needs.

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