You’re a good neighbor. You keep your sidewalks clear, your trees trimmed, your dog on the leash, and your pool gate locked—all steps meant to keep your family and friends safe and your insurance costs down.

[See 50 Ways to Improve Your Finances in 2012.]

“It doesn’t mean you’re uninsurable. There is always a carrier, such as a more-expensive state insurance pool or a specialty insurer that will take on your risk, but you pay for it,” McCarthy says.

When your homeowners, condo, or renter’s policy comes up for renewal, the insurer typically sends a questionnaire that asks about hazards. Homeowners have a responsibility to report their current status, detailing any changes. Failing to keep policies up to date can risk a rejected claim or a dropped policy. Many consumers go for multipolicy discounts between homeowners and auto insurance, so putting your homeowners’ policy in jeopardy could prompt having to change auto insurers.

Although regulation varies by state, some of the biggest culprits behind added insurance costs include:

Swings, gyms, trampolines, and other backyard equipment. They’re a staple of childhood and quite common. But they’re still often an added insurance liability cost because of the risk that a child could fall or suffer an injury while on your property. The equipment make and model can affect the price of a policy, so do some research to find which equipment is highly rated by the insurance industry.

[See What Type of Life Insurance Do I Need?]

Pool, sauna, hot tub, and fireplaces. Owning a pool, sauna, or hot tub can increase the cost of your home insurance policy due to increased liability as well as greater property value. Appropriate fencing, security features, and other measures not only save lives, but also reduce the cost of insurance. Often homeowners take steps to keep unexpected guests out of the pool, but even carefully patrolled parties carry the risk of an unexpected accident. In general, remember that it costs money to insure these watery additions to the patio and yard, so make sure your budget can handle it. Outdoor fireplaces and fire pits have gained in popularity in recent years; they may also not be covered under a standard homeowners’ policy. Research ahead of purchase is important.

Dog breeds. The loyal family dog may simply be a gentle giant, but it likely won’t matter to the underwriters if the pooch fits a certain profile. Virtually no regular insurance company will cover you if you have a Doberman pinscher, German shepherd, pit bull, or Rottweiler. The second category encompasses borderline breeds. A certain breed—a husky, for instance—may be okay with one insurance company but not with another. If you have a certificate showing that the dog has gotten obedience training, it may help. Among the borderline breeds are supersized varieties such as the English bullmastiff and Great Dane. According to insurance industry rules, that’s because a big dog, although unaggressive, may playfully jump on someone and accidently knock him or her down and cause an injury.

[See Do You Need Liability Insurance?]

There are other not-so-obvious homeowner insurance responsibilities to consider. McCarthy says homeowners often neglect to update policies after major renovations. The square footage increase is the primary reason that a bigger policy is needed. Should a tree fall on the new addition that the insurer doesn’t know about, the homeowner may face some problems.

Article source: http://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/2012/2/22/are-you-a-bigger-insurance-risk-than-you-think?s_cid=rss:are-you-a-bigger-insurance-risk-than-you-think

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – Young, tech-savvy consumers in the D.C. metropolitan area tell Verizon they are using several Internet-connected devices in their home and on the go, making broadband speed and anywhere access important lifestyle assets.

In on-camera interviews that Verizon recently conducted with randomly selected consumers in the District, these “techknowledgeables” provided testimony to their demand for access by listing as many as seven different Internet-connected devices.  They said they use the multiple devices for tapping into entertainment choices, as well as for staying in touch with family, friends and business colleagues, at home and on the go. 

Their comments reinforce Verizon’s business focus to provide its FiOS customers with a borderless lifestyle when it comes to connecting to their favorite TV and on-demand movies. 

(Note: Excerpts from those interviews can be seen by clicking here.)

“The candid comments from these denizens of D.C. echo many of the same messages we’ve been emphasizing in our hyperlocal marketing campaign focused on 25- to 39-year-olds, who make up a significant portion of multidwelling unit tenants,” said Chris Anderson, director of consumer marketing for Verizon.  “We launched the campaign in the Washington metro area late last year and this week announced its expansion to the MDU markets in the New York City, Philadelphia, Dallas/Fort Worth and Los Angeles metro areas.”

Many of the campaign elements used during the D.C. pilot – including immersive digital advertising combined with social media engagement, plus a concentrated presence of out-of-home advertising and local events with prospective customers – will be used in the four additional markets.  In these highly competitive areas, Verizon will seek to reach young professionals in places where they spend a great deal of time – gyms, restaurants, bars, movie theaters, malls and transit centers.

The on-camera interviews captured by Verizon affirm the Internet and entertainment provider’s commitment to next-generation interactive services, including Flex View and FiOS TV Online, which extend FiOS TV beyond the MDU or single-family home to the Internet and a range of mobile devices; an advanced video operating system and viewer guide; and free interactive applications like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

With FiOS, customers also can receive Media Manager, which allows them to access on their TVs personal photos, music and videos from their computers; and In-Home Agent, which helps customers to diagnose and resolve service issues.

For the latest news, updates and information about FiOS TV and Internet, visit www.verizon.com/newscenter  and http://www.verizon.com/athomeblog.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America’s most reliable wireless network, with nearly 109 million total connections nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America’s most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers in more than 150 countries, including all of the Fortune 500.  A Dow 30 company with $111 billion in 2011 revenues, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of nearly 194,000.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

VERIZON’S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speeches and biographies, media contacts, high-quality video and images, and other information are available at Verizon’s News Center on the World Wide Web at www.verizon.com/news.  To receive news releases by email, visit the News Center and register for customized automatic delivery of Verizon news releases.

Article source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/tech-savvy-d-c-residents-191800240.html

Life can be forever changed in just a few minutes.

For Woburn residents Helen and Peter Phillou, that change came on a Sunday morning nine years ago. Coming out of church, the then-73-year-old Peter Phillou was struck by a car while standing in a crosswalk and thrown 20 feet in the air. Once a runner and lecturer at Northeastern University and Wentworth Institute of Technology, he was left with a broken collarbone, broken cheekbone and severe head injuries.

In the years since the accident, the Phillous traveled to hospitals and other sites for physical therapy and exercise, but there was always traffic to deal with, and inconsistency of care.

Then, a friend told Helen about Peoplefit, a Woburn-based fitness center owned and operated by physical therapists, which provides exercise opportunities for older clients. Best of all, for the Phillous, was Peoplefit at Home, which provides customized fitness programs for older folks in order to help them maximize their mobility.

According to Peoplefit director Carla Nazzaro, the fitness center is ideal for those who are intimidated by traditional gyms, where the instructors, as well as the clientele, can be young, fit, and too intense for those with health issues. Peoplefit, located at 237 Lexington St. in the four corners area of Woburn, provides high-quality and friendly service to help clients meet their individual fitness goals through personalized programs, Nazzaro said.

The idea for Peoplefit at Home came at the request of the fitness center clients, who were asking for one-to-one exercise programs for husbands or parents, Nazzaro said.

“We started going to people’s homes, and that is where the market has taken us,” she said. “As Baby Boomers age, these are the services we’ll need in order to stay healthy and maintain our quality of life.”

Pat Agostino, co-owner and physical therapist, said many clients are older people trying to maintain their independence and stay in their own homes. Others live in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, working on improving their mobility. They have a wide range of health issues, including arthritis and Parkinson’s disease, or are recovering from strokes. As a whole, their goal is to feel better, have more energy, and remain independent, he said.

“The difference between being able to rise from a chair and ambulate across a room independently, instead of requiring assistance, can be monumental,” Nazarro said.

One recent client, a woman with a history of seizures who lived alone, sought out Peoplefit after having several falls, Agostino said. She had been discharged from a rehabilitation facility, but still didn’t feel strong enough to go out of her house.

“We saw here, got her slowly out of her house, and now she is walking around her neighborhood,” he said. “She now takes the bus to the fitness center.”

Eighty-two-year-old George Haroules began working with a Peoplefit physical therapist in his home after a serious illness that took him through four hospitalizations and four stays in rehabilitation centers.

“Before I got sick I used to visit their facility in Woburn and exercise,” said the Woburn resident, who knew brothers Pat and Jim as altar boys at St. Bridget’s church in Lexington. 

After his illness, Haroules’ wife called the brothers to see if someone could work with George at home, helping to rebuild the strength he had lost through his illness.

“Carla had someone come over and help me, and in three months I’ve gone from not being able to walk without a walker to taking care of myself, dress myself, feed myself,  and walk up 24 stairs and down 24 stairs. My health is improved 100 percent, and I give them the credit,” he said.

At the Phillous, Agostino has visited three times every week for the past two years, helping Peter with strength building and improving his balance and flexibility.

“Pat is very reliable and consistent,” Helen said. “The improvement is not miraculous, but it maintains Peter, and that’s OK.”

For an at-home visit, Peoplefit physical therapists provide all equipment and motivation needed for clients to exercise, set goals, and improve their health, Agostino said. As a private, fee-for-service provider, Peoplefit does not accept insurance. Instead, clients tend to use the service in order to continue improving after being discharged from physical therapy, Nazzaro said. A single, 45-minute session costs $135; five sessions are $600; and 10 sessions, $1,150.

“It is not easy for people to invite a stranger into their houses and build a relationship,” Agostino said. “But, once a person sees they can put on their own shoes, they can assist themselves in the shower, they gain back something huge. I give the a lot of credit for taking the initiative for maintaining their health.”

Article source: http://www.wickedlocal.com/woburn/news/x565041768/These-physical-therapists-make-house-calls

Working out at home is easier than ever, thanks to the wealth of online instruction and a new generation of multi-tasking, space-saving fitness tools.

Fitness experts say all that is needed is some space, a mat and a few favorite things.

“Most important is that you have at least a five-foot by five-foot (1.5 by 1.5-meter) space, so that you’re not worried about doing a movement full range, and a mat, so you’ve got a soft surface for work on the floor,” said Lisa Wheeler, program director of DailyBurn.com, an online workout site.

“Then just add what you like to do,” she said. “If you don’t like dumbbells, don’t buy them.”

Wheeler’s personal preference runs to resistance tubes.

“I think they are a great piece of equipment because you can use them for several different exercises and you can travel with them,” she said.

For people who would rather not buy any equipment, Wheeler suggests using what is at hand.

“You can use things you find around the house,” she said. “I often encourage moms to pick up a soccer ball or basketball to use as a medicine ball.”

Jessica Matthews, of the American Council on Exercise, said if space is small and money is tight, look for strength-training equipment that is affordable and storable.

“I like medicine balls for rotational work and sandbells are among my new favorites,” she said, referring to the soft, neoprene-filled bags of varying weights. “You can slam them on a hardwood floor and they won’t roll away from you.”

Home workouts are the norm for many people. Only 16 percent of Americans belong to a health club, according to the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA).

Matthews said some gyms are beginning to stream live videos of their fitness classes into people’s homes via the internet.

“Streaming classes are great to find ways to move your body. You can still be at home but have the guidance of an instructor,” she said. “The downside is they can’t see you.”

Colleen Logan of ICON, an exercise equipment manufacturer, said treadmills account for 58 percent of all home gym equipment purchases.

“The treadmill has huge benefits,” she said, “But any exercise expert will tell you fitness includes strength, flexibility and balance training. And to think you’re going to get all your strength training needs solved by a treadmill is limited.”

Some of the latest strength training products also focus on improving balance, Logan said, such as Rip60, a body suspension/weight training seatbelt-like strap that can be secured over a door or looped around a tree trunk.

There’s also a disk filled with sand for practicing unstable planks, push-ups and crunches. Its handles allow kettlebell-like moves as well.

Even some kettlebells are going soft.

“Instead of a chunk of metal, the soft kettlebell is adjustable, like a stack of donuts,” Logan said. “It can range from four to 20 pounds. The weighted disks can function separately as hand weights.”

Nicole Nichols of fitness website sparkpeople.com suggests mining the many free exercise sessions on YouTube and workout DVDs at your local library.

“Realistically, you can set up your own gym at home for less than $50 dollars,” she said. “A simple tool like a pedometer will help you realize how much you’re moving.”

Article source: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/02/21/no-gym-needed-how-to-work-out-at-home/

20 February 2012
Last updated at 12:04 ET

Injury victims included a six-year-old, the research found

Plastic surgeons are warning parents of the risk of children being injured in accidents with home treadmills.

The Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery said an increasing number of children were suffering deep friction burns from motorised belts.

The centre at Morriston Hospital, Swansea, logged 20 such injuries between January 2006 and December 2010.

Surgeons urged parents, manufacturers and regulatory authorities to help curb a “growing problem”.

Plastic surgeons and a burns nurse from the Swansea-based centre have compiled a joint research paper on the issue with a colleague at the Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

They looked at 29 treadmill-related injuries to children between 2003 and 2009.

More than half needed skin grafts, and over two-thirds had deep burns. The children, made up of 15 boys and 14 girls, were aged between one and 13.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

This is a growing problem because of the popularity of home gyms”

End Quote
Sarah Hemington-Gorse
Plastic surgeon

The research revealed that 16 of the 29 cases studied had trapped their hands or forearm under the belt of the treadmill when an adult was using it.

The others were injured after touching a recently used machine or playing on a treadmill themselves.

The majority of injuries were to the hands or arm, but one toddler sustained a burn to the nape of the neck.

Almost half the children sustained full thickness burns and 17 needed skin grafts.

The report’s authors said: “We believe parents, manufacturers and regulatory authorities must take important steps to prevent this emerging health problem.”

Surgery

The Welsh Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery said more recent figures showed that between January 2006 and December 2010, there were 20 cases – all children.

Six were admitted to hospital straight away, and 14 attended as outpatients. However, six of the 14 were later admitted for planned surgery.

“This is a growing problem because of the popularity of home gyms and people buying treadmills to use at home instead of going to the gym,” said Sarah Hemington-Gorse, a plastic surgeon at the centre.

“I don’t think that people fully appreciate how severe the injuries can be as the burns are only small. The problem is that the majority of the burns are deep and are on the fingers or hands.

“The belts are motorised so they keep on turning, and can cause deep burns.”

Ms Hemington-Gorse said the burns were often to the palms or finger, and sometimes needed skin grafts.

‘Guards’

“This is a growing problem, and our latest case was a boy who fell on a treadmill just last week and suffered friction burns as a result,” she said.

Ms Hemington-Gorse said the issue with home treadmills was that many had no guards around the working parts.

The research project, Paediatric injuries due to home treadmill use: an emerging problem, has been published by the Royal College of Surgeons.

It was co-authored by Ms Hemington-Gorse, Tom Potokar, Prakash Lohana, Claire Thomas and Yvonne Wilson.

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-17103018