Caught on Camera: Firefighters respond to dumpster fire at FGCUFGCU students affected by Covid celebrate first commencement ceremony
FORT MYERS Caught on Camera: Firefighters respond to dumpster fire at FGCU San Carlos Park Fire District responded to a dumpster fire Sunday afternoon.
FORT MYERS FGCU students affected by Covid celebrate first commencement ceremony Graduation is a right of passage from school to the real world, but for these students, reality hit them in 2020.
PUNTA GORDA Motorcycle crash leaves 1 dead One person has died after a motorcycle crash in Charlotte County.
LEE COUNTY Lee Deputies work to track down transient sex offenders who fail to register WINK News Anchor Corey Lazar goes on patrol with Lee County Deputies in search of transient sex offenders who don’t register.
National Hurricane Preparedness Week: Know your risk Hurricane season starts on June 1st, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has designated the week of May 5 through May 11 as National Hurricane Preparedness Week. Each day, Meteorologist Lauren Kreidler will be highlighting ways to stay prepared ahead of this year’s hurricane season.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Stay alert – chance of showers and storms on Sunday Hot, humid, and more rain for parts of Southwest Florida on Sunday.
CAPE CORAL What we learned about Cape Coral’s water crisis after a ride along On Friday, WINK News got to ride along to see just what people are doing that could be wasting water.
The Weather Authority: A wet Saturday evening as storms move through Southwest Florida A rainy Saturday evening across much of southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS Lee Health Touch-A-Truck event educates families on Trauma Awareness On Saturday morning, sirens were ringing to celebrate Lee Health Trauma Center’s 30 years of service and to provide the public with trauma education and prevention methods.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA (CBS) CDC says bird flu viruses “pose pandemic potential,” cites major knowledge gaps Bird flu continues to appear to pose a “low risk to the general public” for now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. But the agency’s scientists ran into roadblocks investigating a human case of this “pandemic potential” virus this year, they said in a new report.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Bay Street Yard set to open in late May A new place to hang out in Downtown Fort Myers is opening this spring.
Aetna agrees to settle lawsuit over fertility coverage for LGBTQ+ customers Aetna has agreed to settle a lawsuit that accused the health insurer of discriminating against LGBTQ+ customers in need of fertility treatment.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Robbery, Pawn Shops, and Child Porn This week’s segment of Wink Neighborhood Watch features an armed robber, fraud at a pawn shop, and possession of child pornography.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Sun, clouds, humidity, rain – it’s all in your weekend forecast Saturday afternoon will be hot and humid, with a mix of sun and clouds.
LEHIGH ACRES Chaotic lake getting fence and security Now, with all the negative attention it has gotten, some think putting up a fence is a great way to keep that bad activity out.
FORT MYERS Caught on Camera: Firefighters respond to dumpster fire at FGCU San Carlos Park Fire District responded to a dumpster fire Sunday afternoon.
FORT MYERS FGCU students affected by Covid celebrate first commencement ceremony Graduation is a right of passage from school to the real world, but for these students, reality hit them in 2020.
PUNTA GORDA Motorcycle crash leaves 1 dead One person has died after a motorcycle crash in Charlotte County.
LEE COUNTY Lee Deputies work to track down transient sex offenders who fail to register WINK News Anchor Corey Lazar goes on patrol with Lee County Deputies in search of transient sex offenders who don’t register.
National Hurricane Preparedness Week: Know your risk Hurricane season starts on June 1st, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has designated the week of May 5 through May 11 as National Hurricane Preparedness Week. Each day, Meteorologist Lauren Kreidler will be highlighting ways to stay prepared ahead of this year’s hurricane season.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Stay alert – chance of showers and storms on Sunday Hot, humid, and more rain for parts of Southwest Florida on Sunday.
CAPE CORAL What we learned about Cape Coral’s water crisis after a ride along On Friday, WINK News got to ride along to see just what people are doing that could be wasting water.
The Weather Authority: A wet Saturday evening as storms move through Southwest Florida A rainy Saturday evening across much of southwest Florida.
FORT MYERS Lee Health Touch-A-Truck event educates families on Trauma Awareness On Saturday morning, sirens were ringing to celebrate Lee Health Trauma Center’s 30 years of service and to provide the public with trauma education and prevention methods.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA (CBS) CDC says bird flu viruses “pose pandemic potential,” cites major knowledge gaps Bird flu continues to appear to pose a “low risk to the general public” for now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. But the agency’s scientists ran into roadblocks investigating a human case of this “pandemic potential” virus this year, they said in a new report.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Bay Street Yard set to open in late May A new place to hang out in Downtown Fort Myers is opening this spring.
Aetna agrees to settle lawsuit over fertility coverage for LGBTQ+ customers Aetna has agreed to settle a lawsuit that accused the health insurer of discriminating against LGBTQ+ customers in need of fertility treatment.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WINK Neighborhood Watch: Robbery, Pawn Shops, and Child Porn This week’s segment of Wink Neighborhood Watch features an armed robber, fraud at a pawn shop, and possession of child pornography.
Southwest Florida The Weather Authority: Sun, clouds, humidity, rain – it’s all in your weekend forecast Saturday afternoon will be hot and humid, with a mix of sun and clouds.
LEHIGH ACRES Chaotic lake getting fence and security Now, with all the negative attention it has gotten, some think putting up a fence is a great way to keep that bad activity out.
Credit: WINK News When it comes to maintaining good cholesterol levels, a study finds tai chi more effective than weight training and cardio. WINK News speaks to a tai chi student and an instructor about why this exercise is so beneficial. Stephen Piccone turned to tai chi for his health. “The aging body is taking its toll with the arthritis in my joints, pain, discomfort, things like that,” said Piccone. Now, years later, this gentle art has become part of his daily life. “Before I walk, I shift my weight here and I step more gently,” Piccone said. “And it’s a subconscious thing now.” Piccone has become a full-fledged student of tai chi. “With the movement being so gentle and taking your time before you do the next movement, the core is really holding you stable,” he said. Danling Neilson is a Level III tai chi instructor. “Your mind is calm, peaceful. Let the core finish the movement. Let the hip help the body transfer the weight,” Neilson said. Neilson says tai chi can also help with weight loss. “They lose weight from inside to outside. Maybe it takes a little time, but when you lose the weight, you’re very, very stable,” Neilson said. “Tai Chi can also help you lose weight because the core muscle is non-stop working.” Dr. Michael Irwin is the director of the Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology at UCLA. “When you’re engaging those large muscle groups, you’re actually engaging in a considerable amount of physical activity,” Irwin said. Dr. Irwin studies the health benefits of tai chi. One of his last studies followed more than 500 adults, all aged 50 and older, for 38 weeks. “It turns out that waist circumference, the actual accumulation of abdominal fat, is the one factor that’s most highly related to adverse outcomes, particularly in older adults, like cardiovascular disease, and also certain cancers,” Irwin said. “The purpose of this study was to evaluate what extent Tai Chi or physical activity could decrease waist circumference or abdominal obesity,” said Dr. Irwin. The participants in this study were split into three groups: the first with no intervention, the second group did weight training and aerobic exercise and the third group did tai chi. The conventional exercise group and the tai chi group both reduced their waist sizes and lost weight. But, when it comes to maintaining HDL or “good” cholesterol levels, tai chi performed the best. Dr. Irwin says it’s critical for older adults struggling with central obesity. “The fact that Tai Chi is as effective and in many cases better on some of these outcomes is, I think, really important,” said Dr. Irwin. Many older adults don’t have the same mobility as younger people and that may make it more difficult for them to lose weight. “They don’t have their mobility, and they can’t achieve the levels of aerobic activity necessary to reduce abdominal obesity,” said Irwin. “We need to have interventions that can be effectively employed on a day to day basis that are really easy to do and easy to accommodate a once-daily routine. And that’s what Tai Chi is,” Dr. Irwin said. The best part about tai chi is, it’s accessible and low-impact, according to instructor Neilson. “If you can walk, you can do Tai Chi,” Neilson said. “When I look in the mirror now, I’m not concerned with what the outside looks like anymore. Because the inside is feeling great,” Piccone said. “This is not a fix like you go to the doctor and you get a pill, and you take it and the pill does it for you. Tai Chi is you,” said Piccone. Researchers focused on reducing older adults’ waistlines because abdominal fat is highly related to health conditions such as cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. Ideally, you should practice tai chi 20-30 minutes per day.