We're usually all for penny pinching, but when it comes to shrinking your waistline and improving your fitness, sometimes throwing down more dough can pay off big. Whether you aspire to shave seconds from your 5-K PR or lose those last 10 pounds, these eight products will make achieving your goals easier than ever.

Exercise-Monitoring Device

Tracking exercise progress can be a big motivator. For instance, using a pedometer specifically one with a daily step goal increased physical activity and decreased BMI and blood pressure in one Stanford University study. Pedometers priced as low as $20 and go up to $50 for wrist-strap versions.

A more intense runner, bicyclist or other athlete may want to invest a few hundred bucks in a GPS-enabled watch, which tracks your pace in addition to time and heart rate. "Paying attention to these numbers can help really build up your intensity and produce better results," says Jim White, RD, owner of Jim White Fitness and Nutrition Studios.

Food Scale

Your eyes may deceive you when it comes to properly portioning your food, but a scale won't. "When I first bought a food scale, I realized what I thought was 4 ounces was actually 6," White says. "A couple ounces more than you should be eating can add up big time in the long run." Most food scales cost less than $80, with some models as low as $20.

Heart Rate Monitor

Burning fat or boosting aerobic endurance requires keeping your heart rate in specific zones, so this gadget ensures all your workouts are as effective as possible. "We have a lot of clients who work out on their own and then realize they aren't pushing themselves enough," White says. The gizmo also prevents you from overdoing it. Runners can use the device to make sure they're taking their easy workouts as slow as they should be. Chest strap models, which tend to be more accurate, start at around $40 and can cost $100 or more.

Blender

Sipping fresh fruit juice or a smoothie can be a quick and easy way to fill up on vital nutrients, but many store- and restaurant-bought beverages are loaded with sugar. By blending your own you'll not only save money in the long run, but you can also control exactly what goes into your body. White uses a Vitamix ($449 and up) to make fresh juices. Holly Rigsby, an ACE-certified personal trainer and instructor at StreamFIT, loves the convenience of her Magic Bullet (about $100).

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Nine splurge-worthy health and fitness products

SCHLADMING, Austria (AP)Austrian skier Mario Scheiber announced his retirement Monday after a career marred by knee and shoulder injuries.

I am not willing to take the risks involved in ski racing anymore, said Scheiber, who had an unsuccessful comeback season following last years downhill training crash in Chamonix, France, when he broke his nose and shoulder blade.

The crash kept him out of the world championships and Scheiber considered quitting then, but decided to continue as preparations for the new season initially went well. However, he had to pull out of the North-American leg of the World Cup in November with back problems.

The whole season has been one to forget, Scheiber said. I did not manage to reach my old level again. The many injuries Ive had during my career, especially my right knee, forced me to this decision.

Scheiber, who made his World Cup debut at a GS in Lillehammer, Norway in 2003, sat out the entire 2005-06 season after tearing ligaments in his right knee and was sidelined for months with a left shoulder injury two years later.

Scheiber, who won the giant slalom title at the 2003 junior world championships, finished on a World Cup podium 13 times but failed to win a race. He finished fourth in the downhill at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

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Austrian skier Scheiber announces retirement

retirement

Highlights

Retirement Fundamentals Of Retirement Plans

If you're among the lucky Americans whose employers offer a workplace retirement plan, it behooves you to take full advantage of it. True, some plans will automatically enroll you, so all you have to do is show up to work every day and do your job. If you don't want to join, you have to actively take steps to opt out of the plan.

It would be a mistake to opt out. In fact, it would be a mistake to allow yourself to be automatically enrolled without getting involved in the decisions pertaining to your plan. Otherwise, you may end up contributing just a paltry amount, and your money may go into a fund that's too conservative or too risky or too expensive for your taste.

In this package of stories, Bankrate covers the fundamentals of retirement plans -- everything you ever wanted to know about 401(k) plans, 403(b) plans and 457(b) plans -- plus a whole lot more.

For the uninitiated, 401(k) plans are found in the private sector, 403(b) plans in the nonprofit area and 457(b) plans are offered in state, county and municipal workplaces. All have their arcane sets of rules, and all provide a way for you to save money in a tax-deferred account. Some are stranger than others. Bankrate's story, "Shakeout in 403(b) plans affects teachers," uncovers the unusual situation in the education market and explains why teachers are dropping out of their 403(b) plans.

If you work for a small business that doesn't offer a plan -- and the majority do not -- then it's time to lobby the boss for change. Employers can pick from several different types of plans ranging from simple payroll deduction individual retirement accounts to complex defined benefit plans that require serious commitment. Bankrate's story, "Retirement plans for small biz," covers the nuts and bolts of 10 different retirement plans designed specifically for small businesses and self-employed individuals.

The government devised several different types of plans in order to entice people to save for retirement, even at the expense of federal tax revenue. Retirement savings in workplace plans keep money out of government coffers -- contributions made on a pretax basis are not counted as income, so you dodge the tax bullet on those funds until it's time to take the money out.

To find out if you have a first-class 401(k) plan or a mediocre one, check out "What makes a 401(k) plan great." Get ready for changes in your corporate retirement plan as well. This year, sponsors of 401(k) plans will be required to break out all costs to plan participants, as discussed in the story, "401(k) plan fees to be unveiled." This event will surely be an eye-opener for everyone.

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Fundamentals of retirement plans

Most people spend less money in retirement than they did while they were working. Retired households spend a median of $31,365 annually, which is about 80 percent of the $39,945 working households spend, according to a recent Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) analysis of Health and Retirement Study data. Annual expenses also decline steadily with age, falling by 19 percent between ages 65 and 75, and plunging 52 percent by age 95. The majority of study participants (66 percent) experienced a drop in retirement spending, while 16 percent of the households spent more money in retirement.

[See 21 Ways to Reduce Your Retirement Expenses.]

Retirees have lower expenses largely because they are able to eliminate work-related costs like commuting and office attire, and they no longer have to pay FICA taxes or save for retirement. But retirees often spend more on healthcare than people who are still in the workforce, especially if they develop a significant health problem that requires long-term care. Here's a look at the major ways costs change in retirement:

Housing. Housing is the single largest expense for both workers and retirees. Home-related expenses represent 47 percent of all costs for people ages 50 to 64, which declines to 44 percent between ages 65 and 74. "People probably finish paying off their mortgages, so they don't have to pay the mortgage anymore," says Sudipto Banerjee, a research associate at EBRI and author of the report. Downsizing to a less expensive house or condo or moving to a cheaper part of the country can also significantly decrease your housing expenses in retirement.

Healthcare. Health-related expenses are the only major cost that increases steadily and significantly with age. Health costs represent about 9 percent of most people's budget between ages 50 and 64. This number doubles to 18 percent after age 85. "As their health declines, it means more care and the cost of healthcare itself is increasing. The same amount of care costs more now," says Banerjee. "If you have to go into a nursing home or enter into some form of long-term care, that is going to significantly increase your expenses."

[See How to Save for Retirement on a Low Income.]

Transportation. You no longer need to commute to work in retirement. Transportation costs drop from 14 percent of the budget of 50- to 64-year-olds to 8 percent for those 85 and older. Couples who previously needed two cars can often get by with one.

Food and clothing. People tend to spend the same share of their income on food (12 percent) and clothing (3 percent) in retirement as they did while working. But there's certainly room to make cuts if you trade in your suits for jeans and eat more of your meals at home.

Gifts and donations. When grandchildren are born, many retirees spend more on gifts and trips to see them. Some retirees also plan bequests to relatives or charities. "The budget shares spent on donations and gifts go up a lot with age," says Susann Rohwedder, associate director of the RAND Center for the Study of Aging. "As people age, they may start to think they really don't need that money and might start to give it away."

[See 5 Surprise Retirement Costs.]

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6 Ways Spending Changes in Retirement

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuViIEZqRZA

09-03-2012 08:31 18.02.12 to 24.02.12 - Glorious week with loads of new snow. Oakhall Personal Performance Course with Harley was awesome. Some highlights of Tim's week.

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Powder Skiing in Zillertal with Oakhall PPC 2012.avi - Video

HOUSTON, March 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc. (NYSE: KRA - News), a leading global producer of styrenic block copolymers or "SBCs," announces plans to showcase and discuss its latest innovations at NPE 2012, the world's largest plastics exposition, conference and technology exchange.

"Kraton offers the most diverse and robust product profile in the SBC world," said Michael Oberkirch, Vice President, Advanced Materials. "Our products compete against a variety of material alternatives including, but not limited to, TPV, TPU, PVC, TPO, PET, PC, PA, natural rubber, and EPDM based offerings. Kraton polymers are highly-engineered and deliver recognized value by providing safe and viable alternatives to less efficient or less environmentally-friendly solutions," he continued. Demand for Kraton products continues to be driven by customer requirements and the unmet needs of the markets. "Our innovation-led growth strategy focuses on translating the inherent strengths of our product technologies such as flexibility, resilience, impact and moisture resistance, and aesthetics such as clarity and soft touch, to target opportunities where we can expand and create entirely new market spaces for our solutions," he concluded.

Products showcased at NPE include the following:

NPE 2012 will provide tremendous opportunities for knowledge sharing, which Kraton has found results in new, innovative, and specialized product solutions that meet the most rigorous industry demands for higher-performance. If you would like to meet one-on-one with our experts, please visit the Kraton booth #39000 at NPE 2012. For pre-scheduled media interviews, please contact Marcella Coronado at Marcie.coronado@kraton.com.

About Kraton Polymers

Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc., through its operating subsidiary Kraton Polymers LLC and its subsidiaries, is a leading global producer of engineered polymers and styrenic block copolymers ("SBCs"), a family of products whose chemistry was pioneered by us almost fifty years ago. SBCs are highly-engineered thermoplastic elastomers, which enhance the performance of numerous products by delivering a variety of attributes, including greater flexibility, resilience, strength, durability and processability. Our polymers are used in a wide range of applications, including adhesives, coatings, consumer and personal care products, sealants and lubricants, and medical, packaging, automotive, paving, roofing and footwear products. We currently offer approximately 800 products to more than 700 customers in over 60 countries worldwide, and are the only SBC producer with manufacturing and service capabilities on four continents. We manufacture products at five plants globally, including our flagship plant in Belpre, Ohio, as well as plants in Germany, France and Brazil, and a joint venture plant operated in Japan.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release may contain "forward-looking statements," which are statements other than statements of historical fact and are often characterized by the use of words such as "believes," "expects," "estimates," "projects," "may," "will," "intends," "plans" or "anticipates," or by discussions of strategy, anticipated performance, plans or intentions. All forward-looking statements in this press release are made based on management's current expectations and estimates, which involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are more fully described in "Part I. Item 1A. Risk Factors" contained in our Annual Report on 10-K, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and as subsequently updated in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. We hereby make reference to all such filings for all purposes. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We assume no obligation to update such information.

Kraton, the Kraton logo and design, Cariflex, Nexar and the "Giving Innovators their Edge" tagline are all trademarks of Kraton Polymers LLC.

Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc. 2012. All rights reserved.

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Kraton Performance Polymers Delivers Innovative PVC Alternatives

President Barack Obamas campaign website is offering to showcase anyone who submits a more accurate prediction of the March Madness basketball results than Obamas personal prediction.

Think You Got Game? asks a recent headline on his official campaign website. Fill out your bracket below and see if you can beat President Obamas bracket predictions. And hows this for bragging rights: well publish a list of everyone who does better than the President here on BarackObama.com after the tournament is over.

The new Obama Bracket Challenge is designed to help him spur base voters, build his mailing list and boost low-dollar donations, while also fronting his personal charm, which gets higher polls from voters than does his record on the economy.

Obamas job-approval rating was only 45 percent in February, but his personal ratings have usually been a few points higher. Last December, for example, Gallup reported only 42 percent of the public approved of his performance, while an ABC/Washington Post poll pegged his personal rating at 48 percent.

That rating is relatively high given the state of the economy, although far below his high point of 79 percent in Jan. 2009.

The bracket competition may also tug the public conversation away from the dour economy.

Gallup says the combined unemployment and underemployment rate is 19 percent, despite Obamas spending $5 trillion more than tax receipts since 2009. Even the official unemployment rate of 8.3 percent is far higher than the historical average, and is well above the 6.1 percent Obamas team promised it would be by early 2012 when Congress passed the controversial $787 billion stimulus bill in 2009.

In fact, Obamas personal popularity can shield him from GOP criticisms, and bring over a percentage of swing-voters who would otherwise vote for his eventual Republican opponent. And his campaign periodically tries to pump up those personal ratings by displaying Obamas personal charm on the website.

In a recent video, for example, Obama is shown talking about the Chicago Bulls basketball team with several supporters who won tickets for a meal with him.

Asked by one man where hed like to work other than the White House, Obama responded genially that, Id be starting point guard for the Chicago Bulls.

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Obama dribbles past job approval, shoots for personal appeal

Planning on playing hooky Thursday and Friday to see how youre doing with your NCAA Tournament bracket? Good for you.

But if you really want to be able to be the champion of your office pool, Andrew Clark advises taking a sick day today as well. Maybe Tuesday, too. But only if youre willing to do a little research.

Clark is the author of Bracketeering, The Laymans Guide to Picking the Madness in March, which mainly relies on statistics to predict the NCAA mens basketball tournament, although he claims it doesnt take a masters degree in mathematics or a total immersion into college basketball to be successful.

Last year, I had Ohio State (eliminated in the Sweet 16) and Kansas (out in the Elite Eight) in the championship game, said Clark, whos in his third year at Suffolk University School of Law in Boston. But Virginia Commonwealth came out of nowhere, and I didnt think Butler could do it again.

So many unpredictable things like that can happen. But its certainly better to have an educated system rather than picking things haphazardly.

Maybe. Maybe not.

ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi was beaten by a Cocker Spaniel two years ago.

If anybody was smart enough to have Butler and VCU in the Final Four last year, he should be picking stocks instead of basketball teams from his penthouse on Park Avenue, Lunardi said.

The easiest thing about Clarks method is that the data he uses is readily assessable at ncaa.com/statistics, where all 338 Division I teams are ranked in 20 categories.

From there, Clark prepares his sheet of integrity, lining up the 68 teams in the tournament, which this year culminates with the Final Four on March 31 and April 2 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

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Author says key to NCAA Tournament bracket success is in the numbers

LONDON (Reuters) - We all know that making a good impression is fundamental to professional and social success. All too often, however, we unintentionally tarnish our personal polish by forgetting the basics of face-to-face communication.

From personal appearances and body language to handshakes and introductions, here are some top tips on being remembered for all the right reasons...

1. Looking Good

Your appearance is an instant message to those around you, so the way you look is as important as how you behave. It goes without saying that you and your attire should be shiny and clean from head to toe. Dress appropriately for the situation - tailor your personal sense of style to suit your surroundings.

2. Positive Posture

The way you stand, walk and sit all make a big impression. Hold your head high, keep your back straight and pull your shoulders back, but keep it all looking natural. Tread lightly (no clumping, thundering footsteps), and don't drag your feet or shuffle. Women should always sit with their knees together; men should avoid sitting with their legs excessively wide apart, and should never repeatedly jiggle their leg up and down.

3. Boost Your Body Language

Body language is a series of silent signals that play a vitally important part in the impression you give to the world. Create an air of confidence and positivity by avoiding crossed arms, hunched shoulders and awkward fidgeting. Focus on good posture, positive gestures and a natural sense of self-awareness. Never yawn in public and don't forget to smile.

4. Shake On It

A handshake, lasting just a few seconds, is the common form of greeting for all business situations and most social situations. Always use your right hand and 'pump' the recipients hand two or three times before you let it go. Make eye contact and ensure that your fingers firmly grasp the other palm. Avoid bone-crushing grips or loose, limp hands.

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Modern Etiquette: Seven tips to making the right impression

PARSIPPANY, N.J., March 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Demand for natural personal care products remains strong within the well-established markets of Western Europe and North America, maintaining high growth rates. The most recent findings, from worldwide consulting and research firm Kline & Company, show that while the segment's 2011 growth waned slightly compared to the five-year compound annual growth rate of 13.9%, it still consistently outperformed the overall beauty market.

Both of these markets are distinctly different as market leaders vary from region to region; moreover, within Europe, the dynamics of the naturals market varies significantly between countries. In Western Europe, the natural segment is becoming more mainstream, but it's the largely untapped markets of Central and Eastern Europe where opportunities show great promise. Additionally, Western European and North American shares of the total market have been decreasing over the past five years at the expense of Brazil and China. The latter are expected to draw the focus of astute companies keen to establish critical footholds in these budding markets. Savvy marketers are also opening up and exploring new channels of distribution, allowing access to new consumers and ultimately broadening demand.

Large, predominantly German drug stores, such as DM, Schlecker, and Rossmann, represent the fastest growing pan-European channel. In the United States, traditional natural health food stores still lead the way; however, mass outlets, such as Walmartwhich as an indicator of the retailer's faith in the naturals' market, recently introduced its own private-label productsare quickly increasing in significance.

Indeed, more mass market brands are recognizing the vitality and viability of the naturals segment with its inherent market cachet and consumers' increasing readiness to pay a premium for genuinely natural products. The benefits are manifold; by increasing the channels of distribution and allowing consumers easier access to natural products, both ultimately contribute to the segment's growth.

Kline's Consumer Industry Manager Nancy Mills attributes the resilience of the natural personal care sector to ever growing consumer awareness of health, environmental, and sustainability concerns. "These drivers are near universal, but their influence varies significantly between markets," observes Mills. "In Western Europe, consumers have a higher awareness and interest concerning product ingredients, business ethics, and sustainability practices, and many are astutely avoiding products which are natural only in positioning. In Eastern Europe, where the movement is starting to blossom, consumers aren't yet as discerning."

"Natural personal care is not a fad, but a genuine movement that's manifesting itself in ever diverse product applications," continues Mills. "The consumer is better educated, and this can serve the marketer well, particularly as credible certification standards are being implemented and recognized."

The global market for natural personal care products is expected to maintain strong growth with a compound annual growth rate of almost 10% through 2016. The growth of truly natural products will likely outpace that of natural-inspired brands across most regions; however, natural-inspired brands will continue to dominate the global natural personal care market.

Natural Personal Care 2011: Regional Market Analysis and Competitive Brand Assessment provides subscribers with competitive and market intelligence on the global natural and organic personal care market. By examining the key players and the ingredients they use, Kline's report uniquely separates the market into two distinct segments: truly natural products and naturally-inspired products.

About Kline Kline is a worldwide consulting and research firm dedicated to providing the kind of insight and knowledge that helps companies find a clear path to success. The firm has served the management consulting and market research needs of organizations in the chemicals, materials, energy, life sciences, and consumer products industries for over 50 years. For more information, visit http://www.KlineGroup.com.

For more information, contact:Vera Sandarova Marketing Communications +420-222-316-282 Vera.Sandarova@klinegroup.com

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Natural Personal Care Markets in Western Europe and the United States Naturally Evolving, However Still Vibrant ...