For those innovative individuals, Fitbomb, a patented fitness tool, may be the perfect fit.

This “fitness sauna”allows individuals to provide an entire gym’s worth of in-house fitness services easily.

David Shurtleff, a disabled veteran, created FitBomb as an option for those looking to improve athletic performance, enhance their health, or simply reduce the effects of aging.

“It’s like having your own fitness center without the overhead,” says Mr. Shurtleff.

“The FitBomb has everything you need to start a business, providing live video instruction for … martial arts, dance, barre, [and] hot yoga,” he says.

Other benefits include healthy detox and heated massage.

Combining sauna and fitness works by incorporating infrared heat to warm the muscles, thus helping users perform high-intensity resistance exercises with reduced risk of injury.

“Like most gym owners, you don’t even have to be a personal trainer yourself,” says Mr. Shurleff. “Just turn on the Wi-Fi and your choice of training videos instantly appears,” he explains.

As a testament to the potential to enhance your bottom line is Cheryl Murray, a fitness instructor and mother of two who set up a studio in her basement. Within months, she is making $15,000 a month for a combination of fitness training and deep fascia massage services inside the FitBomb.

Other entrepreneurs have taken the studio mobile.

A Canadian team set up a FitBomb in a box truck and promoted it with the slogan, “FitBomb: Explosive Health & Fitness delivered to your door.” They share profits with a small group of personal trainers.

Its appeal lies in its convenience and customization.

Patented features include attachments involving strategically placed “D” rings inside fitness sauna. Users attach exercise bands to these “D” rings to perform a number of exercises. The studio also features stretch bars, pull-up bars and the options to place speed bags, punching bags, and other workout accessories.

The FitBomb is available in a Studio size (7 by 9 feet) and a Solo size (6 feet, 5 inches by 50 inches).

Other special features include touch screen controllers that activate Wi-Fi videos on a TV in each unit. It is handicap-accessible, and also has a Power Access System card designed to activate power to the FitBomb for a pre-determined time and a number of activations that allows easier tracking of user activity.

For more information, visit www.fittsystems.com.

Data from Mental Health America’s 2017 State of Mental Health in America report shows the prevalence of these episodes, and their potential consequences, in New Hampshire:

* 12 percent of New Hampshire youths (age 12-17) report having at least one major depressive episode in the past year, the eighth-highest figure among U.S. states.

* More than 7 percent of New Hampshire youths experienced severe depressive episodes, defined as youths who “experienced very serious interference in school, home, and relationships.”

* More than 4 percent of New Hampshire adults reported having serious thoughts of suicide, above the national rate of 3.94.

The warning signs of depression should never be ignored. Anyone with these symptoms should speak with their primary care provider or a behavior health specialist. Loved ones or friends who exhibit these symptoms should be encouraged to do the same.

“If we feel physically ill, we get medical treatment without giving it a second thought,” says Dr. Robert Hockmuth, market chief medical officer for AmeriHealth Caritas New Hampshire, a managed care organization serving New Hampshire Medicaid enrollees. “We should think of mental illness in much the same way.”

According to SAMSHA, some of the warning signs of depression include:

* Sadness, anxiety, or feeling “empty.”

* Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism, guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness.

* Fatigue or decreased energy level.

* Change in appetite.

* At the extreme, thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts.

Someone may be experiencing depression and not realize they have it, as symptoms vary.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 37 percent of adults with a major depressive episode did not receive treatment. It’s also important to point out that without proper treatment, symptoms can get worse.

The treatments for depression can vary and include medications, psychotherapy, or a combination of the two.

“Often the most difficult cases of depression can be effectively treated,” says Dr. Hockmuth. “However, the sooner the treatment can begin, the better it will work.”

AmeriHealth Caritas New Hampshire is a managed care organization serving enrollees in New Hampshire’s Medicaid Care Management program. AmeriHealth Caritas New Hampshire helps the state’s Medicaid population get care, stay well, and build healthy communities by addressing the acute and broader social factors that drive health outcomes.

For more information, visit www.amerihealthcaritasnh.com.

The survey, which is in its 10th year, found that of the 500 students polled, this year saw the highest percentage (55 percent) say they are thinking about technical schools and career schools in the same way they look at traditional universities.

This is good news for technical schools (most notably transportation technology and repair), that to date have had trouble attracting students through their doors.

“There is more computer code in today’s cars than there was used to put a man on the moon,” says Jennifer Maher, chief executive officer of the TechForce Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports students through their education into successful careers as professional technicians. “These are skilled, well-paying, technical jobs.”

To put this into perspective, according to Motor Authority, a Ford GT has more than 10 millon lines of code and the new Ford F150 pickup has more than 150 million lines of code. Compare that to the shuttle’s primary flight software, which contains approximately 400,000 lines of code, and it becomes easy to see the necessity of skilled technicians and the job security the industry represents.

According to data from the 2020 AutoCare FactBook, the auto care industry added approximately 41,500 jobs in 2018, and automotive repair and maintenance showed the greatest increase in average hourly wages among technician jobs from 2009 to 2018.

More good news: The demand for skilled technicians continues to rise as older technicians retire. Additionally, those numbers increase as technicians move into other industries, and new positions open up. To this point, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the replacement rate plus the growth rate will translate to 78,200 per year from 2016 to 2026.

TechForce’s publicity campaign, “Because I’m a Tech,” encourages technicians to share their stories about how they have succeeded in skilled technician careers. Some of their comments: “I bought my first house at age 27;” “I get to do something I love every day;” “I have a good work/life balance and have time for my hobbies.”

To that end, you can check out Tech Force’s “Get Hands On” video contest that is part of its current campaign.

To see how beneficial a technical career can be, click here.

Technician jobs can be an ideal alternative for many nontraditional learners who can think outside the box, and who enjoy working with their hands and solving problems. Plus, there’s the fact that technicians can learn their skills as soon as two years after high school and put them to use right away without the time and expense of a traditional, four-year college degree.

TechForce’s FutureTech Roadmap to the transportation technology career highlights some of the traits that make for well-paid, successful technicians and how parents and students can identify these valuable skills.

Middle School: Sixth graders to eighth graders who like to tinker; those who fix the wobbly bike wheel or design the winning car in the scouts’ soapbox derby, may benefit from a technical school rather than a traditional college education.

High School: The high schooler who helps design and build the sets for the school play may be the next great technician. Also, students with diagnoses of ADHD who learn best with hands-on lessons and struggle with lengthy, desk-bound assignments are ideally suited to many technician careers.

Post-Secondary School: High school graduates with a strong interest in science and technology can launch fulfilling careers with training at an ASE-certified program. The more certifications and degrees earned, the higher the tech’s earning potential from future employers.

For more information about pathways to rewarding careers as transportation technicians, visit Techforce.org.

But while mascara and eyeliner can create different looks, from subtle to striking, they can also make you sick.

The problem: Eye makeup can be a breeding ground for bacteria. We all have a few microbes, like Staphylococcus and Streptococcus, living around our eyes. When eyeliner or mascara is applied, some of those bugs stick to the applicator and are carried back to the makeup container.

Eye products are supposed to contain preservatives to keep bacteria from growing. But some products don’t have enough. And over time, the preservative’s effectiveness declines. As a result, the bacteria on an eyeliner pencil or mascara applicator grow and multiply. Each time you apply makeup, you get bigger and bigger doses of bacteria — enough to cause serious infections.

“Every year, many women end up with eye infections from cosmetics,” warns the University of Rochester Medical Center. “In rare cases, women have been temporarily or permanently blinded by an eye cosmetic, according to the FDA.”

You can, however, prevent these problems and others with these simple tips:

* Don’t share makeup to avoid spreading bacteria.

* Replace your eye makeup regularly, at least every three to four months.

* Remove eye makeup at the end of every day.

* Practice good eyelid hygiene.

* Keep updated on the latest eyelid-eyelash hygiene clinical safety reports.

Christine Sindt, OD, Clinical Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Iowa, recommends wiping the eyes daily with a new antibacterial eyelid cleanser, such as Avenova from NovaBay Pharmaceuticals. “One recent study showed that Avenova dramatically reduces the amount of Staphylococcus and other bacteria around the eye — by more than 99 percent,” says Sindt. “Avenova contains a solution of pure hypochlorous acid, a substance used by the body as a natural defense against pathogens, but is completely harmless to skin.”

“I encourage women to talk to their doctors about daily eye hygiene using safe and effective products, such as Avenova, which can be the best defense against infections and other common eye problems, like dry eye and Blepharitis,” adds Columbus, Ohio, ophthalmologist Alice T. Epitropoulos, MD. “Take these steps, and women can have both beauty and healthy eyes.”

For information click on www.Avenova.com.

Watch this video for more details on treatment for your eyes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJoIOTvFGCI. Or call 1-800-890-0329.

The Downers Grove-based Diveheart Foundation has been serving individuals with everything from spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injuries to those on the autism spectrum and with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Since 2001, this 501 C3, volunteer-driven charity has done everything from helping to facilitate cutting-edge scuba therapy research with university medical centers around the country to launching a leading international adaptive scuba training program for scuba instructors, dive buddies and adaptive divers (Diveheart refers to people with disabilities as adaptive divers, not handicapped or disabled divers).

“It’s not about scuba diving,” according to Tinamarie Hernandez, Diveheart Executive Director.

“Diveheart’s ultimate goal is to take the unrealized human potential that exists with individuals with disabilities and create a paradigm shift in their lives,” she says.

“We take Chris in the wheelchair and help him or her become Chris the scuba diver. Now Chris is no longer defined by his or her disability,” she adds.

“Diveheart then helps direct them to activities like coral reef restoration, marine biology and oceanography, giving them focus, purpose and helping them to feel valued while they are learning to become good stewards of the environment.”

Diveheart’s free scuba experience programs reach from coast to coast in the U.S. and are replicated by Diveheart teams as far away as Malaysia.

Researchers from around the country have found that the benefits of scuba therapy and zero gravity underwater range from relief of symptoms caused by post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain to increased focus and a sense of well-being in those with developmental disabilities.

Researchers have also discovered that there are big benefits in going deep because the body produces an extra output of serotonin once divers reach 66 feet underwater. However, those with developmental and physical disabilities can benefit from the very first pool session.

Diveheart’s ultimate goal is to secure funding to build a deep warm-water research and training facility so that the benefits of scuba therapy can be replicated in a safe, confined, warm-water environment.

More information on Diveheart and scuba therapy can be found at www.diveheart.org