Your gym bag can begin to become a sweaty, smelly mess if you do not properly clean it out on a regular basis. Cleaning it frequently prevents germs and bacteria from forming, and ensures that it and your clothes don’t begin to stink. The last thing you want is to become the smelly guy in the gym!How to Wash Your Gym Bag1) Take everything out of the bag, including the plastic piece in the bottom.2) Give the bag a few hours to air out with nothing in it before you clean.3) Wash the bag down with very hot water and a mild soap.4) Let the bag air dry by putting on a flat surface such as a table.5) After its dry, wipe it down with anti bacterial wipes everywhere including the handles.6) After wiping down, let dry again and you are good to go!7) Re-pack your bag for your next workout with all your supplements from Meathead Mania, including Muscleology.For best results, you should repeat this process about once a month to maintain an optimum level of cleanliness. While this task is a bit time consuming, it is worth the reward. Keeping your workout gear clean is important on a personal level, but you also don’t want to continue to use a gym bag that is full of bacteria. Unfortunately, far too many people do not take the necessary steps to ensure this doesn’t happen. Take the steps today and get on to your next workout.
SPDN: An Inexpensive Way To Profit When The S&P 500 Falls
Summary
SPDN is not the largest or oldest way to short the S&P 500, but it’s a solid choice.
This ETF uses a variety of financial instruments to target a return opposite that of the S&P 500 Index.
SPDN’s 0.49% Expense Ratio is nearly half that of the larger, longer-tenured -1x Inverse S&P 500 ETF.
Details aside, the potential continuation of the equity bear market makes single-inverse ETFs an investment segment investor should be familiar with.
We rate SPDN a Strong Buy because we believe the risks of a continued bear market greatly outweigh the possibility of a quick return to a bull market.
Put a gear stick into R position, (Reverse).
Birdlkportfolio
By Rob Isbitts
Summary
The S&P 500 is in a bear market, and we don’t see a quick-fix. Many investors assume the only way to navigate a potentially long-term bear market is to hide in cash, day-trade or “just hang in there” while the bear takes their retirement nest egg.
The Direxion Daily S&P 500® Bear 1X ETF (NYSEARCA:SPDN) is one of a class of single-inverse ETFs that allow investors to profit from down moves in the stock market.
SPDN is an unleveraged, liquid, low-cost way to either try to hedge an equity portfolio, profit from a decline in the S&P 500, or both. We rate it a Strong Buy, given our concern about the intermediate-term outlook for the global equity market.
Strategy
SPDN keeps it simple. If the S&P 500 goes up by X%, it should go down by X%. The opposite is also expected.
Proprietary ETF Grades
Offense/Defense: Defense
Segment: Inverse Equity
Sub-Segment: Inverse S&P 500
Correlation (vs. S&P 500): Very High (inverse)
Expected Volatility (vs. S&P 500): Similar (but opposite)
Holding Analysis
SPDN does not rely on shorting individual stocks in the S&P 500. Instead, the managers typically use a combination of futures, swaps and other derivative instruments to create a portfolio that consistently aims to deliver the opposite of what the S&P 500 does.
Strengths
SPDN is a fairly “no-frills” way to do what many investors probably wished they could do during the first 9 months of 2022 and in past bear markets: find something that goes up when the “market” goes down. After all, bonds are not the answer they used to be, commodities like gold have, shall we say, lost their luster. And moving to cash creates the issue of making two correct timing decisions, when to get in and when to get out. SPDN and its single-inverse ETF brethren offer a liquid tool to use in a variety of ways, depending on what a particular investor wants to achieve.
Weaknesses
The weakness of any inverse ETF is that it does the opposite of what the market does, when the market goes up. So, even in bear markets when the broader market trend is down, sharp bear market rallies (or any rallies for that matter) in the S&P 500 will cause SPDN to drop as much as the market goes up.
Opportunities
While inverse ETFs have a reputation in some circles as nothing more than day-trading vehicles, our own experience with them is, pardon the pun, exactly the opposite! We encourage investors to try to better-understand single inverse ETFs like SPDN. While traders tend to gravitate to leveraged inverse ETFs (which actually are day-trading tools), we believe that in an extended bear market, SPDN and its ilk could be a game-saver for many portfolios.
Threats
SPDN and most other single inverse ETFs are vulnerable to a sustained rise in the price of the index it aims to deliver the inverse of. But that threat of loss in a rising market means that when an investor considers SPDN, they should also have a game plan for how and when they will deploy this unique portfolio weapon.
Proprietary Technical Ratings
Short-Term Rating (next 3 months): Strong Buy
Long-Term Rating (next 12 months): Buy
Conclusions
ETF Quality Opinion
SPDN does what it aims to do, and has done so for over 6 years now. For a while, it was largely-ignored, given the existence of a similar ETF that has been around much longer. But the more tenured SPDN has become, the more attractive it looks as an alternative.
ETF Investment Opinion
SPDN is rated Strong Buy because the S&P 500 continues to look as vulnerable to further decline. And, while the market bottomed in mid-June, rallied, then waffled since that time, our proprietary macro market indicators all point to much greater risk of a major decline from this level than a fast return to bull market glory. Thus, SPDN is at best a way to exploit and attack the bear, and at worst a hedge on an otherwise equity-laden portfolio.
Can Fitness Clothing Affect Your Workout?
Fitness takes a lot of dedication and motivation to continue towards a healthy lifestyle. Many women have specific things that keep them motivated and make them want to work out more to benefit their health and keep them fit.Fitness clothing is meticulously designed to tailor your workout and activity, but is there real benefits? Aside from the obvious comparisons between wearing a pantsuit in comparison to running pants there are other benefits.As we all know a lot of our attitude towards exercise is based on our own body image and confidence, especially when working out in public. Many women swear that when they put on a workout outfit that they believe to be flattering, appropriate and fashionable, they feel much more motivated to exercise. Especially for women taking an exercise class. Standing in from of a room of mirrors with nothing to look at but yourself and others around you can play havoc with your confidence and looking good can be the difference between getting fit and staying in bed with some pizza!Other benefits of workout clothes are less psychological and more scientific. As mentioned before, you wouldn’t work out in a pantsuit and blazer. Sportswear is designed to fit the contours of the body in a way that minimizes bulk and allows flexibility. Take an exercise like yoga. This is an activity that requires a lot of flexible movement from the body and therefore a form-fitting stretchy fabric is essential not only to allow the body to move without restriction but to make sure the pose or movement is performed correctly.Another instance where workout clothing can really affect your workout is within the realm of sports bras. Women can experience pain and discomfort when vigorously exercising without any support for their chest and a sports bra can be the answer to this. Women with larger chests have often complained that they cannot exercise like a man for example but once they have found the appropriate sports bra they feel much more supported and able to move freely. Sports bras are made in a variety of intensities also making each one appropriate for different exercise and sports.Arguably most important is footwear in exercise. The body takes on a lot of strain when exercising especially when running or playing sports. The knees and joints are very important to keep healthy and therefore the right shoe is essential. Sports shoes are also tailor made to enhance specific activities. Running shoes are very supportive and can come with a lot of cushioning whereas hiking shoes will have a lot more grip and ankle support.Different fabrics also enhance our workout to help reduce and disperse sweat. This keeps the body more free of toxins and keeps us cool as we exercise.Workout clothing can really make a difference to a workout both mentally and physically, when we look good we feel good and when we feel good we look good. With a little help from our sportswear, we can achieve both.