Category Archives: Featured

DALLAS (April 7, 2010) /PRNewswire/ — Laila Ali, world champion athlete and former professional boxer, is encouraging people to walk 30 minutes today as part of National Start! Walking Day. From coast to coast, Americans will lace up their sneakers and take steps — literally — to increase physical activity when they participate in today’s events.

National Start! Walking Day, in its fourth year — including more than 3.2 million people representing about 1,300 companies — is sponsored by the American Heart Association as part of its Start! initiative. Start! champions walking because it has the lowest dropout rate of any physical activity. The association conducts the National Start! Walking Day primarily in the workplace because jobs are becoming increasingly sedentary and Americans are working 164 more hours per year than 20 years ago.

Ali is a natural choice of spokesperson for the American Heart Association. “I’ve always been interested in health and wellness, and I am honored to work with the American Heart Association, an organization dedicated to preventing heart disease,” said Ali, whose family has a history of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. “As a working mother, I have to fit my workouts in when I can.”

In January, the American Heart Association identified physical activity as one of seven key factors to achieve ideal cardiovascular health as part of its new 2020 goal to improve cardiovascular health and reduce deaths.

According to a recent American Heart Association study, only 15 percent of American adults achieve the association’s recommended levels of moderate aerobic exercise, 30 minutes a day for five days a week.

“The importance of regular physical activity cannot be overstated,” said Clyde Yancy, M.D., president of the American Heart Association. “Our latest research demonstrates that 70 percent of American adults report being told by a healthcare professional to make a lifestyle change and 33 percent of those were told to exercise more. Simply put, we all need to get up and do more.”

The American Heart Association recommends that all adults avoid inactivity. Walking vigorously for as little as 30 minutes, preferably most days of the week, can promote weight loss, decrease the risk of coronary heart disease and lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, the association said. Additional benefits occur as the amount and intensity of physical activity increases. Some adults also may gain up to two hours of life expectancy for each hour of regular, vigorous physical activity, such as very brisk walking.

The American Heart Association’s robust Web site — startwalkingnow.org — includes strategies to help people get started and stay on a physical activity regimen. They include:

Local walking paths. To find one near you, visit startwalkingnow.org.
Three customized walking programs (beginner, intermediate and advanced)
Online tracking tools to document calories consumed, steps taken and routes walked
Sole mates social networking capabilities to find and support like-minded walkers
Downloadable seasonal walking guides with tips to maintain a routine regardless of weather
Walking videos, produced in collaboration with ExerciseTV, that make an at-home workout easier with tips and motivation

Social media daily walking guide with inspirational messages, heart-health tips of the day, video content from Exercise TV, community chat capability and a private journal
Start! is sponsored nationally by SUBWAY® Restaurants. For more information, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit startwalkingnow.org.

Editor’s Note: In celebration of National Start! Walking Day, the American Heart Association is honoring Team Ton, 19 people from across the nation who have successfully shed a total of 2,000 pounds by walking. For anecdotes, images or interviews of the group or of any individual, please contact Katie Bell at katie.bell@heart.org.

About the American Heart Association
Founded in 1924, we’re the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular disease and stroke. To help prevent, treat and defeat these diseases — America’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers — we fund cutting-edge research, conduct lifesaving public and professional educational programs, and advocate to protect public health. To learn more or join us in helping all Americans, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit americanheart.org.

Lands’ End Swimwear: It Suits You

From Sizes to Styles, Lands’ End Offers More Swimsuits For Every Body

DODGEVILLE, Wis., April 6, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — Whether it’s a revolution or simply a revelation, women have discovered they are wearing the wrong sizes when it comes to bras, jeans and now, swimsuits. In fact, according to a recent survey of more than 1,000 women conducted by Lands’ End®, eight out of ten surveyed (83 percent) confessed to having worn the wrong size swimsuit. They also believe other women wear the wrong size suit as well; 71 percent believe the majority of women wear the wrong size suit. This could explain why respondents have experienced swimsuit-sizing mishaps such as saggy bottoms (65 percent), cleavage overflow (58 percent), behind busting out/seat creep (56 percent) and muffin top (54 percent).

“With so many advances in swimsuit design, high-performance fabrics and a full range of available sizes, there is no reason why any woman should experience muffin top or saggy bottoms,” said Suzanne Bryant, vice president of design, Lands’ End. “At Lands’ End, we know it’s critically important to have a proper-fitting swimsuit so women can feel and look great on the beach or by the pool. As a result, we offer hundreds of styles that provide solutions for every shape with design details to fit and flatter. And, we offer a full range of sizes including regular, petite (short) and long (tall) torso, mastectomy, D-DDD cup sizes and plus sizes.”

Sizing Up Swimwear Options at Lands’ End
The survey also found more than half of respondents (54 percent) purchase swim bottoms in a size that is too big hoping for more coverage while a third (34 percent) have squeezed into a suit that is too small because a larger size was not available. It’s not surprising that women are compromising when it comes to finding their true size since an overwhelming majority of survey respondents (79 percent) stated they fell in love with a swimsuit style, but it was not available in their size.

“Women are not one size fits all especially when it comes to swimwear,” stated Bryant. “At Lands’ End, we offer a large variety of sizes in every swimsuit style and this year we have more options than ever before. In addition, we offer several collections of swim separates to help women mix and match sizes and styles.”

Swimwear Beyond the Numbers
According to Bryant, it’s more than a numbers game when it comes to finding a figure-flattering swimsuit. Body shape, style preference, color and pattern play a key role as well. Seven out of ten survey respondents agree and believe the biggest swimsuit mistake women make is purchasing the wrong style suit for their body shape. Bryant suggests using resources such as the Lands’ End body shape icons to easily search out swimsuits that are designed to flatter differing body shapes. This season, the company has introduced a new “circle” icon to the mix offering a total of five body shape icons: Inverted Triangle, Star, Triangle, Circle and Rectangle. The icons help women easily seek out swimwear to complement their proportions and specific body shapes.

Another consideration is color. This season’s preferences go beyond basic black. In fact, Deep Sea Blue (26 percent) ranked as the number one swimsuit color choice by survey respondents followed by Black (18 percent), Blackberry (18 percent), Mango Orange (12 percent), Brown (10 percent), Kelly Green (9 percent), Slate Gray (6 percent) and Yellow (1 percent).

When it comes to swimsuit silhouettes, the tankini still reigns. More than half (54 percent) will most likely purchase a tankini, followed by a one-piece (39 percent) and only 7 percent plan to purchase a bikini.

Shopping for Swimsuits
This season, seven out of ten women (70 percent) plan to purchase a new swimsuit and will do so in a variety of ways; by shopping in stores (79 percent), surfing the Internet (68 percent), shopping by catalog (46 percent) and looking through magazines (28 percent).

Women are really resourceful when it comes to shopping for swimwear,” said Bryant. “They tend to do their homework both online and offline and enjoy receiving expert advice.”

Women would love to turn to swimwear experts. The survey found 39 percent would select a swimwear designer to help them pick out a great swimsuit before their best friend (19 percent).

Lands’ End offers several ways to shop for swimsuits. The company offers advice from dedicated Swim Fit Experts that can either chat online at www.landsend.com or on the phone at 1-800-675-4853. A variety of Lands’ End swimsuit styles can also be found online at www.landsend.com or at the 294 Lands’ End Shop at Sears locations.

Additional Survey Highlights Include:

Slather on the Lotion – In addition to sunblock, women are slathering on moisturizer. When asked what women do to get ready for swim season, 80 percent moisturize their skin.

Sizing Up Men – Women don’t believe men buy the wrong swimsuit size (67 percent).
In a Crunch – More than half of women (53 percent) do stomach crunches to get ready to wear a swimsuit.

Tune in to the Tunic – 53 percent of those surveyed believe a Tunic Cover-up is the most important swimwear accessory.

Call the Pros – Almost nine out of ten survey respondents (89 percent) would love a complimentary professional swimsuit fitting to help them find their ideal size.
Hands to Toes – When getting ready for swimsuit season two-thirds (66 percent) of women get a manicure and pedicure.

Take a Wild Guess – While 12 percent of survey respondents stated they “take a wild guess” at their swimsuit size, 47 percent base it on their bra or dress size.
Mixed Up – More than seven out of ten women have worn the wrong swim top or bottom size because they were not sold as mix-and-match separates.
How it Measures – Two-thirds (66 percent) of women have never taken their measurements with 43 percent stating they don’t know how to do so.

About Lands’ End

Lands’ End® is one of the world’s largest retailers of clothing for the family. In addition, Lands’ End offers an innovative collection of fine quality goods for the home. Lands’ End swim can be purchased online at www.landsend.com, by calling 1-800-800-5800, and by visiting the Lands’ End Shop at Sears. Lands’ End is a proud member of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD). And, all high-quality Lands’ End merchandise is Guaranteed. Period.®

Media Contact:
Molly Hawkins
Lands’ End
608-935-6089
molly.hawkins@landsend.com