Latest news with #Toya
Black America Web
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Chosen Journey: Toyalove's Non-Linear Path in Christian Hip-Hop
Source: R1 Digital / R1 Toyalove is carving a unique space within Christian hip-hop with her authentic voice and meaningful music. But her path to this platform has been anything but linear. A former athlete with dreams of playing professional basketball, she faced adversity when her height became a barrier, leading to moments of personal struggle. 'That's the first time I truly felt depression,' she shared, reflecting on the period when her identity seemed inextricably tied to basketball. Yet, amidst the heartbreak, she found a profound connection to faith and purpose. 'Before, I didn't know myself,' Toya explained. 'Christ is where my identity lies… it makes you better, it makes you bolder.' Her devotion led her to channel her love for poetry into music. The transformation from penning verses in her dorm to recording in a studio an hour from home marked the beginning of her artistic career. 'I did a freestyle, and my homeboy said, 'You need to take it serious.' That started it all.' Toya's music goes beyond mere melodies; it uplifts and inspires. 'I think people want healing music because everybody's going through something,' she said. For her, the goal is to provide substance and encouragement through soulful hooks and reflective lyrics. Despite facing criticism and doubts, including from loved ones, Toya remains steadfast. 'What a privilege… God chose me to do it,' she affirmed. Now, as she gears up for new projects in 2025, she's more determined than ever to use her platform to spread positivity and purpose. 'The rise of Christian hip-hop is here, and we're just getting started.' SEE ALSO Chosen Journey: Toyalove's Non-Linear Path in Christian Hip-Hop was originally published on
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
No, not sit-ups — I tried this 10-minute standing dumbbell ab workout and it torched my core
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. As a fitness editor, I love that deep core shake you get after a minute-long plank. That said, if I'm in a busy gym, or I'm taking my workout outside now the weather is nicer, the chances are I'll want to swap my planks and push-ups for a standing ab workout. Far from being the easy option, standing ab exercises are a fantastic way to challenge the muscles in your midsection. As your core is working against gravity to keep your body stable as you move, you'll be working just as hard, if not harder, than you would lying on your back doing sit-ups and crunches. This workout has the added benefit of using a dumbbell, increasing the resistance. Grab a dumbbell, and get ready for your obliques to ache. The workout is created by YouTube trainers Juice and Toya. It involves eight different exercises, which you'll do for 30 seconds, with a 10-second break, then another 30 seconds. All of the exercises use a dumbbell, so you'll want to have a set of the best adjustable dumbbells on hand. At the top of the workout, Juice and Toya recommend using a dumbbell between 2-25lb (2-12kg). However, you should always select the right weight for you and your body. As a reminder, the right weight should feel challenging, but not impossible by the final few reps. The workout is set up so you can follow along in real time — there are no form pointers or instructions, so you can pop your best workout headphones in and listen to your own music should you wish. If you're new to an exercise, or you're returning to exercise following an injury or pregnancy, it's a good idea to check with a personal trainer to ensure you're moving with good form. If this isn't an option, try and do the workout in front of a mirror and ensure you're not hunching over, arching your back during the workout. It's important to move slowly and with control. If this means lowering the weight of the dumbbell, do so. You'll still get all the benefits, but you're less likely to put yourself at risk of injury. This workout is suitable for all levels. Toya is three months pregnant in the video; however, if you are pregnant, it's important to check with your doctor or midwife before exercising. If you're a complete beginner, use a light dumbbell. If you're more advanced, increase the weight or do the circuit another time through to increase the intensity. I unrolled my exercise mat, grabbed a set of 10lb dumbbells and gave this workout a go between meetings. Here's what happened: This workout involves a lot of standing side crunches and woodchop moves, and I really felt it in my obliques by the end of the 10 minutes. The obliques are the muscles that run along the side of your torso and are responsible for supporting and stabilizing your torso. You might have heard from fitness influencers on TikTok that working your obliques will make your waist wider, however, this is a complete myth. Obliques are essential when you rotate and twist your torso, so you don't want to skip strengthening them. A lot of the exercises in this workout recruited my upper and lower body muscles, not just my core. These compound exercises meant I was getting more of a full-body workout than my typical ab finishers, and I appreciated that. If I'm short on time, I often opt for bigger compound moves, like squat thrusters or deadlifts, to target multiple muscle groups. This workout is one I'll be repeating. I normally opt for Pilates workouts when it comes to working my core, but this workout raised my heart rate and burned a lot more calories than my normal crunches and toe taps would do. I had to really focus on balancing and moving with control on my weaker left-hand side, and I worked hard from the get-go. Of course, my abs looked exactly the same at the end of the workout — it takes a lot more than 10 minutes of standing crunches to sculpt visible abs, you'll need to focus on your overall body fat percentage if a six-pack is your goal. That said, I could feel my core had worked hard when I was sitting behind my desk an hour later. It's short enough to fit in on your lunch break, and suitable for all levels of fitness. What are you waiting for? Grab a dumbbell and give this one a go. Forget sit-ups — all you need is 4 moves and 10 minutes to sculpt your core You don't need crunches to build a strong core — here are 6 exercises to try instead No equipment, no crunches — build a stronger core with this 5-move workout
CairoScene
05-04-2025
- General
- CairoScene
Discovery of Ancient Workshops, Tombs, and a School In Luxor
Archaeologists uncovered tombs, storage cellars, and what may be the first school inside Ramseum Temple in Luxor. Apr 05, 2025 A joint Egyptian-French archaeological mission uncovered a network of tombs, workshops, and administrative buildings near the Ramseum Temple in Luxor's West Bank. Among the discoveries was a rare 'House of Life,' an educational institution believed to have functioned as a scientific school in connection with the temple. Excavations also revealed a wide assortment of tools, children's toys, and drawings, suggesting the site once hosted instructional activities. To the east of the site, archaeologists found evidence of what are thought to be administrative offices, while the north side yielded large storage cellars that held olive oil, honey, animal fats, and wine. A number of wine jar labels were recovered in the process. A cluster of tombs dating to the Third Intermediate Period was located in the northeastern section, where archaeologists also found coffins, burial tools, canopic jars, and over 400 ushabti figurines. The discoveries add a new dimension to the understanding of the Ramseum's role in ancient Egyptian life. Originally a royal temple complex for Ramses II, the site was known for ritual and administrative functions. Over the centuries, it evolved into a priestly necropolis and later, during the Ptolemaic and Roman eras, a quarry site. The temple's original use dates back to the New Kingdom and included a full hierarchy of workers, scribes, and artisans under royal authority. The mission, which began in 1991, has worked on restoring many parts of the temple, including the royal palace and numerous statues and courtyards. Their latest efforts included re-identifying a Middle Kingdom tomb discovered in 1896, and reconstructing statues of Ramses II and his mother Toya.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas lawmakers consider child care bills that could impact 95K children, 850 communities
Texas lawmakers are considering two child care bills that would prioritize child care workers' access to child care themselves and could mitigate child care deserts seen in low-income communities. The bills were discussed on Monday, March 17, by the Senate Committee on Economic Development with testimony from advocates and child care providers urging lawmakers to push the bills forward. They said the passage of the bills would address two critical gaps exacerbated by the state's lengthy waiting list and child care funding disparities. Now, it's up to the discretion of Committee Chair Phil King, a Republican from Weatherford, on what happens next. It remains to be seen when or if these bills would move forward in the legislative process. Senate Bill 462, sponsored by Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, would put qualifying child care workers' children among those at the top of the state's list of 95,000 children awaiting tuition subsidies and other services. These staffers must work at least 25 hours a week and must stay in their roles for at least a year from the time their child receives priority on the list. If the parent leaves the child care workforce before the one-year anniversary, their priority status would be removed. 'How do you go to work if you don't have child care? That's a question for all of Texans. But then to say that I want to go to work in the child care industry, but I have no place to put my child — (It's) just a little bit of common sense tweak here that would allow us to potentially get more workers, and qualified workers,' said Kolkhorst, a Republican from Brenham. 'It's a tweak, but not an overhaul.' Latoya Mayberry, owner and operator of Toya's Precious Jewels Academy in Midland, testified the bill would ensure hardworking parents could receive needed financial assistance without 'unnecessary delays.' She noted how one of her employees will soon return to work from maternity leave, as long as her child care scholarship is in place when she comes back. If not, this could impact staffing ratios at Mayberry's center, causing her to close a classroom. She also shared an example of a different employee who was unable to secure financial assistance for child care before returning to work. 'I made the decision to provide care for her baby at no cost. I did this not because it was a sound business decision at all, but because I know the value of every employee who works for me. If we do not support our child care workers and our workforce, we risk losing the very people who make quality early education possible,' Mayberry said. 'This isn't an isolated issue.' 🚨 More top stories from our newsroom: → Gateway Church founder Robert Morris booked at Oklahoma jail → Grand Prairie police search for missing 5-year-old → Threat of deportation leaves some families wary of submitting FAFSA [Get our breaking news alerts.] Committee members also heard from other advocates who spoke in favor of Senate Bill 972, which would give local workforce development boards the flexibility to provide the maximum amount of reimbursement funding for providers who accept child care tuition subsidies. The boards, which operate under the Texas Workforce Commission, distribute these funds at the local level to centers part of the state's quality improvement program — Texas Rising Star. The centers with higher ratings receive more funding, but the dollar amounts are limited by an area's market rate. This means low-income communities receive less dollars. The bill — sponsored by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, a Democrat from Laredo — would not decrease the average number of children served daily through subsidized care. Kim Kofron, senior director of education at Children at Risk, told the Star-Telegram that communities with philanthropic funding could fill in the gaps of providing higher reimbursement rates in the case that no additional state funding is provided. Currently, local workforce boards are unable to even accept private funding, so the bill would address that obstacle. 'It's a simple but critical change that supports child care providers, stabilizes our workforce and ensures all families, regardless of their ZIP codes, to have access to high quality education,' Kofron told the committee. There are 850 child care deserts statewide for low-income working families, meaning there are 850 ZIP codes where the demand for child care is three times higher than the number of available child care seats, she said. Sen. Charles Schwertner, a Republican from Georgetown, asked if the bill would drive up prices for providers in the same region or if providers would want to enroll only children who receive state subsidies. Reagan Miller, a director of the child care and early learning division at the Texas Workforce Commission, said the funding change would only affect the children receiving subsidies and underscored how there's a limited amount of state funding for those subsidies. 'If I have a program that serves 100 kids, and I have five that receive a scholarship through the Child Care Services program, only those five children would receive a higher reimbursement rate above that provider's published rate. The other 95 children that are paid for by the family, the cost of their care would not increase so it's limited to the subset of children that are enrolled in our program,' Miller said.
