The Sentinel: Fitness

How to choose the best summer camp for your kids

Before you start looking for a summer camp, consider what activities your child enjoys, whether it's sports, arts and crafts, science or outdoor adventures.

Family Features - Selecting the perfect summer camp for your child can be a pivotal experience, shaping memories for years to come. Offering unique opportunities for kids to experience independence, build lasting friendships and develop new skills in a fun and safe environment, camps can encourage them to step out of their comfort zones, try new activities and overcome challenges away from the comforts of home.

Because campers are immersed in a variety of programs, such as outdoor adventures, arts and crafts, sports, team-building exercises and more, they often return home more resilient, confident and with a sense of achievement.

Consider these tips to choose the right summer excursion for your child.

Understand Your Child's Interests and Needs

Before you start looking for a summer camp, consider what activities your child enjoys, whether it's sports, arts and crafts, science or outdoor adventures. Knowing his or her preferences can help narrow down the options.

Additionally, think about your child's personality and social needs to ensure the camp experience is tailored to his or her unique disposition. If your child is more introverted, a smaller, more intimate camp setting may be beneficial. A larger camp environment may better suit outgoing children who are eager to make new friends.

Research Camp Options and Reputations

Look for camps that offer the activities your child enjoys and have a good reputation. Read reviews from other parents and, if possible, visit the camps to get a feel for the environment. Each camp provides unique strengths, ensuring there is one for every child to enjoy and benefit from.

Check if the camps have been in operation for a significant amount of time and whether they have experienced and qualified staff. A camp with a long-standing reputation and a history of positive feedback can provide added assurance of a quality experience for your child.

Evaluate Camp Safety and Accreditation

Safety should be a top priority when choosing a summer camp. Ensure the camp is accredited by a reputable organization, such as the American Camp Association, which sets high standards for health, safety and program quality.

Inquire about safety protocols, including staff-to-camper ratios, emergency procedures and staff training in first aid and CPR. It's also important to ask about the camp's policies on bullying and how they handle behavioral issues that may arise.

Consider Camp Location and Duration

Decide whether you prefer a camp close to home or if you're comfortable with your child traveling to a different region. Proximity can be beneficial in case of emergencies or if your child experiences homesickness.

Additionally, think about the length of the camp session. Some camps offer one-week sessions while others might last for several weeks or just overnight. Consider your child's readiness for being away from home for extended periods and choose a duration that aligns with your family's schedule and his or her comfort level.

To find more parenting advice, visit eLivingtoday.com.

Sudden cardiac arrest and women, it can happen to women in their 30s

by Paul Arco
OSF Healthcare

ROCKFORD - Every year, about 350,000 people suffer sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) outside of a hospital setting with almost 90% of all cases being fatal.

Photo provided

Nancy Dagefoerde
OSF Cardiovascular Institute

While there is an underlying belief that heart problems such as SCA tend to be more of a concern for men, that’s not the case. In fact, women make up almost 40% of SCA episodes. Just as women may experience different symptoms of heart disease than men, their risk of SCA is somewhat different too.

According to Nancy Dagefoerde, an advanced practice registered nurse with OSF Cardiovascular Institute, SCA can happen to any adult 30 and older, depending on risk factors, family history and other issues such as a heart birth defect.

Dagefoerde says SCA is different than a heart attack, which occurs when there is a blockage in a coronary artery on the outside of the heart. Many times, a heart attack is the cause for the sudden cardiac arrest.

“Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when there's an irregular heartbeat," she says. "We call it an arrhythmia that causes the heart not to beat or have electrical activity anymore. So in general, there'll be no breathing and no pulse when you come upon a person that's having a sudden cardiac arrest.”

“The thing that may be different with women is oftentimes their symptoms are portrayed differently and they often can get missed," says Dagefoerde. "A woman may come to an emergency room or a health care provider and say ‘I'm more tired’ or ‘I'm more short of breath.’ It's not the typical elephant on my chest type of chest pain that a man may have. And so working them up for their symptoms, although they're more vague, is important to be preventive to catch these things early before there's damage.”

Another reason why women are at a higher risk for SCA is because they are more likely to delay seeking care for their symptoms since women tend to prioritize the health of other family members first.

“As all of us get older, the risk is higher for any of these conditions as far as heart disease, diabetes, blood pressure, so we need to be aware that maybe our numbers were okay, or we were doing pretty good when we were in our 20s and 30s," says Dagefoerde. "But as we age, we need those regular checkups and do that good preventive care, because things do change. And women are caring for husbands and parents, even children and grandchildren and they don't often take the time to care for themselves.”

Symptoms of SCA include:

Fainting
Dizziness
Racing or irregular heartbeat
Chest pain
Shortness of breath
Nausea

Risk factors for SCA include a previous heart attack, coronary artery disease, a prior episode of SCA, family history and personal or family history of abnormal heart rhythms, among others.

Dagefoerde has a simple message for any patient who is experiencing any potential cardiac symptom.

“This is another area that your health prevention will benefit you. So seeing your physician on a regular basis, having regular checkups, checking your labs, knowing your family history, knowing your own history, and doing all those things on a regular basis and don't ignore any symptoms that you may be having.”

If you see someone drop to the ground and think it could be SCA, call 911 immediately. The faster CPR is started and defibrillation is administered, the better the chances of survival.

Myth busting hygene, common health misconceptions you should ignore

You should modify your diet when sick to avoid trigger foods, like spicy or greasy foods, suggests Dr. Awad Alyami, a pediatrician at OSF HealthCare.

Photo: Nhung Tran/Pixabay

by Tim Ditman
OSF Healthcare

DANVILLE - From health care providers to websites to advice passed down through generations, there are a lot of ways to get health care information, especially tips for minor ailments you can treat at home.

Awad Alyami, MD, a pediatrician at OSF HealthCare, breaks down some common myths.

Myth: There’s a one-size-fits-all pill for common illnesses.

Fact: It depends on whether it’s a viral infection (like influenza, the common cold or coronavirus) or a bacterial infection (like pneumonia, strep throat or food-borne illnesses like salmonella).

“For the most part, with bacterial infections you need to see a health care provider. You’re probably going to need an antibiotic,” Dr. Alyami says. “Most viral infections just run their course, and you focus on the symptoms. If you have a fever, you take fever medication. If you have pain, you take pain medication. If kids are six years or older and have a cough, they can use over-the-counter cough medication.”

Dr. Alyami points out that you can take those medications to help with bacterial infection symptoms, too. But you need an antibiotic, too, to get better.

Myth: Feed a cold and starve a fever.

Dr. Awad Alyami

Fact: You should modify your diet when sick to avoid trigger foods, like spicy or greasy foods. But reducing the amount you eat and drink won’t make you better sooner. In fact, Dr. Alyami says hydration is critical.

“When kids have infections and a fever, one of the most common reasons they end up in the hospital is dehydration,” Dr. Alyami says. “When kids are sick, they lose fluids from their body and need hydration.”

So, drink plenty of water and eat nutritious foods as your body can tolerate.

Myth: I can go back to work or school as soon as I start to feel better.

Fact: Dr. Alyami says you should be fever-free (body temperature less than 100.4 degrees) for 24 hours with improving symptoms.

When you go back out, practice good habits like thorough handwashing and avoiding coughing or sneezing into the open air.

Myth: If I don’t look or feel dirty, I don’t need to shower or bathe.

Fact: Dr. Alyami says there’s no “catch all” advice for how often to wash off. Some people will shower or bathe daily. Others will do so every other day or less frequently. Dr. Alyami advises you to shower or bathe when you feel you need to or after you’ve been in a dirty or sweaty environment, like after playing sports or a hike in the woods. People with skin conditions should also clean themselves with care.

“For people with eczema or atopic dermatitis, I recommend daily showers,” Dr. Alyami says. “But they need to be quick because the more exposure to water we have, the more we dehydrate the skin. So, showers should not exceed 15 minutes, and you should apply moisturizer right away afterward.”

Myth: When I shower, bathe or wash my hands, really hot water is best to kill germs.

Fact: Really hot showers can feel good, but they may burn your skin. Dr. Alyami recommends setting your home’s water heater at 120 degrees or less. Then, when you use the shower or sink, warm, but not hot water is best.

Dr. Alyami adds that a cold shower after a sweaty summer activity is OK because it can reduce the chance of heat rash. But frequent cold showers can irritate your skin.

Myth: Q-tips are meant for cleaning your ear.

Fact: “The ear is a self-cleaning oven. Most everything inside the ear will come out on its own,” Dr. Alyami says. “When we put anything inside the ear, we are pushing everything from the outside to the inside, especially earwax. It makes it harder for the ear to clean itself.”

Using Q-tips and similar devices can lead to injuries to the ear canal or eardrum, Dr. Alyami adds. Instead, during your shower or bath, gently clean and dry the outside of your ears. If your ears look or feel off (pain or itchiness, for example), see a provider.

“We can clean you safely in the office,” Dr. Alyami says.

Myth: For cuts and scrapes, apply antibiotic ointment like Neosporin until it heals.

Fact: You can apply the ointment once after cleaning the wound and then again after the wound is healed. But doing so often can lead to contact dermatitis, a bad skin reaction.

Myth: The “five second rule” is OK for eating food that’s fallen on the floor.

Fact: Dr. Alyami puts this one to rest once and for all: Don’t do it. Always eat off a sanitary surface.

He even says that research has shown that bacteria from the floor can attach to food in as little as less than one second. Eating dirty food can lead to vomiting and stomach illnesses.

Exercising in your golden years, the right way to go about it

Photo: Ketut Subiyanto/PEXELS

Exercising as you age is helps reduce the risk of many ailments like heart disease, Alzheimer's, high blood pressure and obesity. In general, doctors agree, people who maintain muscle mass as they age experience fewer health issues.

by Tim Ditman
OSF Healthcare

PONTIAC - With age comes physical limitations. But it’s important to stay active, says John Rinker, MD, an internal medicine physician who specializes in geriatrics at OSF HealthCare. When you keep moving, it helps reduce the risk of things like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, cancer and neurocognitive diseases like Alzheimer's.

In other words, Dr. Rinker says, it’s not fun to live long if you’re not well. Your lifespan versus your health span, as he puts it.

“It really, really pays to maintain exercise and be in good physical shape as you age. It reaps huge dividends on how long you live,” Dr. Rinker stresses.

Guidelines

Each person should have a tailored plan as advised by a health care provider. But regardless of your age, the American Heart Association (AHA) generally recommends 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 70 minutes of vigorous physical activity each week, spread out over several days. A brisk walk would qualify as moderate intensity (also called zone two training), while running, swimming or riding a bike would be vigorous. Vigorous exercise is associated with a term called VO2 max, referring to maximum use of oxygen. In layman’s terms, you’re breathing hard and conditioning the heart.

“Most of that type of [vigorous] training is at a higher interval. You’re going to get breathing really hard for three to five minutes while you sustain a pace that’s rather difficult. Then you’re going to rest and let that heart rate come back down. Then go back to the hard exercise,” Dr. Rinker explains. “That back and forth with the heart rate really helps to train how well your heart can pump blood to muscles. That’s a really good marker of how well conditioned you are.”

The AHA also recommends two days of strength training per week. That could be lifting weights, using resistance bands or calisthenics, where you use your body weight for resistance rather than equipment.

“I really like the strength training piece,” Dr. Rinker says.

“It doesn’t take a lot as you age to tension a muscle enough to maintain muscle mass. We really find that people who are able to maintain muscle more muscle mass as they age are going to do much better with those health span and lifespan issues,” he adds. “So, the goal isn’t to make everyone a huge bodybuilder. The goal is to decrease the rate of decline as we age.”

On the days you do strength training, aim for 30 minutes per day. Dr. Rinker says if you really want to lean into this area of fitness, consider getting a personal trainer.

Limitations

It’s important to work around your ability and not push through pain, Dr. Rinker says. If aging has brought back or leg pain, skip the treadmill and try swimming or a weightlifting session while seated.

“You want to make sure you’re not going to injure something further. That will create a bigger setback or other deficit that are not going to help you in the long run,” Dr. Rinker says.

The bottom line

From VO2 max to zone two to calisthenics, there are a lot of terms to keep straight. If you don’t want to overthink it, just remember to keep moving. Push yourself with some vigorous workouts if you can, but commit to some form of exercise regularly.

“Most of your day-to-day exercise [as an older adult] should be just basic activity,” Dr. Rinker says. “Think of a brisk walk. Walking at a pace for about 30 minutes where you could still hold a conversation with somebody, but it would be difficult to sing a song.

“If I can just get someone to walk every day, I think they’re going to be in good shape,” he adds.

24 area runners compete at Siberian Express

OAKWOOD - It was 33.8º when the starter's gun signaled the start of the 36th installment of the Siberian Express trail race at Kickapoo Park on Saturday. Running across lightly snow-covered ground and through muddy ruts, 146 runners finished this 7.45 mile race.

The Sentinel's top area finisher was St. Joseph's Justin Jones. Finishing first in the 30-39 year-old division, he was the third runner out of the field to cross the finish line, turning in a sub-hour time of 51 minutes.

Justin Jones, right, and Jolee Paden, on the left, pose for a photo after receiving their awards at the 2009 St. Joseph Community Festival 5k, the name of the race before becoming the SJO 5K. Jones was the third runner to cross the finish line at Saturday's Siberian Express.

PhotoNews File Photo

The top womens' competitor was Sarka Petrickova, from Urbana, who took first in the Womens 30 - 39 group and 29th overall. She completed the course 1 hour, six minutes, and 45 seconds.

Other area runners included Jared Chenoweth, finishing third in the Mens 40 - 49 group and 13th overall. Luke Morrison crossed the line second in the Mens 20 - 29 group and 25th overall. Scott Tess finished seventh in the Mens 40 - 49 group and 32th overall. Chenoweth finish the race at 1:01:52, Morrison at 1:05:41, and Tess clocked in 1:07:57.

Four runners from The Sentinel area competed in the Womens 30 - 39 age group. Nicole Olson finished in second place and was 35th overall. She crossed the finish line at 1:09:06. Urbana's Olga Makarova finished the course at 1:24:37, good for fifth place in the division and 70th overall. Ellen Vore, also from Urbana, finished eighth and 128th overall with a time of 1:52:23. Coming in ninth was Nikki Campbell at 1:55:57 for a 141th overall.

There were five area runners in the Womens 40 - 49 division. Kaura Owen, from Sadorus, finished 13th and 120th overall at 1:44:07. Shonda Barto finished 14th in the Womens 40 - 49 group and 134th overall. The Philo resident clocked in at 1:53:43.

Jennifer White, from Savoy, and Sidney's Brooke DiBello finished seventh and tenth, respectively. White finish the race at 1:11:19, 46th overall. DiBello was 59th overall after crossing the line at 1 hour, 19 minutes and 09 seconds. Urbana's Anne Sickles completed the run 1:33:47. She finished 101th overall and 12th.

Brian Barto, from Philo, ran the course under two hours, finishing at 1:53:46. He was 17th in the Mens 40 - 49 group and 136th overall.

Mark Dixon led the 50-59 men to the finish line, running a 1:11:12 to finish sixth in the group. He was 45th overall. Following the Urbana resident over the line almost 20 minutes later, Steve Darling, from Oakwood, finished 16th in the division and 93th overall with a time of 1:31:41. Christopher Korose finished 97th overall at 1:32:11. He carved out a 17th place in the divison.

Savoy's Nancy Roth also braved the chilly running conditions, turning in a time under the two hour mark. She finished fifth in the Womens 60 & up division and 119th overall at 1:44:06.

Robert Ogden completed the course 1:19:38. The Sidney resident finished eighth in the Mens 40 - 49 group and 61st overall.

Urbana's Brenda Straka finished first in the Womens 20 - 29 group and 73th overall. She stop the clock at 1:24:50.

Elizabeth Withers-Sickles ran the course in 1 hour, 24 minutes, and 54 seconds. She came in fourth in the Womens 19 & under and 74th overall.

Hugh Bowman rounded the list of area runners. He finished 16th in the Mens 30 - 39 group and 71th overall at 1:24:38.

The Siberian Express is the first race each year in the Kennekuk Road Runners annual race series.

Summer camp for young burn survivors in Illinois June 18-24

MT. PROSPECT – For the last 32 years, Camp I Am Me has provided a place of acceptance and healing for young burn survivors throughout Illinois at its yearly Summer Camp, held at YMCA Camp Duncan in Ingleside. This year’s camp will be held June 18 – 24.

A signature program offered through Camp I Am Me, Summer Camp offers a range of activities for camper ages 8-20, in addition to specialized therapeutic sessions and support groups that empower them to be able to say, "I am me", despite physical and/or emotional scars that can result from receiving a burn injury.

Photo provided

In this judgment-free environment, survivors can feel more open to sharing their challenges with others who have had similar experiences. Campers enjoy activities such as wall climbing, horseback riding, fishing, a high ropes course, a talent show, crafts and more – that bring them together to be supportive of one another.

"Due to a generous network of sponsors, donors and volunteers, we are able to offer this unique and empowering experience free of charge to survivors of burn injuries due to fire, electricity, chemicals and even scalding water," said Jim Kreher, the Camp I Am Me President and Fire Chief of the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District. "We invite anyone who wants to support our mission to get involved with this special journey of healing."

An overarching goal of Summer Camp, as well as other Camp I Am Me programs, is to help burn survivors build back their self-esteem and confidence. Over the last three+ decades, Summer Camp has positively impacted hundreds of lives, evidenced by campers coming back year after year, and the fact that more than a fourth of its volunteers are survivors who previously attended camp as a young person.

"It’s truly heartwarming to see how camp can positively impact these young people. It provides them with a strong support system filled with people who understand their experiences, which can change their lives for the better – both emotionally and psychologically," said Philip Zaleski, Camp I Am Me Executive Director.

Members of Illinois’ fire service and medical community, along with educators and individuals from the private sector, volunteer at the Summer Camp, where there is always a goal to have a one-to-one, volunteer to camper ratio. While Camp I Am Me has met its volunteer needs for this year’s Summer Camp, there are other ways to get involved with the organization’s mission, which can be found at campiamme.org/get-involved.

For more information about Summer Camp and other burn injury survivor support programs, as well as fire safety and burn prevention resources provided by Camp I Am Me, please visit campiamme.org.

Get off to a healthy start and keep your golf season injury-free

Quincy's Cooper Larson hits his opening shot off the tenth tee during second-round action at the Class 3A IHSA State Golf Finals at The Den at Fox Creek Golf Course in Bloomington, IL, on October 14, 2016. Now that Spring is making its way into the Midwest, it is that time of year when golfers begin their annual pilgrimage to area links for exercise, socializing, and competitive play. (Photo: PhotoNews/Clark Brooks)

by Paul Arco
OSF Healthcare

ROCKFORD - With warmer temperatures starting appear more frequently in central Illinois, it means with the arrival of Spring another golf season is upon us. And that has many golf enthusiasts racing off to area courses.

Before tossing the clubs in the trunk, however, the first priority is getting your body ready for the long season. Hopefully, you’ve maintained some level of fitness during the winter. But if you spent the past few months watching Netflix from the couch, experts have some important advice in order to keep your body injury free, especially to start the season.

“I would just start a stretching routine," says Matthew Davidson, a physical therapist with OSF HealthCare. "Start there, work on flexibility a little bit, range of motion, try and do what you can to counteract that stiffness that you seem to get over the winter months. Cardiovascular exercises are really good because they can not only build up that system, but improve blood flow and help with weight loss for those who might have gained a few pounds over the winter."

For the most part, golf is a relatively safe sport, but injuries can happen, especially as a result of not using proper form or technique. Most golf-related injuries involve the lower back, shoulders, wrists, and elbows. Walking nine or 18 holes can be challenging, especially if you’ve been mostly sedentary for the past several months. Even carrying a golf bag can cause back and shoulder pain. That’s why it’s important to start making changes immediately. Flexibility is the key. It will promote mobility, which helps joints throughout the entire body.

"First of all, depending on your fitness level you might want to start with nine holes before 18," says Davidson. "You might want to go to the range and walk between the range and the putting green. As far as a walking routine, start with five or 10 minutes. Walk your dog around the block and increase the distance and ramp it up from there."

Before starting any round, give yourself at least 10-15 minutes to properly stretch your back, hamstrings, abdominals, arms and shoulders to stay flexible. And make sure to get plenty of practice swings in before you head over to the first tee.

Jenna Dombroski sinks an easy putt during the Champaign Central Class AA golf sectional. The Centennial High School junior finished in second place qualifying for the girls' state golf tournament. She finished the par 76 course in Savoy, IL, with an 80 back on October 8, 2007. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

"One of the main things we do is sit," says Davidson. "We sit at our desk, we sit and watch TV, and we sit to relax. Golf is all about maintaining really good posture. Get to the golf course early, try a few swings, and go to the putting green. If you have time, go to the driving range and start with the smaller irons and work your way up to the driver and not just on the first hole with the first swing."

And remember to swing properly. The keys of a good swing include good posture, a stable lower back, and a slow relaxed swing. Most injuries that happen on the course are a result of poor form and an incorrect swing. An early-season injury, especially during cooler temperatures, can really set back a golfer for a period of time.

"Muscle strains, if they’re simple, can take anywhere from a few days or if they’re severe a month or longer, it just depends on the person," says Davidson. "My advice is to use pain as your guide. If you’re feeling something isn’t right don’t try and go out there and be a hero. Rest up, ice, use heat, whatever you need to do to manage it. And if it doesn’t improve, certainly go see your physician."

For more information on preparing for the golf season, click here.

Good sleep habits help weight loss and cardiovascular health

by American Heart Association

Improving one’s sleep health is something everyone can do to improve their cardiovascular health

DALLAS - People who reported getting regular, uninterrupted sleep did a better job sticking to their exercise and diet plans while trying to lose weight, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle & Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions 2023. The meeting will be held in Boston, February 28-March 3, 2023, and offers the latest science on population-based health and wellness and implications for lifestyle and cardiometabolic health.

"Focusing on obtaining good sleep — seven to nine hours at night with a regular wake time along with waking refreshed and being alert throughout the day — may be an important behavior that helps people stick with their physical activity and dietary modification goals," said Christopher E. Kline, Ph.D., an associate professor in the department of health and human development at the University of Pittsburgh. "A previous study of ours reported that better sleep health was associated with a significantly greater loss of body weight and fat among participants in a year-long, behavioral weight loss program."

The researchers examined whether good sleep health was related to how well people adhered to the various lifestyle modifications prescribed in a 12-month weight loss program. The weight-loss program included 125 adults (average age of 50 years, 91% female, 81% white) who met criteria for overweight or obesity (body mass index of 27-44) without any medical conditions requiring medical supervision of their diet or physical activity.

Sleep habits were measured at the beginning of the program, at 6 months and at 12 months, through patient questionnaires, a sleep diary and 7-day readings from a wrist-worn device that recorded sleep, waking activity and rest. These measures were used to score each participant as "good" or "poor" on six measures of sleep: regularity; satisfaction; alertness; timing; efficiency (the percentage of time spent in bed when actually asleep); and duration. A composite sleep health score of 0-6 was calculated for each participant, with one point for each "good" measure of sleep health, with higher scores indicating better levels of sleep health.

Adherence to the weight loss program was measured by percentage of group intervention sessions attended; percentage of days in which each participant ate between 85-115% of their recommended daily calories; and change in daily duration of moderate or vigorous physical activity. Participants had an average sleep health score of 4.5 out of 6 at the start of the study, at 6 months and at 12 months. Participants self-reported their caloric intake each day using a phone app and researchers measured participants’ physical activity with an accelerometer worn at the waist for one week at a time at the start of the study, at 6 months and at 12 months.

After adjusting the sleep health scores for age, gender, race and whether or not there was a partner sharing the bed, the researchers found that better sleep health was associated with higher rates of attendance at group interval sessions, adherence to caloric intake goals and improvement in time spent performing moderate-vigorous physical activity. They found:

Participants attended 79% of group sessions in the first six months and 62% of group sessions in the second six months.

Participants met their daily caloric intake goals on 36% of days in the first six months and 21% in the second six months.

Participants increased their total daily time spent in moderate-vigorous activity by 8.7 minutes in the first six months, however, their total time spent decreased by 3.7 minutes in the second six months.

The decrease in group session attendance, caloric intake and in time spent in moderate-vigorous activity in the second six months was expected, Kline said. "As one continues in a long-term behavioral weight loss intervention, it’s normal for the adherence to weight loss behaviors to decrease," he said.

Additionally, while there was an association between better sleep health scores and an increase in physical activity, it was not strong enough to be statistically significant, meaning that researchers cannot rule out that the results were due to chance.

"We had hypothesized that sleep would be associated with lifestyle modification; however, we didn’t expect to see an association between sleep health and all three of our measures of lifestyle modification," he said. "Although we did not intervene on sleep health in this study, these results suggest that optimizing sleep may lead to better lifestyle modification adherence. "

The study’s limitations include that it did not incorporate any intervention to help participants improve their sleep, that the study sample was not recruited based upon participants’ sleep health characteristics, and that the overall sample population had relatively good sleep health at baseline. The sample was also primarily white and female, so it is unclear whether these results are generalizable to more diverse populations.

"One question of interest for future research is whether we can increase adherence to lifestyle modifications – and, ultimately, increase weight loss – if we improve a person’s sleep health," Kline said.

A second question for the researchers is how such an intervention would be timed to improve sleep.

"It remains unclear whether it would be best to optimize sleep prior to rather than during attempted weight loss. In other words, should clinicians tell their patients to focus on getting better and more regular sleep before they begin to attempt weight loss, or should they try to improve their sleep while at the same time modifying their diet and activity levels?" Kline said.

Improving one’s sleep health is something everyone can do to improve their cardiovascular health and is a key component of the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8. Sleep was added in 2022 as the eighth component of optimal cardiovascular health, which includes eating healthy food, being physically active, not smoking, getting enough sleep, maintaining a healthy weight and controlling cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure levels. Cardiovascular disease claims more lives each year in the U.S. than all forms of cancer and chronic lower respiratory disease combined, according to the 2023 Statistical Update from the American Heart Association.

"There are over 100 studies linking sleep to weight gain and obesity, but this was a great example showing how sleep isn't just tied to weight itself, it's tied to the things we're doing to help manage our own weight. This could be because sleep impacts the things that drive hunger and cravings, your metabolism and your ability to regulate metabolism and the ability to make healthy choices in general," said Michael A. Grandner, Ph.D., MTR. Grandner is director of the Sleep and Heath Research Program at the University of Arizona, director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic at the Banner-University Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona, and was a co-author of the Association’s Life’s Essential 8 cardiovascular health score. "Studies like this really go to show that all of these things are connected, and sometimes sleep is the thing that we can start taking control over that can help open doors to other avenues of health."

Smart devices are triggering a real pain in the neck for some people

by Paul Arco
OSF Healthcare

ROCKFORD - Technology is all around us. From our laptops to tablets, many of us are consumed with our gadgets for hours on end. In fact, various reports say the average person in the United States spends between five and 10 hours each day on their smartphones, computers, video games, and TVs.

But with all this screen time comes potential health problems. A condition known as “tech neck” is the stressing of the muscles while looking down at items such as phones or computers for long periods of time.

“Technology which is affecting your neck is the best way I can put it," says Dr. Nandini Chattopadhyay, a family practice physician with OSF HealthCare. "Technology can mean phones, iPhones, tablets, computers and their overall effect on the neck, shoulders, upper back, which has been a problem in the recent years and that’s what tech neck is all about.”

Some are calling this problem the new carpal tunnel syndrome.

“In tech neck, we see the neck being affected because of the technology," says Dr. Chattopadhyay. "More often than not, it's the nerves which are running from the back of the head to your neck and shoulders, which becomes weak because of the way that people do these activities and looking at technology devices. The relationship between nerve and pain in terms of neck is now called the new carpal tunnel of this era.”

Tech neck affects both adults and children, but symptoms vary and can be different for each person, says Dr. Chattopadhyay, who has treated patients as young as five. The repetitive strain on the bones, nerves, and muscles caused by looking down at a phone or laptop, for example, can cause joint inflammation, pinched nerves, arthritis, and even herniated discs.

So if I started at the head, then it can be headaches, changes in vision and needing glasses at a much younger age than what you would usually need," says Dr. Chattopadhyay. "Then it’s a lot of neck stiffness, then weakness of your upper back. A lot of tension of the muscles on the upper back. Gradually the pain goes all the way down to the lower back and then you feel numbness and tingling in your arms. These are some of the common symptoms that I see.”

Nandini Chattopadhyay, MD

There are ways to prevent tech neck, such as maintaining good posture, using a smartphone holder, investing in a monitor stand and asking your doctor about physical therapy. The good news is there are treatments that can be effective for tech neck. There’s no need to live with pain if it can be treated, says Dr. Chattopadhyay.

“The management of this comes with the awareness," she adds. "So daily exercises, making sure you're moving around, and have the ability to take breaks from technology devices. That's very important if you're working on the computer every day, then take one or two hours just to yourself to do regular exercises where you're not looking at the computer screen.”

Our phones and other devices are important tools and there’s no reason to give them up, Dr. Chattopadhyay adds. But she does recommends holding the phone at eye level to help reduce the strain. But if you continue to experience any pain, it might be time to visit your doctor.

Concussion symptoms can show up later than you expected

by Tim Ditman
OSF Healthcare

ALTON -- A January grocery trip for Charlotte Davis turned out to be life-altering.

The Shipman, Illinois, woman was loading food into the back of her van when she says the hydraulics failed, and the back door slammed into her head.

While she didn’t lose consciousness or have any visible signs of trauma, Davis doesn’t mince words: "It hurt really bad."

Davis says she put up with worsening headaches, garbled speech and weakened memory as long as she could.

"I tried to drive one day. I hit a flower pot, drove through the ditch, missed my turn, forgot where I was going three times," Davis says. "My eight year old granddaughter told her mom, ‘Please don't let Mawmaw drive anymore. She's scaring me.’"

When a CAT Scan found no brain bleed, Davis wound up at the OSF HealthCare rehabilitation office in Alton, Illinois. She was skeptical at first but now considers herself a prime example of why you shouldn’t just shake off a head injury – whether it’s in a football game or just around the house. Otherwise, serious issues like the brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) may follow. CTE is often seen in football players. In July 2022, officials announced the late NFL player Demaryius Thomas had CTE.

Physical therapist Kelly Bogowith cared for Davis at the Alton office.

"All concussions are a form of at least mild traumatic brain injury," Bogowith says. "So it’s important to make sure that you get assessed and also ensure that you're not playing sports later that same day. A provider can give you education on how long you should be sitting out from sports and other physical activities, as well. And that might even include work."

"Sometimes with concussions, we may not have symptoms for hours or even weeks afterwards. So it's important to get checked out by your physician, urgent care, emergency department, or athletic trainer, depending on your setting," Bogowith adds. "But it's not something to shake off. And it can be especially important, too, to not have a second concussion because that can be very dangerous and even deadly."

Every patient recovering from a head knock receives a specially-tailored plan, Bogowith says. The roadmap could include different types of therapy, like physical or speech language. It will always include at-home activities – stretches for physical therapy or puzzles for speech language therapy, for example. And the OSF HealthCare team encourages you to ask questions along the way.

Davis’ plan started with massages and stretches to relieve tension. She progressed to walking, then running on a treadmill.

"I beat that treadmill," Davis says, beaming.

She beat the non-physical aspects, too. Davis’ memory and speech improved to the point that when she met with speech language pathologist Ashley Brim at the Alton location, it was a one-and-done.

"[Speech therapy] can range within working on targeting problem solving skills," Brim explains. "So, either really basic problem solving all the way up to reading paragraphs of information. And trying to figure out information that, most of the time, people don't think about. We can just read it and figure it out. But when you have a concussion, and that is impacting you, it makes it 10 times more difficult."

"We work on a lot of memory tasks," Brim continues. "Exercises for working on memorizing word lists, figuring out different ways to help the patient memorize things better. So they associate the word to something else and then they use those associations to be able to remember what has been said to them and chain it all together."

What people in Bogowith and Brim’s roles don’t want to see: people relying solely on pills to get through pain. That can lead to addiction and side effects. Therapy is somewhat the opposite, Brim notes. It gives the patient ownership of their recovery.

Davis agrees with that assessment and says her determination to see therapy through to the end has paid off in multiple ways. Most notably, she can handle playing with her eight grandkids.

"I want people to know that it's important," Davis says. "I understand that it's a pain. It's not always convenient. There are always other things people want to do. But if your doctor says to do therapy, I 100% will tell you: go to therapy. You don't know how bad you need it until you actually go."

Health tip: Exercise boosts immunity during winter months

Photo: Nathanael Mosqueda/Pexels

by American Heart Association

DALLAS -— Many people think January is a great time to get a fresh start on a new fitness routine, while many of us in Illinois use the cold weather as an excuse to huddle under the covers on the couch. No matter how you approach the new year, the American Heart Association has some important information about how to get healthy – and stay healthy – when the temperatures start to dip.

"There’s actually some advantages to working out in cold weather – with no heat and humidity to deal with you may be able to work out longer in cold weather which means you can burn even more calories. It’s also a great way to get much needed vitamin D from the sunlight, which can help elevate your mood," said John A. Osborne, M.D., Ph.D., FACC, FNLA, Founder and Director State of the Heart Cardiology, Metroplex Cardiology.

It doesn't matter if you are in downstate Illinois or the northern part of the state, getting out and exercising is good for you.

"Research shows that exercise also boosts your immunity during the cold and flu season, which can be especially important in dealing with possible COVID infection."

Osborne said if you can’t exercise outdoors, there are many online resources available to assist in developing a workout at home, or athletes can still visit a gym or even walk the mall if they use the appropriate precautions to protect against COVID.

If you are heading outdoors for exercise, winter sports like skiing or skating or if you have to shovel your car out of a snow drift, Osborne has some warnings. Aside from some of the well-known cold weather dangers such as frostbite or unsafe driving conditions, there are cardiovascular risks to consider. The cold causes blood vessels to contract and coronary arteries to constrict, which can raise blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Photo: Noelle Otto/Pexels

"Strenuous activities such as walking through heavy snow or snow shoveling can add stressors to the heart that people aren’t normally used to," said Osborne "Our hearts also have to work extra hard in cold weather to keep a healthy body temperature."

Here are some tips to keep your heart in check during coat season:

Stay active safely: Make sure you wear layers to keep warm while exercising outdoors to avoid cold weather hazards like hypothermia and frostbite and take breaks. It’s important to stay active year-round but make sure you’re not overexerting yourself in winter months. When in doubt, ask your doctor. Here are some tips on how to stay active in cold weather.

Stay hydrated: Just because it’s cold and you may not feel thirsty, it’s just as important to drink water like you would during a warm weather workout. Thirst isn’t the best indicator that you need to drink, even if you aren't sweating as much you still need to hydrate.

Watch out for the added calories in cold weather drinks: Comforting drinks like pumpkin spiced lattes and hot chocolate can be loaded with unwanted sugar and fat.

Get vaccinated: COVID-19 and the flu are especially dangerous for people with cardiovascular disease.

Learn CPR: EMS response times can be slower with inclement weather. More than 350,000 cardiac arrests happen outside of a hospital each ear. If administered immediately after cardiac arrest, CPR can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.

Reach your 2022 goals with an ‘anti’ resolution list

Photo: Brodie Vissers/Burst

(NAPSI) —- As the world celebrates the new year, many will make an annual list of resolutions and goals, which often include improving overall health and fitness.

As we continue to weather the COVID-19 pandemic, improving overall health is front and center, more so than usual. However, according to the U.S. New Year’s Resolutions 2020 study conducted by YouGov, over half of those who set New Year’s resolutions can’t follow through.

Luckily, exercise physiologist and Bowflex fitness advisor Tom Holland has a new approach to setting and reaching your health and fitness goals this year.

Focus on Anti-Resolutions

Holland recommends turning the typical New Year’s resolutions list on its head by creating “anti-resolutions” to focus on what you’re not going to do. For example, instead of saying “I’m going to work out every day” or “eat only healthy foods,” resolve to not make excuses. This can take the focus off the broader goal and onto in-the-moment actions. The next time you plan to go the gym or cook a healthy meal, and you start to come up with reasons today’s not the day, you can remember your resolution to not make excuses. If you set unrealistic resolutions to transform your entire lifestyle all at once, it’s more difficult to take the necessary steps to get there.

Most people have made excuses for not making a workout or sticking to a routine. This anti-resolution approach changes the focus from overly ambitious goals to a more subtle mindset shift.

To help you continue or take those first steps on your fitness journey, Holland also recommends connected fitness services and apps, such as the JRNY digital fitness platform. With the JRNY app, you can easily fit exercise into your schedule with a wide range of personalized, trainer-led workouts. JRNY is integrated with Bowflex cardio equipment, including stationary bikes and treadmills, and features off-product workouts such as HIIT, strength, yoga, stretch and Pilates, which can be accessed from a mobile device or tablet via the JRNY app. So many options means no more excuses. No matter your fitness level, goals or lifestyle, JRNY has exercise programs to help you stay motivated and active so you can make exercise a habit in your life.

Determine What Works Best for You

Often people struggle to get started working out because they think they need to go to the gym all the time or sacrifice privacy, comfort and entertainment to see results. Holland notes that it’s important to not let trends, other people’s opinions or even your own preconceived notions get in the way.

It’s easier than ever before to find a workout routine that aligns with your lifestyle. If going to the gym isn’t your speed, you could pick up a versatile fitness product such as a set of Bowflex SelectTech 552 dumbbells or download the JRNY mobile app for access to hundreds of video workouts that can be done from the comfort of your own home—no expensive gym membership or commute required.

If you find your motivation is dwindling, the Bowflex Max Total 16 is a great option that lets you do high-intensity, interval workouts at home while streaming your entertainment subscriptions including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, and Disney+.

This new year, try a different approach to health and fitness resolutions by kicking the overly ambitious goals of the past to the side in favor of setting anti-resolutions instead. At the same time, take advantage of what today’s fitness technology has to offer to improve your odds of success and make this your year.

Tips for a healthy heart during the holidays

(American Heart Association) -- Scientific research over time has shown an uptick in cardiac events during the winter holiday season, and more people die from heart attacks between December 25^thand January 1^st than at any other time of the year.

The American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, has tips and resources to help you and yours have a happy, healthy holiday season.

"The holidays are a busy, often stressful, time for most of us. Routines are disrupted; we may tend to eat and drink more and exercise and relax less. We also may not be listening to our bodies or paying attention to warning signs, thinking it can wait until after the new year. All of these can be contributors to increasing the risk for heart attack at this time of the year," said Donald Lloyd-Jones, M.D., Sc.M., FAHA, volunteer president of the American Heart Association and Eileen M. Foell Professor of Heart Research, professor of preventive medicine, medicine and pediatrics, and chair of the department of preventive medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. "This may be even more likely for many people who didn't get to be with family and friends last year due to COVID1-19 restrictions. It's incredibly important to be aware of these risks. Take a few simple steps that can help keep you heart healthy with much to celebrate in the new year."

Here are some things to be mindful of (a list we recommend checking twice):

Know the symptoms and take action: Heart attack signs may vary in men and women and it’s important to catch them early and call 9-1-1 for help. The sooner medical treatment begins, the better the chances of survival and preventing heart damage.
Celebrate in moderation ‘Tis the season for unhealthy changes in diet and higher alcohol consumption. Eating healthfully during the holidays doesn’t have to mean depriving yourself, there are still ways to eat smart. Look for small, healthy changes and swaps you can make so you continue to feel your best while eating and drinking in moderation, and don’t forget to watch the sodium.
Plan for peace on earth and goodwill toward yourself: Make time to take care of yourself during the busy holiday. Reduce stress from family interactions, strained finances, hectic schedules and other stressors that tack on this time of year, including traveling.
Keep moving: The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week and this number usually drops during the holiday buzz. Get creative with ways to stay active, even if it’s going for a family walk or another fun activity you can do with your loved ones.
Stick to your meds: Busy holidays can make way for skipping medications, forgetting them when away from home, or not getting refills in a timely manner. Here is a medication chart to help stay on top of it, and be sure to keep tabs on your blood pressure numbers.

2022 fitness trends continue to evolve into new norms

Photo: Nicole De Khors/Burst

(Family Features) -- In adjusting to the constraints of the pandemic, many Americans had to improvise where and how they work out. Whether it was making space in an extra bedroom or the family room, clearing out space in the corner of a barn, after months of adapting to a “gym anywhere” mentality and learning to accommodate more flexible workout schedules, this new fitness mindset is inspiring some larger trends for healthier living.

Exercising at home has become a norm for many. Everything from resistance training and free weights to yoga and pilates have been molded into quick, no-fuss training self-directed routines between Zoom sessions for those wanting to maintain a healthy lifestyle. In addition to solo workouts, sweat sessions with quarantine partners and bubble mates for those who need motivational pushes, are still going strong.

“We’ve learned that wellness is not one-size fits all, and that it’s achieved by small habits like regular hydration that can really impact how you feel throughout the day,” said celebrity fitness trainer Harley Pasternak, MsC. “Collectively, nourishing both body and mind together as one makes holistic health a sustainable lifestyle.”

Pasternak and the experts at Propel Fitness Water are forecasting five fitness and wellness trends to watch for in 2022:

Accountability Buddies

When gym closures ran rampant, folks leaned on others for inspiration to get moving, so it’s no surprise working out in pairs (or more) is a continued way to focus on fitness. Feelings of burnout may be common heading into 2022, so having a partner who gives you a healthy sense of camaraderie and competition can help push you to show up on days when you’d rather rest and stay committed to your goals. It also provides a sounding board when you need suggestions for nutritious recipes or fresh at-home cardio ideas.

Versatility in Gym Spaces and Schedules

When a large segment of the workforce started working from home, the rituals of before- and after-work gym visits fell by the wayside. People grew more accustomed to improvising where they work out, whether it was their neighbor’s garage, their living room or a running path in the city. As exercisers are less beholden to studio or gym schedules, the “gym anywhere” mentality is a level of flexibility many are holding on to, even as they ease back into more normal work routines.

Health in Small, Achievable Doses

This trend is all about recognizing health transformations don’t happen overnight, and even modest steps can make a big difference in how you feel throughout the day. One example is paying more attention to your hydration. If you aren’t properly hydrated, few other things tend to go right either. Small habits like throwing Propel Powder Packs into your gym, work or school bag can make a difference. Filled with enough electrolytes to replace what is lost in sweat, they are handy for on-the-go hydration and are easy to add to a water bottle.

Wellness Goals vs. Fitness

Committing to overall wellness is more about lifestyle changes than numbers like weight loss or muscle mass. People embracing this trend are forgoing numeric goals based on performance in the gym or on the scale and instead emphasizing outcomes that affect life, nourishing both body and mind together as one. Fitness goals are an essential component, but so is supporting your mental health as well as being cognizant of what you’re putting into your body. When each piece is well taken care of, your body is better able to work like a well-oiled machine.

Low-Impact Workouts

This year, walking treadmill challenges gained virality on social media, marking the increasing popularity of workouts that are low impact yet effective. Getting moving is the key, even if it means taking your tempo down. You don’t need to do hours of HIIT every day to see results. In fact, less time- and energy-intensive workouts are easier to sustain and can often yield the same, or better, results.

Find more hydration options and wellness tips at propelwater.com.

Gentle on the joints and fun, rebounding is a great way to get fit

NAPSI Photo

(NAPSI) -- The COVID-19 pandemic has not only resulted in more people working out at home, it has underscored the tremendous value of regular exercise in staying healthy and boosting your immune system. If you’re looking to start exercising or want to add some variety to your fitness routine, now may be a great time to try rebounding, where you bounce on a mini-trampoline to build stamina, burn calories and shape up.

What is Rebounding?

Rebounding is a low-impact, high-intensity exercise on a fitness trampoline with elastic cords. It’s intuitive, gentle on the joints and, users say, a whole lot of fun. From different ways to jump, to strength and balance work, to flexibility moves, exercisers enjoy the ease, rhythm and freedom of rebounding, along with energizing music that drives workouts and helps endorphins flow.

“We perform workouts to the beat of the music, which allows people to get out of their minds and focus on their bodies and movement,” explains Jacey Lambros, co-owner of Jane DO, a fitness brand with four studios in the greater New York City region. “Our trampoline class is a total-body workout designed to lift both the body and the spirit.”

Benefits of Rebounding

Here are some more reasons to consider rebounding:

1. Accommodates all fitness levels. Beginners can go at their own pace and use a handlebar attached to the trampoline, while advanced exercisers can accelerate their pace and intensity for greater challenge. Both benefit from this low-impact modality, which minimizes joint stress.

2. Burns calories. Studies have shown that rebounding for 20 minutes is comparable to running for 30 minutes—without all the jarring on the body. Another study indicates that rebounding is 50 percent more efficient at burning fat than running. Plus, because workouts are low-impact, they don’t feel as taxing, so you can exercise longer for even better results.

3. Develops balance. The unstable surface of trampolines means your body has to work harder and constantly engage the core to remain balanced and in control.

4. Improves the lymphatic system. Rebounding stimulates the lymphatic system, which functions to help the body get rid of toxins and is essential for immunity and overall health.

5. Builds bone mass. Jumping on a trampoline strengthens the skeletal system to enhance bone density and help stave off osteoporosis.

6. Is compact and cost-effective. Mini-trampolines are compact and can fit anywhere (some even fold), are reasonably priced, facilitate a variety of workouts and deliver long-lasting performance over years.

How to Jump In

Get a quality trampoline from an expert such as JumpSport at

www.JumpSportFitness.com. You can choose among different models for various preferences and budgets. Then take advantage of on-demand and live streamed workouts, or hit a rebounding boutique. There are more than 20 fitness studios in the Tri-state area keeping exercisers bouncing with in-person and virtual rebounding sessions.

In the greater NYC area, Jane DO offers its trampoline workouts, along with weekly live streamed classes, at www.janedo.com/livestream and on-demand workouts, via its custom app in the Apple Store or Google Play.

"Rebounding gives you a full-body workout on a singular apparatus, in a small space, and in a way that won’t bother your neighbors," says Dani DeAngelo, co-owner of Jane DO.

PERSPIROLOGY, a boutique fitness center in Sea Bright, New Jersey, also offers a wide variety of Bounce classes in studio and online that motivate and challenge exercisers.

"We have hundreds of workouts on our site that allow exercisers to get familiar with rebounding and work hard in the comfort of their own home," says Katy Fraggos, owner/creator of PERSPIROLOGY. You can check out a free seven-day trial of the Workout At Home library at www.perspirology.com.

Rebounding can be a great way to put more of a spring in your step all year round.

1st annual Santa HO HO HO 5k Fun Run/Walk a success

ST. JOSEPH - On the way home from a marathon/half marathon race in Indianapolis, Max Painter and members of his running group lamented how the event was the last race they would run in 2018.

During the discussion fellow runner Brenda Hixon suggested the possibility of taking another road trip. Maybe to Chicago or running in Indy again at either city's Santa Hustle. The group of avid runner decided they would indeed run one more race before the end of the year.

However, the next morning Painter, a veteran who started running while serving in the Army, woke up with a better idea.

"Why don't we just do that here?"

Painter presented the idea to the group and it was a hit.

Combining efforts Hixon and Painter created the 1st Annual St. Joe Santa HO HO HO 5k Fun Run.

Runners start their run during the Ho Ho Ho 5k on Saturday. Over 300 runners took part in what may become an annual event in St. Joseph. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

As they planned the event, they expected, at best, a modest turn out of maybe 50 to 100 Santa-ly cladded runners making their way through the streets of St. Joseph. To their surprise and delight, registrations started rolling in and the field of runners and walkers quickly rose over 200.

"It exploded into this," Painter said while scanning the finish line as runners and walkers crossed the finish line to receive their medals from Mayor Tami Fruhling-Voges and other finish line volunteers. "We love it."

And by this, Painter meant the 325 participants and nearly that number of spectators, family members and well-wishers along the 5k course on Saturday.

Gregory Poe give two thumbs up as he crosses the finish line. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

The near freezing temperatures did not keep runners away.

"It wasn't too cold out there once you got running," said Dwayne Schlabach, who started running to stay in shape.

For Peyton Wendell the race one more opportunity to put on his holiday best, a royal blue two-pieces Christmas suit.

"My aunt bought it for me last year. I wore to school a few times and I thought this would a great time to wear it one last time," he said. "It (the run) was really fun. There were a whole bunch of people out there cheering for you."

Rhonda Littlefield, who crossed the finish line capturing her finish with her smartphone, enjoyed the race.

"I wanted to support the community and do something fun," she said echoing the sentiments of other runners as the sun peeked from behind the clouds through the crisp December air. "I didn't fall down and hurt an ankle so it's a great day. It was a lot of fun!"

Coming off a recent injury that limited his running, Gregory Poe was happy to be able to run and spend quality time with his two sons, Nick and Eric.

"I haven't been able to run for a while," he said. "I really enjoyed it and had a great time."

Hidden behind sunglasses and her Santa beard, Sara Meyer said she also enjoyed the atmosphere and holiday cheer along the course.

Sara Meyer poses for a photo with The Grinch after running in the Ho Ho Ho 5K. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

"I'm use to competing in more competitive races," she said before heading over to have her picture taken with someone dressed in Grinch costume. "It was something fun to do today and a great day for it."

Former St. Joseph-Ogden high school running star Chelsea Blaase was the first competitor and female runner to cross the finish line. Brandon Mattsey was the first male runner in and Kendrick Johnson was the first runner in the youth division to finish the inaugural race.