Author: St. Elizabeth Healthcare

Tired of the treadmill? Just getting started on a workout routine? Now’s the perfect time to try the elliptical. The elliptical is a fitness machine, and is a great alternative to other cardio machines (like treadmills) for people with joint pain or injuries. My Fitness Pal  recently shared some tips to get the most out of your elliptical workout: 1. Work all your muscles: You may think cardio is all about the legs. Not true. Most gyms have ellipticals that include arm and leg work, which will improve circulation. That also means more muscles employed and more calories burned. 2.…

Tanning, an activity done to darken the skin’s tone, often gets a well-deserved bad rap. After all, risks of tanning include  premature aging, eye damage and skin cancer. But, what about my vacation? According to Greatist,  many people who don’t tan often still believe  getting a “base tan” before vacation will reduce burns by increasing melanin, the stuff that protects you from UV damage. Getting a base tan does help, kind of, but it only equates to an SPF of 3 to 4, which is not nearly enough to protect you. And, because you exposed yourself to harmful UV…

Love to read, but hate to work out? Book lovers everywhere: rejoice! Buzzfeed has come out with a list of exercises you can do while reading, or at least using your favorite books. Now you can be sharper mentally  and physically! Here are our top 5: Page-turner push-ups: Get a book out that you’ve been dying to read and place it on the floor in front of you. The goal, do push-ups while reading as many pages as you can. When you’re done, you will be a master at multitasking. Character kicks: Get out a book you know really well,…

Dr. Aleah Gibson, a family medicine doctor with St. Elizabeth Physicians’ Aurora, Ind. office, explains the easiest ways to ensure your family’s safety at the poolside this summer. Whether you are an accomplished swimmer or a beginner, these tips will make sure your beach day is both safe and fun. Do you have your own backyard pool? Check out these tips to keep toddlers out of harm’s way. Watch the video below:

Remember when you were a kid and you would sit and color all day? Or maybe you have a child of your own who does this now. Back in the day, coloring books came in all different sizes, colors and themes, and there seem to be even more options available now. In fact, now, they even make coloring books specifically for adults with intricate designs. They are marketed as a stress reliever, and some people swear by their usefulness in this area, but do they really do what their fans claim? According to Certified Art Therapist Marygrace Berberian, as quoted…

Have you ever wondered what SPF stands for? Or, if you know what it stands for, what “sun protection factor” really means? Is 70 SPF better than 15? Or do you need to be looking at the ingredients and ignoring the SPF completely? Dr. Aleah Gibson with St. Elizabeth Physicians explains how to choose the best sunscreen for your needs, which is key to keeping your family safe this summer, in the video below.

The superbug has reached America, but what does that mean? According to the Washington Post, the superbug is a strain of the bacteria E. coli that is resistant to last resort antibiotic, Colistin. The strain found in the United States is treatable by other antibiotics. If it can be treated, why is it such a concern? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is concerned the Colistin-resistance gene the superbug carries could be spread to other bacteria that cannot be treated with other antibiotics. If this happens, antibiotics will be rendered useless. “Control of [antibiotic] resistance is a daily…

While winter is guilty of bringing ice, snow and slush our way, summer storms can be scary, too, especially for kids. Warm-weather storms can strike with little to no warning and bring loud booms, bright flashes and high winds. We spoke with Mike Ihrig, the Boone County Emergency Management Director, to learn more about protecting yourself and your family in the event of a severe thunderstorm, flash flooding or tornado: What causes summer storms? Summer storms are brought on by a combination of moisture and rapidly rising warm air. About 10 percent of all thunderstorms in the United States…

While it’s not the most pleasant of topics, any seasoned runner will tell you tummy trouble is a very real issue on the race course. And, we’re not talking stomach cramps. You can try to avoid the “runners’ runs” altogether by staying hydrated, or as we read in Runner’s World this week, you can force yourself to poop before the race, simply by choosing the right foods. After all, we can all agree that the urge to relieve your bowels during a race is unwanted, uncomfortable and distracting.. To keep you on track for a personal best, here are a…

Parents often wonder how to prevent overuse injuries from affecting their children during summer sports leagues. For children who play in multiple games a weekend, or across multiple leagues, overuse injuries like little league elbow are extremely common. Watch as Dr. James Hahn, pediatric sports medicine specialist with St. Elizabeth Physicians explains the cause of little league elbow and how to prevent it.