Health fair in Lombard showcases new fitness offerings

For those who want to put fitness front and center in 2012, the Lombard Park District’s annual Health Fair and Fitness Expo could be a good first step.

The event, scheduled to run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 8, at Sunset Knoll Recreation Center, 820 S. Finley Road, brings a chance to experience new exercise classes and learn about nutrition, sports injuries and local health and fitness-related businesses.

Chiropractors and health food stores from Lombard, Villa Park, Elmhurst and other area towns will be among the 30 to 35 vendors at the fair, said Debbie Whitcher, the park district’s aquatics and facilities manager.

Highlights of the annual event include a teen yoga workshop from noon to 1 p.m. and a Tai Chi workshop featuring an introduction to Chinese health balls from 1 to 2 p.m.

How to exercise with Chinese health balls will be taught in a new class during the first session of the year. Using the balls increases strength and dexterity in the fingers, hands and wrists and helps relax muscles in those areas, Whitcher said.

A style of yoga called Iyengar also is among new fitness course offerings.

“It’s a more intense style than we’ve offered in the past,” Whitcher said.

Yoga and Chinese health balls will be demonstrated at the health fair because they represent some of the park district’s new offerings in 2012.

“Our different activities are typically the new and different classes that we’re offering,” Whitcher said.

A fitness class designed for older adults also will be featured.

“We have a new class called Seniors on Strength,” Whitcher said. “We’ll highlight it so that our older population can stop in and see what that might offer to them.”

The Health Fair & Fitness Expo is free and also includes sports injury screenings, chair massages, blood pressure screenings and posture screenings.