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How Americans prioritize themselves when it comes to fitness

Photo by MART PRODUCTION via Pexels Do it for you — a new study has found three in five Americans are motivated to start a new fitness routine in 2024 to look good for themselves. The poll of 2,000 U.S. adults revealed, over the next 12 months, people are prioritizing themselves when it comes to […]

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How Americans prioritize themselves when it comes to fitness








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Photo by MART PRODUCTION via Pexels


Do it for you — a new study has found three in five Americans are motivated to start a new fitness routine in 2024 to look good for themselves.

The poll of 2,000 U.S. adults revealed, over the next 12 months, people are prioritizing themselves when it comes to their fitness: aiming to lose a certain amount of weight (43%), increasing their general strength (43%) and increasing their general mobility (35%).

But seeing a noticeable difference in the mirror takes time. The average person believes it takes six weeks of a new fitness regime before they can see a physical difference.

📡 << Broadcast-ready version of this research story >> 📡

And once they’ve seen results in themselves, 54% said it’s “easier” to maintain their routine.

However, 48% were worried about potentially losing the motivation to get fit and 65% believe the motivation to increase their level of physical fitness does actually wane over time.







Motivation-Matters




According to respondents, the motivation to keep going lasts for about four weeks before needing a new push.

The survey, commissioned by Optimum Nutrition and conducted by OnePoll, found a majority of Americans’ diet affects their level of fitness motivation (89%).

Nearly three in 10 (29%) believe they don’t get enough protein in their diet, lacking it either “all the time” (19%) or often (40%).

Gen X felt like they were lacking protein the most out of all generations (35%), compared to millennials (34%), Gen Z (27%) and baby boomers (21%). Plus, over three in five (35%) females don’t think they get enough protein vs. 23% of men.

The average person has two meals per day that don’t include protein, but 61% would be more likely to increase their protein intake in order to help achieve their fitness goals.

As people are reflecting on health and wellness over the next 12 months, the most common experiences that make people feel out of shape include running out of breath often (49%) and trying on clothing that no longer fits (46%).

Over a quarter (29%) said they realized they were out of shape after not being able to walk up a flight of stairs without feeling winded.

Overall, half are optimistic about their fitness futures, believing that their best physical days are still ahead of them.

“Of course it takes time to see a physical difference in ourselves,” said Optimum Nutrition Brand Director Jim Hogan. “But when you first start a new fitness routine, that moment of realization is powerful — it’s an encouragement that what you’re doing is working and the goals you have for yourself are achievable. That’s the sort of motivation people need to keep their fitness habits up.”

  • Lose a certain amount of weight – 43%
  • Increase my general strength – 43%
  • Increase my general mobility – 35%
  • Gain muscle – 32%
  • Body Composition (to lose fat and build muscle) – 26%
  • Maintain my current weight – 18%
  • Gain a certain amount of weight – 8%

Survey methodology:

This random double-opt-in survey of 2,000 general population Americans was commissioned by Optimum Nutrition between Jan 4 and Jan 8, 2024. It was conducted by market research company OnePoll, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society and have corporate membership to the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR).

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Track and Field Travels North for Gary Wieneke Memorial

Story Links Gary Wieneke Memorial Demirjian Park | Champaign, Ill. May 2-3 | 11:30am (Fri) 10am (Sat) Schedule (TBA) | Live Stats ON-TAP: The Eastern Illinois Indoor Track and Field team is heading north up I-57 to participate in the University of Illinois Gary Wieneke Memorial at Demirjian Park in Champaign, Ill., […]

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Gary Wieneke Memorial

Demirjian Park | Champaign, Ill.

May 2-3 | 11:30am (Fri) 10am (Sat)

Schedule (TBA) |
Live Stats

ON-TAP: The Eastern Illinois Indoor Track and Field team is heading north up I-57 to participate in the University of Illinois Gary Wieneke Memorial at Demirjian Park in Champaign, Ill., on Friday, May 2 and Saturday, May 3. This marks the second time this calendar year that Eastern Illinois has traveled to the University of Illinois for a Track and Field events as they competed in the Fighting Illini Challenge and Combined Events on Friday, Jan. 24.

Due to potential weather conditions, this weekend’s meet schedule is subject to change; however, a tentative schedule is currently in place.

Day one action will showcase only a few events from each the sprinters, jumpers, distance, and field athletes. Friday will kick off with only four events on the oval –100m hurdles, 400m hurdles, 200m dash, and 5000m run. Meanwhile, field events and jumps will get started with hammer throw, javelin, and the triple jump.

Saturday’s will feature the remainder of the events throughout the day, ending with the men’s and women’s 4x400m relay in the evening. 

EIU EARLY BIRD RECAP: The Eastern Illinois track and field team wrapped up a successful weekend at the Jim Freeman/Clark Wood Invitational at Owsley B. Frazier Cardinal Park, highlighted by multiple top finishes and personal or season bests.

Graduate distance runner Mackenzie Aldridge also competed Thursday at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, placing 18th in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 17:37.85.

Isabella Fabrizio opened the meet strong for the Panthers, finishing seventh in the shot put with a mark of 13.03 meters and 10th in the hammer throw with a personal-best 50.83 meters. Sam Bradbury followed with a 15.29-meter toss in the men’s shot put, also placing seventh.

Distance runners Kylie Haacke, Rylea Borgic and Cale Smith continued their strong seasons. Haacke ran a personal-best 17:44.89 to finish sixth in the 5,000. Borgic earned a personal best and placed fourth in the 3,000 steeplechase with a time of 11:03.22. Smith won the men’s 3,000 steeplechase in 9:18.16.

In the high jump, Kenyetietta Quinn won the “C” flight with a personal-best jump of 1.65 meters, while Porter Conroy placed fifth in the “B” flight at 1.85 meters. Abby Venhaus took third in the long jump with a season-best 5.71 meters as Abraham Johnson finished second in the triple jump with a mark of 15.26 meters.

Sprinter Daniel Lacy headlined the Panthers on the track, winning the 400-meter dash with a personal-best time of 46.39 seconds.

OVC TOP THREE: Ten Panther athletes, along with the men’s 4x100m Relay teams, currently sit in one of the top three spots in the OVC for their respective events.

Kylie Haacke’s performance in the 10,000m run at the WashU Distance Carnival has earned her the third spot on the podium in the OVC, as Rylea Borgic’s time of 11:03.22 in the 3000m Steeplechase at the Louisville has also earned her the second place spot in the conference. Cale Smith also recorded a strong 3000m Steeplechase finish at the Jim Freeman/Clark Wood Open, crossing the finish line in 9:18.16 to sit second in the OVC.

The Panther men’s 4x100m relay team, consisting of Jahleel Perrin, Daniel Lacy, Shawn Lacy, and Isreal Jackson posted a season best time last weekend, crossing the finish line in 40.93 to slide into the second place spot in the conference.

Daniel Lacy currently holds the second-place spot the 200m dash and the 4th place spot in the 100m dash. Lacy posted a time of 21.22 in the 200m at the Pacesetter Invitational and followed up with a time of 10.63 at the Normal Invite. His 400m time of 46.93 also puts him at the top of the 400m dash list in the OVC.

Abraham Johnson continues to build his freshman resume, as he currently holds the first-place spot in the triple jump after his performance at the Normal Invite on April, 11th. Taryn Tarquin also manufactured success in the sand pit, sliding into the third place spot in the OVC in the triple jump after posting a mark of 12.13m at the Gibson Invitational. In addition, Elijah Skutt moves his way onto the high jump leaderboards, posting a height of 2.01m at the Normal Invite to slide into the third place spot.

Hallee Thomas also had a successful home meet, securing the third-place spot in the conference in the 400m hurdles after posting a time of 1:02.79.

Sam Bradbury and Alex Stout fill out the leaderboard for the Panthers in the field events, as Bradbury holds third for the discus Stout sits in third for shot put.

NEXT UP: The Panthers are back in action next weekend for their final regular season meet of the 2025. EIU is slotted to head east to Terre Haute, Ind. for the third time this outdoor season to compete in the Sycamore Open at Gibson Track & Field Complex on Friday, May 9th.

Eastern Illinois will then prepare for the OVC Outdoor Championships the following weekend, hosted on May 15-17 at Abe Stuber Track Complex on the campus of Southeast Missouri State in Cape Girardeau, Mo.



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2025 USA Water Polo Division III Women’s Collegiate Water Polo National Championship Bracket Announced

Story Links Rock Island, IL – May 1 – The USA Water Polo Division III Women’s Collegiate Water Polo National Championship returns this season with competition headed to Rock Island, IL from May 3-4. Augustana College earned hosting honors after claiming the 2025 Collegiate Water Polo Association Conference Championship. They will be joined in […]

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USA Water Polo Division III National Championship

Rock Island, IL – May 1 – The USA Water Polo Division III Women’s Collegiate Water Polo National Championship returns this season with competition headed to Rock Island, IL from May 3-4. Augustana College earned hosting honors after claiming the 2025 Collegiate Water Polo Association Conference Championship. They will be joined in the competition by CWPA runner-up Washington & Jefferson, Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champions Pomona-Pitzer, and SCIAC runner-up Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.

Admission for the tournament is $12 for the day or $20 for the weekend. To purchase tickets, click here. All games will stream live on Overnght with live stats available courtesy of The FOSH. Team rosters can be accessed here.

Pool Location:

Lindberg Center

Anne Greve Lund Natatorium

Rock Island, IL 61201

Game Schedule (all times Central):

Saturday May 3rd:

2:00 PM: Pomona-Pitzer vs. Washington & Jefferson (Live Stats)

4:00 PM: Claremont-Mudd-Scripps vs. Augustana (Live Stats)

 

Sunday May 4th:

10:30 AM: 3rd Place Game

12:30 PM: 1st Place Game

 



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Breakthrough Year For Girls Beach Volleyball Team From WHS

WHS Beach Volleyball Team — (Front row) Carley Treanor, Grace Kouf, Brielle Dorish and Maddie Lee; and (back row) Faith DiMaria, Fabiana Rumbos, Olivia Roque, Isabela Duque, Gabriella Marotta, Jill St. Leger, Erica Bojanowski, Juliana Nunes, Nicole Koch, Madeline Martinez, Kristin Haggerty and Audrey Keefe. It has been a memorable and historic season for the […]

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WHS Beach Volleyball Team — (Front row) Carley Treanor, Grace Kouf, Brielle Dorish and Maddie Lee; and (back row) Faith DiMaria, Fabiana Rumbos, Olivia Roque, Isabela Duque, Gabriella Marotta, Jill St. Leger, Erica Bojanowski, Juliana Nunes, Nicole Koch, Madeline Martinez, Kristin Haggerty and Audrey Keefe.

It has been a memorable and historic season for the girls beach volleyball team from Wellington High School.

On Thursday, April 24, Wellington’s 17-member squad won its first-ever Florida High School Athletic Association district tournament title when the Wolverines defeated the Cobras from Park Vista High School, 4-1.

That victory earned Wellington an automatic berth in the FHSAA’s Class 3A state tournament. That District 14 title victory against Park Vista earned Wellington the No. 3 seed in Region 4. As luck would have it, Park Vista earned an at-large bid, based on its strong ranking, and was awarded the sixth seed, which pitted Wellington against Park Vista for the third time this season in a regional quarterfinal clash on Tuesday, April 29. Both prior matches against Park Vista were won by Wellington.

In the regional quarterfinal match, Wellington defeated Park Vista for the third time this season, 4-1. That win propelled Wellington (13-3) to a Class 3A, Region 4 semifinal encounter against second-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas from Fort Lauderdale. That match was played on Wednesday, April 30 in Pompano Beach. The result was unavailable at press time.

For this year’s squad from WHS, led by head coach Sergio Rios, the ultimate goal is to reach the FHSAA’s Class 3A state finals for beach volleyball, which will be held in Tallahassee on Florida State University’s beach volleyball courts on May 9-10.



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High school girls’ beach volleyball: Southern Section semifinal results

SOUTHERN SECTION GIRLS BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS THURSDAY’S RESULTS SEMIFINALS DIVISION 1 Mira Costa 5, Los Alamitos 0 Redondo Union 3, JSerra 2 DIVISION 2 Millikan 4, South Torrance 1 Long Beach Wilson 3, Capistrano Valley Christian 2 DIVISION 3 Anaheim Canyon 4, Campbell Hall 1 Long Beach Poly 3, Linfield Christian 2 SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE FINALS […]

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SOUTHERN SECTION GIRLS BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

SEMIFINALS

DIVISION 1

Mira Costa 5, Los Alamitos 0

Redondo Union 3, JSerra 2

DIVISION 2

Millikan 4, South Torrance 1

Long Beach Wilson 3, Capistrano Valley Christian 2

DIVISION 3

Anaheim Canyon 4, Campbell Hall 1

Long Beach Poly 3, Linfield Christian 2

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

FINALS

At Long Beach City College

DIVISION 1

Mira Costa vs. Redondo Union, 1 p.m.

DIVISION 2

Millikan vs. Long Beach Wilson, 11:30 a.m.

DIVISION 3

Anaheim Canyon vs. Long Beach Poly, 10 a.m.



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Let’s Ketch-up with the best Nuggets – The Knight Crier

You have already seen where to get the best french fries, but what are french fries without nuggets to go with them? So, here is our rating for the best fast food chicken nuggets. Chick-fil-A (10/10): The ideal chicken nugget. Crispy, tender, tasty. It’s hard to do a chicken nugget better than Chick-fil-A does.  Priced […]

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You have already seen where to get the best french fries, but what are french fries without nuggets to go with them? So, here is our rating for the best fast food chicken nuggets.

Chick-fil-A (10/10): The ideal chicken nugget. Crispy, tender, tasty. It’s hard to do a chicken nugget better than Chick-fil-A does.  Priced at 5 nuggets for $3.49, which equals 70 cents a nugget, you’re definitely getting your bang for your buck.

Wendy’s (3/10): Incredibly bad. Maybe it was the fact that Kyle ordered the spicy nuggets instead of the regular ones, or maybe Wendy’s was just having a bad day. Chicken was a weird texture and very minimal crisp. $2.75 for 4 nuggets, or 69 cents a nug, you’d be much better off finding a penny and spending your 70 cents at Chick-fil-A.

Taco Bell (7/10): Going in not even knowing Taco Bell had chicken nuggets, we came out surprisingly satisfied. Very crispy outside, very tender inside, a nice touch of spice. Definitely a sleeper pick. 5 nuggets for $3.99, or almost 80 cents per nugget and the second most expensive nug of the list.

McDonald’s (6.5/10): Everyone knows the McDonald’s nugget.  Tasted a little fake, although a very high quality crisp redeems them a little. $4.99 for 6 nuggets and 83 cents/nug, you’re not getting the best value here.

Burger King (7.5/10): Another sleeper pick, we went into BK with low expectations but they blew those away. Similar to McDonald’s but better, very tasteful chicken and a slightly above average crisp. The real value comes in the cost: $1.99 for 4 nuggets, and almost 50 cents a nugget, you’re getting the a great nugget for a low cost.

Wawa (5/10): You would probably assume that Wawa’s chicken nuggets would be average. You would be right. An odd consistency, but not bad. Had a little spice, a nice touch.

Tyler Agriss
Best Worst
Chick-Fil-A

10/10

Burger King 

7/10

Taco Bell

6.5/10

McDonald’s

6/10 

Wawa

5/10

Wendy’s

3/10



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Manor College Debuts Women’s Flag Football, Men’s Volleyball for 25-26 Academic Year

Interest in both sports from both current and prospective students is incredibly high, Athletic Director John Dempster said.  JENKINTOWN – Manor College will debut Women’s Flag Football and Men’s Volleyball for the 2025-26 school year, the institution announced. Both sports are expected to play their first home games on campus in 2026.  “I am excited […]

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Interest in both sports from both current and prospective students is incredibly high, Athletic Director John Dempster said. 

JENKINTOWN – Manor College will debut Women’s Flag Football and Men’s Volleyball for the 2025-26 school year, the institution announced. Both sports are expected to play their first home games on campus in 2026. 

“I am excited to launch these new sports here at Manor College,” John Dempster, Manor College Athletic Director, said. “Women’s Flag Football, in particular, is getting extremely popular and I want Manor College to be a trailblazer for this sport in our area.”

Women’s Flag Football is an emerging sport locally, Dempster said. The PIAA sanctioned the sport for the Spring 2025 season and roughly 1,600 players are members of 65 teams across eastern Pennsylvania, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer

On the collegiate level, the Atlantic East Conference, which includes teams from Eastern University, Holy Family University and Neumann University, announced their recognition of women’s flag football as an NCAA sport. 

An announcement on a head coach is expected in the near future. Dempster expects the team to field a roster between 10 and 20 players. 

The institution already has interest from students already enrolled at Manor. Tori Simmons, a freshman at Manor College studying Veterinary Technology, played flag football for two years while attending Cheltenham High School. 

“Girls I played with in high school were familiar with football and it made them want to come out and play,” said Simmons, who currently plays on the women’s basketball team at Manor. “There’s a strong community you gain from playing football. I’m excited to play again at Manor.”

Simmons, who played wide receiver at Cheltenham, plans to play for the Blue Jays next Spring. 

Men’s Volleyball

The Blue Jays begin their first Men’s Volleyball season in Spring of 2026. A coach has not yet been named. 

Men’s Volleyball has been an official sport sponsored by the NCAA since 2018, and the NJCAA region 19 features eight teams. While Manor College is a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA), the team would begin as an independent. A proposal to the Eastern States Athletic Conference, of which Manor College is a founding member, is expected in the near future. 

The Blue Jays have been home to a Women’s Volleyball team for several decades, most recently competing in the ESAC and USCAA. A unisex volleyball club featuring informal games on campus helped to fuel interest in a men’s team. 

The sport continues to grow as well on the high school level, with the top 25 teams from PIAA Division 1 Boys Volleyball hailing from Bucks and Montgomery County. 

“With our current student body and new recruits coming in, we are hoping to be competitive in Men’s Volleyball from the beginning,” Dempster said. 

About Manor College Athletics

Manor College offers intercollegiate competition in 10 sports: Baseball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s volleyball, cross country and track and field. Manor College is a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association and the Eastern States Athletic Conference. 

For more information on Manor College athletics, visit www.manorbluejays.com or email athletics@manor.edu. Prospective athletes may additionally fill out this form.

Learn More:

Schedule a visit to Manor College

Apply to Manor College



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