Basketball Legend Lisa Leslie Teams Up with Allegra® to Help Families Enjoy Outdoor Workouts This Allergy Season

BRIDGEWATER, N.J., March 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Basketball All-Star Lisa Leslie and Chattem, Inc., the makers of Allegra, have created the "Allegra Outdoor Challenge," a series of fun and affordable workout tips to help inspire people to stay active outdoors during spring allergy season.  At least 35 million people in the United States suffer from seasonal allergic rhinitis, often caused by triggers like pollen or ragweed. The pesky symptoms, such as sneezing and itchy, watery eyes, can often sideline people from their favorite outdoor activities but Allegra aims to show people there's no reason to suffer.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130328/NY84927 )

"As an athlete and a mom, there's nothing I enjoy more than getting outside to shoot hoops or run around with my kids, but when our allergy symptoms act up it can keep my whole family indoors," says Leslie. "I am thrilled to team up with Allegra and show families that with the help of Allegra their seasonal allergies don't have to stop them from enjoying the outdoors and having fun."

The "Allegra Outdoor Challenge" is designed to help families get active outdoors this spring and remind them that they can say farewell to disruptive allergy symptoms with effective, long lasting*, non-drowsy, allergy relief from over-the-counter Allegra products.

From driveway drills to yard yoga, Leslie's tips utilize simple household items and a little imagination to transform any outdoor space in to a family fitness center.  

• Yard Yoga: Grab beach towels and host yard yoga to encourage stretching, balance and focus.  Using a basketball for support you can try modified push-ups leaning on the ball for balance.
• Jungle Gym: Playgrounds aren't just for kids; all you need is a swing set or park bench to inspire some creative workout moves.  Hold on to a sturdy edge of a park bench and do leg-lifts or see who can hang from the monkey bars the longest.
• Scavenger Hike: Turn a family hike into a scavenger hunt; come up with a fun list of challenges like climbing over a log, finding a pinecone, skipping down an entire trail or racing to the birch tree and back.
• Driveway Drills: Using chalk and cardboard boxes you can create your own basketball court on the driveway.  Have the kids draw free throw lines and see who can bounce or throw the ball into the cardboard box "hoop."  
• Time for Fun: Use your kitchen timer or a stopwatch to time kids in sprints, relays and jumping jack sessions; record times on a dry erase board to help kids track their personal best times.

"As the weather warms up there's no reason allergies should hold you back from the things you love to do. For more than 15 years, Allegra has been helping families find relief from their allergy symptoms," said John Stroud, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Chattem. "We are proud to team up with Lisa Leslie to create a program dedicated to helping families put allergies behind them so they can enjoy the great outdoors."

Starting in April, Allegra's Facebook page will highlight photos and tips from Leslie detailing ways families can take the "Allegra Outdoor Challenge" and escape allergy madness this spring. For more information about the Allegra family of products, visit www.allegra.com.

About Allergies
Allergies are caused when a person's body overreacts to substances called "allergens." These substances are often referred to as triggers. People can experience allergy triggers anytime throughout the year. Common triggers in the spring include pollen, ragweed and mold. Symptoms may include sneezing, runny nose, itchy, watery eyes, and itchy nose or throat. With proper management and education, allergy symptoms can be relieved.

About Allegra^®
Brought to you by Chattem, Inc., the US Consumer Healthcare Division of Sanofi US, Allegra has been providing allergy sufferers with effective, long-lasting*, non-drowsy relief of symptoms from indoor and outdoor allergies for more than 15 years.  Allegra Allergy offers adults fast (starts working at hour one), non-drowsy, 24-hour relief of allergy symptoms including sneezing, runny nose, itchy, watery eyes, and itchy nose or throat.  The Allegra family of allergy products, including Allegra Allergy (12 and 24 hour), Allegra-D (12 and 24 hour) and Children's Allegra (12 hour), is available without a prescription in drug, grocery, mass merchandiser and club stores nationwide.

About Sanofi
Sanofi, a global and diversified healthcare leader, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused on patients' needs. Sanofi has core strengths in the field of healthcare with seven growth platforms: diabetes solutions, human vaccines, innovative drugs, rare diseases, consumer healthcare, emerging markets and animal health. Sanofi is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY).

Sanofi is the holding company of a consolidated group of subsidiaries and operates in the United States as Sanofi US, also referred to as sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC. For more information on Sanofi US, please visit http://www.sanofi.us or call 1-800-981-2491.

About Chattem
In March 2010, Chattem, Inc. became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the sanofi-aventis Group, as the consumer healthcare division of Sanofi US. Chattem is more than 130 years old and is a leading manufacturer and marketer of branded consumer healthcare products, toiletries and dietary supplements across niche market segments in the United States. For more information, please visit Chattem's website at www.chattem.com.

*One dose lasts at least 12 hours

SOURCE Sanofi