Preventing Headaches

They are the culprits of a bad day, they are challenging, they are relentless, and they are stubborn. Headaches affect nearly 1 in 4 people in the United States. If you suffer from headaches, you know how frustrating and daunting they really are. Making simple changes to your daily routine may be key in eliminating these dreadful headaches.

Keep yourself hydrated. Not drinking the correct amount of water daily can harm your body and cause an assortment of issues, including frequent headaches. How much water are you supposed to drink in one day? There are many different theories out there, but to keep it simple, if you’re thirsty, drink. And during high heat and exercise, drink more water to compensate for fluids being lost. Health authorities recommend at least eight 8-ounce glasses of H2O per day.

Reduce your stress levels. One of the most common causes of headaches is stress. Whether you have a stressful job, or frequent anxiety, take matters into your hands, identify the possible stressors and deal with it. There are several stress management techniques that exist to help reduce one’s stress levels. These vary from aromatherapy to relaxing with friends to sitting down and talking out one’s problems. Regardless of how you choose to reduce your stress, you should notice a decline in the amount of headaches you experience.

Exercise more. The power of exercise is immense, and exercise has the capabilities of preventing frequent headaches, among other things. Aim for at least 30-60 minutes of exercise per day. Exercising releases endorphins, and improves blood circulation.

Rest more. If you sleep less than six hours per night, you’re bound to feel under the weather. Not getting enough sleep is known to cause multiple health risks, and if you’re in lacking sleep, you’ll probably experience a painful headache. Aim for 8 hours of sleep each night, or opt for a nap during the day if you need to reboot.

 There are several other tips on how to prevent headaches, but these are the most basic and simple changes one can make in order to significantly reduce the frequency and severity of headaches. Many headache sufferers don’t have any control on preventing or getting rid of a headache, so opting for pain relievers seems like a quick and easy fix. However, if you take pain medications more than 10 times per month, you may be creating counteractive headaches. These medications (ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin, etc…) cause something called “rebound headaches” as a result of a type of built up tolerance to the medications. Minimize your consumption of these, follow the simple steps above, and you may experience a decrease in headaches. Stay hydrated, reduce your stress, exercise
more, and get enough rest.

-Jessica Pence

How To Do the STEP-UP!

Volunteer Spotlight

“How can I help?” were the enthusiastic first words spoken to me by our superstar volunteer, Clara Horvath, as she arrived to help out at the Kids Triathlon event recently. 

“She showed up early for her shift and during the triathlon, she volunteered at the awards table - where she congratulated the kids on finishing the triathlon, and awarded them their medals.  She was uplifting and cheery throughout the entire day, and had packed everything up and put it away at the end before I could tell her not to worry about doing that!” said Eric Natwick, Youth Development Director. Clara shared that it was “such unbelievably good fun to share in the excitement of the children on their great athletic accomplishment!

The Door County YMCA is proud to have members like Clara, who are eager to help and give back. Volunteers are hard to come by these days and when you hit the volunteer jack pot, others are sure to notice and join in the volunteer Spirit with great people like Clara. 

Job Opportunity At the Door County YMCA

The Deadline to apply is July 24th

Expanding Daycare Program

 With the rapid approach of back to school, the Door County YMCA is pleased to announce that it will be able to meet the needs of growing families to provide additional openings in its’ licensed daycare program. Due to the purchase of the Lansing Avenue Program Center, the YMCA is planning to add an additional 43 slots for Door County families in need of a quality daycare program.

“Providing a quality daycare program is a core mission of our organization”, shared Tom Beerntsen, CEO and President of the Door County YMCA. “The YMCA is nationally the largest provider of affordable daycare services in the United States and the opening of our new Lansing Avenue Program Center will allow us to fill a growing need which our employers are experiencing in our industrial park. Key to the rapid development of our Lansing Avenue Program Center has been the generous financial support provided to us by our corporate partners, Hatco Corporation, Therma-Tron-X, Inc. and N.E.W. Industries.” 

The YMCA’s Barker Child Development Center and Lansing Avenue Program Center will be able to accommodate before school care for Sevastopol, Sturgeon Bay and the Southern Door School Districts. The new Lansing Avenue Program Center will also be able to provide school day out programs, programs during inclement weather and licensed pre-school programming. The YMCA is planning to add:

·         8 infant openings

• 15 two – three year old openings
• 20 four and four-K openings
• 7-10 new part-time staff

The Lansing Avenue Program Center will continue to be the site for the YMCA’s Summer Camp Programs into the future. JoAnna Severinsen, Summer Camp and Lansing Avenue Program Director, is “excited about the transition from summer camp which will take place at the end of August. We have had an amazing summer camp and our more than 100 kids have been unbelievably excited and enthusiastic campers. We look forward to building on that phenomenal success as we expand the uses of the Lansing Avenue Program Center with our growing daycare program.”  

As a leading nonprofit committed to youth development, the Door County YMCA has been a leader in providing daycare and pre-school services in our community. The Door County YMCA continues to serve families to ensure that children can grow to be healthy and confident.

To learn more about the Door County YMCA’s daycare programs and how to register your child for services, please visit our website at: http://www.doorcountyymca.org/content/barker-y-child-development-center or contact Angie Peil at the Barker Child Development Center at 920-818-0691.   

The Door County YMCA Swim Programs Offer a Mix of Fun, Physical Activity and Safety

With the swimming season now in full swing, the Door County YMCA is pleased to announce that due to a grant through YUSA, the Door County YMCA is offering free swimming and water safety lessons to 100 low income Door County children this summer. The YMCA’s summer swim lesson program encourages children and parents to explore the many benefits of swimming, while also keeping safety top of mind. Participants can enjoy water sports, enhance or learn new techniques, meet new friends and develop confidence, while also learning safety skills that can save lives. 

“Swimming is a fun and enjoyable activity for children and adults alike, and it’s an easy way to stay physically active and improve strength, flexibility and stamina,” said Mike McHugh, Aquatics Director for the Sturgeon Bay Program Center. “It is an absolute necessity, given that our communities are surrounded by water, that the Door County YMCA provides these great opportunities which allow everyone to learn to swim and learn water safety practices that can save their lives.”

As part of this program, the Door County YMCA encourages parents to take an active role in their child’s safety. Following are safety tips to practice when in and around the water:

·         Only swim when and where there is a lifeguard on duty; never swim alone.

• Adults should constantly and actively watch their children.
• Inexperienced or non-swimmers should wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket.  
• Parents or guardians of young children should be within an arm’s reach.
• Children and adults should not engage in breath holding activities.

In addition to learning lifesaving water safety skills, children will increase their physical activity by swimming. Swimming motivates children to strive for self-improvement, teaches goal orientation, and cultivates a positive mental attitude and high self-esteem. It also teaches life lessons of sport and sportsmanship, so that children can learn how to work well with teammates and coaches and how to deal with winning and losing.

As a leading nonprofit committed to youth development, the Y has been a leader in providing swim lessons and water safety in Door County for more than 28 years.  The Door County YMCA continues to help youth and adults experience the joy and benefits of swimming, so they can be healthy, confident and secure in the water. There are a variety of programs to choose, including Super Swim, Pre-School and Youth Swim Lessons, Underwater Hockey, Lifeguard Certification and Private Swim Lessons. To ensure that everyone has an opportunity to participate, financial assistance is available to those in need to help cover the costs.

To learn more about the Door County YMCA’s swim programs, please contact Mike McHugh at 920-743-4949, mmchugh@doorcountyymca.org or Mary Heimannn at 920-868-3660, mheimann@doorcountyymca.org.   

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