Beat the Blues challenge continues with focus on exercise
One way to beat the Winter Blues is to exercise, which is why that is the focus of the Beat the Blues Challenge this upcoming week.
According to the National Institute on Aging, exercise can help reduce levels of stress and anxiety, improve balance and lower the risk of falls, enhance sleep, and decrease feelings of depression. The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends exercise for teens as a healthy way to relieve pent-up energy and tension.
During the winter, some exercise options are limited due to weather and lack of daylight, but there are some fun alternatives to help keep you moving. The library has a new story in the StoryWalk at Cleveland Park, and strolling along this path is a great way to be outside for a short time, even if the weather is too cold for a longer walk. During the winter months, Le Mars Community Middle School and High School are available for walkers Monday through Friday. Walkers are welcome to walk hallways in the Middle School from 6:40-7:30am, and again from 4-6pm. Le Mars Community High School is available to walkers from 6:40-7:30am as well as 4-5pm. Walking is not available on days when there is no school.
Stop in the library this week to pick up information & tips on exercise, and you will also receive a Beat the Blues punch card. Adults & teens who participate in Beat the Blues can earn a free movie on March 16 at the Royal 3 Theater.
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Betting on the big game is no game for thousands of Iowans
With the Super Bowl this Sunday, Iowans might be willing to wager on the outcome to make it a little more interesting. While five dollars between friends is likely harmless, the temptation to go bigger is strong for some, and that could be a sign of a larger problem. Chris Sekorski is an advanced practice social worker and substance use counselor at Emplify Health by Gundersen. He says gambling on pro sports has never been easier — or more hazardous.
The rapid proliferation of so many sports betting apps for smartphones has opened gambling to many millions of new customers nationwide. Sekorski says those apps offer easy access to what’s known as a dopamine loop, where there’s impulse, action, and reward.
Sekorski says there are clear ways to determine if someone is sliding into addiction.
A study done in 2021 for the Iowa Department of Public Health found only 167 Iowans received treatment for problem gambling intervention. That was less than one-percent of the estimated more than 18-thousand adult Iowans who met the criteria for having a gambling disorder. Help is available in Iowa by calling 1-800-BETS-OFF, or at the state’s problem gambling website, 1800BETSOFF.org.
(Story via Radio Iowa)
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