Health And Fitness

On Monday, September 21st at 7pm, ASAC will be having a public showing at Tilford Elementary Auditorium of the documentary movie “Anonymous People” to promote prevention, treatment and recovery efforts.  This is being done during the month of September in recognition of it being Recovery Month.  The Above The Influence Coalition is partnering with this event in an effort to bring more attention to the issues of prevention, treatment and recovery within Benton County.

The Vinton Parks & Recreation Department is now taking registrations for three fitness programs that will help keep you in shape this fall. All programs are designed to allow you to participate at a rate that is most comfortable to you.   Aqua Aerobics This program provides a great cardiovascular workout to music while the in-water environment reduces stress to your body’s joints and ligaments.

THE NEXT VINTON COMMUNITY RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE will be held Thursday, September 17, from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Vinton Skate and Activity Center.  Four $10 VISA gift cards will be given away. For an appointment contact Kristie at 472-4292 or davcdavis@q.com.  Walk-ins are welcome.

Have you ever tried to explain the effect of a concussion to someone who did not understand it? My first attempt at this came on Friday, Sept. 13, 1974. I had been playing sandlot football at recess with my third-grade peers and while running a pass route I was cruelly blind-sided by a utility pole. My friends say I was unconscious for a few moments.

What’s the first group of people that comes to mind when you think of blood transfusions? Trauma victims? Those patients’ lives are certainly saved with donated blood, but the bulk of blood transfusions go to people battling cancer! LifeServe Blood Center is proud to be the blood provider for local hospitals. Each pint of blood generously given with LifeServe Blood Center stays right here in Iowa and is eventually received by a local hospital patient in their critical time of need!  Besides giving a life-saving gift, for a limited time, as part of our “What Color Do You Bleed?” promotion, generous blood donors can earn a commemorative koozie in their choice of school colors for only 200 points.

The September WOW newsletter is here! It highlights how to make a recipe for safe food, recipe for broccoli salad, superfoods: more than kale and quinoa, and ways to get moving in your community. Take a few minutes to take a look here!

In college I was shocked to find out that some of my peers were using prescription drugs to study harder, longer hours.  That was in 2007. Currently at the Area Substance Abuse Council, our treatment assessment statistics show an increase in prescription drug abuse.  In the past year, we have seen a large increase in clients that state prescription drugs are their primary addiction.

As school approaches some parents may be wondering or perhaps even worrying about what kind of “crowd” their kid will gravitate to and what will there kid be “into?” We as parents work hard to instill values and skills that we hope will help our kids be successful, but have we adequately prepared them? When it comes to substance abuse prevention, there are values and skills that can increase resilience, which can decrease the likelihood that a kid will choose to use drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or vaporizers.

You made it!  You gave them a hug goodbye, wiped away your tears, and told them to be safe and have fun.  After 18 hard years, you have successfully dropped your kid off at college.  While it may seem like you should be able to kick back now (and I am sure you deserve it), did you know that staying active and involved with your child at college can still impact how successful they can be at college?  According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), your college freshman will establish their drinking habits within the first six weeks that they are at college.

When people told Greg Walston his walk made him look like he was 90 years old, he shrugged it off. To him, he just walked like a Walston; his dad had hip problems and two uncles had hip replacement surgery, so hip problems run in his family. But after struggling with pain for several years, reality came calling in the form of an x-ray and a conversation with Dr.