By Kristi Stasi

Austin YMCA

The YMCA preschool students got a big surprise when two players on the Austin Bruins hockey team made a visit to their classroom to kick off “Reading across America.”

They read some of the preschooler’s favorite books and then participated in fitness class, with activities focused on hockey. Like many classrooms across the nation, the YMCA preschool celebrated Dr. Suess’ birthday by reading his books and enjoying some birthday cake.

Daylight saving time

How was it for you last week when we went to daylight savings time? Monday morning was really tough for me to get up and get to work. All day I felt like I wanted to lie down and take a nap. If getting up seemed a lot harder to for the first day or two, you are not alone in that pain. Actually, it’s the “rest” part that’s probably troubling you. With the shift to daylight saving time which forces us to get up an hour earlier than usual, it’s like experiencing a mild case of jetlag. Unfortunately, the adjustment became a lot hard for us in 2007, when we started making the shift a full three weeks earlier – the second Sunday in March instead of the first weekend of April. This change means that many of us will spend the rest of March waking up in the dark.

This is especially bad news for people suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a form of clinical depression whose symptoms include low energy and fatigue, difficulty concentrating, moodiness, intense carbohydrate cravings and increased sleep, and decreased interest in sex.

SAD is most common in northern latitudes where days are very short in the winter, but researchers are starting to realize it’s not the total amount of daylight that triggers the disorder; it’s having to get through dark mornings. Even for those of us whose winter “blahs” don’t quite reach the level of clinical depression, the next few weeks may be tough. You may end up hitting the snooze button a bit more often like I did last week, or taking a nap during the day or on the coach in the evening. Lucky for us, naps have been shown to improve productivity, so go ahead and get that extra shut-eye. Many of us have made it through another Minnesota winter (and a long and snowy winter at that). While daylight saving time is difficult for a week or so, we know that spring is just around the corner.

Gearing up for Healthy Kids Day

The YMCA of Austin is gearing up for the 20th annual Healthy Kids Day on March 26, from 9:30 to 11 a.m., along with 1,800 YMCAs across the nation.

Healthy Kids Day is free and open to the community. It’s an opportunity for kids and families to “make a play date.” This special event uses free, fun, engaging and creative activities to encourage children and families to adopt behaviors that support a healthy lifestyle. YMCA Healthy Kids Day will focus on activities for kids and grown-ups: climbing wall and rope, a basketball free throw contest, fitness assessments, canoe rides, soccer skills, an obstacle course, moonwalking, a gymnastic area and even Yogi Bear from Jellystone Campground.