Monterey Sports Center Has a New Website

We have a new web page. Check out this link - http://monterey.org/msc/en-us/home.aspx  - for our new webpage and give us your feedback. Our goal is to make our site navigation helpful, interesting and informative. Let us know what you think and be sure and create a new bookmark to keep up with our updates, new programs and new services.

Lifeguard Training - Skills for Life

Many local teenagers started their careers by taking an American Red Cross Lifeguard Training Class at the Monterey Sports Center. Our current Aquatic Coordinator Tony Graffagnino started in one of these classes nearly 20 years ago and many other of our lifeguards have gone on to careers in Aquatics and Fitness.

Many local teenagers are looking for fun summer jobs where they can earn some extra spending money or save for college. For local residents, participating in an American Red Cross Lifeguard Training class at the Monterey Sports Center offers the chance for summer employment and tremendous additional benefits. 

What do teenagers gain from taking a lifeguarding class? Consider the following:

1. Leadership Skills
2. Sense of Responsibility
3. Resume Attributes
4. Work History
5. Fun and Cool Job
6. Well Paying Job
7. CPR Certification
8. American Red Cross Certification

Additionally, teenagers get and stay fit and healthy by working as a lifeguard. Besides earning a paycheck, lifeguarding provides a meaningful purpose - saving lives. Lifeguards work in a safe, fun, family-friendly environment. They get the chance to socially interact with other responsible, like-minded teenagers. The skills learned in lifeguarding will help you the rest of your life.

Many of our lifeguards continue to work part-time throughout the school year. It's a great job with great pay for your first job. The ability to earn CPR training and American Red Cross certification alone are worth the life changing experience.

As you move on from high school to college, lifeguarding and working as a swim instructor are skills that pay well while going to college. As one advances to pursuing a career, the addition of these skills on your resume are very valuable and help individuals move into full-time, well-paid careers working in fitness, with children or seniors, or as managers of aquatic and/or recreation facilities.

The next American Red Cross Lifeguard Training class for individuals 15 and older will take place on Saturdays and Sundays, 8:30 am - 12:00 pm and 12:30 pm - 5:00 pm on October 19, 20, 26 and 27 at the Monterey Sports Center. Fees for the class are $158 and Monterey Residents get a discounted rate of $150. Attendance at all four classes is mandatory to pass the class. Completion of the class includes First Aid and CPR for the Professional Rescuer, AED, and Lifeguard Training certificates.

You will be required to purchase your own personal pocket mask and books from the American Red Cross prior to the start of class. The textbook is available from the American Red Cross for purchase or download for free online at http://www.instructorscorner.org. 

You can register for this course at the Monterey Sports Center. For further information, contact Aquatic Coordinator Tony Graffagnino at 646-3491.

Update on Energy Drinks - Are You Consuming These?

So what's the big deal?

Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, alleviating fatigue, increasing wakefulness, and improving concentration and focus. Sounds good so far.

However, many of us consume too much caffeine. For most healthy adults, moderate doses of caffeine - 200-300 milligrams or about two to four cups of brewed coffee spread throughout the day, is fine. As you can see with the above graphic and at the following link, consuming just a couple of these high-caffeine drinks a day can put you well above the recommended daily consumption levels:
Crazy Caffeine in Energy Drinks

How do you know if you are consuming too much?

Experience any of these:

• Insomnia
• Nervousness
• Restlessness
• Irritability
• Stomach upset
• Fast heartbeat
• Muscle tremors

These are all telltale signs you may be overdoing it. For many of us, even one cup of coffee a day can trigger symptoms. 

Most adults need seven to eight hours of sleep each night. But caffeine can interfere with our sleep patterns. Chronic loss of sleep is associated with obesity, increased risk of heart attack and stroke, shorter lifespan and a myriad of other health disorders. Sleep loss is cumulative, and even small nightly decreases can add up and disturb your daytime alertness and performance. Using caffeine to mask sleep deprivation can create an unwelcome cycle. Let's say you need a jolt of caffeine because you are tired at work. This may cause you to then lose sleep that night, shortening the length of time you sleep and creating a need for more caffeine the following day. 

Did you know that some antibiotics such as Cipro and Noroxin can interfere with the breakdown of caffeine, causing the effects to be amplified and remain longer in your system?

Did you know that a common bronchodilator, Theophylline, used to open up bronchial airways taken with caffeinated foods and beverages may increase the concentration of theophylline in your blood leading to nausea, vomiting and heart palpitations?

Did you know that echinacea, an herbal supplement that is often included in energy drinks and is used to prevent colds and other infections can increase the concentration of caffeine in your blood and amplify negative effects?

Convinced you may want to cut down on the caffeine? An abrupt decrease in caffeine may cause short-term withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, irritability, and nervousness. Fortunately, these effects go away after a few days. Pay attention to labels with food as many foods contain caffeine, particularly weight loss shakes and bars. Also, check the bottles of over-the-counter pain relievers as many of them also contain caffeine.

And for the athletes, remember that caffeine is listed as a controlled substance by the NCAA and the International Olympic Committee. Too much caffeine in the urine can get you a ban. The NCAA maximum acceptable level is 15 mcg/mL. Although a small amount of caffeine might help boost your performance, be wary about consuming large quantities right before competition.

Don't Supersize That Drink!

Thinking about quenching your thirst? We recommend good old fashioned water - not those supersized drinks that are all the rage right now and not those energy drinks that can really mess up your system over time.

Check out this clip from Huffington Post on what you're really chugging down when you reach for that supersized drink:

October is National Physical Therapy Month

One of the best programs we offer at the Monterey Sports Center is our Physical Therapy Program. We have two wonderful Physical Therapists, Gretta Lijbers-Williams and Katrina Uota. Gretta and Katrina have worked at the Sports Center since 2001 and have established a reputation as caring, skilled and fantastic therapists. Both Gretta and Katrina are excellent aquatic therapists and have assisted elite athletes back to full performance following injury along with children challenged by disabilities and older adults recovering from joint and musculoskeletal injuries.

Gail Devine is our support person for Physical Therapy, setting up appointments, checking insurance eligibility, coordinating referrals from physicians and assisting our patients when they get started. We are preferred providers for Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Tricare, Medicare and most other insurance companies. Our Physical Therapy office number is 831-646-5627.

So why Physical Therapy? Therapists can help you improve your quality of life. They can assist you in recovering from neck, shoulder, back or knee pain. They can help you move freely again without pain and discomfort and feeling renewed and ready to move on. They can help prevent injuries and tell you what exercises you should do to increase your overall strength and flexibility safely and effectively.

Did you know that 70% of all runners experience an injury every year? Most of these injuries can be prevented by understanding your body and training properly to strengthen weak muscle groups and stretch tight areas that can lead to injury.

A study of 1,435 NCAA Division 1 female soccer players demonstrated that those who participated in a Physical Therapy program had an overall ACL injury rate 41 percent lower than those who did only a regular warm-up prior to practice. Female athletes who play sports like soccer, basketball, and softball are six times more likely to injure or tear and ACL than men. Again, much of this is preventable through proper training guided by a knowledgeable Physical Therapist.

Because Physical Therapists receive specialized education in a variety of sciences - physics, human anatomy, kinesiology (human movement), to name a few - they understand how the body works and how to get you moving again. They know how to manage all four of the body's major systems - musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, cardiovascular/pulmonary, and integumentary (skin) - to restore and maximize mobility.

Whether you are living with diabetes or recovering from a stroke, a fall, or a sports injury, our Physical Therapists will work closely with you to evaluate your condition and develop an effective, personalized plan of care.