Ottawa YMCA to add blood pressure self-monitoring, stroke wellness programs

The Ottawa YMCA will launch new blood pressure self-monitoring and stroke wellness programs, it said in a news release.

The new blood pressure program is a free initiative designed to help adults manage and lower their blood pressure through home self-monitoring and personalized nutrition education. It runs from Sept. 9 to Dec. 31.

The first session of this program is full, but those interested can leave their names with Health and Wellness Director Karen Szewczuk for the January session. It is open to adults age 18 and older.

The Ottawa YMCA, in collaboration with OSF Physical Therapy, also will offer a stroke wellness program, an initiative designed to help stroke survivors maintain their health and stay active after completing formal physical therapy.

This program offers a supportive group environment on the Wellness Floor, where participants will work alongside Ottawa YMCA’s personal fitness trainers and OSF physical therapists to develop personalized workout routines that support their ongoing recovery.

The program is held from 1 to 2 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. Registration already began for the first session, which runs from Sept. 9 to Oct. 19. Registration begins Oct. 7 for the second session, which runs from Oct. 28 to Dec. 14, excluding the week of Thanksgiving.

For more information about either of these programs, go to www.ottawaymca.org or email Health and Wellness Director Karen Szewczuk at karenszewczuk@ottawaymca.org.