sSo we find ourselves in 2015 and Health and Fitness is becoming bigger and more enhanced than ever with quite a large population on a fitness journey or trying to reach health goals. Every individual has their own goals that they want to achieve, whether it is to run a marathon, build muscle, tone up or weight loss. Sports Science has really reached a new level in terms of knowing how the body works and to get the most from your training. When we go to the gym we see different types of gym users. There are the macho men in the weights area, lifting double their bodyweight on the bar and they want every other gym user to be aware of this through their loud grunting noises and banging of the weights. We see the cardio members who won’t even make eye contact with the weights area and we also come across the phone users, who focus more on tweeting about being in the gym and taking pictures rather than actually lifting weights. However, there is one clear group that you do not come across as often, women lifting weights. For some reason, many women have this perception that if they lift weights they are going to turn into them macho men as mentioned before. Little do they know this will never happen to them. Lifting weights will purely just tone up the targeted muscles because after all, strong is the new skinny. This blog is going to point out exactly why women SHOULD lift weights as part of their training regime and the benefits that come with it.
Is our individual relationship with sport the same as taking the plunge of swiping right on tinder to hopefully start a romance made in heaven with another person? Some might say it is. Sport, just like a relationship takes time and commitment. There is no right way to get what you want from your chosen sport. Of course like a relationship there are certain things you know you have to do, like put in the effort even when you are tired and make decisions that will effect more than just yourself.
Just like swiping right for a person you don’t know. Would you swipe right for sport even though you know the highs and lows that it brings? It makes you think, doesn’t it? Kilkenny’s senior hurlers have been the face of the hurling world for the past decade. Since 2005 Kilkenny have won an astounding 8 All-Ireland hurling titles having featured in 9 out of the past 11 finals. As a passionate Tipperary supporter myself it really does break my heart to see them winning so much (I’m sure every other Tipp fan feels the same) considering the healthy rivalry between the two counties. But, I have to admit, Kilkenny’s record, not only in the past decade but overall, is very impressive. They have lifted the sacred Liam McCarthy cup an outstanding 36 times, Cork trail them by 30 titles and Tipperary placing third with 26 titles.Any GAA fan would be lying if they said they didn’t admire Kilkenny’s ability to keep coming back each and every year with the same quality standard, the same desire and the same will to win. But what is separating them from the rest? Is it Brian Cody and the management? Under age development squads? Or the championship structure for Kilkenny club hurling. I’m sure they all have a part to play in the counties success but it couldn’t create this unstoppable force they have surrounding their team.
Now that I have stated how Kilkenny are great and all that, I have to clarify that I love my county and the group players that represent our Premier County each year. I in no way envy Kilkenny’s success or anything; I wouldn’t be a true Tipp man if I did. That’s not what our rivalry is built on. I am confident in Tipperary and feel they are constantly on the rise since they quenched a 9 year drought when Eoin Kelly lifted the Liam McCarthy cup in 2011. The up and coming Tipperary scene also looks promising with competitive minor and under 21 teams being produced each year. It looks like some top quality hurlers have the potential to be developed in to All Ireland winners at the top level. Have you ever witnessed shouting and roaring from the side line of an underage game, be it soccer or GAA? Foul language, abuse, complaints, and threats by parents and coaches from the side lines have been a major issue throughout the years when it comes to underage sport. Parents and coaches questioning every single decision the referee has made, telling kids they’ll take them off if they don’t do what they are told. Remember that we are talking about U8’s, U10’s, U12’s etc. In the culture of the coach and early elite development there is very little patience. Don’t get me wrong, not everyone is guilty of this carry on. There are some brilliant coaches out there that are involved in the game to improve and develop the skills and abilities of our future stars and they do a great job. And so, are some parents who want to see their kid enjoying themselves and seeing them develop their skills. It is important for coaches and parents to understand that positive early experiences of sports matters. The call for positive approaches to youth sports is on the increase. This has been inspired by an acknowledgement that too many young people get turned off sports due to the behaviour and demand that comes from adults on the side lines that should know better.
What’s it like to be a part of a team? Most people at some stage in their lives will be part of a team be it through sport, work or a community group. Teams can be brilliant and brutal big and small competitive and non-competitive. When talking about sport a team is defined as “a group of players forming one side in a competitive game or sport”. There are thousands of sports teams across the world both professional and amateur but no team is more unique than the humble GAA club team. If you want to see a young Irish male in his most natural habitat go to any GAA club across the country during the summer months. It is here you will see the slagging and the messing that goes on over the fullback who is ‘over the hill’, the midfielder who thinks he has a divine right to have a shot from anywhere within 70 yards of the goal, the corner forward who is a ‘shaper’ and only gets his place on the team because he is the dead ball specialist. All reputations are left at the gate when you drive in and no one is too big to be brought down to size. The slagging and the craic is the one constant throughout the year whether it’s during the heavy training in January or at the height of the summer, however the fun and games end if a team is lucky enough to make it to the knockout stages of the county championship.
This is where laughter and slagging is replaced by tactics and team meetings and the lucky 15 start to put their game faces on. Who are these lucky 15 and what do they bring to the team? We all know the famous saying “sex, drugs and rock and roll” that is given to the crazy, wild rock star lifestyle. Well nowadays it’s not just the likes of the Rolling Stones that has taken up this type of lifestyle and exposed it to our eyes. It feels it has now seeped into the sporting industry and its athletes are getting down and dirty.
Now it’s not being said that in the past there were no stories or scandal in the sporting industry, but it seems that over the years the “naming and shaming” of athletes is being revealed and exposed to the general public at a higher extent, and these scandals receive straight headlines in the newspapers - headlines that are disclosed to our eyes, but more importantly the eyes of children. I’d shift Marty Morrissey for a chance to hurl in a County final! Like everything in this life nothing comes easy. Some of the sacrifices that any hurler would have to make in order to help achieve his dream would make any non-sporting person question their sanity. Picture yourself about five months from now on a cold, blistery night in January. While most people are settling in to watch “Coronation Street” or “Reeling In The Years” with a cup of tea and few custard creams, the championship campaign is starting for all the clubs around Ireland. This means cold nights, heavy running, lots of weights, getting sick and contemplating whether or not you are right in the head! So is it really worth it? The sacrifices, the pain, the emotions? If you’re not part of the G.A.A. culture, then probably not, but for those who are, I have no doubt you would do worse.
Depression. What is it? Who suffers from it and why? These are the questions that come to mind when I hear the word depression. In recent times, the taboo subject has been getting more recognition, for good and bad reasons alike. For me, it was reading about sporting figures that suffered from this disabling mental health issue that it really came to light and hence, my reasoning for this blog post. I began to do a bit of research in the area and it really gave me a deeper insight into mental health. There’s so much to it! To be honest, up until now, the young naive man that I am, believed depression to be a feeling in your mind that makes you feel upset from time to time. That it doesn’t affect you physically and that it doesn’t change how you live your life and that only in some major cases, can it end in suicide. My god how wrong was I! I thought that there was only one type of depression when in actual fact they're multiple types such as Major depression, Bipolar, SAD, Psychotic, anxiety and many more. Depression in Ireland is a growing problem that needs urgent attention. It can have a massive effect on the way a person sleeps, eats, feels and the way they think about things too. Depression isn't something that goes away with the click of your fingers. If it was that easy for people to fix their problems there would be no such thing as depression. It is a serious illness and without treatment it can last for years. In recent times, some GAA players have declared that they have suffered or are suffering from depression. I wondered how GAA players suffer from depression. How do the teammates of players that suffer from depression not notice something is wrong with them? Is it because nobody is able to notice what depression is or is it the fact that players are afraid to tell people something is wrong and that they need help. People only begin to realise the signs when something serious happens to the person suffering the illness. It's only when the worst happens that we wonder how we never seen it coming. The number of hours GAA players put in training is somewhat similar to that of professional players in other sports. In addition, GAA players have other affairs to deal with in life, for instance, work and family. Put all these factors together and it is bound to take its toll on a person's body may it be physically or mentally. People need to become more aware. Aware of the different issues that may surround somebody but most importantly, how they deal with it. Everyone will deal with a particular issue in a different way. Some people are able to deal with the stress of their own problems in life, however the people that don't know how to control all their emotions and problems, just continue to get on with everyday life as if nothing is wrong with them. In recent years some significant players within the GAA have emerged stating that they have or are suffering from depression, for example, Alan O'Mara (Cavan Footballer), Niall McNamee (Offaly Footballer), Conor Cusack (Cork Hurler), Shane Carty (Dublin U21 Footballer), Wayne Hutchinson (Waterford Hurler) and Ashling Thompson (Cork Camogie Captain). One of the biggest difficulties with depression nowadays is suicide. Thankfully, I haven't had anyone in my family be affected from it but I can only expect it to be one of the hardest things in life to go through. To lose somebody because they were too afraid to express their feelings, afraid to ask for help or the horrible fact that they thought there was no way out of it. Suicide has struck in many GAA teams over Ireland in recent times but one of the biggest shocks was the sad passing of Galway hurling star Niall Donohue two years ago at the age of 22. Niall was found dead in his home in Kilbecanty outside Gort. Niall was shortlisted for an All-Star in 2012 as Galway lost the All-Ireland final replay to Kilkenny. Niall did a players profile for Galway's hurling supporting club and he spoke about the dream of winning an All-Ireland Senior title, stating that it was his number one motivator. Nevertheless, there is loads of help available for people that suffering from depression. An example of help available for GAA players is the ‘We Wear More Than County Colours' Emotional Health and Wellbeing Campaign which was set up in 2014 by the Gaelic Players Association (GPA). The main concept of the campaign is to encourage players to talk about the emotional elements of their lives and to help them to develop ways of coping with their lives when things aren't going the way they want. The campaign wants players in the GPA to watch out for each other, recognise when players seem under pressure and to support one another through conversation. The ‘We Wear More' campaign deals with player's issues such as depression, addiction problems, anxiety and financial problems. The theme ‘We Wear More Than County Colours' refers to point that under the county jersey is an individual that lives a normal life and deals with everyday problems like everyone else. I decided if I really wanted to know what it was like to suffer depression that I would have to talk to someone who has gone through it all. I met up with a friend of mine Jim Walsh who suffered from depression and thankfully he came out on the right side of this horrible disease. I asked Jim how or when he recognised something was wrong. "It was a gradual process that was brought on by the passing away of a close friend. I began to drink more than usual and dabble in drugs and things, whereas before I could turn a blind eye to that and was strong enough to say no. Things began to pile up on me and it all came to a head when I began to get very severe and numerous panic attacks. As I said it was a build up over time and my masking and unwillingness to display my real feelings, to try get on with things as they say, unfortunately I could not simply get on with things and I had to deal with how I was head on. Acceptance was a huge issue with me. I did not want to believe there was something wrong but when I embraced that, that’s when I began to feel much better". I then asked Jim what was the first step he took to get help? "I began to see a counsellor and also talked to people about how I was feeling. For me personally, talking about my issues was never the problem, accepting that I had depression was the biggest thing. I had it in my head that physically there was something wrong, not mentally; I didn’t want to believe that there was something wrong in my head. There was. Once I came to terms with the fact that I was not feeling good, that is when I began to feel better. This is my own experience of dealing with depression, whereas others have different ways of dealing with it. Each person is different and depression is such that not one size fits all. Everyone has their own way of dealing with things". Finally, I asked Jim if he had any tips or motivation for people who are suffering from depression. "What I would say to someone with depression is to, this might sound a bit crazy, embrace it. Run with it. Treat it as an experience in your life that can in many ways help to understand that it’s OK not to feel OK. That it’s OK to cry. Don’t hide your feelings. Embrace them. Move forward with it and also reflect back and ask yourself what is it that is making you feel this way. Keep a notebook, just write, it doesn’t have to be structured in anyway, just write. Talk to someone, anyone. Get out and about and have some time to yourself. Keep in mind the simple things in life, things that give you happiness, your family, your children, godchildren, nieces/nephews, friends, your pets (my dogs were so, so good for me, helping me to be happy and to smile again), nature, reading, walking, sport, quiet time, grandparents. Acceptance. Once you accept that you are feeling this way, you will come to terms with things and come out the far side of it a better, wiser and happier person’". If only one person suffering from depression reads this blog and it helps them somehow I will be happy. I want people to remember these 7 little tips that can make a massive difference in their lives.
Author: Andrew Forde - 4th year BB (Hons) in Recreation and Sport Management student. Whether you love or hate it, college is here. Back to the life of exams, assignments, budgets, freezing houses, junk food and of course BEER. Juggling all this can be quite stressful and often us students forget to look after ourselves in terms of health and exercise. The last thing us students need to be worrying about is piling on the extra few pounds! (That’s what the Christmas holidays are for) With this in mind I do realise not all students are like this! Some students might not put on weight, some students may not drink, some students are more active or sportier then others but that doesn’t necessarily mean there isn’t room for improvement to a healthier college life. So I got thinking, why not make your student life easier and give you 8 tips that will not only improve your overall health but may even help turn some stubborn flab to fab!
Of all the jobs in the world you decided to be a group fitness instructor. Firstly, well done and welcome to the family, secondly your new family is also your main competition (ouch, didn't see that one coming). They have years of experience and qualifications in front of them as well as a well established client base. You didn’t spend all that time studying and practising step aerobics for nothing so its make or break time. But don’t worry, get a cup of tea and relax because I am going to give you my advice on the 5 must knows, about being a group fitness instructor.
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