Big Weight = Big Risk

Carrying a little extra weight might not seem like a big deal sometimes but it can seriously affect your long term health and life expectancy. Cholesterol, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure and exhaustion are all side effects of weight gain and doing nothing about your weight means that you are allowing these issues to shorten your life. Sometimes it can be difficult to find 30 minutes in the day to get out of the house or the office and take a walk. The next time you hear the little voice in your head telling you that the time would be better spent working remember this: that 30 minutes could add another 30 minutes to your life. 

Sports News: Wimbledon 2010 Begins.

Wimbledon opened yesterday in a flurry of excitement and tennis whites and will continue until July 4th. Every year we become captivated by the gritty competitive nature of this sport where shouting is part of the game but elegance and sportsmanship are highly valued. The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club was founded in 1868 but the tournament as we know it today took many decades to come together and is now known simply as The Championships. The Mens Singles title has been awarded 123 times with the United States having won it the most (33 times) although the British Isles are only 1 winner behind. The Ladies Singles title has been awarded 116 times and again the US are in front (53 wins) this time by a very substantial margin. All eyes will be on Wimbledon in the coming days as this mammoth event unfolds. You can watch it on TG4 and BBC. See www.wimbledon.org for more.

Monday Hangover

Was it a good weekend for you? We all know weekends are for relaxing but when you're trying to get in shape it's worth remembering that weekends tend to be the time when we splurge on calories. It's all too easy to pile on a few pounds in just one weekend and finding time to burn the calories off mid week can be very difficult. Did you know that a pint of lager contains between 290 and 340 calories? That's a lot of empty calories (by which we mean that they provide no nutritional value). So next weekend try cutting down on high calorie drinks or maybe skipping the pub altogether for fun in the sunshine as the good weather continues.

Get Out More: Free Dance Classes for Over 50s

The Machusla Club on Foley St in Dublin is offering free dance and healthy movement classes for the over 50s every week. This is a great fun way to meet new people as well as getting your body moving and keeping fit. http://www.danceireland.ie/local/macushla.html 

Health Hero Profile: Orla Tinsley

Orla Tinsley is a 21 year old woman with Cystic Fibrosis. She is our health hero thanks to her tireless campaigning to improve health services for CF patients in Ireland and her positive attitude to exercise and health. Orla is not only a published writer and public figure; she is also juggling a college education at UCD. She recently ran the Flora Womens Mini Marathon and has written about her experiences for the Irish Times. To read her article click here: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/health/2010/0608/1224272051983.html

World Cupdate

So we are now in day 5 of the worlds greatest football tournament. Those who caught the opening ceremonies will certainly have thought them a highlight with a particularly great performance from Shakira; singer of the South Africa 2010 anthem: Waka Waka. We thought this would be the sound that would always make us think of South Africa but the vuvuzelas are proving hard to avoid. Anyone else think they sound like a swarm of bees in the distance?
The England v USA match was our best to watch so far and also produced the funniest moment of the World Cup yet as newspapers in the states printed the headline: USA Win 1-1. And they say they understand football? They have a lot to learn. As does Thierry Henry; who managed to keep the laughter in as he contested a handball against Uruguay? There's certainly been plenty of excitement so far and there can only be more to come as the competition heats up.

Exercise Tip of the Week: Stretch it Out

Golf is a great sport. You can play alone and enjoy the solitude of a quiet course or get a group of friends together for a long walk and talk session. It’s a game of skill as well as relaxation but don't let appearances fool you; it's also a very physical sport with a high percentage of injuries and it is very important to stretch before a game. A light warm up with leg swings and ankle circles, calf and hamstrings stretches, arm circles and arm across chest stretches will help you to wake up your muscles before you start swinging a club. This will help you get into the game quicker and prevent post-game pain.