All Ireland Poc Fada

The Poc Fada is a uniquely Irish event which takes place each year. Competitors must puck a sliotar with a hurley (they may lift and strike or hit the ball from the hand). The course runs from one apointed location to anonther and An Corn Cuailgne ("The Cooley Cup") is awarded to the player who takes the lowest number of pucks to complete the course. Ties are broken by the distance by which the player's last puck crosses the finish line. The whole course measures over 5 Km in the Cooley Mountains Co. Louth. 

Exercise Tip of the Week: Walking Back to Happiness

This week we're taking it down a notch and giving you the simplest exercise tip yet: Walk. Walking is a great way to keep fit. You don't need any special equipment or facilities. You can do it any place in any weather, either on your own or with others. There's no time limit or complicated technique. You simply start walking. People who walk every day tend to be less stressed and have healthier hearts; meaning that they live longer. A 75 kg woman will burn 240 calories an hour walking at a pace of three miles per hour so you can also lose weight while walking.

Activity of the Week: Kayaking

Kayaking is not a difficult sport. It can be done on a lake or in the sea. All you need is the appropriate equipment and an experienced guide as this can be a dangerous activity if not carefully supervised. Adventure centres across the country can offer you a first taste of kayaking with simple and fun lessons for all ages for less than €50: try Delphi Mountain Lodge, Outdoor Discovery or The Tain. It's a great way to get out and enjoy the Irish landscape and can be a quiet and tranquil escape from the rat race. The Irish Sea Kayaking Association offers membership to all and this includes regualr meets, training and accreditation. This is a great way to meet new people and is also a healthy workout for your upper body and encourages balance. See www.irishseakayakingassociation.org 

Get Out More: Mens Irish Open Tennis

The Mens Irish Tennis Open Championships 2010 are currently taking place in Dublin at the Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club. This Saturday the 24th will see the mens singles final take place. With top Irish players including Conor Niland (ranked 162 in the world) and Louk Sorenson (238), this is an event not to be missed by avid tennis fans. Gates open from 11am daily throughout the tournament. Be there to see who takes home the $15,000 AUD prize money as well as who will improve their world ranking on home soil. For more details see www.tennisireland.ie

How to Boost your Energy

Getting into new habits can be difficult not to mention tiring. That's why todays health and fitness tips are geared towards giving you more energy.


1. It might sound a little simple but you've got to move more to move more. An evening walk tonight will hit you tomorrow but the key is to work through it. Get out again tomorrow night and your body will soon get used to your new regime and will thank you for it in the long run.


2. Get a Good Nights Sleep. Adults with busy and stressful lives should be aiming for 8 hours solid quality sleep each night. If you find it hard to wind down after a busy day then try to get into a routine; bath, pjs, book - whatever works for you do it!


3. Watch what you eat. Try to eat less high sugar foods as these will give you a temporary boost and later you will experience an extreme energy low. Instead choose foods with slow energy release such as porridge, brown rice and brown bread, fruits and vegetables.

Activity of the Week: Roller Skating!

Children of the 80's will remember the popular roller skating rinks that sprung up around the country catering mostly to birthday parties. There was loud music, a discoball and brightly coloured everything. Well they're back and not much has changed. With cool ads like the Evian Roller Babies roller skating has taken on a new kind of retro cool and rinks are opening again such as Spin Roller Disco in Blanchardstown, Co. Dublin. Skates can be hired and all ages are welcome so why not check it out? www.spinrollerdisco.ie 

Exercise Tip of the Week: Rock That Body

Someone in the Fitfone office is off out for dinner and dancing tonight and it got us thinking about how good we feel when we dance. Whether it's in a club or around the kitchen table dancing to our favourite music gets us working up a sweat and burning calories without thinking about exercise or fitness. It's all about enjoying yourself and cutting loose from the stress and worries of everyday life. Anyone can dance (some of us just don't look so good when we do)! For example Line dancing will burn 341 calories an hour in a 205 lb [14 stone 8 once] woman. There are so many options from Salsa to Ballroom or even your own unique freestyle.