Take ’steps to Wellness’ with this year’s Health and Sports Week

Posted on: 23 March 2015

Wellness is an active process of becoming aware of and making choices towards a healthy and fulfilling life. 

It is "…a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being," as defined by The World Health Organisation.

This year's College Health and Sports Week themed ‘Steps to Wellness’ runs from 23rd to 27th March, promoting and encouraging Wellness for students and staff through health and sports activities on campus. The programme is full of events which will help you take steps to move towards better wellbeing, which include free kinesiology, meditation and nutrition sessions, free fitness classes in the Sports Centre, information stands and a great line up of guest speakers.

At the launch of Health and Sport week on Monday 23rd March, the College’s revamped Fitness Trail, a 1km outdoor trail with ten exercise stations for a full body workout in the natural surroundings of campus, was reopened for use, with staff and students participating in a Fitness Trail session led by the Sports Centre’s Alan Campbell and Students’ Union Sports Officer, Conor Clancy. Conor’s role as Student Sports Officer is a newly established position within the Students’ Union to promote and represent sporting activities among the student body.  The launch was followed by lunch for all those taking part, kindly provided by the Pavilion Bar, to sample the new healthy ‘Spring into Summer’ menu.

As part of this year’s programme three guest speakers are giving talks for students and staff on the topics of the benefits of exercise, mental well-being and working through difficult challenges.

On Wednesday, 25th March, Professor Niall Moyna, of DCU’s School of Health and Human Performance and RTE’s Operation Transformation will give a talk titled ‘Exercise is the Best Medicine’.

Trinity Student, Jack Kavanagh, will also give a talk on ‘Overcoming Adversity’ on Thursday, 24th March.  Following a life changing accident which rendered him paralysed from the chest down, Jack is determined to overcome the challenges he faces and have as full and normal a life as possible. 

John Buckley from SpunOut.ie, a not-for-profit online service created by young people for young people promoting general wellbeing and healthy living, will talk about SpunOut’s ‘Ditch the Monkey’ initiative based on  the 'five ways to wellness', a set of evidence based actions which promote positive mental health Tuesday, 24th March.

For a full programme of events visit www.tcd.ie/collegehealthweek