Men's Health Week - Introduction to Male Grooming

Last Friday as part of Men's Health Week the lads of the CTC participated in an “Introduction to Male Grooming” session.  The lads were introduced to personal care products from leading male grooming manufacturers WAHL, American Crew and Vines Vintage. The lads were shown hair cutting, beard shaping tips and tricks and for those with curly or unruly hair.  The benefits of chemical hair straightening was demonstrated and the long term benefits of good male skin care was also explained with a selection of male skin care products available on the day.  Thanks to Ian for hosting this very enjoyable and informative Male Grooming session and for all the free samples of hair products and aftershave. 

Men's Health Week - 7 tips for working on your Mental Fitness (ie.reachout.com)

7 tips for working on your Mental Fitness

This week is Men’s Health Week. To mark this, ReachOut.com along with National Youth Council of Ireland are calling for men all over Ireland to work on their mental fitness.
Being mentally fit means being able to take on challenges, get through tough times and fully enjoy the things you do.

1. Sleep, sleep, sleep

Getting regular quality sleep can improve your concentration and energy levels, along with your mood.

2. Learn to relax, really relax

Take a few minutes everyday to really wind down, switch off and relax. There are a number of ways to do this, walking, running, yoga, breathing exercises, meditation or whatever works for you.
Just make sure to find something to help you clear your mind and give yourself a break, at least once everyday.

3. Work out the things you enjoy…

… and make time for them. Whether it’s playing sport, reading or cooking good food, making time for the things we enjoy helps us deal with stress better.

4. Identify your strengths

Sometimes we can get so hung up comparing ourselves to others, we don’t recognise what we’re good at. Work out what your strengths are and remind yourself of them often.

5. Face challenges early on

Try not to put off dealing with potentially difficult situations as negative thoughts of them can build up. When facing a challenge start by imagining all possible outcomes and prepare for each case.
You will then be better prepared to face that situation. You might also find that it’s the not worst case scenario you anticipated.

6. Ask for help

It may sound obvious but  asking for advice about anything that might be bothering you can really help. If anything, being able to talk it through with someone you trust can give you a bit of perspective.

7. Take stock of your networks

We all have friends, family and other people in our lives who can support us in tough times. Figure out who the people are in your life that you can go to for support when you need it.

8. Do WorkOut (secret extra tip)

To improve and maintain your mental fitness, download WorkOut to your phone and start taking some missions to help you with goal setting, identifying your strengths, regulating your sleep and much more!

Taken from http://ie.reachout.com -  Helping you to get through tough times

 

Sligo CTC supports Men's Health Week 2016

Men's Health Week - Cancer in Men

www.cancer.ie 

Men's Health Week - Health and Fitness talks

Pictured above Shane Hayes and trainees at the Men's Health Stand

Pictured above Irene Higgins and trainees at the Men's Health Stand

As part of Men's Health Week Shane Hayes gave an excellent talk to the lads about the mental and physical health benefits of sport and fitness and the variety of sports activities available in Sligo.  Thanks to Shane and Sligo Sports and Recreation for all their help and support.  We also had another guest speaker today, Irene Higgins gave a very informative presentation and talk about Sexual Health.  Thanks to Irene for her time and sharing her expertise on this topic.   

Men's Health Week - Pedal to Paddle

As part of Bike Week and in conjuction with Sligo Sport and Recreation Partnership, the Lads Active group and some tutors took part in Pedal to Paddle.  This involved a leisurely cycle and a stand-up paddle board taster session in the beautiful surroundings of our local area. This is the first time that many of us got the opportunity to sample a SUP session and both activities were thoroughly enjoyed by all that took part.

We would like to thank Theresa from Sligo Sport and Recreation Partnership for providing us with the opportunity to take part in this great event.  We would also like to express gratitude to the cycle and SUP tutors Warner, William and Vincent for all their help and support.

For more info:
www.sligosportsandrecreation.ie
www.bikeweek.ie

Trainees doing Stand Up Paddling at the back avenue

Men's Health Week - Tips For Drinking Less

(taken from www.irishheart.ie)

Men's Health Week - The Food Pyramid

The Food Pyramid

The food pyramid is designed to make healthy eating easier. Healthy eating is about getting the correct amount of nutrients – protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals you need to maintain good health.

Foods that contain the same type of nutrients are grouped together on each of the shelves of the Food Pyramid. This gives you a choice of different foods from which to choose a healthy diet. Following the Food Pyramid as a guide will help you get the right balance of nutritious foods within your calorie range. Studies show that we take in too many calories from foods and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt, on the top shelf of the Food Pyramid. They provide very little of the essential vitamins and minerals your body needs. Limiting these is essential for healthy eating.

So in a nutshell, healthy eating involves:
Plenty of bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and cereals – going for the wholegrain varieties whenever you can
Plenty of fruit and vegetables
Some milk, cheese and yoghurt
Some meat, poultry, eggs, beans and nuts
A very small amount of fats and oils
And a very small amount or no food and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt

Eatwell Guide (NI)

For more information go to safefood.eu

Men's Health Week - Top Ten Tips For Quitting Smoking

Top Ten Tips For Quitting Smoking 

1. Prepare to quit.
2. Set a date.
3. Get Support.
4. Watch out for triggers.
5. Get some exercise.
6. Reward yourself.
7. 4 D's to deal with cravings:

• Delay
• Drink Water
• Distract yourself
• Deep Breathe

8. Think positive.
9. Watch what you eat.
10. Take one day at a time.

Quitting smoking is the best step to take to improve your health and fitness. 

For more information go to:  www.cancer.ie  or Freephone 1800 201 203

Men's Health Week - Pedal to Paddle

Taking place 15th of June from 2:30pm - 4:30 pm

Men's Health Week - Cookery Classes

Denyse and Mary alongside trainees Jake, Aaron and Sean provided a fantastic peer cookery class for the boys yesterday. They prepared and cooked a chicken stir fry. Well done to the boys who took part in the cookery class and thanks to Denyse, Mary, Jake, Aaron and Sean for their brilliant help! It was a very informative and enjoyable class.

Launch of Sligo CTC Men's Health Week 2016

Photos of launch today by Gavin of Men's Health Week 2016

Men's Health Week - Useful Contacts and Services

Useful Contacts and Services for Men's Health

Men's Health Week - 6 ways exercise is good for you

6 Ways exercise is good for you J

The mind and body are not separate. What affects one affects the other.

We are often taught how important it is to exercise. Although many people can't stand the idea of sweating it comes with many benefits that help your physical and mental health. These benefits include:

1. Avoid Future complications 
Exercising for at least one hour every day helps to avoid diseases such as diabetes. Heart disease, bad cholesterol, heart attacks and much more. Although we might think I'll deal with that when the time comes it's best to start now and your future self will gladly thank you. 

2. Exercise is a great energy booster
Believe it or not but exercise gives you a boost of energy. So skip the bottle of Lucozade and put on those runners if you feel tired or fatigued exercise can solve that problem. Exercising helps oxygen flow to the brain therefore keeping you awake.

3. Exercise increases your confidence 
For me personally I love the feeling of getting an intense workout done. I really feel like I achieved something and you should too. If any of you battled with self-esteem issues exercising will give you a kick and make you feel good about yourself. The great thing about exercise is that you are in full control. You choose the workout and you choose the intensity level. It's important that we feel happy and comfortable in our skin. A healthy body equals a healthy mind. 

4. It helps you forget about any problems in your life for a while. 
Mental health is without a doubt a growing discussion in society today. I'm sure we have all had worries that we just wish would leave our heads. And I don't think there is any greater feeling then putting in the earphones blaring some music and running. Whether it is you are struggling with anxiety depression financial difficulties fighting with friends or family. Exercise can take you away from all of that for a while and be a great escape from reality.

5. Exercise boosts your mood 
When exercising a group of hormones called endorphins sweep in to help create a better mood. We all feel down at some stage in our life and that is completely normal. If you have a stressful day at college work or school and need to let out some steam exercising can help you feel a lot happier and relaxed.

6. Exercise helps to sharpen your memory 
Have you ever struggled with learning some information for an exam or test? Recent studies show that exercise basically strengthens your mind i.e. the happy chemicals in your brain. Your mind is getting stronger when your heart is getting stronger.  

(Taken from spunout.ie)  www.spunout.ie

Men's Health Week

Men's Health Week 2016