Active Future Programme – Week 6 – Safe Gym Use, Smoking & Importance of Sleep & Problem Solving.

Overview of the Active Future Programme here – http://wp.me/p7Xkia-4

Overview of Week 5 here – http://wp.me/p7Xkia-ds

Week 6 of the Active Future saw us going back to our usual template, consisting of a physical activity input, physical health input and a mental health input.  It is coming towards the end of the programme and I was searching for answers as to why the programme ran so smoothly. I came to the conclusion that it was our team and partners involved in the project. A major factor in any working relationship is trust and I feel that everyone involved, the participants, leaders and partners had mutual trust and respect for each other. Another reason why there was so much trust was becuase many of us had worked together in the past. Look for existing partnerships or relationships that you already possess and seek to make your programme fit their aims, goals or principals. Read on to see how week 6 of the Active Future Programme went.

Physical Health Input

After a few weeks of working with the participants, the power was handed over to the Sports Science students to decide what topic(s) were important to deliver.  Based on what they had learned from the participants thus far, smoking and sleeping were the topics of choice – which the students delivered in excellent fashion. The participants were shocked to learn that tobacco kills up to half it’s users and 5 million people per year!. Indeed, 600,000 people die per year from second hand smoke alone. The participants then entered a discussion about why they started smoking and many agreed that it was a result of peer pressure. Perhaps a new innovative way is needed to tackle smoking and kill it at it’s route? Next up was sleep and 7-9 hrs is recommended depending on the individual. The participants spoke of getting only 5-7 hrs with many citing worry and being on their phone as the primary reason. We then revised some of our relaxation techniques covered in week 2.

Physical Activity Input

See the video for a taster of the exercises that we covered! The students guided the participants through safe gym use across a variety of equipment and exercises. The students informed the participants on correct form and technique when lifting free weights and machine weight,  as well as different tempos and volumes that can be used to make exercises harder or easier.Next up was the cardio equipment where students explained the different heart rates zones that can be worked in, which all have  a different physiological effect. The participants were shown how to use the treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical, rower and step machine to name but a few.

Mental Health Input

Last but not least, was our mental health input which covered the topic of problem solving. Michael Byrne guided the students through the 5 stage problem solving plan which can be a useful tool when trying to solve a particular problem or issue.

1. State the problem. Sometimes this is not always easy. Michael reverted back to a previous section on understanding our thoughts. Is this a helpful or unhelpful though? Is there evidence to support that this is in fact a problem? If so…
2. What could you do? Brainstorm for all possible solutions. Even if they seem very abstract ideas write them down – they could prove useful or at least cathartic.
3. List what might happen for each of these solutions. Then pick which solution is best based on the consequence.
4.  Do it! This can prove very difficult and may involve a lot of rehearsing on what to say and/or do. This is normal.
5. Evaluation – Did it work? Evaluate the pro’s and con’s of the solution. If it worked great, if it didn’t work ,go back a pick another solution you listed from step 2.

Next week is week 7 and the penultimate week of the Active Future Programme. To say time flies is an underestimation. Stop by next week to see how it went and as always email me if you have any questions about the programme or you would like advice on starting your own programme.

Tullow Secondary School

Tullow School Completion Programme

I.T. Carlow

Youth on the MOVE

The Active Future Programme is an 8 week programme based in Ireland aiming to promote physical activity and further education among adolescents. We strive to challenge stigmas and misconceptions around mental and physical health. It is run on campus of I.T. Carlow and in association with the Tullow School Completion Programme and the Tullow Secondary School. This blog is updated each week and follows the progress of the programme. If you would like more information on the programme or have any questions in general you can contact me by email – shaneodonnell92@gmail.com or shane.odonnell@itcarlow.ie

Active Future Programme – Week 5 – The Grand Tour

Find an overview of the programme here –  http://wp.me/p7Xkia-4

This week adopted a change of format as we had the grand tour of the I.T. Carlow campus which took up the entirety of this week’s inputs. At the beginning of the programme participants were asked to list the courses in the college that they might be interested in studying. These ranged from Sports Science to Media Production, Bioforensics to Engineering and more. Based on this information we tried to organize a tour of the college  that suited these needs of the participants, which gave them a taster of  what the courses entail and which gave them an overall view of the facilities and support structures available in I.T. Carlow.

First up on the tour, we were shown the Barrow Centre which is the sports hub for I.T. Carlow. You may have seen many pictures of the Barrow Centre already if you have been reading this blog, as it was the backdrop for many of the pictures that were uploaded.  We use the lecture theaters, basketball court and activity room in the Barrow Centre each week to run our various inputs. We were then taken upstairs where we were shown the gym, which is available to all students of the college, and the elite performance gym which is reserved for collegiate athletes and students of Sports Science, Sports Rehabilitation and Strength and Conditioning. From here we were taken to the physiology laboratory where various testing protocols are carried out to ascertain athletes key performance indicators.Our Sports Science students were on hand to answer the many questions participants had about studying human performance.

We continued on to the science laboratories where many fantastic and mystifying science experiments were taking place! I.T. Carlow offers a vast range of science courses from environmental science to brewing and distilling, so we tried to pack in as much information as we could.  Next up was the humanities building where we peaked in some windows and saw what innovative products industrial design and product design innovation students were making.  From here we traveled across to the Engineering Building and checked out what the mechanical engineering and electronic engineering courses had to offer. I think the aerospace engineering and aircraft systems management courses were the shining stars of this department with various airplanes and helicopter on display for all to see.

We then moved across to the library and the participants saw the tv and media production room where students were busy of producing a movie about a mishap in the operating room of plastic surgeon’s theater. Perhaps they had been inspired by Halloween!

Finally , the participants were shown some of the lecture theaters of I.T. Carlow and were given a talk from our access officer Aisling McHugh. Aisling informed the students on the different routes to third level that students can avail of if they do not meet the requirements of their desired degree. She explained the benefits of the access programme which provides additional supports and finances to students who are eligible and also discussed different financial supports options that are available to certain students. She gave a very comprehensive overview of all of the sports and recreational clubs in the college and outlined the various mental and physical health supports that were available to students such as the doctor, the nurse, the counselors etc. The participants then met back up with the Sports Science students who answered additional questions on the college experience and offered advice where possible. It was great to see many of the students talking about the different courses that they wished to do with many of them expressing an interest that they would like to come to I.T. Carlow.

Next week we will be back to business as usual, where we will be covering mental and physical health inputs along with a fun physical activity session. Stop by next week to see how week 6 of the Active Future Programme went. Feel free to email me if you have any questions about the Active Future Programme or if you would like to start your own initiative and are not sure how to go about it. See you next week!

I.T. Carlow

Tullow School Completion Programme

Youth on the MOVE

The Active Future Programme is an 8 week programme based in Ireland aiming to promote physical activity and further education among adolescents. We strive to challenge stigmas and misconceptions around mental and physical health. It is run on campus of I.T. Carlow and in association with the Tullow School Completion Programme and the Tullow Secondary School. This blog is updated each week and follows the progress of the programme. If you would like more information on the programme or have any questions in general you can contact me by email – shaneodonnell92@gmail.com or shane.odonnell@itcarlow.ie

Active Future Programme – Week 4 – Zumba and The Physical & Mental Effects of Drug and Alcohol Misuse.

Overview of the Active Future Programme here – http://wp.me/p7Xkia-4

Week 3 of the Active Future Programme here – http://wp.me/p7Xkia-9G

Week  four of the Active Future Programme has just passed which marked the halfway point of the programme. The past four weeks have gone so quickly but it is great to see the relationships grow stronger and stronger between the participants, the Sports Science Students & the leaders. Next week the participants are on their mid-term break from school so we will be using this as some downtime and to review what elements of the programme can be improved.  Keep scrolling to see videos, pictures and descriptions of what we covered in week 4!

Physical Health Input

This week the Sports Science students, very comprehensively, covered the impacts of drug and alcohol misuse on physical health. The students informed the participants on the recommended maximum amount of alcohol consumption per week, what constitutes drug misuse, and how both alcohol and drugs can be extremely damaging to your physical health. Did you know that the maximum recommended alcohol intake per week  for males  is 17 units (8 pints) and females is 11 units (5 pints) per week? One is considered to be binge drinking when an individual consumes 3 pints of alcohol in one sitting! Unfortunately, that is a big problem here in Ireland with 75% of all alcohol consumed as part of a binge-drinking session. The participants were quite shocked with what constituted binge-drinking which led to an interesting discussion around safe alcohol use.

Physical Activity Input

We switched things up this week and gave the Sports Science students a break from leading the physical activity session. This week we got a local zumba instructor to deliver the class. At first, many of the guys were hesitant  to become involved but by the end of it they were practically leading the class!  For those of you who don’t know, zumba is a really fun dance class, which is done to the beat of energetic music (usually Pitbull!) and originated from Colombia. See the video below to see some of the slick dance moves on show.

Mental Health Input

As always, the wonderful Michael Byrne from the Tullow School Completion Programme delivered an excellent session on the mental impacts of drug and alcohol misuse. Michael linked it back to what we had learned so far about the four types of behaviors and how to control them. He explained that people often smoke or take drugs to alleviate stress or  in some cases to numb emotional pain. He explained that addiction is when a person THINKS they have lost control – the key word here is think. He explained that this is just a thought, and the first steps to recovery is realizing that you have control over these thoughts. He explained that physical craving only last approximately 15 minutes (depending on the substance) and after that it is your thoughts that are driving the cravings. To challenge addicting behavior we need to; (1) look at why we want these substances or what are they replacing in our lives, (2) Recognize that we have control over these cravings and (3) begin to change our behavior towards these cravings. Exercise was mentioned by the participants  as a good alternative to smoking with regard to alleviating stress.

As I said above next week the participants will be on their mid-term break from school so they won’t be on campus.  However, we will be using this week as a means to review how the programme has run so far and what elements we can improve. Of course we believe in a bottoms-up approach so the participants and the students  will have the final say in any changes made to the programme.

I.T. Carlow

Youth on the MOVE

Tullow Secondary School

Tullow School Completion Programme

The Active Future Programme is an 8 week programme based in Ireland aiming to promote physical activity and further education among adolescents. We strive to challenge stigmas and misconceptions around mental and physical health. It is run on campus of I.T. Carlow and in association with the Tullow School Completion Programme and the Tullow Secondary School. This blog is updated each week and follows the progress of the programme. If you would like more information on the programme or have any questions in general you can contact me by email – shaneodonnell92@gmail.com or shane.odonnell@itcarlow.ie