Uncategorized – Page 3

June 24, 2019April 14, 2021

I Can Still Walk For Miles! – Noel McLoughlin

I Can Do Anything I want

Written by Erin Mrozek

Today we are catching up with one of our I Can champions from last year, Noel McLoughlin, who has motivated others through his joyful spirit and optimistic attitude. You may remember from last year, this astounding man whose slogan was “I Can walk 9km!” He opened up about his journey from having a devastating stroke to how Siel Bleu changed his life. This is Noel’s one year recap.

After having multiple strokes, Noel joined the Stroke Survivor’s support group in Tallaght which is run in partnership with the Irish Heart Foundation. They used to have doctors, dieticians, and nurses come in and do talks with them. One day one of the nurses who ran the group looked around and realised that all they were doing was sitting around. Noel recollects the nurse expressing, “We have to do better than this.” In 2017, Siel Bleu started to bring exercise classes to the support group. What initially began as 4 people has grown to around 30 people participating in the class on a weekly basis. These people that used to be strangers are now his dear friends, as they go bowling, walk through gardens, and view museums. Noel’s first week was difficult as he had not been exercising for a long time but, by the second week he was already getting the hang of it. Now, if he is sitting down and watching the television, he will do some of the chair exercises, such as lifting his legs up and down.

Even a year later Noel is still improving, and progressing. Many people know of the physical effects of a stroke, such as losing movement in your arms, or having problems with your speech. However, Noel suffered silent effects, ones that affect his mental health. Before he started being active he would have emotional outbursts multiple times a week, where he could cry for 15 minutes at a time. Now through the Siel Bleu exercise classes he is able to control his mood swings better, to where he may have one every other month. By building up his stamina through the classes he found his love for walking. This has also been a tremendous help for his mental health, as Noel conveys, “I come back a different man after taking a walk.” He has now built up to walking 10 km, and can easily go for two hours without stopping! Furthermore, he is able to keep up with his grandchildren even after they are hyped up on sugar from giving them a chocolate biscuit, or two.

Outside of the class, Noel is a role model for his community to get out and be active. Every time he goes out for a walk he invites his neighbours to join him. For instance, he inspired a man who had lost the ability to use his arms due to a stroke, and thought would never be active again, to start walking. Noel discloses, “I love talking to people, and telling them to get out of the house… don’t sit down all day, go for a small walk, and it gets better, and better as you go along.” For those who cannot make it to an exercise class, he has brought a piece of Siel Bleu to the neighbourhood by showing them small exercises to do on their own. Wherever Noel is, he is constantly encouraging and uplifting those around him. If you ever meet this brilliant man, you might just be lucky enough to be asked to go for a walk with him.

You see Noel’s video from last year’s I Can Campaign here

If you would like more information about Siel Bleu’s Stroke Survivor Classes

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Check out our I Can ad for 2019

June 24, 2019April 14, 2021

We Can Exercise to Socialise! – The Ladies of Laurencetown

We Can Exercise To Socialise – The Ladies Of Laurencetown

Written by Erin Mrozek

Imagine yourself full of excitement, and anticipation as you are heading to your favourite event of the week, a Siel Bleu exercise class. You open the doors to see welcoming faces, new and old friends, awaiting your arrival. The trainer enters the room, and the class commences. During the class, you look around, and as everyone is working out, people are laughing, smiling, and genuinely enjoying themselves. As soon as class ends, the group sits down for tea, and a chat, as they talk about what is going on in their lives. When you leave the class, you smile to yourself, knowing how much you have gained from this class, physically, and mentally. This is the experience of many of the women from the Ladies of Laurencetown.

Three years ago, Laurencetown local Loraine Pardy was seeking a health initiative that she could bring to her beloved hometown. With a quick search on the internet, she discovered Siel Bleu Ireland on the Change X platform and got in contact straight away. Three years later, the ladies of Laurencetown come together once a week to exercise in the comfort of their own town with their neighbours. Ranging from late fifties to mid eighties, each week the Ladies of Laurencetown gather in their local community centre to exercise under the guidance of Siel Bleu Physical Trainer, Aisling Warburton. Classes take place on Thursday evenings at 7 pm.

Anytime you start something new, people can become apprehensiveness, and intimidated, especially when it comes to an exercise programme. Yet, when it comes to a Siel Bleu class, like the one in Laurencetown, you will have nothing to worry about. Everyone who attends the class is coming from all over, and each one has a different background, and abilities. Veronica Walsh, age 68, a longstanding member of the class notes, “Do what you can, it is all that matters,” as her friend Freida Kenny, age 73, adds, “I never knew how good it was going to be, just come and see!” They even gushed about their trainer, Aisling, saying how she is very clear in her instructions, has the best manner, interacts well with any age group, and is overall a lovely person.

Beyond the physical benefit from working out, the Ladies of Laurencetown are fond of the social aspect of the class. After class, Loraine makes a cup of tea for everyone, and from there the group gets together to talk, and laugh. The whole group would agree that you are not just receiving an exercise class, but are developing relationships, and getting a sense of community. Even though these women like to have fun, they are highly motivated. Siel Bleu Trainer, Aisling, who runs the class, conveys, “they are always wanting to be challenged, and improve, as they are interested in being active, and staying active.” One of the women, Nancy Shiels, 82, mentioned how she does exercises at home, and goes out for walks in the evening to keep up her strength, and stamina.

When asked the question: Is there anything you can do now, that you could not do prior, or that is easier to do?, the women had a lot to say. From being able to clean windows to going up the stairs without having to hang on to banisters, their day to day lives have improved immensely. Moira Kelly, age 72, shares how it makes such a difference, because it keeps them limbered up, and that how when one of the ladies missed one week they started to feel stiff again. It shows the importance, and the reasoning of why these ladies are so consistent, and love it all year round.

To bring Siel Bleu to your community call 01 209 6889 or email info@sielbleu.ie For more information on Siel Bleu Community Programmes

Don’t forget to follow us follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Check out our I Can Campaign ad

June 18, 2019April 14, 2021

I Can Photo Challenge

February 7, 2019April 14, 2021

Finding the Time to Exercise

January 31, 2019April 14, 2021

Exercise for Older Adults – Tips with the Experts

Tips from the Experts – Exercise for Older adults

We get some many questions on a daily basis from participants in our classes and from the general public about exercise for older adults. So, for today’s blog post we’re putting some of our most asked questions to our Development Officer/Senior Physical Trainer Paul Kirwan.

I’m over 66, why should I exercise, that’s for young people?

Exercise helps to keep you independent! It can help you move better, feel better and be able to get out and socialise more. Think about bringing your shopping in from the car; exercise helps to strengthen and protect your muscles so you can continue to do everyday tasks like this and not depend on others to help you.

What type of exercises are the best for older people?

All types of exercise are good for older adults once they are specific to your goals. As you get older you loose muscle mass at a faster rate than when you were younger, so it’s important to do resistance exercises to counteract that. Resistant exercise are those where you use more than just body weight, for example incorporating light weights or resistance bands. These typically should be performed twice a week.

Cardiovascular exercise helps you to be able to move for a longer duration, for example being able to clean the house or walking to meet a friend for coffee without having to take regular breaks.

How often should I be exercising?

The World Health Organisation recommends 150 minutes of exercise per week or 30 minutes per day over 5 days. This should be a mix of cardiovascular exercise such as walking and at least two resistance workouts per week. If you’ve never exercises before, I recommend starting off slowly and working up to this goal, try going for a 15 minute walk and working up to 30 minutes or doing two walks and one resistance workout per week and slowing increasing. Taking is slow and introducing your body to exercise will help you to create good habits that you will be able to stick to.

I walk nearly everyday, surely that’s enough?

Although walking is an excellent source of free, accessible exercises, it’s not enough to improve strength in the upper body, issues around balance and depending on the speed and the distance of your walk with determine if it’s actually having a benefit. Try incorporating at least one resistance workout, even from your sofa while watching the news to help keep your strength up.

I’m too frail to lift weights, so I can’t exercise

You don’t necessarily need to lift weights right off the bat. You can simply do the movement without any weight and work up to introducing weights or resistance bands. It’s a good idea to speak to a health professional such as a physiotherapist or a physical trainer to ask about the best exercises for you if you’re concerned about frailty. It’s good to bear in mind, numerous studies have shown that resistance exercise helps to build strength in the muscles and bones.

If you have any questions you’d like answered, why not leave them in the comments section and they may be featured in a post soon.

Why not try our Free At Home Exercise Guides to start your exercise journey or see if there’s an exercise class near you.

***Disclaimer: The information in this post is for reference only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical expertise or advice. If you have any concerns about your own or another’s health then please contact your doctor.

January 24, 2019April 14, 2021

The Importance of Kegel Exercises for Women

Kegel Exercises for Women –

What are they and what do we need to know?

Last week we discussed the importance of exercise for bone health and in today’s blog post we’re looking at another issue which can benefit from exercise; incontinence. You may have heard about the importance of Kegel exercises for women but what actually are Kegels and why exactly are they so important?

Urinary Incontinence affects one in three Irish women and one in nine Irish men, costing the HSE an estimated €100 million per year. Weakness of the pelvic floor muscles is known as a key contributor to Urinary Incontinence and can be caused by childbirth, surgery, strains and attributed to age.

Your pelvic floor muscle stretches like a muscular trampoline from your tailbone (coccyx) to your public bone in the front and side to side from one sit bone to the other. Your pelvic floor muscle helps to support the uterus, bladder, small intestine and rectum. Typically the muscle is firm and thick, but it can wear with time which can cause issues such as bladder/bowel leakage, prolapse and even constipation.

For women, the pelvic floor muscle has three openings to allow passage for the urethra, vagina and anus and normally it will wrap tightly around these three openings to keep them shut. When the muscles are firm and contracted they stop the release of bodily waste but the relaxing and weakening of the muscle can lead to incontinence.

Many people don’t realise that exercise can have a positive and preventable effect on our pelvic floor. But, one of the most important things to note, is that while the muscle remains hidden, it can be controlled consciously, much like your arm or leg and therefore can benefit from exercise. So, what type of exercises can help?

Kegel Exercises for Women

Named after the American gynaecologist Arnold Kegel, the exercises were originally developed in the 1940s as a method of controlling incontinence in women after childbirth, but the benefits are now known to range the entire pelvic floor muscle.

The most important thing to do first is to locate the pelvic floor muscle. This can be found by firstly squeezing the ring around the back passage as if to stop wind. Then you need to figure out the rest of the muscle, this can be found by identifying the muscle which can stop urine mid flow. (It is important to only try this to identify the muscle and not as an exercise itself as it can cause bladder issues). For further help identifying your pelvic floor, please refer to this video from University of Michigan’s Medical Department.

Now that’s we’ve identified the correct muscle, here are some tips from the Continence Society of Australia to help you perform the exercises.

Sit on a chair or lie down and relax
Without tensing your legs or back muscles, squeeze and draw in the muscles around your back passage and vagina at the same time with a lifting motion. Hold the squeeze as tight as you can for eight seconds and then release. It should be noticeable that you’ve relaxed. Rest for at least eight seconds and then repeat. Aim for eight to twelve squeeze reps, rest and then repeat the cycle again twice more. At the end of a “workout” you should have done between 24 and 36 squeezes.
Try doing this every day for maximum results

Please visit the Continence Foundation of Ireland for more information

Resources:

https://startsat60.com/health/everything-over-60-women-must-know-about-their-pelvic-floor

https://www.continence.org.au/pages/how-do-pelvic-floor-muscles-help.html

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/womens-health/in-depth/kegel-exercises/art-20045283

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/urinary-incontinence-the-embarrassing-loss-of-control-few-want-to-discuss-1.3399179

January 10, 2019April 14, 2021

Moving A Little More

Is modern technology hindering our health?

Last week The Guardian newspaper published an article entitled “Why Exercise Won’t Save Us” about our modern movement habits; how our sedentary lifestyles are killing us. The crux of the article explained that due to our more modern lifestyles and use of technology, on a day to day basis we are moving less that our grandparents ever did.

The author uses the example of cleaning a rug to demonstrate. In the early 1900s and even up to the 1950s, in order to clean a rug we would have had to lift it up, take it outside, hang it on something and then beat the dust out of it. Then with the rise in home vacuums we only had to run it over a few times and job done. Some of us today even have robot vacuum cleaners. All we have to do is programme a time while we’re at work and the little robot sets to work, hoovering the entire floor before you’ve even returned home from work.

Now, I’m not saying we’re all lucky enough to have robot vacuums, but you can see where the shift is going. With modern technology we don’t need to move or even walk as much as our ancestors did, and exercise in short bursts may not be enough to compensate for our sedentary lifestyles.

So, what can we do to ensure we are getting enough movement between our workout sessions? We’ve pondered this over the last few days in the office and today, we’re sharing a few simple tips to keep us moving.

Triggers – Placing a piece of equipment in your sight might trigger you to do some movement. For example, you could place a terra band on the arm of your couch which could work as a reminder to use it while watching the tv.
Creating habits with certain activities – You probably boil the kettle at least once a day, so why not try doing 20 calf raises while you’re waiting for it.
Doing something the traditional way – Instead of always relying on technology, try doing some activities the more traditional way. Why not wash the dishes by hand every second night, instead of using the dishwasher.
Ad breaks – probably the simplest and the one you’re most likely to do. When the ads come on the TV just stand up and move around. Or stay seated and do a few small movements like ankle rotations.
Walking on the Phone – while you’re having a conversation with your kids or your sister, trying moving around the house.

Now, being realistic we know these suggestions might be taken up for one week, but the important thing to remember is, we need to keep moving as much as possible!

January 3, 2019April 14, 2021

Don’t make New Years Resolutions!

Contrary to Popular Opinion New Years Resolutions may not be the best way to a “New You”

You are probably sick to death of hearing or reading “New Year, New You!” everywhere. It’s incredible the shift which can happen in advertising in a 48 hour period. Prior to January 1st we are fed tantalising images of rich and delicious foods, encouraged to eat like Kings and drink like the fishes. Come January 1st, or supermarkets, magazines and TV adverts do a complete 180. All of a sudden we’re plunged into a world filled with seemingly unrealistic claims of weight lose, low fat and diet foods and a shed load of kale.

The typical human response to this marketing ploy is make New Year’s Resolutions; ideas or goals to make our selves better than we were last year. How many times have you said “This year I will go to the gym every morning!” or “No sweets for January”, let’s not forget the very popular Dry January. This year we’re making a controversial proposal; don’t make any resolutions!

New Year’s Resolutions can be great for those of us who can decide to make a massive life change and then go hell for leather to make sure we stick to it. But for the rest of us mere mortals New Year’s resolutions can set us up for failure. If we miss one morning in the gym, eat those sweets or have a drink, we can quickly fall off the band wagon and then in the bin go our resolutions just like those left over sprouts from Christmas dinner.

If you don’t want to change yourself, then don’t! But, some of us still want to make changes. At Siel Bleu Ireland, we always like to promote goal setting. You may have read some of our past blog posts on the subject, which we will link here. Goal setting looks at the principle of wanted to change or achieve something and looking at a means to get you there. Instead of saying “I’m going to go to the gym everyday!”, why not try the goal of “I’m going to improve my fitness this year!”

Goal setting can help to make life long, achievable changes and you can readjust them all throughout the year, depending on all the different circumstances in life. Making a decision to better yourself, take up a new hobby, or drop a unwanted habit, doesn’t have to happen on New Years Day.

One goal setting method called “The Slight Edge” by Jeff Olsen uses “compound interest” as a metaphor for achieving our goals. First of all you list what changes you would like to make in your life e.g. improve your fitness. Then, you make small, regular changes to help you achieve those goals. By doing this your are allowing for more flexibility in your life, so incase you can’t make it to the gym that morning you might just go for a walk. It can even be as simple as taking the stairs instead of a lift. You’re still improving your overall fitness and working towards that goal. All of your little changes make a huge difference over time, just like compound interest.

According to recent research, this type of goal setting works best for older adults. Scientists from The University of Manchester, Leeds Becket University and the National University of Ireland Galway looked at “self-efficacy” – helping people to increase their belief in their own ability. For older people they found that increasing targets over time was a better method. Starting with a short walk and adding distance to it every day – for example – was a good motivator.

So whether your goal is to become fitter for surgery or to continue living independently, why not try making small regular changes, all those little steps add up.

If fitness is your goal, why not try one of our free At Home Guides. They arrive in your email inbox and only take 10 minutes to complete. Or you could try a community class in your area or contact us about a one to one class.

August 9, 2018April 14, 2021

Exercise For Independence

Today we have a guest blog post from Dr Ciara Kelly of
The Irish Balance

As a junior doctor, my passion lies in the area of preventive medicine – by this, I mean looking at how our lifestyles (in particular our diet, physical activity, stress management and sleep) affect our health. Most importantly, it means learning about and researching how we can optimise these lifestyle factors to optimise our health and well-being – and ideally prevent many of the chronic diseases so common in our Western society today (e.g. chronic obstructive lung disease, ischaemic heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes mellitus for example). When I was asked by Siel Bleu to write about the benefits of exercise for chronic disease prevention and treatment, I, of course, jumped at the chance! I love seeing and reading about the valuable work that Siel Bleu do, providing life-enhancing exercise programmes to older adults and patient groups, and I am very proud to be asked to write for their lovely website.

Physical activity is perhaps the most important lifestyle factor I try to address with patients, family, friends and the public following I have from my blog and social media. Why? Well, I’ve got two key reasons:

Physical inactivity has reached pandemic levels in recent decades worldwide (1), and Ireland is no different – the 2016 Healthy Ireland Survey revealed only 32% of the Irish population were felt to be sufficiently active (2)
I believe that we are not doing enough to promote exercise for chronic disease prevention as well as it is a key part of the treatment of many of this conditions (by we I mean us doctors, other healthcare professionals, the general public and the wider health service), and I think a huge part of that is lack of education and awareness of the importance of regular exercise

That’s my ‘why’ in terms of the reasons for this being important to me as a doctor. But what should be YOUR ‘why’ that motivates YOU to engage in regular physical activity? It is really essential that we believe in the treatments prescribed to us by our doctors, whether that’s a tablet to lower your blood pressure or advice to try to meet our national exercise guidelines (which many of us, both doctor and patient, are unaware of). In Ireland, broadly speaking, these guidelines (3) for adults aged 18-64, (and those aged 65+) include:

At least 30 minutes a day of moderate activity on 5 days a week (or 150 minutes per week), or vigorous activity 75 minutes per week (e.g. brisk walking, cycling, swimming)
Engage in activity which increases muscular strength and balances on at least two days per week (e.g. weight training using handheld weights or bodyweight, or yoga and tai chi)

There are many, many evidence-based physical and mental benefits of regular physical activity highlighted in this guideline, which includes, and are not limited to (3):

Reduced risk of stroke
Reduced risk of heart disease
Reduced risk of high blood pressure
Reduced risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus
Reduced risk of colon and breast cancer
Reduced risk of depression
Improved cardio-respiratory fitness
Improved muscular strength
Improved cognitive functioning in older adults

Finally, as if that wasn’t evidenced enough, I want to briefly mention a keyword I’ve used in the title of this article – independence. If you had to define it, what would that mean to you? To me, in terms of health, it means the ability to live your life and care for your own physical needs without requiring the help of others. It ties in closely with our individual functional capacity. As we age, we become frailer, and a key contributor to that is the fact that our muscle mass declines each decade after the age of 30 by 3-8%, and the rate is even higher when you go past 60 (4). Loss of muscle tissue (also known as ‘sarcopenia’) negatively affects our strength, balance and ability to function independently, and as such, is a big contributor to disability in older adults. By engaging in a regular physical activity, both aerobic and resistance based, whether adapted for your level of fitness or not, you are doing your very best to maintain that strength, fitness and most importantly, functional capacity, to allow you to age in as healthy and happy a way as you can.

So why not start today? Look at your day to day physical activity level, and see where and what you can improve. Sustainable changes are those that are small, achievable, realistic, and importantly, enjoyable to you – and even the smallest of changes to improve your health is better than none at all. Why not try Siel Bleu’s amazing community classes or sign up for their newsletter and receive 3 Free At Home Exercise Guides straight into your inbox (http://bit.ly/SBIAthomeworkout)!

***Huge thank you to Dr Ciara Kelly for writing this guest blog post, check out her blog about all things healthy living, and some delicious recipes https://theirishbalance.com

References

Kohl, HW, Craig, CL, Lambert, EV, Inoue, S, Ramadan, J, Leetongin, G, Kahlmeier, S. The pandemic of physical inactivity: global action for public health. Lancet 2012 380 (9838): 294-305.
Healthy Ireland Survey: Summary of Findings (2016). Department of Health, Ireland.

The National Guidelines on Physical Activity for Ireland (2009). Department of Health and Children, Health Service Executive, Ireland.
Volpi, E, Nazemi, R, Fujita, S. Muscle tissue changes with ageing. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care 2004. 7 (4): 405-410.

June 25, 2018April 14, 2021

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