Football

Aaron Kernan: Resolve to be healthy in 2017

EACH January, roughly one in three Irish people resolve to better themselves in some way.

A much smaller percentage of people actually make good on those resolutions. While about 75 per cent of people stick to their goals for at least a week, less than half (46 per cent) are still on target six months later, a recent study found.

It’s hard to keep up the enthusiasm for months, but it’s not impossible. The fact that “getting fitter” or “eating better” is perennially among the most popular resolutions suggests just how difficult it is to commit to a new lifestyle.

Most can succeed, as long as they don’t expect overnight success. Too many want results yesterday, and desperation mode kicks in. For even the most seasoned athletes, there’ll be bumps in the road. 

I started the year with great intentions of being in good condition by the time our club pre-season kicked in. To make life easier I began using the MyFitnessPal app on my iPhone as a food journal to keep track of what I eat. 

It doesn’t take much to fall off the wagon but I’ve found it has been beneficial in that I feel I’m almost answerable to it on a daily basis. It’s also been educational in that each meal uploaded gives a breakdown in nutritional value meaning it doesn’t take long to know what food and drink are to be avoided. 

The positives of a healthy lifestyle are endless. Research suggests people with strong social ties live longer than those who don’t. In fact, a lack of social bonds can damage your health as much as alcohol abuse and smoking, and even more than obesity and lack of exercise, a recent medical study suggests. 

It doesn’t have to be playing football – even in the most dyed-in-the wool GAA areas. It takes something different to ignite us all. There are endless examples of local people who have shown our communities that there’s more to life than football. 

We have some perfect examples of this in south Armagh. What started out as a new pastime for some has developed into something much bigger. Eighteen-year-old Crossmaglen student Shane McEntegart was recently crowned Irish lightweight 500m rowing champion in UL Limerick having only taken up the sport just under two years ago. Another outstanding local athlete is Owen Martin from Silverbridge, who only competed in his first triathlon in 2004 and is this year aiming to make the World Iron Man Championships in Hawaii for the eight straight year.

In a technology-fixated era, it’s never been easier to stay in touch – or rejuvenate your relationship – with friends and family. I have seen a prime example of this in Crossmaglen in recent times were a simple Facebook post has lead to the establishment of a weekly running club in the town. 

Every Tuesday and Thursday night at 7pm the streets are occupied with runners making their way from the town centre to the 30mph sign on all six roads leading into Crossmaglen. The run covers 4.5 miles in total and benefits from street lighting throughout, meaning it can be safely completed all year round. 

It is possible to make healthy lifestyle changes without spending money – and you don’t need to become a world champion to get fit while enjoying yourself. A little pressure now and again won’t kill us; in fact, short bouts of stress give us an energy boost. But if stress is chronic, it can increase your risk of – or worsen – insomnia, depression, obesity, heart disease and more.

Long work hours, little sleep, no exercise; poor diet, and not spending time with family and friends can contribute to stress according to Roberta Lee, the author of The Super Stress Solution. 

Life is fast-paced for us all now, but what is the point in operating at a million miles an hour if we have no time to enjoy our families and ourselves? You can have all the money in the world but, as the old saying goes: I’ve never seen a tow bar on a hearse.

We tend to think our own bliss relies on bettering ourselves, but our happiness also increases when we help others. Happiness is good for your health.  A 2010 study found that people with positive emotions were about 20 per cent less likely than their gloomier peers to have a heart attack or develop heart disease. 

I was recently contacted by Mencap Northern Ireland to help them in an ambassadorial role in advance of the Belfast City Marathon. There are 33,000 people with learning disabilities in Northern Ireland and Mencap NI is a charity which ensures these children and young people from all over the north are valued equally, listened to and included in everyday life.  

Mencap NI has been named as the official marathon charity for this year and 2018.  It is an honour for me to be asked to represent the GAA for such a worthy cause, as I’m sure it is for Ulster and Ireland rugby star Paddy Jackson and Northern Ireland soccer player Josh Magennis, who are also ambassadors. 

For those whose new year resolution is beginning to wane, how about setting your sights on the May Bank Holiday and either run, walk, wheel or relay for Mencap Northern Ireland to help those children and young people with a learning disability? 

It’s important to remember that we are all unique in body shape and mind, so one person’s podium finish in the marathon might be another person’s completion of a five-mile run. Once you’ve picked your resolution, stick with it. Here’s to your health.

WHILE the great Benny Tierney managed to last 15 years penning his weekly column, I’m sad to say I haven’t even managed 15 months, as this is my last week as an Irish News columnist. I would like to thank everyone at the paper for affording me the chance to pen my weekly column.

It has been a great experience and has left me with a new-found respect for journalists since I now know the pressures they experience trying to meet weekly deadlines. 

Thanks, of course, also go to all of you, the readers.

Best wishes,

Aaron