TCD launches Inaugural College Health Week

Posted on: 18 April 2005

Trinity College Dublin will hold its inaugural Health Week from Monday 18 – 22 April. Organized by the College Health Service, in association with the Departments of Sport, Catering, Counselling Service, Students’ Union and the Peer Support Group, the Health Week aims to educate staff and students on how to manage stress by the effective use of energy while maintaining a balanced healthy and fun lifestyle. This is the first such week to be run by a university in the Republic. “This initiative is especially important this month, as April is a busy time in College with all of us gearing up to exams, with an obvious rise in stress balanced by an anticipation of post examination revelry,” stated Dr David Thomas, Director of the Student Health Service. “Stress is often thought of in a negative way as something best avoided, something harmful, but at exam time stress can not be avoided and is harmful only when handled badly. The proper handling of stress improves performance.” TCD Provost Dr. John Hegarty will lead out staff and students in the first scheduled walk of College Health Week on Monday 18th April, under starting orders by Senior Dean, Prof. Cyril Smyth who will officiate with a starter’s gun. Events taking place over the week include Yoga, Tai Chi, stress busting and relaxation exercises and power walking for all levels of fitness; Healthy Eating Week including advice in all the college catering outlets; Information Stands with advice on travel health, contraception, smoking cessation/asthma, healthy hearts, and posture and relaxation; The Marie Keating Foundation mobile unit will visit TCD on Wednesday 20th April and there will be competitions and spot prizes for those who participate in the week’s events A full programme of events may be seen at www.tcd.ie/collegehealthweek