Learning to live well as we emerge from the pandemic is the theme of the new RCSI MyHealth public lecture series.
The series focuses on the six pillars of lifestyle medicine and explores how they can be used to empower people to maximise their own health and well-being.
The first lecture in the series investigates how the three pillars of physical activity and exercise, healthy relationships and sleep can help to improve physical and emotional health. Chaired by Professor Ciaran O'Boyle, Director of the RCSI Centre for Positive Psychology and Health, expert panelists include:
- Dr Annie Curtis, Senior Lecturer in the RCSI School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences and researcher specialising in the body clock and immunology
- Dr Helen French, Chartered Physiotherapist and Senior Lecturer at the RCSI School of Physiotherapy, specialising in exercise for musculoskeletal health
- Dr Trudy Meehan, Senior Clinical Psychologist specialising in child and adolescent mental health and lecturer at the RCSI Centre for Positive Psychology and Health
Dr French explaines why physical activity and exercise are so important at this time. She outlines how people may have become more sedentary working from home during the pandemic and emphasises the need to reduce sitting time and to increase activity. Dr French recommends that physical activity should become a routine in people's lives and encourages people recovering from COVID-19 in particular to remember the "3 Ps" when trying to increase physical activity: pacing, prioritising and planning.
Dr Trudy Meehan outlines the importance of relationships to health and well-being and offers advice on how to address the loss of connection that many people experienced during the pandemic. Dr Meehan shares evidence that demonstrated how human beings are programmed to have connections with others and the relationship between positive connections and stress reduction.
During the pandemic, 40% of people reported sleep problems due to anxiety, changes to routine or COVID-19 related illness. Dr Annie Curtis shares the benefit of sleep on health and well-being. She encourages people to give sleep as much a priority in their lives as physical exercise and diet and to implement small behavioural modifications to improve sleep.
The second event in the series explores the three pillars of lifestyle medicine: diet and nutrition, stress reduction and mental health and harmful substance reduction. The panel shows how these pillars can help us to make positive changes in our lives to improve our physical and emotional health.
The RCSI MyHealth series was established as part of RCSI's commitment to good health and well-being. Ranked second in the world for our contribution to UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 'Good Health and Well-being' in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2021, RCSI is exclusively focused on education and research to drive improvements in human health worldwide.
RCSI is committed to achieving a better and more sustainable future through the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
