All posts tagged: doctor

Looking back at 2015 and drooling with excitement at 2016!

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I’m keen on self-reflection. I wrote a diary for years as a child and I dip in again from time to time now.  I find it very therapeutic and I just LOVE reading it back. It helps me to be grateful for all I have and to set targets for the year ahead. It’s amazing how much you forget, even in the space of a year. I guess blogging and vlogging kind of replaces a diary in some ways but I’ll still be making my yearly entry looking back on the year I’ve had and making plans for 2016.

Clock

How should I tell you to exercise? The clock’s ticking.

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This is an updated post from my blogging days on Tumblr. It was very popular and I felt it deserved a bit of a revamp for my lovely WordPress home. The benefits of exercise are widely known (and worth their own blog). We need to get everyone moving to improve the health of the nation. As a GP I feel a real responsibility to let patients know how exercise is a powerful tool for improving their health and well being. I’m still finding the best ways to do this.

Yvonne Brady EVB sports

I chatted to…Yvonne Brady from EVB Sport

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I love solving a problem, I get real satisfaction from finding a solution to challenges that face me. When I met Yvonne Brady an Irish business woman she took my breath away with her story of problem solving on another level entirely. An engineer by trade she took up running as a hobby and like many women found that leaking a bit of urine was an embarrassing side effect. Rather than moaning or giving up she decided to take action.

BBC Get Inspired

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So many people start new fitness regimes with gusto and enthusiasm only to be struck down with illness or injury early on. New habits and routines go out of the window and it’s so hard to find the momentum to start over again. This is what happened to Tracy Barwell who has been writing a diary for the BBC about her efforts to improve her health. They asked me to advise her on how to get back into the swing of things after a nasty virus. Read my advice to Tracy.  

My top tips for what you SHOULD be doing in the week before your big race

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I recently posted a silly photo of me on Twitter wearing a surgical mask and bubble wrap as protection against germs and knocks during the week before my marathon. I won’t actually be sporting that outfit (!) but I will be taking some extra care of myself. You spend weeks religiously  following a training programme, pushing yourself, making sacrifices and it’s a real shame if it all goes wrong at the final hurdle.  I always say the hardest part of running a marathon is getting to the start line healthy, uninjured and ready to run.  Here’s my advice for what to do in those last few days.

running speed slow

Does your period slow you down?

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There’s been lots of talk recently about how menstruation can affect an athlete’s performance. It’s not just the elite athletes who struggle.  Many women find their lives are ruled by their monthly cycle.  Leaving the house can be hard for some let alone donning lycra and going for a run.  Women’s Running magazine asked me to write about the topic last year and with all the recent coverage I thought it would be helpful to take another look at the glamorous topic of running and periods! http://womensrunninguk.co.uk/health/running-periods/ Image “Snail after rain” Robert Michalek cc Albuminarium

Tired Stressed Depressed

Tired, stressed or depressed?

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Working mums, a special bunch.  They achieve so much, juggle so many balls but sometimes they forget to look after the most important person- themselves. As a GP I often see them exhausted, demoralised and very low. They usually apologise for coming in the first place and see their attendance as a failure, a weakness. Reassurance and recognition that it’s ok to feel as they do followed by lots of advice is often all that is needed. For a few however, the problems go deeper and it’s time for some professional help. I wrote this piece for the Talented Ladies Club as guidance on when to see your GP and give you some tips on how to look after yourselves. I hope you find it helpful. http://www.talentedladiesclub.com/all-help/tired-stressed-depressed-go-gp/ Image by Gratisography