‘Harvest of Health’ programme to be rolled out in Laois
ictured launching Harvest of Health - Liam Clancy, Laois Sports Partnership, Fiona Skehan, Healthy Laois Co-ordinator, Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald, Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council, Sinead Williams, Community Safety Coordinator and Diane Cooper, EduFit
AN eight-week multimodal physical activity and health education programme, Harvest of Health, has been announced by Healthy Laois and Laois Community Safety Partnership (LCSP) in collaboration with Laois Sports Partnership and UPMC Hospital Group.
The programme will include the rollout of free health checks for adults working in the farming community and is funded by the the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine.
Laois Sports Partnership has supervised exercise sessions twice weekly that incorporate strength, balance, mobility, flexibility and aerobic training, along with weekly health education workshops.
UPMC noted that farming is an incredibly demanding profession, both physically and mentally; farmers, they say, work long hours and it is, therefore, difficult to reach them in traditional clinical settings, but they are trying to reach out by being available at the local mart and by carrying out free health checks, from hearing and eye tests, blood pressure, glucose assessment and cardiovascular assessments, alongside advice on any health issues.
Laois Local Community Safety Partnership (LSCP) will host talks aimed at raising awareness on the importance of farm safety and how exercise prevents the risk of falls and farm-related injuries.
Healthy Laois will promote the benefits of Harvest of Health in terms of mental health, wellbeing, lifestyle and behavioural changes through exercise and social connectedness, while also raising awareness on the importance of health checks in preventing health issues.
