FITNESS Love your sport, or you’ll leave it

Find your passion


Health & fitness
Amy Vahey

Anybody who has witnessed a bunch of kids playing in the playground can tell you straight off that most kids are naturally physically active. However, as a child grows, their priorities may change, physical activity rates can go down.
A good way to prevent this is to try out new things. Taking part in different sports helps you find what suits you as an individual. And doing something that you’re interested in helps you to achieve maximum results. Also, taking part in a sport at a young age has many benefits. You make new friends, sleep better, lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, get stronger bones and muscles, have better weight control and a generally have a better outlook on life.
My passion
My passion has always been karate. I am fortunate enough to have found what I believe to be my calling at a very young age – I was just four years old when I started.
The style I do is Matsubayashi ryu which was founded in 1947 by O’Sensei Shoshin Nagamine. The style consists of a system of individual training exercises of 18 kata, which is believed to take over 61 years of practice to perfect. Along with these 18 kata, we have seven Yakusoku kumite (partner-work techniques) and eleven basic techniques.
Karate offers an extremely interesting framework in which to better yourself, not just as a practitioner of the sport, but also as an individual.
We are not only taught the physical aspects, we are also shown the mental-discipline side.
The study never ends! Many continue to study their whole life in order to achieve greatness.

Finding yours
A child loves to play, a young person loves to keep fit. There are many different things one can do to find a sport that has a good balance of both fun and fitness. When you do truly find that something that interests you, don’t give it up. Everything is difficult at the start, or maybe it will always be hard, but it will be worth it.
Don’t just do something because your friends like it, or because your parents make you. It’s not about them, it’s about you. It’s about finding something you love and sticking at it, not only to show people you can do it, but also to prove to yourself you can do it.
I’m 16, nearly 17, and I have watched young people try new things but give up when the going gets tough, yet continue to complain that they’re not fit and or say they want to lose weight. Yes, taking part in a club can help minimize weight gain, and make you fit, but if you truly cannot find something you like, remember there are other ways.
Taking 30 minutes out of your day to walk your dog is better than lying in bed with your laptop watching ‘The Vampire Diaries’. Maybe I’m the only one who does that, who knows, but that’s not the point – there are so many different activities you can do without being a part of a club. Running for instance: We have some amazing facilities around Mayo for running. It doesn’t take long out of your day and it can really make a huge difference on your life.
Cycling. Come on who doesn’t love to hop on their bike and take a little hike? Your lying if you say you don’t, just sit back up on that saddle and away you go. Think of it as exercising your body while sitting down. That motivates me alright.
What about jumping jacks? While Coronation Street is a on a break, get up and jump! Mowing the lawn, washing your car, vacuuming, these are all effective means of physical activity that many people can overlook.
Seriously though, don’t give up. It’s important. You just need to believe in yourself, and have  confidence in what you do, and everything will fall right into place.

Amy Vahey, Derrywash, is a Fifth Year student at Davitt College, Castlebar.