Despite the chilly weather and back-to-college blues, Trinity Sport’s “Trinity Operation Transformation” launch saw a healthy turnout today. With an emphasis on group motivation, the College Health Centre and Trinity Sport describe the programme as “putting a Trinity twist on the national television and radio programme by making it easier to be healthy on campus”.
Held in the climbing wall space of the Trinity Sports Centre, the launch saw over 50 people register for the programme with ages ranging from early 20s to late 60s. Trained doctors were stationed at the event and each participant was encouraged to record their height, weight and blood pressure in order to set themselves a goal for the next six weeks. To aid with any nutritional goals, everyone received a meal planner to help them achieve their new and improved diet.
Many of us experience a pang of guilt in the wake of Christmas gluttony, but New Year’s resolutions to eat healthily, quit smoking or go to the gym often evaporate quickly. Operation Transformation promises to help staff and students maintain their resolutions by providing exercise classes, motivation and advice over the six weeks from January 16th until March 1st.
The programme offers encouragement to stop smoking, eat healthily and reduce alcohol intake. To those involved, Trinity Sport is offering free exercise classes every Thursday afternoon, in an activity of the participants’ choice. These sessions include boot-camp, kettlebells and Body Blast, while discounts are offered on Trinity Sport classes like Studio Cycling and high-intensity interval training. With open sessions provided by many of Trinity’s 50 sports clubs, opportunities to try a new sport are rife throughout the programme.
As the central focus is on group motivation, one of the key incentives is a jogging group, held at lunch-time on Wednesdays. This group will accommodate participants of all fitness levels, while allowing members to socialise.
Having recorded their details, participants were encouraged to take on the climbing wall. Many participants were climbing for the first time, so Trinity Sport staff were on hand to distribute harnesses and explain the increase in the wall’s difficulty from right to left. Almost all participants, both young and old, attempted to scale the structure, with several reaching the summit of the trickiest section.
By the end of the launch, everyone was chatting to those around them and encouraging their peers – clearly benefiting from the release of adrenaline and endorphins after the exercise.
