The FHT Blog

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Category: Health

  • Quote of the week

    In an article on yoga for dementia in the latest edition of International Therapist, Tania Plahay tells us that yoga is highly adaptable and for everyone. Tania says, ‘Older people often say to me, “Oh, I’m too stiff to do yoga.” To me, that is like saying, “I’m too dirty to have a shower.” Yoga…

  • Manchester North coordinator promotes FHT Local Support Groups in new video

    Manchester North FHT Local Support Group (LSG) coordinator Martin Thirlwell has recently created an informative video to highlight the benefits of the FHT and being part of an LSG. The video gives us an interesting glimpse of a recent meeting, where group members attended a workshop on first aid, learning potentially life-saving skills. Group members…

  • A big ‘Thank You!’ to our nurses

    Held on the anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birthday, Nurses’ Day is held on 12 May each year to celebrate the contribution that nurses make to the health and wellbeing of all. The day is recognised and supported by the Royal College of Nurses, which provides guidance and resources to nurses looking to mark the day…

  • Make May meaningful

    Action for Happiness (AFH) has launched its latest calendar, ‘Meaningful May’, encouraging people to find more meaning and purpose in life. AFH publishes monthly calendars, available in 12 different languages, offering daily suggestions on the theme of the respective month. Meaningful May has 31 suggested  actions that can help you focus on what’s important and…

  • Sports massage and cold water immersion could be more effective than rest after a marathon

    The article below was first published in International Therapist issue 127 (Winter 2019) Sports massage (SM) and cold water immersion (CWI) are more effective at reducing fatigue after a marathon than active rest (AR) and passive rest (PR), according to a study published in PLOS One (Wiewelhove et al, 2018). Scientists recruited 46 healthy male…

  • Nordic countries are the world’s happiest

    People in Finland are the happiest in the world, according to the recently published World Happiness Report. The report ranked 156 countries based on six different categories: freedom, life expectancy, income, generosity and social support. Not only did Finland top the list, but all four top spots were filled by Nordic countries, with Denmark second,…

  • New podcast looks at eating for longevity

    In his latest podcast, GP, Author and TV Presenter, Dr Rangan Chatterjee talks to world-leading researcher Professor Valter Longo about eating well for longevity. Professor Longo shares his views on diet and nutrition, discussing high protein diets, ketogenic diets and low carb diets; communities in where people live longest, like in Sardinia and Okinawa; and…

  • Get active this April

    Action for Happiness (AFH) encourages us all to look after our physical and mental wellbeing, with its Active April action calendar. AFH publishes monthly calendars, available in 12 different languages, offering daily suggestions on the theme of the respective month. Active April has 30 suggested actions that can be followed throughout the month, to help…

  • NHS trial to look at Ayurvedic remedy as a replacement for antibiotics for colds and the flu

    Could an Ayurvedic remedy offer an alternative to antibiotics for colds and the flu? This is the question being asked by GPs wary of overprescribing antibiotics, where they are sometimes not needed. A new trial led by the University of Southampton will enable 20 GP surgeries in south east England to offer andrographis, or a…

  • Paintings in Hospitals secures National Lottery support on its 60th anniversary

    Paintings in Hospitals has received a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £9,800 to explore and share its heritage. The People, Paintings and Positivity project has been made possible by the monies raised by National Lottery players. It will focus on Paintings in Hospitals’ pioneering 60-year history and its impact on the nation’s health and…

  • Swedish massage can help improve sleep

    One in five people experience excessive tiredness at any given time, while one in 10 have chronic fatigue (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2018) Fatigue and depleted energy could be addressed with weekly Swedish and Thai massage, suggests a study published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies (MacSween et al, 2017). Researchers from Teesside…

  • People with Alzheimer’s at greater risk from head injuries

    People with Alzheimer’s disease are 30% more likely to experience head injuries and 50% more likely to experience traumatic brain injuries than those who don’t have the disease, a recent study from University of Eastern Finland shows. This is the first study that has assessed the incidence of head and traumatic brain injuries among people…