The holiday season is well and truly underway and the prospect of long lazy days in the sun may soon become a reality for many of us.

With summer just around the corner we thought it would be a good idea to ask fitness expert Claire McGrath for her top five best fitness and lifestyle tips to help get us all ready for a long hot summer! Here’s what she recommends...

Beauty comes from within and that is very much tied to how healthy you feel. If you’re sleeping well, not carrying extra weight and exercising regularly it really does feel like you’re radiating energy and beauty.

So how on earth do men find the extra time, or energy, to unwind, socialise or commit to a fitness plan? Here are some health and lifestyle tips to help problem solve some common men’s health issues…

Doing the festival circuit can be a great way for school leavers to shake-off any residual exam tensions and celebrate life before heading to university, starting a career or adorning a backpack for a spectacular globe-trotting gap year…

Firstly, we were incredibly inspired by everyone’s super-human effort in the IRONMAN Lanzarote Race. It was so special to witness so many athletes crossing the finish line with such emotion and pushing themselves to undertake such a difficult challenge.

Is elevated cholesterol really a problem? In a word, absolutely!

A well-balanced vegetarian diet could do wonders for your health and vitality, as scientific studies continue to reveal some of the benefits of vegetarian diets for supporting cardiovascular health, reducing some risk factors and supporting normal cholesterol levels and weight management.

This month we are taking you on a journey into the professional and challenging fitness industry.

I knew my body, even after years of punishing, professional rugby, football and injury, it could just about stand up to this challenge and commitment, but I also knew that if I was going to get through the intensity of the Ironman training, especially in the hostile environment of an Irish winter, it was my mind that would be the north star that guided me through.

However, it is also true that you can’t just rely on calcium to support the health and maintenance of strong bones!

When faced with stressful situations we all cope and react differently.