Livewell Co-ordinator, Paul McGinty is a big believer that many health problems can be treated and prevented with regular exercise and helping people to find a form of physical activity they enjoy brings him a lot of job satisfaction. As a fan of the 90s comedy, Father Ted, Paul is fondly referred to by the team as Father Jack, though we’re happy to report that his language is less foul. Read more about proud dad and family man, Paul:
Experience
I have worked in health and fitness for over 17 years - as a gym instructor, conducting Health Assessments at Bupa and managing various physical activity and healthy lifestyle projects in local government, where I gained management experience. With a degree in Exercise Science in addition to leadership and training qualifications, I always wanted a career in sport and exercise and realised from an early stage that my biggest interest is helping the least active people to be more active to improve their lifestyle and health.
Your job role with Livewell
My role as Livewell Coordinator means that every day is different. Mainly I ensure the service runs efficiently on a day-to-day basis and support the advisors to carry out their jobs effectively. I like working with the team to discover new ways to improve what we offer and fill gaps that need developing. Much of my role is office based, but I get out to sessions when I can as I enjoy meeting people and our clients. I also work with various stakeholders to promote the service and find ways to make our programmes more inclusive for harder to reach groups.
Me in 3 words
Committed, competitive, untidy (so my wife says)
My favourite meal
I like most foods – I would probably have to choose roast beef with all the trimmings (including lots of different veg)
My passions/interests
I enjoy keeping active - running, cycling, walking, gardening and (some!) DIY. I also enjoy cinema, films, watching re-runs of Father Ted and of course spending time with my family.
My best achievement
My 3 boys – being a parent is very hard but amazing. Also it’s a great achievement that I’ve still got hair, because of my 3 boys (though it’s changed colour – a bit!)
What you might be surprised to know
Although I don’t play regularly anymore, football was my passion and I played for Mickleover Sports and Long Eaton United for around 15 years – I love the competitive side of any sport. Now I focus on running and cycling for leisure as well as home workouts. I’m not a big fan of gyms as I prefer to exercise outdoors, but obviously if it works for you – that’s good.
My top lifestyle tips
- A healthy lifestyle is about balance – be good, but don’t think you have to be perfect and allow yourself a treat.
- Don’t be too hard on yourself when you have a blip (just make sure they are not too often!)
- Follow healthy eating habits that are simple, enjoyable but not so strict that you can’t stick to them longer term.
- It doesn’t matter what type of exercise you do, the important thing is to do something and something you enjoy.
My favourite motivational quote(s)
- Don’t worry about failures, worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try.
- A little progress each day adds up to big results.
- Walking (or any exercise) is everyone’s best medicine.