Latest news with #RichardDonnelly
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Forget needles, fat-jab PILLS are here: Why they're cheaper, how much weight you could lose & the side effects revealed
From mimicking the effects of a gastric bypass op and gastric balloons to harnessing the science behind Wegovy and Mounjaro, scientists tell us these pills could prove to be an even bigger deal than their jab counterparts... NEW ERA Forget needles, fat-jab PILLS are here: Why they're cheaper, how much weight you could lose & the side effects revealed Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) EVERYONE'S talking about fat jabs - the 'miracle' injections trimming inches off waistlines, and helping turn the tide on the obesity epidemic. But what if there was an even easier - and cheaper - way than Ozempic-like injections, Wegovy and Mounjaro? 4 Slimming tablets have been around for decades - but now scientists want to harness the new momentum in obesity medicine to bring them back with a bang Credit: Getty 4 Rival company Eli Lilly, which makes Mounjaro (tirzepatide) announced the results of its pill orforglipron in April Credit: Getty Science sits still for no slimmer and already, the next big thing is looming large on the horizon - and it could be as simple as popping a pill. Slimming tablets have been around for decades, but now scientists want to harness the new momentum in obesity medicine - and use the billions being made from the jabs - to bring pills back with a bang. Professor Jason Halford, of the European Association for the Study of Obesity, tells Sun Health: 'I think pills will eventually replace injections. 'People don't particularly like them and they're a bit afraid of injecting themselves. 'You've got to have the device, the needle, the sharps bin, it's got to be refrigerated, there are all sorts of challenges. 'If you can move it all to a tablet you can increase acceptance and hopefully it will be cheaper and become more widely available.' Professor Richard Donnelly, editor of the medical journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, and clinical adviser at online weight loss clinic Juniper, agrees. 'Thirty years ago weight loss tablets had a terrible reputation and nobody really wanted to prescribe them,' he adds. 'They had rare but severe side effects and weren't particularly effective. 'Now there is a whole flood of development and a lot to be optimistic about. Weight Loss Jabs - Pros vs Cons 'There is a big hope that developing pills will improve accessibility and cost less.' There are several pills in development - some stimulate the same hormones as jabs to make us feel full, while others mimic bariatric surgery. The end goal is the same - to do what willpower alone fails to achieve and stop us eating so much. While some are yet to even be trialled in humans, one has already been submitted for approval in the US, meaning they could be available before the end of the year. 4 There's even a weight loss pill in development that will emulate a gastric bypass Credit: Getty The most advanced pills being made are by the same companies behind the fat jabs. Novo Nordisk, creator of Wegovy and Ozempic, has developed a tablet version of semaglutide, the active drug in those injections. It applied for approval from the US Food and Drugs Administration last month. Trials showed patients lost an average of 15 per cent of their bodyweight over 17 months on a 50mg daily dose, compared with eight per cent over 12 months on Wegovy. Participants were three times more likely to achieve 'meaningful' weight loss when they were taking the pill, compared to those not taking the tablet. Rival company Eli Lilly, which makes Mounjaro (tirzepatide) announced the results of its pill orforglipron in April. The two drugs both work by stimulating GLP-1 hormones that make you feel full. What are the other side effects of weight loss jabs? Like any medication, weight loss jabs can have side effects. Common side effects of injections such as Ozempic include: Nausea: This is the most commonly reported side effect, especially when first starting the medication. It often decreases over time as your body adjusts. Vomiting: Can occur, often in conjunction with nausea. Diarrhea: Some people experience gastrointestinal upset. Constipation: Some individuals may also experience constipation. Stomach pain or discomfort: Some people may experience abdominal pain or discomfort. Reduced appetite: This is often a desired effect for people using Ozempic for weight loss. Indigestion: Can cause a feeling of bloating or discomfort after eating. Serious side effects can also include: Pancreatitis: In rare cases, Ozempic may increase the risk of inflammation of the pancreas, known as pancreatitis, which can cause severe stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting. Kidney problems: There have been reports of kidney issues, including kidney failure, though this is uncommon. Thyroid tumors: There's a potential increased risk of thyroid cancer, although this risk is based on animal studies. It is not confirmed in humans, but people with a history of thyroid cancer should avoid Ozempic. Vision problems: Rapid changes in blood sugar levels may affect vision, and some people have reported blurry vision when taking Ozempic. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar): Especially if used with other medications like sulfonylureas or insulin. Patients taking 36mg of orforglipron lost eight per cent of their bodyweight in 10 months, equating to 1st 2lbs from an average starting weight of 14st 3lbs – while participants taking a placebo lost just 3lbs. It compares with 15 per cent weight loss in a year on Mounjaro. Lilly said their pill 'could be readily manufactured and launched at scale for use around the world'. But injections and pills have not been compared head-to-head yet. Studies are ongoing and taking the science behind these game-changing jabs and applying it to tablets, does not guarantee success. Pfizer abandoned the development of its drug lotiglipron in 2023 when a trial indicated potential liver damage as a side effect. Drugs tend to be more easily absorbed by the body when they are injected directly into the bloodstream, compared to being digested through the gut. And that's another key consideration - what the potential side effects of these new pills could be. Unpleasant side effects were the downfall of the old generation of slimming pills. 4 Novo Nordisk, creator of Wegovy and Ozempic, has developed a tablet version of semaglutide, the active drug in those injections Credit: Getty The NHS has prescribed a pill called orlistat for years, dishing out £12million worth of it in England last year. It works by preventing the gut from absorbing fat from food - but it means fat must be passed out in poo instead of digested. This can lead to flatulence, more regular bowel movements and diarrhoea. It can also cause bladder pains and breathing troubles - and weight loss doesn't match up to the jabs. About eight in 10 patients suffer at least one side effect when using injections, most commonly tummy upset, according to trials. Everything you need to know about fat jabs Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases. Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK. Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market. Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year. How do they work? The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight. They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists. They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients' sugar levels are too high. Can I get them? NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics. Typically a patient will have to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as medically obese, and also have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure. GPs generally do not prescribe the drugs for weight loss. Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk. Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health. Are there any risks? Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild. Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea. Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at said: 'One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.' Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia. Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients' mental health. Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines. Early data suggests pills might have similar rates. Around six per cent of people taking any of Lilly or Novo Nordisk's pills or injections quit the medicines because of side effects. Dr Leyla Hannbeck, of the Independent Pharmacies Association, says: 'The old generation drugs tended to be uncomfortable for a lot of people whereas these new ones are much more effective. 'All medicines will have side effects but the fact that the results are much better now means people are more willing to endure them.' Prof Donnelly said he still does not expect new tablets to be as strong as jabs, adding: 'I don't think anybody believes these will cause the same level of weight loss that you might be reporting with Mounjaro. 'The flipside of that is that major weight loss might not all be good. 'Some of that might be muscle and if you lose 30 per cent of your body weight that is a fairly major transformation. 'Having an oral agent that reduces your weight by, say, 10 or 15 per cent, might actually be more sustainable, better tolerated and medically safer in some respects.' While the GLP-1 tablets are likely to be first to market, inventors are also working on a daily pill that mimics the effects of gastric bypass surgery. 'GASTRIC BYPASS' PILL US company Syntis Bio's offering, named Synt-101 creates a 24-hour lining in the gut that means food cannot be absorbed in the top six inches of the small intestine. Rather, digestion is redirected to the lower areas of the gut, where hormones that tell the brain we are full, are triggered faster. Working in a similar vein to surgery, it means patients feel fuller faster - and the lining is passed when the patient goes to the loo the next day. Synt-101 has passed its first human safety tests and is expected to enter a full-scale clinical trial next year. Another pill in development, Sirona, is made by UK-based Oxford Medical Products, and contains a 'dual polymer hydrogel' that expands in the stomach when it comes into contact with water. It works like a gastric balloon, filling the patient's tummy making them feel full for hours, but is passed in their stools 'several days' later. Early data from an NHS trial found patients lost 10 to 12 per cent in a year of treatment and there were no serious side effects. Experts believe weight loss pills will serve a variety of purposes - as a follow-on treatment after stopping fat jabs, as an option for those who can't or don't want to use jabs and for people with less severe obesity, and less weight to lose. There are hopes they will be less toxic than injections, which often cause side effects like stomach aches, vomiting or diarrhoea. Weight regain after treatment is also an emerging issue with the jabs, which can currently only be prescribed for up to two years in the UK. Rahul Dhanda, chief executive of Syntis Bio, said: 'Patients don't want to be stuck on a revolving door of injections and their side effects; they want to be on a manageable and sustainable weight loss path. 'Oral drugs that are simple, tolerable and safe will be the rational choice for maintenance therapy.'
The Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Forget needles, fat-jab PILLS are here: Why they're cheaper, how much weight you could lose & the side effects revealed
EVERYONE'S talking about fat jabs - the 'miracle' injections trimming inches off waistlines, and helping turn the tide on the obesity epidemic. But what if there was an even easier - and cheaper - way than Ozempic -like injections, Wegovy and Mounjaro? Science sits still for no slimmer and already, the next big thing is looming large on the horizon - and it could be as simple as popping a pill. Slimming tablets have been around for decades, but now scientists want to harness the new momentum in obesity medicine - and use the billions being made from the jabs - to bring pills back with a bang. Professor Jason Halford, of the European Association for the Study of Obesity, tells Sun Health: 'I think pills will eventually replace injections. 'People don't particularly like them and they're a bit afraid of injecting themselves. 'You've got to have the device, the needle, the sharps bin, it's got to be refrigerated, there are all sorts of challenges. 'If you can move it all to a tablet you can increase acceptance and hopefully it will be cheaper and become more widely available.' Professor Richard Donnelly, editor of the medical journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, and clinical adviser at online weight loss clinic Juniper, agrees. 'Thirty years ago weight loss tablets had a terrible reputation and nobody really wanted to prescribe them,' he adds. 'They had rare but severe side effects and weren't particularly effective. 'Now there is a whole flood of development and a lot to be optimistic about. Weight Loss Jabs - Pros vs Cons 'There is a big hope that developing pills will improve accessibility and cost less.' There are several pills in development - some stimulate the same hormones as jabs to make us feel full, while others mimic bariatric surgery. The end goal is the same - to do what willpower alone fails to achieve and stop us eating so much. While some are yet to even be trialled in humans, one has already been submitted for approval in the US, meaning they could be available before the end of the year. 4 The most advanced pills being made are by the same companies behind the fat jabs. Novo Nordisk, creator of Wegovy and Ozempic, has developed a tablet version of semaglutide, the active drug in those injections. It applied for approval from the US Food and Drugs Administration last month. Trials showed patients lost an average of 15 per cent of their bodyweight over 17 months on a 50mg daily dose, compared with eight per cent over 12 months on Wegovy. Participants were three times more likely to achieve 'meaningful' weight loss when they were taking the pill, compared to those not taking the tablet. Rival company Eli Lilly, which makes Mounjaro (tirzepatide) announced the results of its pill orforglipron in April. The two drugs both work by stimulating GLP-1 hormones that make you feel full. What are the other side effects of weight loss jabs? Like any medication, weight loss jabs can have side effects. Common side effects of injections such as Ozempic include: Nausea: This is the most commonly reported side effect, especially when first starting the medication. It often decreases over time as your body adjusts. Vomiting: Can occur, often in conjunction with nausea. Diarrhea: Some people experience gastrointestinal upset. Constipation: Some individuals may also experience constipation. Stomach pain or discomfort: Some people may experience abdominal pain or discomfort. Reduced appetite: This is often a desired effect for people using Ozempic for weight loss. Indigestion: Can cause a feeling of bloating or discomfort after eating. Serious side effects can also include: Pancreatitis: In rare cases, Ozempic may increase the risk of inflammation of the pancreas, known as pancreatitis, which can cause severe stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting. Kidney problems: There have been reports of kidney issues, including kidney failure, though this is uncommon. Thyroid tumors: There's a potential increased risk of thyroid cancer, although this risk is based on animal studies. It is not confirmed in humans, but people with a history of thyroid cancer should avoid Ozempic. Vision problems: Rapid changes in blood sugar levels may affect vision, and some people have reported blurry vision when taking Ozempic. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar): Especially if used with other medications like sulfonylureas or insulin. Patients taking 36mg of orforglipron lost eight per cent of their bodyweight in 10 months, equating to 1st 2lbs from an average starting weight of 14st 3lbs – while participants taking a placebo lost just 3lbs. It compares with 15 per cent weight loss in a year on Mounjaro. Lilly said their pill 'could be readily manufactured and launched at scale for use around the world'. But injections and pills have not been compared head-to-head yet. Studies are ongoing and taking the science behind these game-changing jabs and applying it to tablets, does not guarantee success. Pfizer abandoned the development of its drug lotiglipron in 2023 when a trial indicated potential liver damage as a side effect. Drugs tend to be more easily absorbed by the body when they are injected directly into the bloodstream, compared to being digested through the gut. And that's another key consideration - what the potential side effects of these new pills could be. Unpleasant side effects were the downfall of the old generation of slimming pills. 4 The NHS has prescribed a pill called orlistat for years, dishing out £12million worth of it in England last year. It works by preventing the gut from absorbing fat from food - but it means fat must be passed out in poo instead of digested. This can lead to flatulence, more regular bowel movements and diarrhoea. It can also cause bladder pains and breathing troubles - and weight loss doesn't match up to the jabs. About eight in 10 patients suffer at least one side effect when using injections, most commonly tummy upset, according to trials. Everything you need to know about fat jabs Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases. Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK. Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market. Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year. How do they work? The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight. They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists. They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients' sugar levels are too high. Can I get them? NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics. Typically a patient will have to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as medically obese, and also have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure. GPs generally do not prescribe the drugs for weight loss. Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk. Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health. Are there any risks? Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild. Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea. Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at said: 'One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.' Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia. Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients' mental health. Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines. Early data suggests pills might have similar rates. Around six per cent of people taking any of Lilly or Novo Nordisk's pills or injections quit the medicines because of side effects. Dr Leyla Hannbeck, of the Independent Pharmacies Association, says: 'The old generation drugs tended to be uncomfortable for a lot of people whereas these new ones are much more effective. 'All medicines will have side effects but the fact that the results are much better now means people are more willing to endure them.' Prof Donnelly said he still does not expect new tablets to be as strong as jabs, adding: 'I don't think anybody believes these will cause the same level of weight loss that you might be reporting with Mounjaro. 'The flipside of that is that major weight loss might not all be good. 'Some of that might be muscle and if you lose 30 per cent of your body weight that is a fairly major transformation. 'Having an oral agent that reduces your weight by, say, 10 or 15 per cent, might actually be more sustainable, better tolerated and medically safer in some respects.' While the GLP-1 tablets are likely to be first to market, inventors are also working on a daily pill that mimics the effects of gastric bypass surgery. 'GASTRIC BYPASS' PILL US company Syntis Bio's offering, named Synt-101 creates a 24-hour lining in the gut that means food cannot be absorbed in the top six inches of the small intestine. Rather, digestion is redirected to the lower areas of the gut, where hormones that tell the brain we are full, are triggered faster. Working in a similar vein to surgery, it means patients feel fuller faster - and the lining is passed when the patient goes to the loo the next day. Synt-101 has passed its first human safety tests and is expected to enter a full-scale clinical trial next year. Another pill in development, Sirona, is made by UK-based Oxford Medical Products, and contains a 'dual polymer hydrogel' that expands in the stomach when it comes into contact with water. It works like a gastric balloon, filling the patient's tummy making them feel full for hours, but is passed in their stools 'several days' later. Early data from an NHS trial found patients lost 10 to 12 per cent in a year of treatment and there were no serious side effects. Experts believe weight loss pills will serve a variety of purposes - as a follow-on treatment after stopping fat jabs, as an option for those who can't or don't want to use jabs and for people with less severe obesity, and less weight to lose. There are hopes they will be less toxic than injections, which often cause side effects like stomach aches, vomiting or diarrhoea. Weight regain after treatment is also an emerging issue with the jabs, which can currently only be prescribed for up to two years in the UK. Rahul Dhanda, chief executive of Syntis Bio, said: 'Patients don't want to be stuck on a revolving door of injections and their side effects; they want to be on a manageable and sustainable weight loss path. 'Oral drugs that are simple, tolerable and safe will be the rational choice for maintenance therapy.'
Irish Times
12-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
‘People felt lonely and without support. The Wellness Hub brings everyone together'
Over the past decade, industries have been shaped around the unlikeliest of commodities, from sleep and sex to clutter and social connection. In recent years, a new formula for selling the latter has emerged in cities such as New York and London in the shape of 'social wellness clubs', bricks-and-mortar locations that the public – fed up with doom scrolling and side swiping – can visit to socialise with like-minded people while advancing their health and wellbeing ambitions. In Ireland, our social lives have traditionally worked against our health goals; alcohol was at the heart of everything, from date nights and book clubs to birthdays and christenings. But since Covid exacerbated a loneliness epidemic – in 2023 the World Health Organisation declared loneliness a 'global public health concern' – and lockdowns broke regular routines of a pint in the pub after work, the zeitgeist is slowly shifting as people look for more wholesome ways to connect face to face. Remedy Place in New York was the inspiration for social wellness club Natur & Co in Omagh in Co Tyrone, founded by Tyrone intercounty GAA player Richard Donnelly. The upmarket New York venue launched in 2019 and dubbed itself 'the world's first social wellness club, designed to enhance your health and social life through self-care and human connection'. It now has outlets in Soho and Flatiron in New York, one in Boston and another in West Hollywood. Dubliner Gavin Manley, a copywriter and writer who specialises in luxury lifestyle brands, has called New York home for the past 20 years and lives just a couple of blocks away from Remedy Place's Flatiron branch. One of his female colleagues, 'who's always connected to what's new and what's next', says Remedy Place is at the top of her must-visit list. It obviously comes with the promise of social kudos as well as social connection, which might explain the hefty membership fee; subscriptions start at $500 a month and rise to $1,875. READ MORE Manley hasn't been to Remedy Place himself, but he's certainly seeing a shift in the relationship between how people look after themselves and how they manage their social lives. 'The company I work for has begun doing monthly happy hours in an effort to boost morale,' he says. 'The last happy hour was hosted by Levelup Wellness, which calls itself 'a longevity and regenerative medicine concierge service'; think peptides, SofWave, IV drips. It was wellness, but very much in a social situation.' It's a far cry from the cheap early-bird cocktails and drunken after-work get-togethers that traditionally characterised happy hours here in Ireland. Donnelly agrees and explains that as a committed footballer, who drinks alcohol only about four times a year, he began to wonder what was available socially beyond pubs and clubs. 'I created a concept that matched my lifestyle,' he says. 'I eat organic produce that's responsibly sourced, and I like good coffee. I enjoy seawater swims and saunas. So I built a cafe and wellness space where people could connect through conversation and health-based activities and interests.' Remedy Place, a social wellness club in Manhattan. Photograph: Emon Hassan/New York Times Remedy Place, a social wellness club in Manhattan. Photograph: Emon Hassan/New York Times He describes Remedy Place as 'the millionaire's version of what I'm doing here'. Donnelly's funds were limited, so he had to get creative when fitting out the Natur & Co premises. 'I had to be really innovative with the cafe,' he says. 'A friend of mine had about 100 wooden palettes sitting in his back garden, which he gave to me for free, and a joiner friend used them to do the fit out. My mum is incredibly creative and has a great eye, so she looked after the interior design.' The result is a light-filled, open-plan space peppered with hanging plants and leafy indoor potted trees that look like organic sculptures. Despite this holistic aesthetic, Donnelly compares the cafe's atmosphere to a cocktail bar. 'The playlist is like lobby music you'd hear in a really vibrant London hotel, and the volume is deliberately high because people are more comfortable when they don't have to whisper. Conversations aren't surface-level; they go deeper because nobody can be overheard.' Pilates, hot yoga and output classes are on offer along with an infrared sauna, and there are no elitist entry costs or subscription fees; everything is on a pay-as-you-go basis. Donnelly says his customer base ranges from 14-year-olds interested in superfood smoothies to 75-year-olds looking for scones. 'We then have to try to sell them protein balls,' he says, laughing, 'but once they taste a sample, they always come back for more.' He often spots couples there in the early phases of dating, and every other day there's a business deal being done. The entrepreneur describes Natur & Co as having a 'unique energy'. Natur & Co in Omagh, founded by Tyrone intercounty GAA player Richard Donnelly Natur & Co in Omagh, founded by Tyrone intercounty GAA player Richard Donnelly The Wellness Hub began as a simple Zumba class. Alvarado grew up in Venezuela, where, she says, everything revolves around music. 'When you're in the womb, you're dancing, when you're born, you're dancing, when your grandma is cooking, she's dancing,' the mum of two explains. 'One day in the middle of Covid when I was feeling really lonely, I just came downstairs, turned on some music and started dancing. I felt my energy shift immediately so I invited some of my neighbours to an outdoor class as a way to reconnect.' The feedback she received from just two classes motivated her to establish The Wellness Hub. [ Hyrox, the soaring fitness trend: 'You meet so many different people, all shapes, all sizes' Opens in new window ] The activities – which include sound baths, Zumba, family yoga, kula yoga, men's yoga, breath work and baby-and-mum massage – are free and followed by tea, pastries and chats where the practitioners and participants alike hang out. The former procurement professional for British Telecoms explains that the organisation's indoor activities fund these outdoor events – Alvarado can't charge for wellness services practised in open public spaces until she secures the relevant permits and licensing from the county council. In winter, events move around local venues, but Alvarado has plans for a permanent space in Greystones village this year. Next year, she intends to work with corporates, schools, hospitals and other institutions to build the fledgling business's revenue, but more importantly, to bring her vision of wellness and connection to a wider community. Maybe it's the Mediterranean-like sky or the holiday atmosphere of a seaside location, but the energy feels as warm and uplifting as the weather. Alvarado says gathering at the marina on a sunny day is like 'entering a different reality'. Ann Teehan, a first-timer at The Wellness Hub, agrees. A professional organiser and founder of she ran a zero-waste shop in Greystones village until it was forced to close during Covid. She misses the daily interactions that came with having a physical premises and she is all for The Wellness Hub as a way of connecting in a manner that fits in with her own values. 'What I do is very much about wellbeing,' she says. 'But it can be lonely as a woman in business and any way of making new connections is a good thing. I'll definitely be coming back.' Lynn Hodgins is one of The Wellness Hub's practitioners. A sound healer, yoga teacher and nutritional health coach, who radiates calmness and kindness, she believes more and more people are using wellness rather than alcohol as a vehicle to connect. 'I've been much busier since Covid because people are looking more closely at their health and asking: What makes me happy? What fills my cup? Is it work, is it shopping, is it the pub? When all of these things were peeled away during the pandemic, most of us realised it was the basic things, like meeting someone for a walk and a chat.' Lynn Hodgins demonstrates sound healing at Ireland's first outdoor wellness club in the Marina Playground in Greystones. Photograph: Alan Betson Holistic psychotherapist Mary Lynn agrees. She's seeing this same need for more meaningful connections in her therapy room. 'We live in an attention economy, which has fundamentally altered how we connect,' she says. 'But there is no self without other. We're social beings, we need to stay connected, and that relationship between physical movement and personal interaction is a powerful one.' One particular client of Lynn's, who recently went through a difficult divorce, travelled to the Far East to visit a social wellness-style club centred on exercise and socialising. 'The healing and sense of self she's found is astonishing,' says the Galway-based therapist. 'She told me that this is the first time she feels her mind, body and soul have come together as one. She's like an entirely new woman.' [ The three simple lessons we can learn from ancient wisdom Opens in new window ] Alvarado, flushed and energised from giving her Zumba class in the wake of Hodgins's soothing sound bath, believes you can change people's lives simply through community, connection and fitness. 'There have always been plenty of wellness activities in Greystones, but they were scattered and, individually, people felt lonely and without support,' she says. 'The Wellness Hub is about bringing everyone together to feel encouraged and included. I've seen friendships form here and develop far beyond the parameters of the Hub. That's the real pay-off for me.'
