SEX!

There, that got your attention didn’t it! Only three letters but very powerful ones. No, I can’t tell you when you will be getting it next but I do feel sexual health is a very important subject for everyone to think about. Sex is permanently thrust in our faces these days – on TV, in the papers, everywhere really. So, I thought a quick run-down of common infections and what to look for would be useful.

These include chlamydia, gonorrhoea, herpes, genital warts, syphilis and of course HIV. They can present in a variety of ways from discomfort and discharge, blisters and ulcers, to non specific abdominal or pelvic pain. Sometimes there are few symptoms. In gonorrhoea for example up to 50% of women and 10% of men may have no symptoms at all and therefore be unaware that they can pass it on.

The speed of onset is also variable from days to months depending on the type of infection. Some infections appear and then seem to hide away for sometime such as herpes and genital warts.

HIV can come on slowly, only becoming apparent when conditions associated with a compromised immune system are found in hitherto healthy individuals.

Of course taking precautions, like using condoms, is always the best option but mistakes/accidents can happen. If you are worried about any of the above or your sexual health in general there is help at hand! You can see your GP to discuss your concerns and they may well refer you on to the Local Genito-Urinary- Medicine (GUM) department, in our case this is based at the LGI, for further assessment.

There is as always plenty of helpful advice on the web.

• leedssexualhealth.com
A fantastic site covering every aspect from testing to contraception. Well worth a look.

• leedsth.nhs.uk/sites/sexual_health/index
NHS sexual health clinic based at the LGI.

• www.mesmac.co.uk
Sexual health information and resources for gay men in the north of England.

If you require any further information about sexual health or have any other questions please get in touch. If there are any short questions I will try and answer them briefly at the end of each article.

Quick question – “I am a sufferer of cold sores and have tried many creams that are on the market, but none seem to work. Do you have any other suggestions?”

Quick answer – Recurrent or chronic cold sores often require treatment with oral anti-viral tablets, such as aciclovir, to keep the infection suppressed. See your GP for advice regarding this.

The post Ask Dr Jones: Sex appeared first on Leeds Student Magazine.

William Rose looks at Leeds’ sporting culture and why sport is such an important part of our culture in Leeds.

We live in a great city with superb spots to eat and drink, exciting music venues and so much more. We’re also lucky to live in a unique city that’s fueled by its love for sport. In a sporting sense, our passion for sport makes us like no other place in the UK. With sport being played regularly in colleges and student unions, it’s great for students in Leeds.

Despite the rapid fall of Leeds United in the last ten year, a superb example of our passion for sport is the way fans still come in their thousands to support the club home and away. The club have had record breaking away attendances in the lower divisions. When the club do go on a rare run of good form, it’s not unusual to see 30,000 fans at Elland Road. When the team is successful, the city buzzes in excitement as it thrives off the game-day adrenaline.

Another star sporting attraction in Leeds is boxer Josh Warrington. The up and coming featherweight boxer has the potential to be a world champion and sell out Elland Road stadium. Right now, he’s an impressive young prospect who holds the European title. Most young prospects would be expected to sell around 1000 tickets, however the Leeds Warrior sells close to 10,000 as he packs out the First Direct Arena. There hasn’t been a ticket-seller like him in the UK since Ricky Hatton, who famously took about 20,000 Brits over to Las Vegas to watch one of his fights. Warrington’s fight nights are fueled by the incredible atmosphere, the sounds of the Kaiser Chiefs and copious amounts of alcohol so it’s fair to say that the city gets well behind him!

It’s not just boxing or football either, here in Leeds we get behind all sorts of sports. For example, in February of this year, 12,000 people packed out the First Direct Arena to watch the darts, the rugby league side regularly attracts close to 15,000 fans and Headingley Cricket Ground is often sold out for the big matches.

It’s hard to explain why sport is such a big part of our culture here in Leeds but it brings the passionate side out of so many people in the city and it’s just another reason why Leeds is such a brilliant place to live.

So if you’re looking for something to do, get down to the arena for the boxing or the darts, get down to Elland Road for the football or to the stadiums in Headingley for the rugby and the cricket as you experience the sporting culture and start to understand what it’s like to live in Leeds.

The post Our Sporting Culture in Leeds appeared first on Leeds Student Magazine.

Leeds has an a wealth of sporting resources available to anyone that wants to get involved. Whether you want to get down the terraces and watch a local football or rugby game on a matchday, go for an energetic few laps in the pool or just chill out and watch some TV coverage, the city has something to suit everyone. We go through some of the main things to check out while you’re here, here’s all the sport in Leeds:

SPORTS BARS

Both the City Centre and Headingley are superbly kitted out for watching live sport, with countless bars showing Sky Sports and much more.

Why not try out Aire Bar or if you’re looking for something different, Napoleons Casino?

LEEDS UNITED FC

Leeds is a one club city, giving United a massive fan base across not just the region but the country as well. Whilst they are admittedly no longer enjoying their Don Revie glory days -dominating the top flight and challenging in European games- they are still an exciting team to watch in their current division, the Championship. Hopefully this season they will challenge for a top end finish and fight for a promotion place. Make sure you get down to the 37,000+ capacity Elland Road to experience the atmosphere of the good old English terraces!

www.leedsunited.com
Elland Road, Leeds, LS11 0ES / 0871 334 1992

COUNTY CRICKET

Headingley is home to Yorkshire County Cricket, who are the most successful side in English cricketing history. If the sun is out there’s nothing better than getting the drinks in and watching a game up in Headingley.

www.yorkshireccc.com
St Michael’s Lane, Headingley LS6 3BR / 0871 971 1222

LEEDS RHINOS & CARNEGIE

Students of Leeds are fortunate to have the Rhinos, three-times Reigning Champions of the Super League, playing their Rugby League season so close by! For fans of Rugby Union, Carnegie also play at the Headingley Stadium, so two top teams are right on your doorstep! They are well worth going to watch, with the Yorkshire region is notorious for its Rugby passion and the 20,000+ crowd at the Stadium never disappoint!

www.leedsrugby.com
St Michael’s Lane, Headingley LS6 3BR / 0844 248 6651

GET INVOLVED

There are loads of ways to get involved with any sport you fancy in Leeds, from Football to Ultimate Frisbee! Make sure you check out your Union and Sports Centres to see who to contact to take part. Outside the Universitites there are also loads of places offering sports facilities, for things like 5-A-Side Football so get a few friends and put yourself down for a team – it may be just the thing you need to burn off all those ready meals and pints you’ve been getting through!

The post Sport in Leeds appeared first on Leeds Student Magazine.

Mark Dhamma helps you get a Warrior Mind with his health tips

Former Leeds University student, City Dweller columnist and cover model, Mark Dhamma has launched a new collection of fitness videos, entitled ‘Holistic Warriors’.

The videos include health tips, advice on how to get a positive mind and more!

Mark now lives in LA and is a professional fitness advisor.

In his own words, he is an ‘optimal health and positive psychology expert’ and he can coach you to get the body you want and the mental strength you need to succeed.

Over the next few weeks, we will posting hints and fitness tips from Mark’s Holistic Warriors video blogs.

If you can’t wait for more, you can check out his Youtube channel or like his Facebook page.

One of Mark’s video blogs can be seen below:

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Building a fitness schedule can be difficult and sticking to it can be even harder. Reebok Master Trainer Stacey Jacques provides some valuable tips to achieving a structured routine.

Reebok fithub – Fitness Schedule

• Get real. Be realistic before you start. Determine your situation. How many days a week are you ready to commit to? How much time have you got? Don’t forget to include things like preparation time, shower time and battling rush hour traffic to get to the gym.
• Knowledge is Power. Get clued up about what to do, take advice from a fitness professional on what type of workout would suit you best. Then you can plan your sessions.If you are looking for an overall workout to start off with, I would suggest starting with a bodyweight routine ensuring you work your upper body, lower body and core with a mix of cardio and conditioning exercises. Start with intervals of 30 seconds work to rest ratio. Try and work in a range of different movements and directions and include a push, pull, lunge, bend, twist and squat. Make sure your workout changes and progresses every 4-6 weeks and track your progress so you can stay motivated by how well you are doing.
• Add variety and be creative. Don’t get stuck in a fitness rut, add different classes, styles and environments to your routine.
• Be time efficient. Get in, get it done and get outta there.
• Own it! Commit to your designated workout slot and stick to it like you would to any other appointment.
• Journal. Write it ALL down, not only is this great to track your progress but it also ensures that you are accountable for everything you do and plan to do! Include thoughts and feelings so you can see patterns emerging when you are feeling a little deflated / de-motivated.
• R E S T – it’s part of the programme. Your body needs to recover in order to progress, make sure you incorporate rest days into your schedule.
• Love what you do. Find your thing, ignite your passion. This could be anything from training for a Spartan race to practising Yoga on a beach. Make exercise something you love, not something you loathe, and you will have no problem finding time to fit it into your life.
• Reward yourself. If you stick to your schedule, treat yourself to a pampering session or that pair of trainers you’ve been eyeing up.
• Don’t fear failure. You will have blips, ups and downs along your fitness journey. If you fall down just get back up as soon as possible.
• Find your tribe: likeminded people. Working out in a group is a great motivator.
• Be inspired. Find a mentor that motivates you.
• Be the inspiration. There is no greater motivation than knowing you are inspiring someone to be better.

‘Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.’ – Jim Rohn

I hope these tips help you with your ambition to leading a fitter, fuller lifestyle and bring you the knowledge and confidence to begin your journey to achieving your goals. For more information about the Reebok FitHub and free fitness classes, visit: http://fitness.reebok.co.uk/FitnessEvents/Events-landing/

The post How to Build a Fitness Schedule and Stick to It appeared first on Leeds Student Magazine.

Why Study in Leeds?

So you’re a prospective  student looking for the perfect city? The main things to consider should be the nightlife, the activities, the events on offer and the accessibility of the city. With Leeds, you get a thriving city, offering everything you need and loads more. From student hubs to cultural hotspots, from easy-to-use transport services to huge nightclubs – Leeds is the city that you’re searching for.

Leeds City Centre

We understand that the nights out are an important part of student life and Leeds offers every type of night out. Headingley, the student capital of Leeds, boasts a fantastic selection of modern bars and pubs while the City Centre offers just about everything you could want for a big night out. With a range of lively nightclubs, fantastic drinking and dining destinations and just about everything in-between at budget prices. Aside from being a fantastic night out, Leeds City Centre is a world-class shopping destination with high street shops, such as Harvey Nichols, and glamorous shopping malls, such as the Trinity Leeds and The Merrion Centre to mention a few. It’s worth noting that most shops, bars and restaurants will offer suitable student discounts too!

The Student Lock in at Trinity Leeds!

Leeds is a passionate sporting city with popular football, cricket and rugby teams. As a result of this, there are chances to watch lots of sport! However, more importantly, there are opportunities to play sport! With hundreds of amateur football, cricket and rugby sides, a wide variety of surprisingly affordable gyms to join and several sport centres just waiting for you to use them, it is easy for you to stay active while at university. You can see other ways here.

Don’t worry, though. Leeds isn’t just a good night out, a bit of sport and a nice day shopping. It’s a fabulous city of culture with dozens of places to visit including museums, galleries and theatres  – plenty free of charge! The Leeds Art Gallery showcases stunning collections and constantly changing exhibitions while the Royal Armouries Museum is Britain’s national museum of arms and armour! You can see more cultural attractions here and you can see what’s on at the theatre through December here.

With this much going on in Leeds, you’d expect it to be hard to get to each of them. The truth couldn’t be any further away! With buses, trains and various taxi services available all year round, it is easy to get from A to B at affordable prices. Plus most of the action is in the City Centre which is only a ten minute walk from the main universities!

You can find much more about Leeds on this website.

Why Live in Leeds?

Leeds is also a great place for students to live as the city has some fantastic properties available for students.You can find more details on where to live on our property page.

Where to study in Leeds?

Leeds University –

Leeds University

Leeds University boasts a student population of 33,500 students and, as a member of the prestigious Russell Group Universities, is considered one of the best universities in the country. The University is located near the centre, right in the heart of the city centre and  You can see their prospectus here or check out their website here.

Leeds Beckett University –

Leeds Beckett University

Formerly Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds Beckett University offers fantastic facilities  and teaching for all courses. It is ranked as one of the top universities for any sports-related course and came second in The Times’ University of the Year competition in 2006. With over 25,000 students, the university is popular all over the country. You can check out their website here.

Leeds Trinity –

Leeds Trinity has nearly 3000 students and specialises in specific subjects such as media, journalism, marketing and education. The university offer a professional, relevant work placement with every degree and due to this, 93% of all students are in further education or in employment within 6 months of graduating. Leeds Trinity is also famous for it’s fantastic postgraduates courses in journalism and teacher training. You can check out their website here.

For higher/further education, there are some fantastic colleges and sixth forms such as:

Notre Dam: They offer over 34 A Level Subjects to study and are ranked in the top 10% of sixth form colleges in the country. You can see their website here.

Leeds City College: Leeds City College cater to over 40,000 students and operate out of six main campuses and have dozens of provisions over the region. You can check out their website here.

Leeds College of Art

Leeds Art College: The College of Art offer a range of courses which range from BAs to smaller qualifications. It’s a great opportunity to study in a close-knit community with a creative possibility. See their website here.

Leeds Music College: Leeds Music College also offer a range of short courses and BAs. With an acclaimed music scene and a vibrant student population, it is a great place to be for any young musician. See their website here.

Leeds College of Building: The Leeds College Of Building offers something for everyone with a range of course awarding various different certificates on a variety of topics. See their website here.

The post Why Leeds is the Right Choice appeared first on Leeds Student Magazine.

Leeds Golf Centre: Footgolf Review

Zach Williamson – Leeds Model, Event Promoter and City Dweller Contributor heads to Leeds Golf Centre to try out footgolf and their Nineteen Bar and Grill.

Leeds is a great sporting city and I personally love most sports, amongst my favourites are football and golf, so when Leeds Golf Centre gave me the chance to combine both as part of a fun packed evening with my friends I jumped at the chance.

Footgolf is a new creation and if you aren’t already aware of the rules, is just like a round of golf, same course and same tee off position but instead of a club and golf ball, you kick a regular sized football around the course into a larger sized hole.

It was 5pm on a Thursday after work and the location was Leeds Golf Centre and having never been to this particular golf club, I was really impressed by its facilities and aesthetic appearance.

My friends Mark, Nathaniel and Kris and I were greeted by the club manager and he set out our itinerary for the night and the rules of footgolf. We would first have 2 rounds (6 holes in each round) of footgolf, then back to the Nineteen Bar and Grill for food and then finishing off smashing some balls on the driving range.

With the sun shining, we were directed to the changing rooms where we swiftly put our tracksuits and trainers on. Just a tip though, you only need trainers not football boots and bring a pound coin for the lockers.

Before we knew it we had a ball each and were ready to kickoff on the first tee, let me just say that it’s a good job I had done minimal cardio at the gym that day as we really got into the spirit of things and were running all over. It was so much fun.

The lads and I kept track of the scores on each hole on the scorecard given to us. We decided to add to the competition and stated the one with the lowest score at the end of the 12 holes was the winner and received a prize and the one with the highest score got the first round in at the bar later on.

We all really enjoyed the footgolf and it was a great way to have a catch up with my friends whilst trying something new. I couldn’t believe that no one had thought of this idea before, by combining these two sports that are loved by millions Leeds Golf Centre have given birth to a great alternative activity. Footgolf is ideal for stag parties, youth birthday parties, a great father and son day out or, if you are like us, just for a catch up and a midweek de-stress.

Footgolf isn’t all Leeds Golf Centre has to offer, it also has a good sized driving range along with a putting green, an impressive bistro called Nineteen along with its main championship ‘Wike Ridge’ Golf course.

With the last kick of the last hole, we had finished and were more than ready for some food and drink having worked up a mean appetite. The Nineteen Bar and Grill is situated right next to the club house and is more like a city centre bistro than golf course bar and grill. The decor could rival most Leeds eateries and the food was absolutely fantastic.

As we entered the bar for our first pint, the staff were really helpful and helped us navigate the impressive menu. Steaks, burgers, light bites and classic specials are all offered, I ordered a chilli burger with fries which I would highly recommend to any gourmet burger lover whilst my friends got a steak which looked absolutely amazing.

We finished our food and then washed it all down with an ice cold San Miguel before heading to complete the final part of our evening on the driving range. The driving range is clean and modern and, at £6 for 70 balls, is great value for money, it was a great end to a fun packed evening.

As we drove home I couldn’t help but think we are really lucky to have an establishment like Leeds Golf Centre on our door step in Leeds. With so many activities under one roof it is an ideal place for friends and family to go and have a great day/night out or a great club for keen golfers to become a full time member.

The combination that night of the footgolf, the food and drink at Nineteen and the driving range made for one of the best evenings I have had with my friends in a long time. That good, in fact, we are looking to book again in a few weeks, this time with more friends.

See you about town!
Zach

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When it comes to sports there’s one game our county of West Yorkshire tends to excel in…Rugby League. So we met up with Leeds lad, and Castleford Tigers player, Ashley Gibson to get an insight into life as a professional player.

Q: Where in Leeds are you from?

A: I am from Bramley and have lived in Leeds all my life, I went to Intake High School.

Q: Did you have any ambitions when you were at school?

A: I knew all through school that I wanted a career in Rugby. I started training when I was 9 years old when I went along to Stanningley Rugby club with a friend, since then that’s all I wanted to do. At school I was practical and sporty, all my focus went into PE because that’s what I was good at. I was a big Rhinos fan so my ultimate dream was to play for them.

Q: How did you get into Rugby professionally?

A: At 15 I got a scholarship to Leeds Rhinos and then when leaving school I went on to do an apprenticeship there. We trained as rugby players alongside studying BTECs and NVQs at Park Lane College. At 18 I made my debut for the Rhinos and scored a hat trick in my first game.

Q: What is your history in Rugby so far?

A: I began at Rhinos and started off well with them, during my time there I had a couple of injuries, one which resulted in a knee reconstruction which put me out of action for a season. Once recovered and back playing I was ready for a change, an opportunity came up at Salford Reds so I ended up there for 4 years. Whilst I was at Salford I still lived in Leeds, me and a couple of other Leeds lads used to travel over every day in what we called ‘the Yorkshire Bus’. Last year I signed to Castleford Tigers and I’m just going into my second season with them, I felt like this was a good move and I’m glad to be back playing local again. I also played for the England A team in 2005- 2006 which was a very proud achievement.

Q: What is it like playing for your current club Castleford Tigers?

A: All the guys on the team are great lads, I feel like I fit in well there. We’ve just got back from a team building camp in the Yorkshire Dales where we did loads of activities like hiking and caving, we stopped in bunk beds and had a right laugh, the only down side was there was no phone signal! Clubs tend to do camps like that pre-season so players can get to know each other, they always work well and you do come away feeling like a team. The fans at Castleford are very loyal and loud during matches which is great hear, it seems a very family orientated club. We’ve just had the best season the club has had in a while and we need to make next season a good one.

Q: What is a typical day like for you?

A: Pre-season we train 5 times a week from 9am-11am, then we’ll have lunch, after lunch we train again 1pm-3pm. During season we train a bit less because we need to keep our energy up for the matches. After training me and some of the lads have our ‘Costa Club’, we’ll go sit in Costa drink loads of coffee and people watch. You’ll either find us in the Costa at Castleford Junction 32, in Leeds city centre, or we sometimes mix it up a bit and go to the White Rose Centre. Some of my mates and I also have a ‘Tuesday Club’ where we head to the Arc or Trio in Headingley for something to eat, as you can probably guess I like my clubs! I also have a little boy called George who is 5 years old, I try to spend as much time with him as I can, he lives just around the corner from me so it works well.

Q: What are your plans for the future?

A: I’ve got a few more years left in me in Rugby so will keep playing for a while, after that I might go down the fitness route. I have always been into fitness and diet and I am a qualified personal trainer so that would make sense. As a rugby player you can receive grants to train for life after rugby, that’s how I got my personal training qualification, I’ve also looked into a plumbing course. I used to be with a modelling agency but it didn’t really work as I couldn’t commit to shoots because of my training schedule, when I finish playing modelling is possibly something I could get back into. I’ve also done a bit of fitness modelling which combines my interests so that’s another possibility.

Q: Where do you like to go out in Leeds?

A: I usually start my nights off in Headingley at the Arc and then head into town. We’ll go to places like Fibre and Call Lane.

The post Ashley Gibson Interview appeared first on Leeds Student Magazine.

Great Britain Athlete and British Record Holder John Lane is back again this month to give you fitness tips to help you get the best out of your health and fitness.

Enjoy this month’s tips!

Pack Your Own Lunch

Packing your lunch each day is a great way of keeping a handle on what you eat. Studies have shown that people who pack their lunch are more likely to lose weight quicker than those who don’t. As well as being a healthier option, this will also be lighter on your back pocket!

Core Strength

The weaker your core muscles are, the more likely you are to pick up an injury. Whether it’s managing a stiff back, neck pain or a torn muscle, your core is also great for your posture and overall fitness levels. Exercises such as yoga and pilates are a great and effective way of achieving a stronger core.

Yoga

Yoga is a great way of getting your heart rate up and burning calories. As well as losing weight, yoga is great for flexibility, developing muscle strength, increasing your blood flow and it also helps promote proper posture. Try and do a yoga session once a week to help your body relax and de-stress.

Stick to Water

Nearly every bottled drink you buy these days have a lot of sugar in it. Soft drinks and energy drinks are the worst culprit and can have up to 50g of sugar per bottle. With cutting down on sugar being one of the best ways to lose weight, sticking to water is a great and easy way of staying ahead of the game!

Super Foods

Super foods have gained massive popularity recently due to promising greater nutritional value. Foods such as berries, green tea, ginger, broccoli and oily fish are set to have greater nutritional benefits than other foods. These foods have also been found to help aid digestion, lower cholesterol, regulate metabolism and help fight heart disease.

The post John Lane’s Fitness Tips appeared first on Leeds Student Magazine.

On Sunday 24 April, three teenage cancer patients, will abseil down from Ripley Castle’s roof in aid of the charity that has supported them and their families from day one, Candlelighters.

Jodi Stonehouse, from Pocklington, and Caitlin Gott, from Harrogate, are both 15 and were diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. Mia Addison, from Knaresborough, is 14 and is on treatment for Osteosarcama.

The girls met during their treatment and are now close friends. As Mia said, “good things can come out of being on treatment for cancer when you’re a teenager”. Caitlin met Mia and Jodi separately at the hospital, and Jodi and Caitlin met through Chomp & Chat, a meal out for teenage patients.

They have since done a lot together; sailing, make-up activities, and Find Your Sense of Tumour, a conference for teen patients organised by the Teenage Cancer Trust.

They wanted to raise funds for Candlelighters, as a thank you for all the support they and their families receive, and when they found out about the abseil they all went for it. As Jodi said, “it looked fun!”. Caitlin added “I would like to give back to one of the charities that has done so much for me while I was on treatment and the support I have now I am off treatment. The money we raise will help even younger patients than me go through treatment more easily.”

The girls are keen to raise awareness of how a cancer diagnosis can affect someone their age. Caitlin said “being diagnosed with cancer at a young age really affects your whole life: your family and friends, especially your education and social life. People should know that even though I may look ill, I don’t always feel ill. They say to us ‘I don’t know how you have got through this’ – we don’t have a choice. We just keep going and make the most out of the situation we are in. The biggest thing is to stay positive.”

Kay, Jodi’s mum, said “Candlelighters have been there for us from day one. There’s always someone to chat to on clinic, on the ward or at The Square. They also organise activities from brothers and sisters that Jodi’s sisters love going to.”

Candlelighters supports families affected by children’s cancer from across Yorkshire and the abseil is supported by their Patron Lady Ingilby of Ripley Castle. The charity needs to raise £1,5m each year to continue to support families, invest in research and fund roles and equipment within the NHS.

The abseil is open to anyone aged 8 and over making it a real family event. It will take place at Ripley Castle on Sunday 24 April, 10am to 4pm. Registration is £10 per person, and each participant will aim to raise £100 for the charity meaning the abseil could raise thousands of pounds. Places are limited, but some are still available.

Registration can be made on 0113 322 9283 or on www.candlelighters.org.uk.

You can sponsor Jodi, Mia and Caitlin on www.justgiving.com/Kay-Stonehouse1 or call 0113 322 9283 to sponsor them over the phone.

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