03-07-2025
Real Health podcast: Transforming your mental health with hiking
Mairead Furlong and Fergal McLoughlin, psychologists, married couple and authors of The 50 best family hikes in Ireland, join me on this week's episode of the Real Health podcast.
When Mairead was pregnant with her son, she had a mystery illness which rendered her unable to walk. She told me, 'We came across a brilliant neurologist who was able to diagnose me. It was a tumour on my mid-thoracic spine and they immediately put me in for surgery, which saved my life. They had to remove the tumour and a part of my spine and a lot of muscles in my back. I had to learn to walk again.'
What interested me about the married couple's book was that they encourage the reader to bring their kids. Fergal says, 'A lot of our hikes, we like to kind of get out to explore slightly wilder places. And it's really important that when you're with your kids out in those sorts of places, not to be too kind of prescriptive with them. Let them roam a little bit. Let them out wild. Let them be wild.'
You can listen to the full episode here or wherever you get your podcasts.
