For the past two years, ukactive has worn the National Fitness Day badge with the utmost pride and is eager to state that it hosts the most visible annual celebration of physical activity of the year.
The non-profit organisation has a sole purpose on this national day – to celebrate the role that physical activity plays across the UK. We are used to hearing the organisation speak throughout the year about getting more people, more active, more often and, in its blueprint, it told us that 79% of MPs feel physical inactivity should be a higher priority for the government. The latest government report to tackle childhood obesity this month has been criticised by the chief executive of Sainsbury’s, Mike Coupe, who commented that “tougher regimes” are required to help reduce the tidal wave of childhood obesity. Hugh Pym, health editor at the BBC, said the report was at least making small steps in the right direction to encourage children to partake in at least 30 minutes of exercise a day during the school day.
On Wednesday 7 September, National Fitness Day returns and, with just a couple of weeks to go, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson has launched the #Fitness2me campaign live on Sky News, with Olympian Iwan Thomas jumping on the awareness bandwagon. The initiative asks people to write down what fitness means to them and share a picture of them holding the paper on Twitter under the hashtags #FitnessDay and #Fitness2me.
Grey-Thompson commented, “For me, personally, [fitness] once would have meant being in peak physical shape for a tilt at Paralympic gold but, today, it represents the importance of keeping active so that I can play a central role in the life of my teenage daughter – hopefully into my 80s and beyond.”
As many as 4,000 sites are said to be getting involved on 7 September. With a broad range of events on offer, the aim is not only to get people moving but to make it easy and fun to try something new. Schools and workplaces will be getting involved too, so the whole family can get active. Leisure venues across the UK will throw open their doors and local parks, health clubs and gyms will put on taster sessions.
Everyone Active is aiming to encourage the local community to get active by offering a busy timetable of classes and activities across the country, all for free. From free health checks at Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre to free use of the gym and swimming pool in Aylesbury, there should be something for everyone. There are a number of free classes and PT taster sessions on offer, including Boxercise at the Everyone Active Acton Centre, and gym challenges across many centres, including Northolt Leisure Centre, which is hosting a mini triathlon.
Everyone Active’s regional director David Bibby said, “We are passionate about encouraging people to get active and we are hugely supportive of National Fitness Day. We are really looking forward to seeing people come down with their friends and family to join in the fun.”
Further details about National Fitness Day and information on how to sign up can be found at nationalfitnessday.com
For more details on the Thunderclap, please visit thunderclap.it/projects/45454-national-fitness-day-2016?locale=en
If you’re getting involved, we would love to know what you’re doing!
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