Ireland’s First National Fitness Day will take place on Friday 16th September.
It will be part of the European Week of Sport and is intended as a celebration of the role physical activity plays in Ireland and the positive impact fitness has on people’s live.
The initiative is being led by Ireland Active, the representative body for Ireland’s leisure and fitness industry and is supported by both Healthy Ireland and Sport Ireland.
Government Ministers representing Sport through Patrick O’Donovan and Health Promotion through Marcella Corcoran were on hand yesterday for the launch of the initiative.
“Increasing physical activity levels was the driver behind the development of the National Physical Activity Plan by the Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport in partnership with the Department of Health last year,” said O’Donovan.
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“Achievement of the physical activity targets set out in that plan will require co-operation from all involved in the provision of physical activity in our community from National Governing Bodies of Sport, Local Sports Partnerships, Leisure Facilities, Sports Clubs as well as general recreational facility owners and providers nationwide.”
“National Fitness Day provides an ideal platform for all the stakeholders to come together and make a concerted effort to convince people that there really is something for everyone to get involved with.”
Ireland Active’s members comprised of leisure facilities, gyms as well as other fitness professionals and providers shall on the day hold taster and “come and try” sessions free of charge across their facilities but also in public spaces nationwide promoting the wide range of physical fitness opportunities available in Ireland as well as offering encouragement for people to get involved.
Opportunities
Get Ireland Walking, the CARA Centre for Inclusive Physical Activity and Swim Ireland have also committed to providing opportunities for the public to get active on the day, and it is hoped that others will also get involved.
“Since the adoption of the cross-governmental Healthy Ireland Framework, the promotion of health and wellbeing is and will continue to be a key Government priority,” added Minister Kennedy.
“Being physically active has many benefits for physical and mental health. I hope that National Fitness Day will provide an opportunity and incentive for people currently not engaging in physical activity to become aware of the opportunities for being active in their local community and try something new which, hopefully might provide the platform for continued participation.”
All Ireland Camogie Winning Captain and media presenter Anna Geary is an ambassador for the day and was at the launch yesterday.
“Fitness and physical activity has played a key role in my life playing sport growing up, my involvement with Cork Camogie in particular and has remained a huge passion following my retirement from inter-county sport.” she said.
“I have seen first-hand the positive impact of regular physical activity on the health and wellbeing of people no matter their age.”
“We see this in Ireland’s fittest family where every member of the family contributes. I am delighted to support the National Fitness Day which, will hopefully highlight the many different ways in which people can get physically active. There really is something for everyone.”
Information on the opportunities to be provided and made available to the public can be found on www.nationalfitnessday.ie which, will be continuously updated in the lead up to September 16th.
