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Getting Northern
Ireland active
A major campaign was launched
today to improve health in Northern Ireland by getting people
to be more active. The campaign, which will hopefully grab
everyone's attention, is particularly focused on those who
are over 40 years old and currently take little or no exercise.
The £180,000 public information
campaign includes television, radio and billboard poster site
advertising and a community grants scheme to promote the message
'get a life
get active'. Alongside the central message that physical
activity is good for your health, the campaign focuses on
the fact that being active includes enjoying putting a little
extra effort into everyday activities and is not necessarily
about being sporty or athletic.
In addition to the advertising
campaign, the Agency is encouraging members of communities
across Northern Ireland to get involved in all kinds of physical
activity. To support them in their efforts the Agency has
been working with Disability Action and the Northern Ireland
Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA) to award a number of
small grants to enable groups to get active together.
Research has shown that regular
exercise can positively improve health and help prevent serious
illnesses such as heart disease. Yet 80% of women and 70%
of men in Northern Ireland do not take enough physical activity
to benefit their health. Research also shows that two thirds
of the population aged 65 or more do no physical activity
at all.
These figures were revealed by
the Health Promotion Agency during the launch of the Northern
Ireland Physical Activity Campaign.
Frank Kelly, Physical Activity
Programme Manager with the Health Promotion Agency for Northern
Ireland, said: "It's time for everyone to take physical activity
seriously. As well as the immediate benefits of feeling good
and having more energy, it is an investment in a healthy,
independent future.
"We were delighted with the interest
in the community grant scheme. More than 200 organisations
from all over Northern Ireland responded and 79 were successful
in their application. "It is important to involve community
groups with this campaign. The activities organised as part
of the grant scheme will mean that more people from a range
of backgrounds will get the opportunity to become more active.
"The campaign emphasises that
it is more beneficial to do thirty minutes of moderate activity
on most days of the week rather than a vigorous workout once
a week. Physical activity includes things such as brisk walking,
gardening - even housework if enough effort is put into it!"
said Frank.
Lack of physical activity is
now considered a major risk factor in relation to developing
coronary heart disease. Increased levels of physical activity
can help control body weight and reduce the risk of high blood
pressure, bowel cancer, and osteoporosis. Physical activity
is critically important for older people as a means of remaining
mobile and therefore independent as they get older.
Research shows that activity
declines sharply as people get older. The Northern Ireland
Health and Activity Survey revealed that one in ten people
aged 16-24 was inactive and this increased to five out of
ten people aged
65-74. The advertising campaign will run during the month
of June and community initiatives will be ongoing until September.
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