05.09.16
Health & Wellbeing

Less talk, more activity: National Fitness Day 2016

group of people of all ages dancing

Whatever your plans are this week, make sure that you spend Wednesday the 7th September on your feet, being active and moving more.

National Fitness Day, facilitated by ukactive, is an entire day dedicated to the celebration of physical activity and fitness. Health clubs, gyms, and leisure centres around the country will be running free events and activities to encourage people of all ages and abilities to make the 7th the most active day of the year. Taking place for the third year running, the exciting day also coincides with the opening ceremony of the Paralympic games in Rio. 

It was estimated that last year’s activities reached over 50 million people and encouraged thousands of individuals to develop a sustainable love of activity and exercise.  Last year, over 2200 leisure sites across the UK participated in National Fitness Day, opening their doors and giving people an opportunity to discover what’s on offer, from energetic classes, to relaxing yoga sessions, to outdoor exercises. National Fitness Day 2016 is predicted to be even bigger and better than the previous year, with more people getting involved. By showcasing exciting events and unusual ways to keep fit, we can encourage an even greater number of people to fall in love with activity and lead healthier lives. 

Inactivity is a global epidemic that is leading to serious health issues, such as obesity, heart conditions and Type 2 diabetes. However, exercise is an effective solution to reduce the risks of these conditions, plus it’s free and enjoyable, so there really isn’t a better reason to get active on the 7th September, or any other day for that matter. The key is getting everybody involved, while the day will celebrate Olympic and elite athletes, it will also include people from all walks of life, including children, adults, older adults and people with disabilities. By making activity a fundamental part of daily life, everyone is encouraged to feel healthier and lead longer lives.

Take a look at this fantastic video from ukactive covering last year's events:

How you can take part in National Fitness Day 2016

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the official website to find out information about events and activities in your local area.  

Exercise venues around the country are holding free taster sessions for everyone as part of National Fitness Day, so don’t miss out some amazing opportunities to get involved for free. You can use the website to search for activities in your local area. You never know, you might just discover a new activity that you’ll want to continue after the event. 

Going it alone

You don’t have to attend the pre-organised events to take part in National Fitness Day, the aim of the day is to encourage more people to participate in activity, so there’s no reason why you can’t get involved on your own accord. 

Set yourself a personal challenge to achieve over the course of the day, for example you could aim to walk 20k steps, or complete 10 push-ups, or take the stairs at every opportunity. If you’re at work, get your colleagues involved by creating office challenges, you could also hold standing up meetings and go out for an active lunch break. Older people could take a walk outside, or spend a couple of hours dancing to their favourite music, while younger people can cycle, run, dance, jump or walk around with their friends. 

The Amaven program makes it easy to maintain fitness levels for fitter and more active individuals. Contact our friendly team today on 0161 300 9172 to book a free demo.