Health and care services

Getting Ireland active

Healthy Ireland has published Ireland’s first ever national physical activity plan to provide a strong focus for modifying unhealthy lifestyle habits and promoting awareness of the benefits of physical activity.

Healthy Ireland, the national framework designed to improve the health and wellbeing of the nation has launched Ireland’s first ever national physical activity plan to promote increased physical activity levels across the population.

The aim of the plan is to increase physical activity levels and ensure that less time is spent sedentary. Most people already realise that physical activity is good for them, there are some who may not realise just how beneficial it can be while those who are socially or economically disadvantaged are often the least active.

This plan aims to ensure that no group is disadvantaged and recognises that targeted interventions are required to address and overcome barriers to participation which are experienced by some people. Based on the Toronto Charter for Physical Activity the plan is not just about telling people to do more physical activity because it is good for them, it is also about:

•   creating increased opportunities for people to be active in ways which fit in to everyday lives and which suit individual needs, circumstances and interests;

•   removing the barriers which people face to being active and encouraging people to recognise how to overcome those barriers;

•   enhancing cross-sectoral cooperation at national, local and community level to encourage physical activity at every level;

•   encouraging a supportive environment where physical activity becomes normal;

•   promoting good practice and finding new models of participation which get more people active.

Target

The plans overarching target is to increase the proportion of the population across each life stage undertaking regular physical activity by 1 per cent (50,000 people) per annum over the next ten years. To achieve this goal the plan has eight thematic areas for action which are distinct yet complimentary building blocks for encouraging greater participation in physical activity. The eight areas are:

1.   public awareness, education and communication;

2.   children and young people;

3.   health;

4.   environment;

5.   workplaces;

6.   sport and physical activity in the community;

7.   research, monitoring and evaluation;

8.   implementation through partnership.

When broken down into population age groups, the plan reveals that only 19 per cent of primary school children and 12 per cent of post-primary children are currently undertaking at least 60 minutes of moderate to physical activity every day. At present, 11 per cent of primary children and 34 per cent of post-primary children do not take part in any weekly physical activity.

Guidelines suggest that adults between the age of 18 and 64 should take part in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week. Only 31 per cent of the adult population reach this target at present, while 12.6 per cent of adults do not take part in any weekly physical activity.

The plan also aims to increase the amount of older people taking part in at least 150 minutes of moderately-intense physical activity throughout the week or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity throughout the week by 1 per cent. At present only 33 per cent of senior citizens meet this target while 33 per cent of senior citizens do not participate in any weekly physical activity.

Increasing awareness

In order to increase the public awareness of the benefits of exercise, a communication strategy that will inspire the population to adopt active lifestyles will be introduced. It will be complemented by a wide range of education and communication measures. The plan states that the use of traditional and emerging media can provide an effective way to communicate consistent and clear messages about physical activity to large populations and that a combination of approaches, supported by community-based activities and sustained over time, is the most effective way to build health literacy.

Healthy Ireland also wants to see the health service promote greater awareness and understanding of the health benefits of physical activity and deliver programmes to encourage increased participation. It highlights the role of Physical Activity Coordinators in the Health Service Executive (HSE) as a key resource as they work strategically and in partnership with both external and internal stakeholders to progress the promotion of health enhancing physical activity and place a particular focus on addressing health inequalities.

Turning its attention to the workplace, the plan explains that workplaces have a very important role in encouraging and supporting opportunities for physical activity in the daily lives of citizens. The World Health Organisation considers workplace health programmes as one of the ‘best buy’ options for prevention and control of non-communicable diseases and for mental health. Healthy workplace strategies are about providing a health promoting workplace environment through facilities, supportive cultures and/or policies. The plan states that the HSE should develop a toolkit for employers to provide practical guidance on promoting physical activity at work by 2018.

Within local communities, there are many good examples of programmes that encourage greater participation in physical activity by targeting communities, neighbourhoods, families, parents and disadvantaged groups. The plan recognises the importance of local sports partnerships and the key role they will play in the plan’s fulfilment.

Conclusion

Many things are already happening in Ireland which support and encourage physical activity and encourage participation in physical activity. However, a change on the scale that this plan aims to achieve requires national cross-sectoral partnerships by Government at all levels, the sports community and the community and voluntary sector.

An increase in physical activity will have numerous benefits for Ireland as a whole. It would lead to a reduced demand on the health service both immediately and in the future. However, changing national habits is a difficult task that will require a long-term commitment to strategies aimed at both population and individual level.

With the plan now public, the Department of Health and the Department of Tourism, Transport and Sport will set out about implementing the plan’s immediate actions and focus on reshaping the public mindset and culture to one that embraces physical activity.

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