Sheffield's Physical Activity Revolution

Sheffield City Council and Sheffield First for Health and Well-being have unveiled their physical activity campaign, ‘The People’s Movement’, which encourages people to make positive choices around increasing the amount of physical activity they do.

 

The People’s Movement aims to show that being physically active is not just about joining a gym.  Normal, everyday activities, such as walking the dog, doing housework, or taking the stairs instead of the lift, can contribute to people’s health and well being, and play a part in reducing levels of coronary heart disease, obesity and diabetes in the city.  You may be surprised to know that for sufferers of depression a moderate increase in activity levels will have the same effect as a large dose of anti-depressants, the only side-effect being better all-round health!

 

The People's Movement website has been developed to provide comprehensive information on a variety of fun activities happening around the city, and tips on how people can be more physically active in their homes and daily lives.  There’s something for everyone, as many of these activities are low cost or free, and require no specialist equipment or training.

 

Visitors to the site can also register to be sent personalised details of events that are happening in their community that may appeal to them.

 

Keep your ear to the ground for The People’s Movement events which take place throughout the city centre and local communities, giving people a chance to try a range of activities, from salsa dancing to running. 

 

Diana Radford, spokesperson for The People’s Movement, said: “Increasing physical activity levels is not just about making major changes and cramming even more into an already hectic lifestyle.  Simple changes can have a positive effect on people’s health across the city, and you don’t have to be an athlete to do that little bit more. The aim is to be active for around 30 minutes on as many days as possible – and this can be broken down into bitesize chunks of 10 minutes.”