Keep Well - let’s Get Ireland Walking into 2021

The Keep Well campaign is aimed at showing people of all ages how we can mind our own physical and mental health and wellbeing by adding healthy and helpful habits to our daily and weekly routine

Sport Ireland, Get Ireland Walking and Healthy Ireland are encouraging people of all ages to walk into 2021 by taking part in the Keep Well Walking Challenge, which gets underway today.

Walking is the most accessible form of physical activity with no special equipment or locations required. Sport Ireland, Get Ireland Walking and Healthy Ireland are looking to get as many people as possible out and active for at least 30 minutes a day for the remaining 21 days of December, bringing a healthy habit forward to the New Year.

To support this, Get Ireland Walking has produced a new app that will allow users to keep a record of their walking and help all participants to stay motivated. The handy app will provide useful tips on advice on how to build walking into every day routines.

As part of the 21-day campaign, well-known people from across Ireland will share their favourite walk of 2020, whether it is a socially distanced walk with a loved-one or simply a lunchtime escape from the bedroom office.

Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD said: “The benefits of physical activity are undisputed and walking is the most accessible form of physical activity available. I am delighted to say that I will be taking part in the Keep Well Walking Challenge and have already downloaded the app to help keep me motivated and track my progress through the month of December.”

Minister for State for Gaeltacht Affairs and Sport Jack Chambers TD added: “Walking is a brilliant form of physical activity that is accessible to all and despite everything that has happened it 2020 it was wonderful to see the numbers of people that have become involved in recreational walking – it’s a great sign for the health of the nation. The Keep Well Walking Challenge will help keep people active right up to the end of the year and we are delighted to be able to launch it today.”

Frank Feighan TD, Minister of State for Public Health and Wellbeing added: “I’m absolutely delighted to support this great initiative as part of the Healthy Ireland Keep Well campaign. I firmly believe that the ‘Get Ireland Walking App’, launched today, will be a very helpful tool in helping people to remember to get out and about and to do some physical activity every day. I encourage everyone to take on this challenge for the last 21 days of the year and make sure that they are starting the new year off on a good footing. So let’s all try and contact our friends and family members to help with the challenge, lace up those shoes, pull on that coat and get out walking”.

John Treacy, Chief Executive Sport Ireland commented: “It is hugely encouraging to see that the levels of recreational walking in Ireland are higher than ever. Physical activity is vital for the health of the nation, mental as well as physical, and one of the positives to come out of 2020 is that people now recognise the importance of physical activity as part of their daily lives. The Keep Well Walking Challenge and the new app will further help walking become part of people’s habits.”

Jason King, National Programme Manager Get Ireland Walking commented: “The benefits of walking cannot be underestimated both for individuals and the country as a whole. We really think that the Get Ireland Walking app will help keep people motivated through December, a time when people can become a little less active, and help them approach 2021 in a positive frame of mind and in good health – mental and physical.”

The Keep Well Walking Challenge is part of Keep Well. The Keep Well campaign is aimed at showing people of all ages how we can mind our own physical and mental health and wellbeing by adding healthy and helpful habits to our daily and weekly routines. It provides guidelines, information, and tips on how we can make a plan to do things that will help us keep well through the coming months.

To download the Get Ireland Walking App visit: https://www.getirelandwalking.ie/app