Movement for Good

As part of their commitment to keeping people active and well, Edinburgh’s leading sport and physical activity charity, Edinburgh Leisure, is launching a new month-long physical activity challenge that aims to inspire people to get active every day this May.

The Movement for Good challenge is aimed at everyone, not just their members. It’s well-evidenced that moving and being physically active benefits our overall health and wellbeing, but putting it into practice can be hard, with family life, work commitments, and household chores often taking precedence over exercise. 

Helen Macfarlane, in the newly created role as Edinburgh Leisure’s Director of Wellbeing, explains: “Whether people are new to physical activity or need a helping hand to get back into the swing of things, then our new Movement for Good challenge is for them.

“It’s designed to give participants a period of focus when they start to make small consistent changes by being active every day. This is the start of forming healthy habits so that regular activity becomes part of their daily routine, and they build the motivation to stay active because they feel good. 

“Being active doesn’t have to mean running a marathon or joining a bootcamp. Even small changes can make a huge difference. Participants are encouraged to find an activity or activities they love, enabling them to create healthy habits and providing them with the motivation they need to stay active. So, for example, someone might wish to step it out, boogie on the dancefloor, dip their toes into the pool or pump some iron throughout May.

“Participants can also use their challenge to do some good by raising sponsorship money to support local people who need a bit more help through Edinburgh Leisure’s Active Communities programme, so they too can experience the benefits of an active life.

”Each year, Edinburgh Leisure’s Active Communities programme supports over 10,000 people affected by health conditions, disabilities, and poverty – empowering them to improve their health, wellbeing, and quality of life.  This includes enabling care experienced children to enjoy the active childhood they deserve, helping people with cancer and other long-term health conditions to manage their symptoms and have a better quality of life, to ensuring older adults can stay active and connected for longer.

Participants signing up to the month-long Movement for Good Challenge will receive a pack full of useful resources, along with hints and tips on how to get the most out of your challenge.  This will help ensure participants have fun, keep motivated, and experience the health and wellbeing benefits of becoming more physically active.

Sign up today to join the May Movement for Good Challenge and reap the benefits of an active life - www.edinburghleisure.co.uk/movement-for-good

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About Edinburgh Leisure:

Edinburgh Leisure is a charity on a mission to help keep people active and well.

They do this by running over 50 sport, leisure, and school venues and are committed to creating opportunities for everyone to get active and stay active.

Edinburgh Leisure’s Active Communities programme harnesses the power of physical activity and sport to tackle inequalities and combat the effects of inactivity.  Each year they support around 10,000 people affected by health conditions, disabilities, inequalities, and poverty to get active – empowering them to improve and protect their health, wellbeing, and quality of life.

The Active Communities team run around 20 targeted projects that use physical activity to support and develop wellbeing by tackling the barriers that prevent people from being active.  They offer motivational support and a range of activities that allow people to be active safely and encourages them to lead a more active life.  Many of the people they work with have disproportionately been impacted by the pandemic, experiencing a decline in their mental and physical health, becoming more socially isolated, and facing financial hardship.  This work is undoubtedly more important than ever and only possible thanks to support from funding partners, supporters, and fundraising.