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16th May 2017
09:46am BST
Do you feel you're falling short of your fitness goals and need a little bit more motivation? Welcome to the club, my friend.
If you think it's time for a change, we've got a little something you might wanna check out.
There's this six-week initiative called the Irish Life Health Workplace Fitness Challenge that's soon to kick off, taking place from May 22 until June 30, that's all about getting people to improve their cardiac fitness levels.
And with more than half of the Irish workforce being overweight or obese, ideas like this are badly needed.
Insurance company Irish Life Health has created the free Move Your MET app for participants in this year's challenge, which measures your fitness levels.
Professor Niall Moyna of Operation Transformation, and Head of the School of Health and Human Performance at DCU, believes that everyone needs to be more aware of their MET scores (which stands for 'metabolic equivalent of task') when looking after their health. He said:
"Your MET score is one of the best independent predictors of your current health and longevity. It is an integrated measure of your lungs, cardiovascular system and muscles — I consider it the gold standard measure of fitness. The ultimate goal is to make this a vital sign that is always checked by your doctor, and everyone should know their MET score".
The campaign also launched maps for 'urban hikes' in Dublin, Galway and Cork, with the idea being to discover these cities' delights while boosting your cardiac fitness — the maps are available HERE .
We know how much you people love your walks.
Covering just a mile a day can make a huge difference to your heart's well-being and reduce the risk of developing health problems later in life.
Big name ambassadors like Darren Kennedy, Thomas Barr and Gordon D’Arcy are also getting behind the challenge, encouraging the people of Ireland to get in tip-top physical shape — not to mention the benefits for mental health that also come with exercise.
But for this campaign to make a real difference to our nation's health, as many businesses as possible need to get involved.
That's where you come in. Reach out to your colleagues and register to participate in the Irish Life Health Workplace Fitness Challenge today.
And since more than 140 businesses have already signed up to the challenge, you'll have plenty of company.
Does the Irish Life Health Workplace Fitness Challenge sound like your kind of thing? Click HERE to register your company and HERE to download the app.
You'll have to act fast though, the closing date for registration is May 19.
