Will you #GetOutThere?

Thursday 18 June 2020

The Health Improvement Commission wants to help everyone keep moving after seeing levels of activity increase for many people during the corona virus lockdown.

Cycling and walking were activities some families started to do, almost daily in some cases, as they took advantage of the two hour daily exercise allowance when the islands were under the strictest lockdown restrictions.

The HIC was set up by the States to bridge the work between the Health and Social Care and Education, Sport and Culture committees, to encourage active and healthy lifestyles.

Through the Covid-19 pandemic they said they've noticed the "challenges and opportunities" it brought to the Bailiwick, which had some positive outcomes, including the importance given to exercise with the two hour daily allowance, which was later extended to four hours.

The HIC asked people to contact them to let them know how they were keeping active during the lockdown with many submitting photos and videos of their family's running, walking, cycling, paddle boarding or any one of a multitude of other activities.

WATCH: ‘The Bailiwick being active…during lockdown’. 

Now the lockdown is over with the Bailiwick moving into phase 5 of the exit strategy, the HIC wants to encourage families to keep their activity levels up.

The #GetOutThere initiative was launched yesterday with Alun Williams, the Be Active lead, saying they want to include as many people as possible.

"GetOutThere is designed to be a positive, uplifting, inclusive campaign. We will be celebrating how people embraced physical activity during lockdown and we will demonstrate how people have made and continue to make small, incremental steps to be more active.

"Our series of videos and linked social media content will look at how being active can be fun, simple and something that we can all embrace in our own new normal.

"We are very aware that not everyone can, or finds it easy to, keep active and we must ensure, especially as we move out of lockdown, that as a Bailiwick, we work to support all of us to be more active, more often."

The different ways people can be active with the help of the HIC include the Walk this way initiative, which is a guide to how many steps it takes to walk from certain locations to others, for example between popular destinations in town.

Mr Williams said walking is a simple, and effective way to get fit:

"At the Health Improvement Commission, we love any form of exercise and we just want to help the whole community to be more active, more often. And we often underestimate one very simple form of exercise…walking

"The beauty about walking is its simplicity. Slip on a pair of shoes, open the front door and off you go. It’s also accessible and free so you don’t need expensive gym membership or special shoes to take part and you can wear everyday clothes to do it. It’s perfect for people who have poor health, or don’t fancy intense exercise. Also walking is gentle, so you’re unlikely to get injured." 

The Channel Islands Co-operative Society has helped to fund the #GetOutThere initiative. Katey White, acting community manager, said: "Our Helping Hands fund was launched more than 20 years ago to give good causes a helping hand to make a real difference within the community. We have all faced challenging times over recent months and it’s fantastic to see that islanders in Guernsey are now, once again, able to get out and about, and The Channel Islands Co-operative Society is delighted to have helped fund the 18 signs around St Peter Port which will let islanders know how they can become more active."

Pictured top: Alun Williams, his daughter and granddaughter out on a walk during the lockdown.