There is still time to join us and move more this September

More than 2,000 people in Ireland and across the globe have signed up to the Irish Heart Foundation’s September ‘Escape Your Chair’ campaign, with many others kindly agreeing to host a Stand-Up Coffee Morning on World Heart Day, Tuesday the 29^th of September.

The latest figures show that a total of 2,364 people have signed up to take the Escape Your Chair challenge with some committing to escape their chairs for a minute every hour from as far afield as Australia and the US.

Following the revelation that more than half of people working from home in Ireland as a result of COVID-19 restrictions are sitting down for an average of two hours and 40 minutes longer per day it is now more important than ever for us to get regular physical activity.

With similar restrictions in place in some countries around the world, it is clear that COVID-19 is having a real impact on our ability to reduce our sitting times.

Sitting for long periods of time increases your risk of heart disease and stroke and sadly almost 9,000 lives are lost every year in Ireland to cardiovascular disease.

It is recommended that we get 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity at least five days a week.  However, this does not counteract the damage caused to our health by sitting for long periods of time.

Commenting Tara Curran, Physical Activity Coordinator with The Irish Heart Foundation said, “It’s not too late to join in, you can still register for the challenge and reap the benefits of regular movement. Making small changes can help create a new healthy habit and go a long way in improving your heart health. Being more active can also reduce our stress levels and make us feel happier and healthier.”

The Irish Heart Foundation’s ‘Escape Your Chair’ campaign, which runs throughout the month of September, aims to inform and advise about the dangers of sitting down for too long and provides useful resources to help you reduce your sitting time.  Participants are invited to calculate their sitting time with the Sitting Time Calculator and join in the Escape Your Chair Challenge to break-up their sitting time.

Throughout the month we are also providing tips on healthy eating and ways to mind your mental health, all of which will help you keep healthy while you work from home.

As part of the Irish Heart Foundation’s September campaign members of the public are also invited to host a Stand-Up Coffee Morning on World Heart Day Tuesday 29^th of September and we are delighted with the response to date.

There is still time to sign up for the Escape Your Chair challenge and/or to host your own Stand Up to Heart Disease Coffee Morning. We would love you to join us.

The Irish Heart Foundation invites the nation to stand up for their loved ones, friends, and colleagues who are affected by heart disease and stroke. Every euro raised by the coffee morning will be spent on our vital programmes and support services in the community.