Countdown begins to National Fitness Day, 22 September: Tanni Grey-Thompson says UK must go for gold in global physical activity rankings
Paralympic champion Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson has issued a rallying cry for the UK to become the most active nation in the world by 2030, as she marked the 28-day countdown to National Fitness Day.
ukactive has announced that National Fitness Day 2021 will take place on Wednesday 22 September and will be supported by TRX Training Club, helping to reach more people than ever.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the campaign, which for the past decade has helped millions of people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds to find or rediscover a fitness activity they love.
The theme for 2021 is ‘Fitness Unites Us’ and the day will see thousands of free and inclusive events available for anyone to try – both in person and virtually – thanks to gyms, pools, leisure centres and other sports providers across the UK.
In a study of global exercise levels published in the Lancet, the World Health Organization ranked Britain as 46th out of 168 countries in its league table, but Baroness Grey-Thompson hopes the nation will use the COVID-19 pandemic as a catalyst for improvement.
The Crossbench Peer and Chair of ukactive said the Government should embrace National Fitness Day and make the nation’s fitness its number-one priority as millions of people reflect on their activity levels following the health crisis.
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Chair of ukactive, said: “The past year has taught us many lessons but none more important than caring for our health and wellbeing, and that of our neighbour.
“The global pandemic has underlined how essential our fitness is, not only for our physical and mental health but also for our social and emotional wellbeing.
“I love National Fitness Day and this year offers the perfect opportunity to unite behind a collective ambition to become the most physically active nation in the world by 2030.
“The Government must make fitness its main priority for the nation’s recovery, because by being more active we not only have the chance to improve our mental and physical health, but to improve our resilience to COVID-19 and reduce the burden on the NHS.
“National Fitness Day is also a time to celebrate the essential role of every gym, pool, leisure centre, sports club and activity provider in the UK, and their incredible teams that will continue to motivate and support us safely. Let’s come together to celebrate and share what fitness means to us, and to commit to being more physically active.”
Brent Leffel, CEO of TRX, said: “Our mission is to make fitness inclusive for all, enabling people to exercise anywhere, anytime. National Fitness Day celebrates exactly that, and we are delighted to play our part in getting the nation moving.
“Whether it’s virtual or in person, and no matter the intensity, there is something for everyone!”
With 25 days to go until National Fitness Day, ukactive is encouraging people to share their fitness motivations on social media by using the popular hashtag #Fitness2Me.
As the countdown continues, the National Fitness Day Activity Finder will help people to discover nearby events hosted by more than 4,000 ukactive members across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
