Southside star striker Stephanie launches new fitness challenge

IRISH International and super Southside striker Stephanie Roche helped kick off a new fitness challenge last week.

The soccer star urged Dublin schools to sign up for the Aviva Health Schools’ Fitness Challenge that has already seen one in three schools in the capital getting involved.

The challenge was launched as new research found that there is a measurable negative impact on the health of blood vessels in 15-16 year-old boys with low fitness levels.

Boys who performed poorly in a 20m shuttle run test were also more likely to be overweight, and have higher blood pressure and cholesterol when compared to children with moderate to high fitness levels.

Heart disease, which involves the build-up of plaque in the walls of blood vessels, is the leading cause of death in Ireland.

The research found that boys with low levels of fitness had significantly more plaque in the walls of the arteries supplying the brain than boys with high levels of fitness.
In 2014, 57 (31 per cent) of secondary schools in Dublin signed up for the Aviva Health Schools’ Fitness Challenge.

Last year also saw a total of 13,067 students (7,242 boys and 5,825 girls) from 26 counties across Ireland successfully complete the challenge.

The Aviva Health Schools’ Fitness Challenge 2015 is a national challenge for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and Transition Year male and female students that measures aerobic fitness and highlights the importance of cardiovascular fitness to their current and future health.

According to Dr Sarah Kelly, exercise physiologist and Aviva Health Schools’ Fitness Challenge monitor, the Aviva Health Schools’ Fitness Challenge aims to provide teenagers with a measure of their cardiovascular fitness and increase their awareness of how important physical activity is to their overall health.

“This six-week challenge has been designed to improve cardiovascular health by motivating secondary school students to prioritise their aerobic fitness,

? she said.

Joining Stephanie at the launch were Irish International and Connacht Rugby player, Robbie Henshaw, and National Senior 60m and 100m hurdles champion, Sarah Lavin, who highlighted the importance of exercising to improve heart health and develop good habits for a healthy life.
Stephanie said she was thrilled to be involved in the Aviva Health School’s Fitness Challenge 2015.

“Highlighting the importance of physical exercise for these students will hopefully lead to them forming healthy habits that they will take with them through their life,

? she said.

“The Aviva Health Schools’ Fitness Challenge is also a fun way to get healthy and I hope to see even more schools compete in this year’s challenge. Get your school registered now.

?
Register for the Aviva Health Schools’ Fitness Challenge online at www.avivahealth.ie/fitnesschallenge by the closing date, Saturday, January 17.