Gabija Gataveckaite
LIVERPOOL FC legend Jamie Carragher launched an innovate fitness programme in the Samuel Beckett Civic Centre in Ballyogan last Thursday.
The ‘Watch Us Get Fit’ programme uses a small device, which tracks footsteps, calories burned, distance covered and intensity.
The device syncs up to a main hub and downloads all of the data onto an online database, which will then display the information in colourful graphics on a dashboard for the user.
Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Leisure has invested in 100 devices, which will be introduced in the Ballyogan Centre as a starting point and will then expand to other centres in the future.
Speaking to Southside People at the launch, CEO of DL Rathdown Leisure, Niall Cull, explained that devices can be allocated to schools, football teams, or to those who take part in the MedEx programme, attend cardiac rehab classes, spinning classes or the gym.
“We’re going to identify pilot groups and try and collate data across as many different profiles as we can,” said Mr Cull. “Once we get it controlled and understood in a small centre like this, the aim is to then bring it out to other centres.”
The device could also play a pivotal role in helping combat childhood obesity.
The programme is already available in some schools in the UK, and DLR Leisure is the first place to have it in Ireland.
Speaking to the Southside People, Jamie Carragher said that developing this product was just “common sense”.
“Every country has a problem with obesity so I think this programme is just common sense but we’ve grown bigger than expected.”
He explained that the device focuses on children as this will help get them into good habits from an early age.
“It’s easier to educate people at a younger age and make them realise how important health is,” he said. “If we can prevent it at an early age, that bodes well for the future.”
The former football star and popular television sports pundit has noticed that people are more health conscious these days.
“Gyms are popping up all around and I didn’t see anything like that when I was a kid,” he added.
“It feels like pubs are closing and gyms are opening; the world is becoming more aware of trying to eat healthy and being as active as possible.”
For further information, visit www.dlrleisure.ie/ballyogan/