Southsiders urged to escape their chair this September

THE Irish Heart Foundation has launched its month-long heart health campaign entitled, ‘Escape Your Chair’.

The campaign, which aims to raise awareness of prolonged sitting as a risk factor for heart disease and stroke will be empowering and encouraging the public to move more and sit less throughout September by providing tools and guides to get active.

An Ipsos MRBI Omnipoll revealed that people in Ireland spend an average of 7.3 hours a day sitting down.

Higher levels of sedentary behaviour are associated with a 147 per cent increase in the risk of heart disease and stroke.

There is increasing evidence that the positive health benefits of exercise may not entirely counteract the negative effects of a mostly sedentary lifestyle.

As part of its #EscapeYourChair heart month campaign, the Irish Heart Foundation has created a range of resources to help people sit less and move more.

These include an online sitting time calculator, a Deskercise video, a Move More Walking Challenge, a Couch to 5k guide, as well as expert tips and advice on how to increase physical activity levels.

These are available at www.EscapeYourChair.ie.

On Saturday, September 28, to help people ‘Escape Your Chair’, the charity is calling on locals to walk, jog, or run in the Irish Heart Foundation Heart Hero 5K at parkrun events that are being staged across Dublin in association with parkrun Ireland.

The Irish Heart Foundation Heart Hero 5k can be completed at several Southside location, including: Poolbeg parkrun, Sean Moore Park, Sandymount, Dublin 4; Bushy parkrun, Bushy Park, Terenure, Dublin 6; Corkagh parkrun, Corkagh Park, St John's Cres, Corkagh Demesne, Dublin 8; Marlay parkrun, Marlay Park, Grange Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16; and Cabinteely parkrun, Cabinteely Park, Old Bray Road, Cabinteely.