FAQs – Get Ireland Active Website
What is www.getirelandactive.ie?
www.getirelandactive.ie is an interactive website which provides a one-stop shop
for those wanting to get more active as well as those promoting physical activity
in Ireland.
The website provides information on a wide range of physical activity events
throughout Ireland, with the facility to allow event organisers and organisations
list and promote their activities.
The website aims to encourage people to become more active by creating
awareness of the range of activities and opportunities for physical activity that
exist locally, regionally and nationally. It also contains a wealth of information
and interactive features to help people get started or become more active and
stay motivated.
Why is www.getirelandactive.ie needed?
Research shows that only four in every ten adults take part in moderate or
strenuous physical activity for at least 20 minutes three or more times a week,
and one in five people are physically inactive (SLAN 2007). The National
Guidelines for Physical Activity in Ireland recommend that adults should take part
in moderate physical activity for 30 minutes a day on 5 days of the week (or 150
minutes a week).
Being physically active can reduce the risk of developing chronic disease such as
coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers by up to 50% as well
as reducing the risk of premature death by 20-30%. Getting more people more
active will also help combat the rising levels of overweight and obesity. In Ireland
two out of every three adults are overweight or obese, and one in three children
is overweight.
The Health Service Executive works in partnership with a wide range of
organisations, such as the Irish Sports Council, Irish Heart Foundation, Local
Sports Partnerships, the Community Games as well as National Governing
Bodies to promote physical activity. The partners identified the need to have a
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one-stop shop where the general public could find out about the benefits of
physical activity and what is on in their area to help them become more active.
This led to the re-development of www.getirelandactive.ie as an interactive
website where people can:
 See what physical activity events are happening each week
 Search for activities happening in their area
 Search for an activity by date, age, ability and cost
 Sign up for email alerts when new events are listed on the site
 Submit information on events they are organising
 Find links to lots of national and international physical activity websites
 Access a wide range of booklets and other physical activity resources
If people want help to get more active, by visiting www.getirelandactive.ie, they
will find:
 Advice on how to get started,
 Tips on how to get more active, and
 Motivation to keep going.
Who is the website for?
www.getirelandactive.ie is for everyone.
The general public can find out information about what is on in their area as well
as information and support to help them become more active.
The site will also be of interest to people involved in promoting health and
physical activity in Ireland, such as health promotion and public health workers,
health professionals, teaching and non-teaching staff across the education
sector, local sport partnerships, those working in the health and fitness industry
and youth workers such as youth club leaders or children’s activity club leaders.
How do I use the site?
To find out what’s on in your area
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Roll your mouse over the counties to find events in your area. Click on the
county to list all events in that area. Click any one of these events for further
details.
Each event will describe when the event is on, what age category it is suitable
for, whether it is for beginners, intermediates, advanced or for all. It also lists
information such as whether there is a cost associated with the event or whether
it has disability access.
To sign-up for event alerts
Click on the subscribe button on the home page. Fill in your details and you will
get a weekly update if there are activities that match your choices.
Find details of a specific type of event or events happening on a specific
date
Click on the see all events button on the home page. You can search by date,
type of event or area using the search facility at the top of the page.
Add your own event to the website
Click on the submit event button on the home page. Fill in the details of your
event. All submissions will be reviewed by a site moderator before going live.
Who moderates the website?
The website is moderated by Local Sports Partnerships and Health Promotion
Officers of the HSE.
Who developed the website?
The website was developed by the HSE in partnership with the Get Ireland Active
Steering Group. The Steering Group members include the Irish Sports Council,
the Irish Heart Foundation, Local Sports Partnerships representative, National
Governing Bodies representative, Department of Education & Science, CARA,
Community Games and Go for Life.
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Background information on The National Guidelines for Physical Activity
and Physical Activity in general.
What are the National Guidelines for Physical Activity Ireland
The National Guidelines on Physical Activity for Ireland have been developed to
support the promotion of physical activity in Ireland. These guidelines aim to
emphasize the importance of physical activity to the health of all Irish people and
outline the recommendations for physical activity for people of all ages and
abilities.
What is the core recommendation for adults regarding the national
guidelines on physical activity?
To promote and maintain health, all healthy adults aged 18 to 65 years need
moderate-intensity aerobic (endurance) physical activity for least 30 minutes on
five days a week or at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity a
week
What is the core recommendation for children and young people regarding
the national guidelines on physical activity?
All children and young people should be active at a moderate to vigorous level
for at least 60 minutes everyday.
What is the difference between moderate and vigorous intensity physical
activity?
Moderate intensity activity is when the heart is beating faster and the breathing is
harder than normal. During vigorous activity the heart is beating much faster and
the breathing is much harder than normal.
Can I do more than the recommended amount of physical activity?
The National Physical Activity Guidelines for Ireland recommendation
emphasises the important fact that physical activity above the recommended
minimum amount provides even greater health benefits. Exceeding the minimum
recommendation further reduces the risk of inactivity-related chronic disease.
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Why take part in Physical Activity?
There is a large amount of evidence showing the benefits to general health and
well-being of taking part in regular physical activity. Physical inactivity is a
primary contributor to a broad range of chronic diseases such as coronary heart
disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers. Being physically active can reduce
your chances of developing one of these diseases by up to 50% as well as
reducing the risk of premature death by 20-30%.
What are the benefits of physical activity? (Adults, older adults and people
with disabilities)
Strong evidence of:
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Better cardio-respiratory and muscular fitness
Less weight gain
Better weight maintenance after weight loss
Lower risk of early death
Lower risk of stroke
Lower risk of coronary heart disease
Lower risk of high blood pressure
Lower risk of unhealthy blood lipid profile
Lower risk of type 2 diabetes
Lower risk of metabolic syndrome
Lower risk of colon and breast cancer
Fewer falls
Reduced levels of depression
Better cognitive function in older adults
Some evidence of:
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Lower risk of hip fracture
Lower risk of lung cancer
Lower risk of endometrial cancer
Stronger bone density
Better sleep quality
Reduced abdominal fat
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What are the cost benefits to being active? (Check obesity hub)
On average, an inactive person spends 38% more days in hospital than an active
person, has 5.5% more family physician visits, 13% more specialist services and
12% more nurse visits than an active person. There are no accurate figures for
physical inactivity costs in Ireland; however, physical inactivity costs the UK’s
NHS system up to £1.8 billion a year. We also know that in 2005, the cost for
treating obesity in Ireland was estimated at €0.4billion.
What other resources are available to support the implementation of The
National Guidelines on Physical Activity for Ireland – “Get Ireland Active”?
Along with the Get Ireland Active website there are a number of useful links and
pdf’s available from the website;
 Executive summary wall-chart (for health professionals and those working
with and supporting individuals or groups)
 Get Active Your Way booklet (general public)
 Fact-sheet for Adults
 Fact-sheet for Parents and Guardians
How active are Irish People?
The National Survey of Lifestyles Attitudes and Nutrition (SLÁN 2007) showed
that:
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Only 41% of Irish adults took part in moderate or strenuous physical
activity for at least 20 minutes three or more times a week. This level of
activity has not changed much over the past ten years – 40% in 2002
compared with 38% in 1998.
1 in 5 people are physically inactive.
The Health Behaviours in School Children Survey (HBSC, 2006) found that:
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More than half of primary school age children did not do the
recommended level of physical activity.
By 15 years of age, almost nine out of 10 girls and seven out of 10 boys
don’t reach the recommended level.
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We do not have specific data for people with disabilities taking part in physical
activity (NDA, 2005).
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How active should we be to benefit our health?
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Adults (aged 18–64) are at least 30 minutes a day of moderate activity on
5 days of the week (or 150 minutes a week).
Children and young people (aged 2 -18) should be active at a moderate to
vigorous level, for at least 60 minutes everyday.
Older people need at least 30 minutes a day of moderate intensity activity
on five days a week, or 150 minutes a week.
Adults with disabilities should be as active as their ability allows. They
should aim to meet the adult guidelines of at least 30 minutes of moderate
intensity activity on 5 days a week.
Can you do too much physical activity?
Definitely. More is not necessarily better. Beginners should take a rest day at
least every other day, while those who are more active should consider taking a
rest day after a very vigorous workout or alternate exercise programmes so that
you're working different muscle groups. You must give your body a chance to
recover from the stress of exercising.
What about those who are trying to maintain a healthy weight or to lose
weight?
To avoid gaining weight, you need to use at least 350 calories per day in physical
activity, as well as the energy you use in everyday tasks. This means about 60
minutes of brisk walking or 30 minutes of jogging per day.
To lose weight you need to do more physical activity than that recommended for
adults at a healthy weight. In general, you need to do about one third more
activity than the recommended adult guidelines. This amounts to brisk walking for
at least 60 – 75 minutes per day.
If you have lost a significant amount of weight, you may need to do 60–90
minutes of moderate activity per day to keep the weight off.
It is important to note that adults who are overweight or obese gain similar health
benefits from physical activity as people with a healthy body weight. Even when
weight loss is not achieved, there are health benefits from being more active.
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What are the rates of overweight/obesity on the island of Ireland?
Currently 1 in 3 children are considered overweight and 1 in 5 children are
classified as obese and 2 out of every 3 adults in Ireland are overweight or
obese. In 2005, it was estimated that about 2,000 premature deaths in Ireland
(ROI) were attributed to obesity and that these deaths could be costing that state
(ROI) as much as €4 billion a year.
Investing for Health, the public health strategy for NI, reported that obesity was
estimated to be causing 450 deaths each year. It also estimated that, in NI,
obesity was resulting in 260,000 working days lost each year and was costing the
economy £500 million (DHSSPS 2002 in Fit Futures).
The World Health Organization (WHO) has described obesity as one of the most
serious public health challenges. The problem of obesity is at epidemic
proportions amongst adults and children across the island of Ireland and looks
set to continue growing at a rate of 1% every year.
What about those who are not active or do not have the time?
You don’t have to be sporty or do structured exercise; you can count all physical
activity that last 10 minutes or more towards the guideline. We need to increase
our activities of daily living, as becoming more sedentary has had the biggest
impact on our activity levels and has increased rates of overweight and obesity in
the country. Limiting sedentary activities such as TV and computers and short
journeys in the car can create the opportunity to be more active.
What helps people become more active?
Having support from your family and friends makes it easier to be active.
Getting active as a family is a great way to encourage children to build good
activity habits for life. Be active for reasons that are important to you –
personalise the benefits of regular physical activity.
Self-belief is the confidence that you can be physically active. It is an important
factor in motivating people to be active. Choose role models that you or your
group can relate to, ideally role models of similar ability.
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What advice would you give to parents to encourage them to get their
children physically active?
Log onto the website and look up events for all the family. You can also
 Plan activities together for example visit the local park or playground or
a place of interest or walk to the cinema.
 Involve your children in the decision-making will help them feel
responsible for their choices.
 Encourage a positive attitude about physical activity.
 Encourage your child to play outside.
 Model an active lifestyle.
 Encourage healthy eating habits – proper nutrition is the foundation for
an active lifestyle.
 Limit television and computer time to less than 2 hours/day.
 When giving gifts – choose toys that encourage physical activity.
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