Cork schools urged to sign up for Aviva Health Schools Fitness Challenge 2015

CORK schools have been urged to sign up for Aviva Health Schools' Fitness Challenge 2015.

Last year, almost one in four Cork schools signed up for the Schools’ Fitness Challenge in 2014 – 21 Cork Schools (24.4 per cent of secondary schools in Cork).

2014 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 first, second, third and Transition Year male and female students that measures aerobic fitness and highlights the importance of cardiovascular fitness to their current and future health.

The Most Improved School in the 2014 Aviva Health Schools’ Fitness Challenge experienced a massive 68.1 per cent improvement between phases demonstrating the positive impact that even a short spell of fitness activity/exercise has on cardiovascular health.

When teachers register for the Challenge at www.avivahealth.ie/fitnesschallenge by Saturday, January 17th, they will receive a step-by-step guide to participation and a CD with the bleep test.

Teachers must conduct an initial fitness test to measure the current level of fitness of their students and these results should be submitted by Saturday, January 24th.

The teachers then undertake a six-week training programme with their students to improve their cardiovascular fitness, after which the students complete a repeat fitness test to measure the improvement.

There are prizes from Elverys Sports in eight categories for the most improved and fittest boys, girls and mixed schools. Every PE teacher whose class completes the challenge will be entered into a draw to win a €500 Elverys Sports voucher.