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With the Paris Olympics and Paralympics 2024 around the corner, it’s the perfect time to focus on fitness. Around 40% of adults in the UK are physically inactive, which puts them at a 24% increased risk of developing coronary heart disease. These sporting events only come around every four years, so it is the perfect time to get inspired to improve your overall fitness and heart health.
Here we share some tips and ideas to boost your physical activity and enjoy this summer’s sporting events.
Get motivated
Seeing the athletes compete in events such as running, cycling and swimming can serve as motivation to increase your physical activity levels. Start small and work towards meeting the World Health Organisation's physical activity guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week.
Try a new sport
The Olympics and Paralympics are great for scoping out new hobbies and seeing sports you think look fun and exciting. If you see a new sport that you fancy trying, then find your local club and get involved. This will not only allow you to learn new skills, but it’ll help you to socialise with new people, which also benefits our mental health.
Sport and physical activity strengthen your heart muscle, along with your other muscles, and help to reduce your blood pressure. It’s also great for improving your blood sugar control and cholesterol levels.
An opportunity to socialise
Watching and celebrating the Olympics and Paralympics is a great reason to meet up with your friends and family. You could watch the events together, cheer on the athletes and have a heart-healthy BBQ. Research shows that the strength of our social connections impacts our health, so don’t discount the importance of catching up with people.
Organise your own mini-Olympics in your garden or at the local park? Gather your friends and family, split yourself into teams and get active. You could carry out activities such as shot put with a tennis ball, relays and long jump.