At the launch of the Irish Heart Foundation’s September Heart Month campaign, Escape Your Chair is Dr Ciara Kelly, GP, Columnist and Newstalk Radio Broadcaster. The campaign, which aims to raise awareness of prolonged sitting as a risk factor for heart disease and stroke offers a range of resources to help people move more and sit less.

The Irish Heart Foundation has today 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 for heart month, by providing tools and guides to get active. 

An Ipsos MRBI Omnipoll revealed that people in Ireland spend on average 7.3 hours a day sitting down. Higher levels of sedentary behaviour are associated with a 147% increase in the risk of heart disease and stroke[1].

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.

Pictured at the launch of the Irish Heart Foundation’s September Heart Month campaign, Escape Your Chair are Nicola Murphy, Health Promotion Co-ordinator, Irish Heart Foundation, Marese Damery, Health Check Manager, Irish Heart Foundation, Dr Ciara Kelly, GP, Columnist and Newstalk Radio Broadcaster and Tara Curran, Slí na Sláinte Coordinator, Irish Heart Foundation.

On Saturday, September 28th, to help people ‘Escape Your Chair’, and support the work of the Irish Heart Foundation, the charity  is calling on locals to walk, jog, or run in the Irish Heart Foundation Heart Hero 5K at parkrun events across Cork in association with parkrun Ireland. The Irish Heart Foundation Heart Hero 5k can be completed in Cork at:

  • Glengarriff parkrun, Glengarriff Nature Reserve, Kenmare Road, Glengarriff, Co. Cork
  • Bere Island parkrun, GAA club Rerrin village, Bere Island, Beara, Co. Cork
  • Castlehaven parkrun, Rineen Woods, Union Hall, Co. Cork
  • Clonakilty parkrun, The Show Grounds, Park Road (N71), Clonakilty, Co. Cork
  • Castle Demense parkrun, The Castle Demense, Macroom, Co. Cork
  • Ballincollig parkrun, The Regional Park, Ballincollig, Co. Cork
  • Glen River parkrun, Glen River Park, Glen Avenue, The Glen, Co. Cork
  • Mallow Town parkrun, Mallow Town Park, Park Road, Mallow, Co. Cork

Log on to www.EscapeYourChair.ie to learn more and get your free training plan.

Tara Curran, SlÍ na Sláinte Coordinator with the Irish Heart Foundation said: “80% of premature heart disease and stroke is preventable and as physical inactivity is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, we are encouraging the people of Cork and nearby to make some small changes to incorporate more physical activity into their day.”

“It is recommended that we get 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity at least 5 days of the week, but this does not cancel out the damage caused to our health by sitting for long periods of time. According to the latest Irish Sports Monitor (2017), 13% of Irish adults are sedentary.”

“Small changes can go a long way to improve your heart health so check out ways to move more and sit less at www.EscapeYourChair.ie” she added.

[1] Wilmot, E.G., Edwardson, C.L., Achana, F.A. et al. Diabetologia (2012) 55: 2895. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-012-2677-z

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