Surprising as it may be to some, it would appear that children of primary school age and older have a significantly deeper interest in taking physical exercise than many adults might realise.
That is a belief shared by banana importers Fyffes who, because of Covid-19 school closure regulations, have taken their ‘Fit Squad’ programme of school fitness visits off-road and moved it online so those of school-going age can maintain an exercise regime – especially at the present time.
Within the first week of ‘going live’ online, on Fyffes Facebook, YouTube and Instagram channels, viewer statistics show that more than 73,000 people have tuned in to take part in the various exercise routines.
Hosted by Irish fitness expert Tom Dalton, programmes are presented in a series of short interactive videos that can also be viewed on a dedicated website created for the programme (www.fyffesfitsquad.ie) – included also are the chances for viewers to win daily spot prizes.
Background
Conceived as a means of introducing young people to the importance of physical exercise, the programme has the additional aim of combating the risk of overweight and obesity by emphasising the importance of healthy eating.
Said by Fyffes marketing manager, Emma Hunt-Duffy to be ‘an energetic and enjoyable antidote to lockdown fatigue’, the positive response it has received, live and online, “proves that its message is one being enjoyed by parents and children alike”.
Before going on-line, the ‘Fit Squad’ programme – which has attracted a number of awards – had been enjoyed by over 17,000 children participating in the interactive sessions during 345 individual school visits held across 29 counties, north and south, since its inception in 2018.
“With all indications pointing to the fact that ‘Fit Squad’ is achieving its goal, and with hundreds of applications in the pipeline from schools awaiting individual visits, it is clear that – when current restrictions are lifted – the programme will have a very worthwhile future, in both live and on-line mediums,” Ms. Hunt-Duffy added.
