Sally Gunnell is helping to support the campaign
Sally Gunnell and health secretary Andrew Lansley are supporting a campaign to get us more active this summer, as sport takes over our TV.
The campaign, Games4Life will build on the excitement of the sporting activities taking place this summer and will encourage millions of people to get involved and get active.
This summer there will be over 1,200 hours of sport on TV, which is an average of 13 hours a day. New research shows that 93 per cent of us will be tuning into some of this coverage during the next three months.
The survey also shows that over half of us will snack on crisps, four in ten adults will drink alcohol and one in five will eat a takeaway whilst watching.
In a bid to get the nation up off the sofa, Games4Life will be encouraging everyone to fill out a simple activity check questionnaire in return for a tailored Games4Life activity pack to keep both adults and kids active during the summer months.
The innovative campaign will bring ideas and inspiration to the public’s fingertips via the Change4Life website, which is full of fun, easy and free ways for everyone to get moving. And for families, there’s a new mobile app - the Fun Generator - that will equip parents and families with over 100 indoor and outdoor activity ideas for kids of all ages.
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said:
“I'm looking forward to watching what is shaping up to be an exciting summer of sport on TV, beginning today with the first England football match in Euro 2012.
“But we know that playing sport can be as much fun as watching it and we want to help people make the most of opportunities to get active.
"That is why we are launching Games4Life: to inspire us all to get off our sofas and try some activity ourselves.”
Sally Gunnell, former British Olympic Champion and mother of three, said:
“Major sporting events on TV always inspire people to try something out but we sometimes don’t make it past the front door because we’re not sure where to start. It’s great that this campaign strikes while the iron’s hot and gives people encouragement to get active this summer.
“I’ll certainly be looking out for my Games4Life questionnaire and will be filling it out for my whole family.”
Around 2.6 million activity packs have already been distributed to 7,500 schools across the country with lesson plans for teachers and take-home activities for children to use throughout their summer holidays.
