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Jersey Sport encourage more islanders to stay active this summer on their Walk, Run, Swim and Cycle programmes!

Jersey Sport created its Move More Jersey initiative in 2019 with the aim of promoting the importance of physical activity and the role it plays in both mental and physical health. Jersey Sport CEO Catriona McAllister said: “For many Islanders, there are clear and obvious barriers to being active, or perhaps they simply don’t know where to start. Move More Jersey was designed to provide simple, achievable ways to move more, helping Islanders to become gradually more active and grow in mental and physical confidence.”

Since 2019, Move More Jersey have substantially increased the range and quantity of programmes and services on offer, ensuring there are a wide variety of options for islanders of all ages and abilities, in multiple locations and at an affordable price. This summer, Jersey Sport are encouraging islanders to get outside and enjoy the sunshine while improving their mental and physical health.

Our Move More Swim programmes are aimed at islanders who need support in learning to swim, improving their technique or increasing confidence in the sea or deep water. Our programmes take place both indoors and outdoors and provide a safe, non-judgemental space in which to learn.

This summer’s Move More Adult Open Water Swimming programme has just started and is aimed at over 16s who can confidently swim up to 50m in a pool but are apprehensive about sea swimming. Over the course of six weeks, participants will learn the basics of sea swimming as well as being educated on the tides, effects of weather and important tips for open water swimming.

There are eight different course ‘blocks’ to choose from, on Monday mornings and Wednesday evenings, starting at various dates throughout July and August. The course costs £33 and takes place either at Havre des Pas bathing pool or Ouaisne Bay, depending on the tide timings. For more information please visit: https://movemore.je/swim-more/

Martine Le Guilcher, Swimming Development Officer at Jersey Sport said, “If you have never swum in the sea before or feel you would like to gain more confidence when open water swimming, we’re here to support you to develop your open water swimming ability. Sea swimming is fun, sociable, relaxing and a great way to boost your mental and physical wellbeing!”

Our Move More Cycle programmes are designed for islanders who need help learning to ride a bike, want to improve their confidence and be able to enjoy cycling around the island with family or friends, or using their bike safely and confidently on the road as a form of active travel.

Islander Jan Williamson, who took part in our Learn to Ride course said: “It was so lovely to meet other people just like me. The course took us through everything in baby steps, starting with how to correctly fit your helmet and checking tyres, brakes and chain before starting to ride. Laura and her team were so lovely; I never felt stupid or left behind.”

We have three levels of cycle programmes including: Learn to Ride (beginners), Sofa2Saddle (to build confidence) and Gaining Momentum (building distance). Once riders have progressed through the programmes, they can join our guided rides which are offered for both women only and mixed rides for anyone over 18. For more details of all our cycle programmes, please visit: https://movemore.je/cycle-more/

Our FREE Move More RunTogether programmes are aimed at people who have never run before, or need support to get started, or help to continue on their running journey. We believe that running is best enjoyed in a fun, sociable and supportive environment and aim to help islanders to build their running confidence and ability and be able to achieve a 5km run (or run/walk) in nine weeks. For more details of our running programmes, please visit: https://movemore.je/run-more/

Islander and blogger Tina completed our Move More RunTogether ‘Get Me Started’ programme and finished her first 5km Parkrun. She said: “If you think of a runner, I doubt they would look anything like me. I’m not athletic, have great difficulty maintaining any sort of fitness regime and really like food. Definitely not the usual candidate you’d expect to take on a 5K run…but I have a ‘Lifetime To Do’ list, and for some reason, running 5k was on that list. And now I can proudly say, I run.”

Walking can make a huge difference to your health – even a short 10-minute brisk walk can get your heart pumping faster, making you feel more energetic and improving your mood.

Our Move More Walks are designed to improve mental and physical wellbeing, provide opportunity for support and encouragement and offer a great group activity to boost social interaction, human connection and wellbeing. Our Level 1 walks are especially useful for those with lower physical ability or long-term health conditions. We’ve designed a comprehensive timetable that ensures walks start from a wide variety of locations across the island with convenient parking and accessible bus routes. To view our Move More Walks Timetable and details, please visit: https://movemore.je/walk-more/

Claudia Andrade, Move More Community Engagement and Inclusion Officer, said: “I’m thrilled that we’re able to support islanders of all ages and abilities to get more active more often with our wide range of programmes and courses. We’re committed to helping people gain more confidence, improve fitness, boost mental health and enhance social connection with like-minded people.”

All our programmes are run by dedicated, trained leaders and supported by friendly volunteers. To find out more about our Move More Jersey programmes, please visit: https://movemore.je/

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