ZAGREB, January 30, 2020 – As of Wednesday, citizens of Zagreb aged 35 to 65 can apply to participate in the “Physical activity for health reasons – Getfit4free” project, which includes Nordic walking or fitness classes for three months free of charge, with professional guidance and a personalised approach.
According to data from the European Health Interview Survey, 45.8% of men and 30.5% of women in Croatia are overweight, and 64.8% of Croatians do not participate in any recreational physical activity. The bleak statistics prompted the City of Zagreb and Faculty of Kinesiology to launch the Getfit4free project, a press conference was told on Wednesday.
The goal of the project is to effectively counteract the negative consequences of the working population’s sedentary lifestyle through physical activity as part of Nordic walking and fitness programmes (cardio and circuit programmes).
It is also important to raise awareness about the importance of physical activity and healthy habits for maintaining health and increasing the healthy life expectancy, the project manager Damir Knjaz said, adding that the City granted 950,000 kuna (128,000 euro) for the project.
The targeted beneficiaries are groups of physically inactive middle-aged and senior citizens, from 35 to 65 years of age, who are at considerable risk of various health issues due to an unhealthy lifestyle.
“Many studies have shown that physical inactivity leads to health issues in the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and respiratory systems,” said the Dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology, Dean Tomislav Krstičević.
More Zagreb news can be found in the Lifestyle section.
