Throughout July, a total of 6,568,797 Move More minutes were registered on the free Move More Sheffield app as part of a world-first programme aiming to get the city moving in the run up to the Rio Olympics.
The citywide Move More Month was supported by more than 50 participating organisers, including the Olympic Legacy Park, as well as the universities, NHS, football clubs and local leisure centres. It was also backed by Sheffield’s Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill.
Over 6,000 Sheffielders were registered on the Move More Sheffield app database, developed by experts from both Sheffield’s universities, to automatically track activity and clock up Move More Minutes, for each minute of activity.
To encourage activity, more than 300 free or discounted sport and leisure were put on for people to try, including walking football, trail running and community rounders.
More than 7,000 people got involved through the Move More football, workplace and school challenges.
The Steel City Derby – a competition pitting Sheffield United against Wednesday supporters to see who has the fittest fans – was won by the Owls. Sheffield Wednesday fans finished with 828,733 minutes and Sheffield United clocked up 499,986 minutes.
The Go for Gold Workplace Challenge title, contested by 23 workplaces, 374 teams and 2,964 participants, was awarded to Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust with staff recording 3,297,293 minutes. Sheffield Hallam University came second with The University of Sheffield in third place.
A total of 1,941 pupils from six school clocked up 2,669 miles during Move More Month.
Move More Month was created by the National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine (NCSEM) in Sheffield
Professor Robert Copeland, Director of the NCSEM, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the success of the first ever Move More Month, both in terms of the support from people across the city and the fact that we hit 6.5 million minutes.
“Throughout Move More Month, our overriding message has been to make physical activity part of everyday life and something you can enjoy with family and friends. It’s about making every minute and move count, whether that be taking the steps instead of the lift or cycling to work or a meeting rather than driving.
“The competitions have really created a sense that people are in this together. Local businesses and colleagues have been pushing each other step for step and, by involving the football clubs, there’s a natural rivalry and desire for supporters to go one better than each other.
“Although Move More Month has finished, we’re keen continue this culture of physical activity as part of our mission to make Sheffield the most active city in the UK by 2020 and we’ll be using the data gathered during July to help make Sheffield a place where people want to enjoy exercise.
“The university teams continue to refine the app and are very excited about the release of a new version early next year. The Move More team will be looking at a programme of events across the 2017 to build on this year’s successes and lessons.
“We’ll also be looking to roll out the project nationally to see how Sheffield compares with other parts of the country and find out which city really is the most active.”
For more information, visit www.movemoresheffield.com .
