Online registration opens for National Recreation Day and Big Walk

National Recreation Day is scheduled to take place countrywide on Friday, 4 October at the Union Building Gardens, while the Big Walk (which will also be held nationwide) is set to take place on 6 October at Fountains Valley.

Looking to kick-start a healthier lifestyle? Time is running out to register for the Big Walk and National Recreation Day (NRD).

Online registration for the NRD and the Big Walk, which will be hosted by the Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture, will close on Sunday, 15 September.

National Recreation Day is scheduled to take place countrywide on Friday, 4 October at the Union Building Gardens, while the Big Walk (which will also be held nationwide) is set to take place on 6 October at Fountains Valley.

Registration for both events opened on 2 September.

Those interested in the taking part in the Big Walk can register on https://www.srsaevents.com/BW2019/verify_search.php, while those keen on participating in the NRD can do so on https://www.srsaevents.com/NRD2019/verify_search.php. 

“The Department of Sport and Recreation continues to shape up society by raising awareness about positive and healthy lifestyles, with the objective of reducing the mortality rate and curbing the scourge of non-communicable diseases. 

“This coming October, a number of ‘I choose 2B Active’ activities and programs have been identified as pillars that will be used to raise awareness among the society on the elements associated with a healthy lifestyle,” said the department.

According to the Global Recommendations on Physical Activity for Health of the World Health Organisation (WHO), physical inactivity is now identified as the fourth leading risk factors for global mortality.

Levels of physical inactivity are rising in many countries with major implications for the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and the general health of the population worldwide.

In 2014, Cabinet declared the first Friday of October each year as NRD, granting all South Africans an opportunity to get involved in active recreation activities.

“In line with the Cabinet decision, the department started the ‘I Choose 2B Active’ campaign, which is a call to action for all South Africans to engage in physical activity. The campaign seeks to change the behavior of all South Africans and attitude towards healthy living.”

Powerbox, Tai-Chi and a kiddies program will be among the activities on hand at NRD, which will get underway at 8 am.

A park-and-ride facility will be implemented for the Big Walk, which will get underway at corner Molten and Hans Strydom.

Parking for the Big Walk will be made available at Fleur Park and Fleur Primary School.

Participants of the Big Walk can take part in the 5km, 10km, 15km walk followed by a post walks aerobics session, a kiddie’s corner, and open stage entertainment.

Participation in the Big Walk and NRD is free, however, all participants need to register.

(With Inputs from South African Government Press Release)