Can you make a difference?
I have a very exciting update on my parkHIIT social enterprise and this is your opportunity to get involved.
parkHIIT is a free community workout promoting the importance of resistance exercise. Some people think that ‘resistance is futile’ but that’s not the case. parkHIIT proves that ‘resistance is worthwhile’!
Check out this really short ‘What is parkHIIT’ video to get up to speed on the concept:
Latest Update and Current Focus
parkHIIT is registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee (a not-for-profit organisation), an independent board is in place and we operate in six locations in Dublin and online every single weekend thanks to our amazing team of volunteers.
What is the Vision?
parkHIIT’s vision is to advance physical, mental and social wellbeing for people of all ages and backgrounds by promoting the importance of resistance exercise.
We want to grow parkHIIT to every community in Ireland and the UK and if you’re reading this, this is your opportunity to get your organisation involved and help us do that.
A Lot More Than a Workout – Social Connection and Mental Wellbeing
parkHIIT is more than just a workout. We partner with local coffee shops who provide free porridge after parkHIIT sessions. The workout is the hook that first gets people interested. They return for the community; the porridge, coffee and chat afterwards. Promoting social connection and mental wellbeing is a key part of our vision.
What is the opportunity for my organisation?
This is your opportunity to get in on the ground floor, to become a founding partner of parkHIIT. Do you care about promoting physical, mental and social wellbeing? This is your chance to help parkHIIT grow, to effect change, to move the needle for people in local communities.
parkHIIT will train (and insure) volunteer employees from our founding partner organisations to deliver parkHIIT sessions for their colleagues during the week AND bring free parkHIIT workouts to their local communities at the weekend.
Why should my organisation partner with parkHIIT?
An opportunity for your colleagues to volunteer and gain experience through a meaningful, fun and healthy initiative.
Skill up your colleagues to lead parkHIIT sessions for their team mates at lunch time. You can build relationships by inviting local businesses / partners / suppliers to participate.
Those same colleagues can bring parkHIIT to their local parks at the weekend, promoting your organisation and making connections in local communities.
Align your organisation with a not-for-profit social enterprise promoting physical, mental and social wellbeing.
Why do we need parkHIIT?
The WHO “Recommended Levels of Physical Activity for Adults“ states that “Muscle-strengthening activities should be done involving major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week.”
We’re not great for promoting the importance of exercise and when we do, it’s almost always cardiovascular exercise that is promoted. Cardiovascular exercise is incredibly important but resistance exercise is equally as important but it gets very little attention.
parkHIIT’s mission is to change that.
Lean muscle mass sadly diminishes with age for everyone. If you don't do anything to replace the lean muscle you lose, you'll increase the percentage of fat in your body over time. Resistance training can help preserve and enhance muscle mass at any age.
I’ve heard enough. How do we get parkHIITing?
Email brian@parkhiit.com and we can take it from there.
What will our CSR funding go towards?
CSR funding will help parkHIIT achieve its vision and deliver on our pillars:
Social Impact: The parkHIIT Pillars
1) Engage
Healthy Communities are the cornerstone of our society and healthy people are what make healthy communities.
parkHIIT will engage participants both in person and online ensuring parkHIIT participants can access appropriate and engaging support and information in their own time, at every stage of their fitness journey.
2) Empower
Resistance is futile - or is it? We know that physical activity is proven to improve psychological wellbeing and resistance training in particular has been found to improve confidence and regain physical ability over time.
Through our free weekly workout sessions, parkHIIT will empower participants to not only feel physically strong but also regain their confidence, proving that resistance isn’t futile, it is worthwhile and necessary!
3) Educate
For parkHIIT, education is a crucial element to improving the wellbeing of individuals as well as communities. We will focus on engaging instructors within local communities, providing them with training and support to become parkHIIT leaders.
By providing opportunities locally, we want to build a movement and ensure that the knowledge gained by our leaders is passed on and built upon to enrich their parkHIIT hub and their wider community.
4) Enjoy
Ireland and the UK has many local parks across the country, some flourish while a large number are left underutilised or even neglected by local communities.
Imagine if each Saturday and Sunday morning there was a reason for people to get out and get active in their local park. This is what parkHIIT wants to create; we want to give people a reason to get out and get active, enjoying their local parks through parkHIIT weekend sessions.
Final Word
Having parkHIIT as a wellbeing partner is an opportunity for your colleagues to volunteer and skill up as parkHIIT leaders and deliver parkHIIT workouts for your colleagues and also to bring parkHIIT to their local communities.
The impact on people's physical and mental wellbeing has been well documented over the past year, not to mention the social isolation many are feeling. parkHIIT is uniquely positioned when restrictions are fully lifted to provide an uplifting and positive boost to local communities:
Together we will get people physically active with our workouts, we’ll connect them socially over a coffee and a porridge afterwards and we’ll do wonders for their mental wellbeing by getting them outdoors in the fresh air and providing a platform for them to meet new people in their organisation or local community.
Which to remind you, is what parkHIIT is all about:
parkHIIT Vision: Advance physical, mental and social wellbeing for people of all ages and backgrounds by promoting the importance of resistance exercise.
Next Steps
At a minimum, if you’re based in Dublin you should check out your nearest parkHIIT workout. They’re all free! Our Dublin locations that run every single weekend are the Phoenix Park, Ashtown, Artane / Beaumont, Poppintree, Stoneybatter and Online. parkHIIT will have at least 10 locations running consistently by the end of the year.
Send us a mail right now to find out how you can get involved: brian@parkhiit.com
Thank you 😊
Yours in health,
Brian
About the Host
Brian Crooke is a wellbeing educator, speaker and adviser, empowering Irish organisations to promote and sustain wellbeing within their workplaces.
He is the founder of The Work Well Institute and the Workplace Wellbeing Ireland community and is Course Director of the Postgraduate Certificate in Workplace Wellness at Tangent, Trinity College Dublin. He is the host of The Work Well Podcast.
In his spare time, Brian is bringing free resistance training to every county and community in Ireland through his parkHIIT social enterprise.