Finding something that moves young women

There are three weeks until the West of Ireland Women’s Mini Marathon on Sunday, May 3 in Ballina and this week we are focusing on Her Moves and its programmes for teenage girls.

Her Moves was designed to support and inspire teenage girls to be active by building confidence and providing motivation to find something to get young women moving.

The dropout rate in participation from primary to post-primary is 29% with teenage girls facing unique challenges which can lead to disengagement from sports. The foundation research, which led to the creation of Her Moves, found that just 7% of girls aged 14-15 years are meeting the recommended level of physical activity.

Girls who are active during their teenage years develop a love of sport and much more likely to establish a life-long relationship with sport and exercise into adulthood.

Girls have different lives experiences of sport and physical activity. There is a wide range in levels of engagement ranging from those who have had no positive experiences in sport to those who had previous positive experiences but gradually became disengaged as they got older.

The sport sector better caters for actively engaged ‘sporty’ girls. However, it is important to recognise that ‘non-sporty’ girls who are disengaged may require different or adapted pathways and approaches to attract and sustain interest.

A lot of girls believe they're "not sporty" when they're between 13 and 15 years old. ‘Sportiness’ is often linked to team or contact sports, which means individuals interested in exercise may not feel included in sporting initiatives.

‘Non-sporty’ girls gravitate towards individual exercise and non-team based activities, but they can miss social support and motivation that team sports offer. A happy medium can be to connect girls with others who share their same individual interests such as cycling, outdoor adventure, skating, dancing, swimming or running and to go in groups with friends with no pressure or commitment required.

Research shows if girls enjoy something socially, they are more likely to do it more often and stay at it longer.

One of the mottos of Her Moves is “something that moves you” in both senses of the word – something that gets your body and heart rate going and more importantly something that teenage girls enjoy.

One of the initiatives was Teenage Girls Pilates, provided in conjunction with the Mayo Sports Partnership. The six-week Pilates programme was delivered across Ballinrobe and Castlebar with 20 girls participating in one-hour sessions each week.

Pilates was chosen as an accessible, non-competitive activity which supports flexibility, balance, core strength, posture and mindfulness. Each session was led by a qualified instructor and adapted to ensure inclusivity and safety for all fitness levels.

The participants achieved strong physical, mental and social outcomes from the programme that aligned with the Her Moves principles. Many girls reported that they now have a healthier outlook on exercise and feel more positive about their bodies. Engagement grew across the six weeks with all 20 girls signing up for further Pilates classes which was a positive indicator for the programme.

Due to the success of the initial Pilates programme in Ballinrobe and Castlebar, the next step is to retain participating girls by offering progression pathways like advanced Pilates and introducing additional class options.

Mayo Sports Partnership aims to expand the programme delivery to more towns to ensure greater reach and accessibility.

With the West of Ireland Women’s Mini Marathon just three weeks away, it is the perfect opportunity for teenage girls to get together with their friends or family member and run, jog or walk the 10km course. The Its4Girls Teenage Event is open for secondary school girls aged between 12-18.

All Teen Girls participants will get a race number, downloadable record chart and a medal and all for just €10. For the Its4Girls teenage group spot prizes of Her Moves hoodies will be up for grabs for teenage girl who registers by Monday, April 13.

For anyone who wishes to partake in the West of Ireland Women’s Mini Marathon register now on www.westofirelandwomensminimarathon.com. Over 1,600 people have registered for the event to date, so anyone wishing to take part in this year’s Mini Marathon in encouraged to book their spot.