New Year, New You – make 2016 your healthiest year yet!

Islington Council is today launching a new campaign to encourage the borough’s residents to make 2016 their healthiest year yet.

Local people are being offered plenty of opportunities and support to get active, drink less, stop smoking, improve their diet, and undertake regular health checks – as part of the council’s ‘New Year, New You’ campaign.

Leisure services provider, GLL, and Islington Council are offering free membership for local gyms and sports centres, where there are plenty of activities going on to help residents get fit, strong, and healthy for the year ahead.

The council is also supporting Don’t Bottle It Up’s ‘Dry January’ campaign for 2016. Last year, over two million adults across the UK gave up alcohol for a month – which has been proven to significantly reduce cholesterol, blood pressure and liver damage, as well as improve quality of sleep.

The north London local authority is supporting Public Health England's 'Health Harms' campaign, in which smokers with New Year’s resolutions to quit are being encouraged to make this the month they put it out permanently and seek expert help and face-to-face support from their local stop smoking advisor. Studies show that people trying to quit smoking are four times as likely to be successful if they get help and don’t go it alone. 

Islington Council is also backing Change4Life’s ‘Sugar Smart’ campaign, which provides local schools and children’s centres with resources to teach children about the benefits of healthy eating. Local residents aged between 35 and 74 are also being encouraged to get a free NHS Health Check.  

Deputy Leader of Islington Council and executive member for Health and Wellbeing, Cllr Janet Burgess, said: “January is a great time for making promises to ourselves: to stop smoking, to get down to the gym, to drink less, to finally schedule that doctor’s appointment.

“The council is committed to helping our residents lead healthy, independent lives, and, as part of this, we want to make sure local people have access to the services they need to keep those promises and change their lifestyle for the better.”

“Good luck to all those trying to get healthy and active in 2016! With all the great support, opportunities, and facilities available across the borough, why not keep up the momentum and make 2016 your healthiest year yet?”

For more information, please click here: http://www.islington.gov.uk/islington/news-events/council-news/Pages/Get-healthy-in-2016.aspx?extra=6