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The whole of Europe is now turning its focus on how society and the economy will recover after the pandemic and that is reflected in the development of some major policy and budget planning that is underway. In that context, the It’s Great Out There Coalition is actively involved in some important public affairs work, encouraging EU members to ensure that sport and physical activity feature in National Recovery and Resilience Plans that are being prepared.

At #itsgreatoutthere campaign HQ (which moves around, but is usually on a hill or mountain somewhere), we were very interested to see the news that the World Health Organization (WHO) has released new physical activity guidelines, recommending that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every week. The guidelines also state that children up to the age of 17 need at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise each day, and that those activities should be mostly aerobic.

Next week, our colleagues at the European Outdoor Group (EOG) will be participating in an exciting online seminar, organised by the European Network of Outdoor Sports (ENOS). ‘Bringing nature back to our #BeActive lives’ will feature a panel of experts from across the outdoor and sports industry, including EOG President Mark Held, ENOS Chairman Mike McClure, Head of the Nature Unit DG ENV European Commission Nicola Notaro, and elite outdoor sports athlete Kilian Jornet.

Cities in which residents are physically active have a big advantage over their more sedentary rivals, with better economic productivity, higher property values and improved school performance, as well as a healthier population.