The Council of the European Union analysed the importance of physical activities and built a thorough report in 2013 with the benefits of active lifestyles and the risks and cost of sedentary ones. One main issued address in the report was that although until 2013, there were efforts being made on the part of public authorities across the European Nations in order to increase the level of health-enhancing physical activity ( HEPA), the number of people who were not enrolled in routine exercising was still lower than necessary, with 60% of them rarely engaging in sports or regular physical activities. The report also included a list of recommendations for ensuring a fast growth and sustainable ecosystem for more European citizens to be more active, more often. Since 2013 the Fitness and Wellness Industry grew at a very fast pace and the trend rapidly picked-up among all nations in the Union, but the focus was still being kept on the issue since the social-economic impact of the wellbeing of its members played such an important role. Nevertheless, since Covid 19 Pandemic began, life came to a halt for many. With fitness clubs and gyms being closed for periods of times, recommendations and restriction being made for group gatherings, quarantines, and lock-downs being imposed in the case of some Nations, sports activities and competitions being suspended, and park and stadiums being closed temporarily, many of the once-active people were found with little to no options in carrying their routine exercises. Not being able to be active brought unease and increased stress levels to an already very harmful situation. During these times, the World Health Organization raised considerable concerns regarding the public mental health and wellbeing, trying to find solutions for people to cope easier with increased levels of stress and anxiety, change of the day to day lives routines, increased depression, loneliness, and hopefully lower the usage of alcohol and substance drugs and self-destructive behaviors. With this context in mind, we bring forward our project that can come as a response for the predicament that once active people find themselves in and a solution for them to be able to continue being active once again, this time in a more creative and sustainable way. Our project's main objective is to help active people restore and reshare their exercising routine and with that their mental and physical wellbeing by introducing them into an online holistic health ecosystem that will make their journey sustainable. Reshape: Active movement through creativity is a program that defines a new frame of reference on the way people can improve their mental and physical health. provide online creative courses to be able to be active in a variety of on-hand setting ( home, at the office, outdoors) creates a new online electronic platform for active people to use regularly build a new ecosystem will stimulate their creativity and make them part of a community with similar interests, focus, and results. The main objectives of the program will be the following: Give a new alternative to active people Design an ecosystem with the right courses and methodology for them to embark on in doing sports and physical activities Learning and developing creative ways to approach sports and fitness Reshaping the mind and body through creative, artistic, and mindful habits Improving their physical and mental health and their overall well being We define the main targeted groups as follows: Primary group: People that used to go to fitness clubs and gyms, dance groups, yoga, and pilates studios. Secondary group: Fitness and Yoga teachers, gymnasts, ex-athletes, who not only want to share creative ideas but who's inspiring input in the creative process will help us develop a strong, diversified, creative network. The digitalization of fitness and active lifestyle will soon become the new norm after the Covid19 Pandemic, meeting the needs and aspirations of previously active people while transferring them into an online ecosystem that has all attributes of the previous experience while adding to it: belongingness, creativity, flexibility, integration, learning and sharing aspects, basic intrinsic human needs, is the strong objective that guides us in this project. Why should this project be carried out transnationally? We intend to take this program transnationally for the reasons that follow: The problem arose after the Covid19 pandemic impacted all nations in the European Union, our program therefore can come as a solution for all the EU nations. The platform could be accessed by anyone who is interested, videos will be available in all 5 languages the diversity in skills, culture, and value that can be added to the program by the international partners is complementary and we view it as closing the circle of knowledge and creativity.
We wanted to achieve a digital online platform available for everyone, that gives an alternative to active people in isolation. We wanted to design an ecosystem with the right courses and methodology, that also has all the necessary tools to aid people in isolation to maintain a healthy lifestyle physically and mentally. We wanted this platform to be able to help people of all ages and different levels of physical states to stay healthy and well no matter what the contextual setting looked like. The main objective being to improve physical and mental health and overall well being. We also wanted to give the possibility to people to choose their preferred way of learning, therefore we have videos, audiobooks as well as written manuals on our platform.
We initiated this project at the beginning of the Covid Pandemic as a response to a given reality where life as we knew it came to a stand still. Faced with restrictions, limitations, imposed rules and passing through what seemed at the moment an undetermined period of panic and uncertainty, we wanted to give people hope and a way to continue or begin an easy to follow holistic routine of fitness and wellness. During that period most fitness clubs and physical activities were put on hold, people across Europe were advised to stay indoors and limit most social interaction. The alienation, psychological, mental and physical side effects of this overwhelming period started to show not long into the Pandemic, aside from the more dramatic cases where people were directly affected by the virus or had closed ones sick or even passed. Therefore we initiated this project, not only as a response to the reality of the time, but also as a solution for life to move on no matter the circumstances faced. With this project we aim to give the right resources to have on hand to users when in need for a fitness activity, a way to relax, or when in the quest to find their equilibrium. We also took into account the different levels of physical endurance, understanding and capacity of potential users, so the platform resources can cater to larger audiences in their journey of a healthier living.