#Digital Active Regions Europe - Outdoor
▶Summary
Background Eurobarometer reports indicate that 40% of physical activity (PA) is done outdoors, highlighting the importance of optimizing the outdoor exercise experience for EU citizens. Furthermore, PA in natural environments has been linked to improved physical and mental health. Therefore the project focus on understanding and creating new solutions for a sustainable and healthier lifestyle. Additionally, we address the problem of overcrowded indoor sport facilities and underused existing outdoor fitness Objectives #DARE-O aims to promote healthy outdoor physical activity and encourage citizens across Europe to exercise by digitizing, localization, and personalization existing outdoor fitness locations. Additionally, the project aims to gather valid data to achieve scientific excellence in outdoor sports and use it to enhance the future of outdoor activities. This aligns with the European goals for HEPA and emphasizes equal access to sports facilities while optimizing the use of existing infrastructure. Implementation The project implementation was divided into three phases, comprising six work packages (WP's) and involving eight partners across five member states.Phase 1: Diagnosis of existing outdoor fitness sites and review of scientific evidencePhase 2: Development of an app to digitize and activate existing outdoor fitness sites, as well as research & educationPhase 3: European Green Exercise Weeks in each country to generate the highest possible awareness on the topic of outdoor sports and health Achievements In accordance to promote HEPA all over Europe, a number of innovative aspects and outputs were developed over the project lifetime. The work resulted in the production of 15 Intellectual outputs including a Workbook (Greenbook) as a final report of all activities in the project, the execution of european wide activity events (EGEWO 2021/2022) to promote outdoor fitness and health, a systematic review as well as the development of the first european wide outdoor fitness platform (DARE-O App)