WOMEN’S HURDLES aims to develop, implement and transfer innovative practices related to physical activity in a high-risk and usually hard to reach population: women, especially those with family and working loads.

Physical Activity (PA) plays a critical role in the prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic risk factors, CVD, some cancer and brain health. Besides, WHO estimated that 28% of the global population is physically inactive and this is higher for women (33%) than for men (23%). In the EU, data confirm this gender gap.

The adherence to PA programs with women in the peak of their active life (work, household chores, care of family), is very difficult to be obtained and maintained. This requests an increase in awareness about the risks of sedentary in women and the well-known positive effects of physical activity, but also a creative effort of optimization of time and opportunities to engage women and motivate them to perform physical activity, breaking down barriers, maintaining a good adherence to physical activity programs and therefore to increased levels of participation in sport and physical activity. 

Considering this, therefore, the project wants to increase the awareness about the risks of sedentary life in women and the well-known positive effects of physical activity, but also a creative effort of optimization of time and opportunities to engage women and motivate them to perform physical activity, breaking down barriers, maintaining a good adherence to physical activity programs and therefore to increased levels of participation in sport and physical activity.

The project will pursue innovative models that are age appropriate, culturally sensitive, and personalized to women’s psychosocial characteristics.

The project objectives will be achieved by implementing:

• Comprehensive analysis of the literature and the ideation and implementation of a survey to identify the barriers to physical activity, and therefore to imagine possible solutions.
• Web research to understand what women search online about “physical activity” in order to contribute in an innovative way to the understanding of the barriers
• Evaluation and identification of the good practices on physical activity for women in the different countries.
• Definition of Golden rules to increase women’s participation to physical activity programs and creation of a “Manifesto for physical activity in European women” document.

Organisation of a train the trainers course in Rome (IT) for professionals (physicians, physical trainers and physical activity managers) and national replications of the course.