School exercise programme improves pupils’ fitness by 31 percent

An exercise programme at Vágur School has improved pupils’ fitness by an average of 31 percent after 10 weeks, Kringvarp Føroya reported. The FIT FIRST initiative also aims to improve students’ wellbeing and activity levels.

Vágur School began the programme in spring 2023. Pupils in the first, second and third grades spend three hours a week taking part in different sports and physical activities.

During a visit by the radio programme Summarmorgun, pupils were playing basketball in the school gym. Teacher Finn Johannesen said that not all students were enthusiastic when the programme began three years ago, but that they gradually saw that everyone benefited from it.

School principal John Henrik Holm said the results had attracted considerable attention.

“The figures changed quickly. On average, the pupils’ fitness improved by 31 percent after just 10 weeks. We had not imagined it could make such a big difference,” he said.

The programme was developed by the University of Southern Denmark in cooperation with, among others, Magna Mohr, who is from Vágur. Its aim is to encourage pupils to play more, use their energy and feel part of the initiative at a time when many children and young people spend much of their time in front of screens.

Holm said the project would not have been possible without the support of Tvøroyri School, which served as a control school so the results could be compared. Tvøroyri School has now joined the programme, creating a joint project between the two largest schools in Suðuroy.

The schools will now compare their results with those from schools north of the fjord, while the project will also measure wellbeing in addition to fitness. Holm said schools in the north had shown interest in joining FIT FIRST, including Toftir School and Vestmanna School.