Active City brings energy to the village

Menzingen is participating in the Active City project for the first time, and is becoming an 'active community'.
 

A new chapter in local health promotion began in Menzingen on Wednesday of last week. The “Active City Menzingen” project was launched with a lively kick-off event on a balmy late summer evening. Around 50 fitness and sports enthusiasts gathered on the square in front of the Marianum school to kick off four weeks of exercise, socialising, and joie de vivre.

Local councillor (Gemeinderätin) Susan Staub-Matti, head of the Social Affairs and Health Department, welcomed those present. She was delighted that Menzingen is the second municipality after Cham in the canton of Zug to hold the activity weeks. “This programme is not only aimed at fitness fans, but also at less active people who may discover something new that appeals to them,” she is convinced.

“Active City” is a national project supported by the Swiss health foundation Radix, which has already been successfully implemented in numerous large and small Swiss municipalities. The idea is to organise free exercise activities in public spaces over several weeks, aimed at the entire population.

An opportunity for village clubs
Landammann (Canton president) Andreas Hostettler, acting as Deputy Health Director, delivered a message of greeting from the Zug government (Zuger Regierung). The topic of sport and promoting physical activity is close to his heart. ‘I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I'm probably the most athletic member of the government,’ he said mischievously. And he immediately followed up his words with action. In a flash, he stripped off his business suit in front of everyone and stood there in a shirt and shorts.

Around 50 fitness and sports enthusiasts attended the launch of the Active City Menzingen project
In a flash, Landammann Andreas Hostettler peels off his business suit and enthusiastically joins in wearing a shirt and shorts. 
The guests danced Zumba to hot Latin American rhythms under the guidance of two instructors.                 
Photos: Madlen Kaiser/zvg
 

For the Landammann, ‘Active City’ is a special leisure project. ‘It’s low-threshold, accessible to everyone, free of charge and independent of age or fitness level,’ he said, praising its advantages. The canton is convinced that ‘Active City’ will succeed in generating additional enthusiasm for sporting activities in the community. For this reason, the project will receive financial support from the canton for the first two years.

The implementation in Menzingen was carried out in close cooperation with the Office for Sport and Health Promotion (Amt für Sport und Gesundheitsförderung) of the Canton of Zug and local partners. The aim is to motivate the population to become more physically active, promote social contacts and strengthen identification with the community. Local clubs also benefit from this. They gain visibility, new members and the opportunity to present their activities to a wide audience.

Something for every taste
Most of the guests arrived at the project launch in sportswear and, after the speeches, danced Zumba to hot Latin American rhythms under the guidance of two instructors. Landammann Andreas Hostettler also joined in the dancing, and showed considerable stamina. Those who preferred to just watch could enjoy a cool non-alcoholic drink and a healthy snack of fruit, crackers and trail mix at the bar tables. The guests clearly enjoyed the start of an active autumn.

Up to 19th September, the square in front of the Marianum school building will be transformed into a place for sport and fun every Monday to Friday from 6.30 to 7.30 pm. The programme offers a varied mix of dance, relaxation and fitness. Among other things, line dancing and qigong are on offer.
Participation is free of charge and registration is not required. The organisers' motto is: ‘Come along and join in!’

Note:
Programme information about the events can be found (in German and French) on:
www.activecity.ch.