Commander-in-Chief’s physical activity programme received wide visibility and inspired to get moving

The campaign for increasing physical activity launched by President of the Republic Alexander Stubb received nationally extensive coverage and positive visibility. As such, the physical activity programme provides a tool for physical preparedness also for the upcoming contingents. Now is again an excellent time to take up the programme as it is about 12 weeks until the next contingent is to enter into service.

The campaign was supported by active communications efforts on the social media, which in turn increased the programme’s impact and visibility.
 
At the time of the campaign start in April, the number of downloads per day of the MarsMars -application were at their second highest ever. It is particularly noteworthy that apart from downloading the application, the new users also recorded their training more frequently than previously – up to 11 per cent more than the year before, and 35 per cent more than over the previous month. The application’s physical activity programme provides a tool for physical preparedness also as concerns the upcoming contingents. The next conscript contingent will start their service on 5 January 2025.
 
The campaign was well recognised among the persons who started their conscript service: in a survey sample from three brigade-level units, every second conscript had noticed the campaign in the media, and altogether 35 per cent of them had given at least a try to the physical activity programme. 
 
Based on the results, the users of the physical activity programme were more often of the opinion that their physical fitness had noticeably increased than those who did not follow the programme at all (78 % vs. 54 %). The ones who used the programme also felt that they were physically more prepared for conscript service.
 
Commander-in-Chief’s physical activity programme is available for familiarisation by means of the Marsmars-application that is downloadable free of charge at application stores, and it can also be downloaded on our site https://intti.fi/ylipaallikon-harjoitusohjelma. Materials of the programme remain available also on the social media channels of the Finnish Defence Forces and of the President of the Republic of Finland.