Dance like a WIXX is back to make kids aged 9 to 13 dance and move

Montreal, February 27, 2015 - Building on the success of the first two editions, WIXX, Québec en Forme's societal program aimed at promoting an active lifestyle among young people aged 9 to 13, is launching today Dance like a WIXX 3, a new fun initiative where young people are invited to reproduce in a video a choreography created especially for the occasion by the choreographer Dario Milard.

The initiative is aimed both at young people individually and at schools. Their "mission" is simple: it is about going to the sites wixx.ca (for young people) or operationwixx.ca (for schools), watch the choreography, and learn the movements in order to reproduce them in their own video.

Schools are invited to bring young people together, organize dance sessions to teach them choreography and distribute promotional material to young people to highlight their participation. Each participating school can have access to the material provided free of charge by WIXX, namely: the official tutorial of the mission, a teaching guide, wacky masks for dressing up, posters, as well as buttons and stickers for young people.

Young people also have the opportunity to complete the mission individually or with friends, and thus collect WIXX points and badges. Prizes in promotional items bearing the image of the mission will also be drawn on the site wixx.ca.

"With Dance like a WIXX 3, we wanted to inspire young people with music and movements that are out of the ordinary, explains the director of the WIXX campaign, Marilie Laferté. The new choreography is fun, and we've incorporated some wacky moves into it, which will appeal to both boys and girls. We want to encourage young people who are not yet familiar with WIXX to join the collective movement that we have set up and adopt a more active lifestyle ”.

Dance like a WIXX 3 will be supported by a television advertising campaign which begins today on VRAK-TV and various web platforms. Demonstrations Dance like a WIXX will also be organized by the end of the school year in schools as well as at certain events and festivals aimed at young people and families.

WIXX MISSIONS

A WIXX mission consists of simple, fun and challenging activities that help develop the skill, strategy, creativity and sociability of young people. By registering, young people can earn points and get official badges.

ABOUT WIXX

Orchestrated by Québec en Forme, WIXX is a large-scale societal communication initiative that aims to get tweens moving by promoting leisure and active travel among young people aged 9 to 13. It aims to prevent a significant drop in physical activity around the age of 13 and 14 and, more specifically:

- Increase the knowledge and improve the attitudes of some 377,000 pre-teens in Quebec when it comes to adopting a physically active lifestyle;
- Increase the support of 600,000 parents and other people of influence to encourage tweens to adopt a physically active lifestyle;
- Publicize the opportunities for physical activity available to preteens;
- To increase and then maintain the proportion of tweens who are physically active on a regular basis.

The campaign started in 2012 and will run until 2016 For more information on WIXX, please visit: WIXX.ca, WIXXMAG.ca or OPERATIONWIXX.ca.

ABOUT QUÉBEC EN FORM

Québec en Forme, resulting from a partnership between the Government of Quebec and the Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation, accompanies and supports, throughout Quebec, mobilized communities and project promoter organizations that put in place all the necessary conditions so that it is pleasant and easy for young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to move more and eat better every day. For more information, please see: quebecenforme.org

Some statistics about the activity level of 9 to 13 year olds

LEVELS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

- Only one in three girls and one in two boys between the ages of 10 and 13 get 60 minutes or more of daily physical activity.

- Whatever the sex of the young people, we observe a significant drop in the level of physical activity around 13 or 14 years old.

- On average, children aged 9 to 13 in Quebec took a similar number of daily steps each year from 2007-2008 to 2009-2010. In 2009-2010, children took an average of about 12,300 steps each day (boys more than girls), compared to the recommended value of 13,500 steps.

- Family income is generally positively associated with the participation of young people in physical and sports activities, but it seems that young people from less well-off families can compensate for their lower participation in organized activities by free activities.

- Only one in five children use active modes of transportation, such as cycling and walking, between school and home. Another group of 28 % uses a combination of active and inactive transport modes.

MOTIVATIONS TO BE ACTIVE AND ACTIVE

- Pleasure is the element most often mentioned in the appreciation of the practice of physical activity.

- Girls mostly cite physical appearance as a motivator to be active, while boys prefer to spend time with their friends.

- The most important factor influencing their physical activity corresponds to the school attended, almost equally with their parents (35.3 % vs 34.8 %).

- During adolescence, young people try to identify with an adult (hero or model). The first step in finding a model is based on public images from social networks. They usually choose their role models or idols among personalities in the fields of music, television and cinema.

- Positive role models encourage young people to give the best of themselves. Some young people say that a strong, positive role model gives them more confidence to reach their goals and try new things. These role models include, in addition to artistic or sports stars, parents, teachers, coaches, and even someone who participates in similar activities or shares the same experiences (example: a teammate).