Inspiring Youth Confidence Through Movement
Movement is vital for physical, mental and social health and should be within everyone’s reach. However, 80% of young adults globally aren’t active enough, according to the World Health Organization.
Visible and invisible barriers keep many from feeling comfortable to move or accessing inclusive spaces. Issues like discrimination and lack of access to facilities impede activity. Cultural stereotypes related to gender, race, sexuality and assumed abilities undermine confidence and restrict opportunities.
BREAKING BARRIERS TO MOVEMENT
In 2021, Beyond Sport partnered with Rexona (also known as Sure, Degree or Shield) to increase youth physical activity. The Rexona Breaking Limits Program helps young people overcome barriers related to gender, race or ability to improve their confidence to move more.
By cultivating self-esteem, teamwork and resilience and by training coaches, mentors and teachers, we create supportive environments for movement. This empowers young people to realize their power to break societal and self-imposed limits.
THE PROBLEM
A 2024 study found that 85% of adolescent girls and 78% of adolescent boys aren’t meeting the globally recommended level of 60 minutes of daily physical activity. This lack of activity boosts the risk of diseases like heart problems, cancer and diabetes, not to mention poor mental and overall health.
Cultural stereotypes and societal norms around gender, race, sexuality and perceived ability impact the belief of who is an “acceptable” mover. These narrow views crush confidence and limit chances to get moving. According to Rexona research, these mental and physical barriers make it even harder to stay active:
- 2 out of 3 people struggle with motivation, primarily due to self-doubt.
- 1 in 2 young people report feeling excluded from movement due to aspects of their identity, such as race and gender.
- 7 out of 10 people are made to feel they are not capable of doing something by someone else.
- Almost half say they feel self-conscious when doing physical activity, especially when trying something new.
- 4 in 10 individuals across all ages fear judgment from others.
- 66% of people globally believe society only celebrates winners.
HOW IT WORKS
The Rexona Breaking Limits Program uses sport and physical activity to give young people the confidence to overcome barriers and achieve more in their lives. It operates globally, offering a comprehensive digital training program and providing significant grants and capacity-building support.
These initiatives empower youth through sport, fostering inclusion, mental wellbeing and positive development outcomes. By providing access to sports-based programs and equipping coaches and community leaders with the skills to fuel long-term behavior change, the program is transforming young lives through movement.
Grants & Capacity Building
The Rexona Breaking Limits Program has provided $4M+ in grant funding to 70 NGOs in nine different countries to implement programs to get youth moving. It provides capacity-building grants to grassroots organizations that use sport and physical activity to positively impact the young people they reach.
Our grant funding helps sport for development nonprofits expand the program’s global outreach, encompassing: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, India, Mexico, New Zealand, the UK and US. Since its inception, the program has reached more than a million young people worldwide.
Free Digital Training Resources
The Rexona Breaking Limits Program offers a 17-module digital training series for coaches, teachers and community leaders on a range of topics, including disability inclusion, gender equality, mental wellbeing, LGBTQ+ inclusion and women’s inclusion.
The Training Series resources enable communities to support youth by facilitating inclusive opportunities to move. Digital training is available in English (UK, US and Global), Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese. The training engages thousands of coaches annually across nine countries.
The Breaking Limits Training Series was created in partnership with expert sport for development organizations worldwide, including The Change Foundation, The Center for Healing and Justice Through Sport, Instituto Esporte e Educaçāo and others. These organizations used their combined years of sport for development and youth engagement experience to infuse best practices on social issues and ways to address barriers to movement.