Sport for all: living in harmony through active and intercultural activities
Fostering long-term health, stronger social ties, improved mental and physical well-being, a better quality of life and much more! There are many benefits to taking part in sport and leisure activities. Several municipalities and associations offer sports programmes for different age groups which are adapted to the specific needs of certain people.
Sports for all: Luxembourg-City and Esch-sur-Alzette
The new season of the Sport for all programme of the City of Luxembourg begins every October. This year, the programme offers over 200 courses in the field of sport, leisure, fitness and well-being. The City of Luxembourg programme is aimed at three age groups:
- Sports classes for young people (12-16 years old, except certain classes): skateboarding, futsal, break-dance, volleyball, fitness dance, chess, archery and other activities. The programme also includes a cycling school for children (aged 4-8) and an ice-skating school (aged 4-11 and 12-16). Participation in these courses is free of charge, but registration is necessary.
- Traditional and unusual sports activities for adults: stretching, weight training on machines, cross fitness, volleyball, badminton, Nordic walking, jogging, taijiquan, aqua-gym, ski fitness, self-defence, etc. Prices range from € 30 to € 220, depending on the number of lessons you choose and whether you are a resident or non-resident of the city.
- Sports activities for people aged 55+: on the whole, the same activities as in the adult programme, but adapted to the needs and abilities of people aged 55 and over; golf and pétanque are also available. The same prices apply as for adult courses.
Activities take place from Monday to Sunday, indoors, in the pool or outdoors, and located at more than 30 sites across the city. The season runs from October to July, with a specific autumn-winter programme and another, starting after the Easter holidays, offering more outdoor activities.
The city of Esch-sur-Alzette is in the process of developing its sports programme to allow all residents to take part:
- The objective of the Sport for all programme is to ensure that sport is not a privilege reserved for those whose physical and mental abilities given them an advantage in terms of performance. The overall aim is to make sure that everyone can enjoy themselves. From learning to swim to multi-sports, to ball games and developing psychomotor skills, there are plenty of activities on offer, especially for little ones.
- The Youth Sport – Cool Sports programme is specifically designed for youngsters aged 12 to 17. Discover parkour, capoeira, running, jazz-dance, aikido and afro-dance.
- The Fit60+ programme is aimed at people aged 50 and over. Amongst the activities available: joint exercises, Nordic walking, Pilates, yoga, fitness and much more!
In addition, many municipalities offer programmes and facilities to help you stay physically and mentally healthy all year around. Contact your local municipality for more information!
Sports for people with special needs
Whether due to reduced mobility, intellectual disability or chronic illness, people with special needs can also take advantage of sports activities adapted to their particular requirements.
For youngsters:
- The City of Luxembourg offers the multi-handi-sports course, which introduces children to a wide range of adapted sports and games (8-16 years), and the Movin'Kids programme for children with weight issues (8-12 years).
- The town of Esch-sur-Alzette, in cooperation with the association Handicap intellectuel Luxembourg and the maison relais de Sanem (school foyer), provides integration activities for children once a month.
The Sport-Santé label
For its part, the Fédération luxembourgeoise des associations de sport de santé (Federation of Luxembourg Sport and Health Associations) manages the Sport-Santé label, which brings together therapeutic physical activities offered in Luxembourg to people suffering from chronic illnesses. At present, over 65 hours of physical activity are made available every week by Sport-Santé's partners, organisations involved in stroke, cancer, diabetes, neurological diseases and orthopaedic pathologies, among others.
The Luxembourg Paralympic Committee organises annual Paralympic Days. The third edition of this meeting took place on the weekend of 28-29 October 2023. The event is open to everyone, young and old, big or small, with or without disabilities. The aim is to learn about Paralympic sports from sports experts and athletes from the Committee. A total of 14 Paralympic sports were on offer as part of a broad programme.
Sports as a means to combat discrimination
By cultivating a sense of inclusion and promoting social ties, sport is a means to combat discrimination of all kinds.
Since 2022, the Luxembourg Football Federation has organised the Girls Foot Day, which aims to develop and promote women's football, particularly among younger girls and women. The second edition, held in July 2023, almost doubled number of entries compared to the previous year.
As part of the Integration through Sport project, the city of Esch-sur-Alzette offers a wide range of sporting activities aimed exclusively at women and girls from all cultural backgrounds. Futsal, Pilates, yoga, stretching, running and boxing are just some of the sports on offer.
For its part, the Sportunity association focuses on sport as a tool for mutual understanding and peaceful cohabitation between migrants and refugees and residents. The programme includes training sessions with elite sportsmen and sportswomen and free sports lessons, all of which lead naturally to intercultural exchanges, language learning and integration.
The first edition of the Luxembourg Pride Run took place in July 2023. The purpose of this festive sporting event is to celebrate diversity and inclusion. It is a charity race for companies, organisations and anyone who wants to show their support for the LGBTIQ+ community. All proceeds from the event will go to the organisations Rosa Lëtzebuerg and Centre LGBTIQ+ Cigale.
In Luxembourg, sport is within everyone's reach!
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