Secondary school students taking part in a fitness initiative improved their fitness levels by almost 20% in just six weeks.

The Aviva Health Schools' Fitness Challenge invited secondary schools nationwide to take part. The fitness of junior cycle students was assessed over a six-week period using the bleep test.

This is a simple test that can provide valuable information about the fitness of an individual. It involves continually running between two lines that are 20 metres apart in time to recorded bleeps.

The running speed is increased at one minute intervals and the participant must attempt to run between the lines as many times as possible in time with the bleeps.

The Schools' Challenge was devised by Prof Niall Moyna of Dublin City University and the Wellness Economic Initiative Alliance and this is the second year it has been held.

Over 13,000 students from 26 counties took part and for the second year in a row, the fittest school was found to be Oaklands Community College in Edenderry, Co Offaly. The most improved school was St Macartan's College in Monaghan.

However overall, students who took part in the challenge recorded an average 19% improvement in their fitness levels over the six-week period.

Meanwhile the results also showed that boys are 45% fitter than girls. Last year, this figure was 60%, suggesting that girls are closing this gap.

Commenting on the challenge, Prof Moyna said that it ‘highlights the importance of cardiovascular fitness from an early age'.

"It also shows that a little bit of sustained exercise training leads to significant improvements in fitness among young people. The fact that the same school retains the title of Ireland's fittest school shows that once children see the benefits of fitness, they are more likely to continue to enjoy sport, and the health benefits that this participation brings," he noted.

He pointed out that currently, one in four school children have risk factors for heart disease, while the vast majority spend more than two hours each day watching TV or playing computer games.

For more information on the Schools' Challenge, click here