16.04.2021
Blog: Move and feel well
Immobility costs money. At the Finnish level, the price of inactivity is estimated from 3.2 billion euros to as much as 7.5 billion euros per year in a study conducted by the Director of the UKK Institute Tommi Vasankari. A comparison can be made, for example, with the acquisition of fighter jets by the Finnish Defence Forces, which is the most expensive acquisition in the history of the Finnish state. The price is estimated to be between $7 and $10 billion. The fighters are renewed approximately every 30 years, but the cost of immobility is annual. The majority of the costs of inactivity are currently borne by the adult population, the working age population. However, various studies show that the movement of children and adolescents has also decreased and overweight has increased.
According to the same study, lack of mobility costs nearly 400 million euros per year in Northern Ostrobothnia. Measured by a different morbidity index, Northern Ostrobothnia is one of the most ill regions in Finland.
Who is responsible for promoting the well-being and health of people? Will the issue be solved by the new health and social services centres? Let's not solve it. The well-being and health of people belong to everyone. First and foremost, of course, it belongs to each person themselves. No outsider can force or command a person to live a healthy life. Ultimately, everyone decides for themselves.
A society that includes the state, counties and municipalities can contribute to the well-being of people. The aim must be to increase the well-being, health and functional capacity of residents, prevent diseases and social exclusion, and strengthen inclusion.
Increasing physical activity and mobility is a key solution for well-being work: The positive effects on mental and physical well-being, the prevention of health problems, learning outcomes, work ability and the prevention of exclusion and integration are undeniable. Future solutions for physical activity will also contribute to the achievement of the climate goals of society as a whole.
In its Government Programme, the Finnish Government has taken into account the development of people's physical activity more strongly than ever before. The programme continues the Finland on the Move programme launched by the previous government, which aims to increase mobility in all age groups from the point of view of human health. Now this activity must be involved in a cross-administrative way in the regional programme for Northern Ostrobothnia and in the strategies of the municipalities in the region. In the upcoming new council term, the role of physical activity in the well-being work of municipalities must be strengthened. Promoting physical activity should be a priority for well-being work and the municipal strategy. Physical activity should be seen as a cross-administrative and wide-ranging strategic entity. It has significant impacts on the well-being, attractiveness, comfort, tourism and the vitality of companies.
Improving your physical condition doesn't have to be a self-flashing blood taste in your mouth. We still see too much of this kind of exercise, for example, on the ski track. According to the exercise recommendations, it is recommended that adults exercise at least 2.5 hours per week to speed up their heart rate. For this purpose, a brisk walk, cycling or peaceful skiing is enough. In addition, it is recommended twice a week to maintain muscle fitness with exercise that burdens large muscle groups: stair walks, heavy yard work, group exercise, gym or ball games. With age, muscle strength, flexibility and especially balance management should be emphasized in the exercises.
New sports recommendations for children and young people have just been published. One of the key objectives of the recommendations is: Reduce attendance, move daily. Children under the age of 17 are expected to exercise for at least one hour a day. Exercise where you breathe. Movement does not have to be continuous, but can consist of smaller parts. Resistance-type exercise that is strenuous in intensity, as well as exercise that strengthens muscle strength and bones, should be done at least three times a week.
I will end this story where I started. Although it costs a lot to promote and enable physical activity, it is much cheaper than the price of physical inactivity.
Esko Hassinen
Regional Director, North Ostrobothnia Sports and Exercise (PoPLi)
The article is part of the blog series of the Regional Programme for Northern Ostrobothnia - views and insights on development.
