FEATURE - sport, HEALtH And wELL-bEing
Why physical activity is key to prevent and treat chronic diseases Physical activity benefits many parts of the body, the immune system and the nervous system and can thus help reducing many of the risks for chronic diseases 1 , which are defined by: complex causality, multiple risk factors, long latency periods, a prolonged course of illness and functional impairment or disability.
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he European Chronic Disease Alliance (ECDA), an alliance of non-for-profit European organisations representing more than , health professionals and millions of patients, considers physical inactivity as one of the four common risk factors to the major chronic diseases causing % of deaths in Europe: cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, diabetes, kidney disease, cancers and respiratory and liver diseases. The positive impacts of regular physical activity include good physical and mental health. Good health results in societal benefits such as healthier and happier populations, more sustainable health systems and more productive economies. Physical activity is an essential part of preventing the onset of chronic diseases; it contributes to treating and managing conditions and to well-being. In , the World Health Organisation (WHO) underlined that insufficient physical activity was responsible for about million premature deaths per year in the European Region alone. WHO recommends either minutes of moderate/intense physical activity days a week or minutes of vigorous/intense activity days a week, or a combination of both. People who do the recommended levels of physical activity can reduce their risk of premature death by -%. Several studies have shown that maintaining a regular level of sport/physical activity has a positive impact on preventing and managing specific chronic diseases. Studies have proved that physical activity: ● Is good for your heart: Physical activity reduces cardiovascular diseases. While physical inactivity is estimated to be the main cause for approximately % of ischaemic heart disease burden, activity will lead to a % lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. ● Improves your breathing capacity: Regular exercise can increase the strength and function of muscles, making them more efficient. Muscles SPORT AND CITIZENSHIP JOURNAL N°
will require less oxygen to move and they will produce less carbon dioxide. This will immediately reduce the amount of air needed to breathe in and out for a given exercise. ● Has a positive effect on your blood pressure: Regular physical activity helps control blood pressure. % of diabetes is due to insufficient physical activity. Evidence shows that physical activity reduces your risk of Type Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome and leads to a % lower risk of type diabetes. Controlling blood pressure and taking measure to prevent diabetes vastly reduces the risk of Chronic Kidney Disease In addition, it also has a positive impact on cholesterol. ● Can help reduce the risks of some cancers: Physical inactivity is estimated to be among the main cause for approximately –% of breast and colon cancers. By contrast, physical activity can help in reversing the frightening evolution of breast and colon cancers, contributing to a % lower risk of colon cancer and to a % lower risk of breast cancer. ● Is good for your liver: Physical activity, when combined with healthy nutrition, has been shown to prevent excess of fat in the liver. Build-up of fat in the liver can lead to a condition called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or NAFLD. Finally, physical activity helps in controlling weight, fighting obesity, and strengthening muscles and bones, benefits that show positive effects on the whole body. For example, physical activity leads to a % lower risk of hip fracture and a % lower risk of falls in elderly population. There are benefits to be gained for anyone who increases his/her physical activity levels, even if he/she is only doing minutes of moderate intensity activity on most days. In the case of cardiovascular disease for instance, scientific studies show that every little step helps: each single daily increase in physical activity has an immediate positive impact on the health of the ●
SPORT, HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
Boris Lambert
EU Policy Advisor, European Society of Cardiology (ESC)
Catherine Hartmann
Secretary General, European COPD Coalition
on behalf the European Chronic Disease Alliance patient. ECDA has elaborated recommendations and encourages their implementation at European, national and local levels. In its recommendations, ECDA urges EU Member States to adopt urban planning standards prioritising non-motorised transport and recreational areas encouraging physical activity. There are indeed areas of urban planning where simple measures could be taken to stimulate greater activity, such as the provision of more and safer cycle lanes and footpaths, or making stairs more visible and accessible than lifts and escalators in public buildings. Better facilities for physical exercise as well as awareness measures to encourage greater physical activity should be set up to increase physical activity. The personal benefits of physical activity on health are considerable and could potentially be life-saving. The challenge is now to actually establish physical activity as a normal part of health. www.cardio.org www.copdcoalition.eu www.alliancechronicdiseases.org .http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/Whybeactive.as px . http://www.alliancechronicdiseases.org/assets/docsforsite/pdfs/ECDA%White%Paper%on%Chronic%D isease.pdf . http://www.thelancet.com/series/physical-activity . World Health Organization. Global recommendations on physical activity for health. Geneva: WHO, . http://www.thelancet.com/series/physical-activity . http://www.ehnheart.org/publications/publications/publication/-diet-physical-activity-and-cardiovascular-disease-p revention.html . http://www.alliancechronicdiseases.org/assets/docsforsite/pdfs/ECDA%input%to%Reflection%Process% on%Chronic%Disease.pdf