Keys to enhancing sports practice without age barriers

Physical inactivity is considered the fourth risk factor worldwide. A chronic problem that leads to 5 million deaths annually in the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 56,000 of these deaths occur in Spain, a country where 42.7% of the population did not exercise in 2022. The impact of a sedentary lifestyle is translated not only in life, but also in life. A huge economic bill: It is an epidemic that costs the country 1,560 million euros annually, according to the Spanish Obesity Association (CEDO). These are numbers that confirm the size of the puzzle that has an effective antidote in sports, from childhood to old age.

Not only does exercise contribute to a healthier and more sustainable society, but it also improves productivity at work and, in the case of young people, school. In order to confront the negative effects of the pandemic on sports practice, EuropeActive promoted #BeActive Day in 2021, an initiative that this year will celebrate its third edition on Saturday 23 December. This is the day he cooperated com. myzoneThe European Sports Week, a campaign promoted by the European Commission, will be launched between the 23rd and 30th of this month.

Throughout these days, free sporting events and activities will be held in 24 European countries, with the challenge of encouraging physical activity. This initiative, supported in Spain by Fundación España Activa, It seeks to promote the importance of exercise as a driving force for improving the physical, mental and social health of the population. #BeActive Day aims to foster an environment of fun when exercising in order to attract audiences of all generations, from the youngest to the elderly.

not intravenously, Only 37% of Spaniards over 55 years of age did some physical activity constantly or occasionally in the past year. This is a segment of the population that finds in exercise an ally to promote active ageing, thus improving their quality of life in their later years. In Japan, the country with the highest life expectancy in the world, the segment of the population that spends the most on fitness is those between 50 and 70 years old. This group devotes four times more resources to paying for their gym membership than those aged 30-39.

In Spain, The percentage of young people between the ages of 15 and 24 who practice sports rises to more than 81%. Naturally, the young people suffered a setback in healthy lifestyle habits during their childhood. The average number of minutes devoted to moderate or vigorous physical activity decreased by 7.4 minutes per day for girls and 7.1 minutes for boys. This means reducing about 50 minutes per week, according to the 2022-2023 steps study prepared by the Gasol Foundation.

“We want to change habits from the ground up: If we can get children into healthy habits from the age of six, this is something that will help them for the rest of their lives. “The sooner we start, the better,” says Guillermo Aldasoro, general manager of Myzone in Iberia. Taking advantage of the return to routine in September, the heart rate monitor company seeks to promote sports in schools. how? Measuring results in real time, motivating youngsters through the challenges that play provides and promoting family sports between generations.

In the UK, Myzone partners with some schools to encourage physical activity among its students. Through this association, It seeks to inspire change among younger audiences by educating from an early age on how to be physically active, Students use heart monitors at school and at home. In this way, they record all their daily physical activity. Schools try to encourage physical activity by rewarding those who exercised the most.

Organized physical activity promotes strong thinking skills among young children, According to a study conducted by the University of Eastern Finland. The research concluded that children who participate in organized physical activities or sports during the first two years of school, follow better eating habits and spend more time reading, have stronger thinking skills than the rest of their classmates.

In Spain, boys and girls can also check their activity with Myzone heart rate monitors used in David Lloyd sports centres. The chain held a series of sessions within its Blaze store activity, hit family class, Focused on family audiences. These are group exercises jointly developed by both children and adults. Dynamic training monitored by Myzone helps awaken interest in physical exercise among young people.

Myzone has carried out various pilot experiments with the aim of learning how to implement comment Real time positively affects the motivation to continue training and the perception of one’s effort. The results showed that Clarity of effort enhances motivation to perform and provides greater happiness than those who cannot measure their efforts.. The increase in motivation was particularly noticeable for beginners, who maintained a “very stable” level of motivation over time when they could see their efforts.

Beginners who were unable to see their efforts saw a steady decline in motivation over time. “After training, you go home happier, but if you had during training comment “In real time what you’re doing, and you get positive reinforcement from the coach or your classmates, who see it too, which helps motivate,” Aldassoro highlights.