Finnish Fitness

We have learned about public health policies that affect the health of children all over the world.  Aspects of public health policy focus upon preservation of and improvement of human life.  These aspects of policy include access to and education about nutritional food sources, clean water, immunization, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, breastfeeding and mental health. Billions of lives are preserved each year to due to the implementation of the previously mentioned policies.  I think now it is time to turn at least some of our attention to sustainable health practices.  Many societies, not just the U.S., but most developed countries are suffering from an epidemic of obesity.  Especially hard hit are people of the South Pacific.  One country that seems to take sustainable health practices seriously is Finland.  Finnish people have a reputation of loving sports.  They love playing sports and watching sports, and a good dose of healthy competition she to go a long way in keeping the Finns warm through their long dark winter.  The love of sport in Finland has spread to include a love of overall fitness.  Finns are some of the most active people in the world despite the long, cold, dark winters typical of the Scandinavian countries.  In 2009, the Finnish Ministry of Education was given the task of composing a document to address the need for all Finnish people to be physically active and fit.

Finland is a society where everyone has an equal opportunity to pursue a sportive way of life and to experience communality through sport. Sport is understood to be an essential element in the well- being of the individual and society. The prerequisites for sport are secured through sustainable choices made by citizens, communities and society together.”(Ministry of Education, 2009)

According to the Programme of Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen’s second government, sport policy will promote the well-being, health and functional capacity of the population at different stages of life, with an emphasis on child and youth sport. The aim is to strengthen the prerequisites of local activity, inclusive equality and the position of sports as a local basic service.(Ministry of Education, 2009)

The government contributes toward this end by means of statutory state aid, construction subsidies and various development programmes.(Ministry of Education, 2009)

The last point made above is telling of just how important this is to Finnish society, as government subsidies are allocated for the construction and maintenance of fitness facilities.  Beyond going to the gym, Finns enjoy cross-country skiing, cycling, ice skating and running.  Parks, tracks, trails, and icy waterways are all maintained with government subsidies.  In Finland, playing sports, or simply exercising is a popular way for people to get together after work and school to socialize.  I think some lessons can be learned from our Northern friends the Finns.  Just making it possible, namely safe, for children to walk to and from school everyday would help in making children more active.  In Canada, several school districts have adopted physical exercise as an integral part of the everyday curriculum.  Between classes, students have access to exercise equipment and allowed to put in 10 -20 minutes of cardio-work.  Taking “breaks” for physical activity is a proven way to boost cognitive efficiency, and has raised student academic performance across the board.(Sparking Life, n.d.)

References:

Ministry of Education. (2009). OKM - Government resolution on policies promoting sport and physical ativity. Ministry of Education. Retrieved from http://www.minedu.fi/OPM/Julkaisut/2009/Statsrxdets_principbeslut_om_riktlinjer_fxr_frxmjande_av_idrott_och_motion?lang=en

Sparking Life. (n.d.). Exercise before and fitness activities interspersed with lectures lead to a state of heightened awareness and improved academic performance. Sparking Life: Power Your Brain through Exercise. Retrieved January 15, 2012, from http://sparkinglife.org/page/successful-school-fitness-models