Brazilian fitness programme registers health benefits

Abstract

4 years after a government plan to build more walking and cycling tracks, parks, and leisure spaces, Sorocaba—a city of 600 000 inhabitants in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil—has recorded a 50% decrease in hospital admissions for hypertension (from 1·89 cases per 10 000 people in 2008 to 0·99 in 2011). This result is linked to the adoption of the principles of Agita Sao Paulo, a comprehensive programme aimed at promoting physical activity and enhancing the quality of life of the 40 million inhabitants in the state of Sao Paulo, the most populated in the country. In Sao Paulo and other Brazilian states, Agita (meaning move) has encouraged health authorities, mayors, academic researchers, physicians, and community leaders to fi nd creative ways to stimulate physical activity. For example, in Uberlândia, in the state of Minas Gerais, residents are walking in the cemetery as well as in parks, after local authorities repaired the paths in and around the city’s cemetery and pointed out that people, by walking more, could delay the day that they would be buried in the grounds. The programme values the autonomy of its participants, proposing that every person should do half an hour of moderate intensity physical activity at least 5 days a week, at home, outside, at work, or on the way to work. “We recommend walking, because it is easy”, Timoteo Araujo, the programme scientifi c director, says. “Most importantly, physical activity should be a source of pleasure and joy.” Beyond the direct health benefi ts, regular physical activities and small changes to our daily lives—simply avoiding lifts and parking a little further away to walk more—could reduce sedentary habits, which are linked to increases in the prevalence of diabetes and obesity. Even though these steps seem small, “the adoption of one healthy habit usually brings other healthy habits”, Araujo argues. The approach has helped WHO to value physical activity as a way of improving public health and has inspired other countries to adopt Agita’s principles to their own cultures and climates.