The promotion of sport can make an important contribution to tackling health problems. In a number of common diseases and ailments like back pain, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, diabetes II and cardiovascular diseases, the regular physical activity has a significant protective effect.

Sixty percent of all deaths worldwide are directly related to such non-communicable diseases, the leading causes malnutrition and physical inactivity among (World Health Report, WHO 2002). Sports and games are vital to a healthy life, well-being, and contribute significantly to emotional health, inter alia through the establishment of important social ties, but also through the release of endorphins through exercise.

Overweight through lack of exercise and poor diet is now recognized as a major threat in the industrialized nations. Scientific studies show that children and adolescents are overweight and have serious deficits in motor skills, coordination, strength and endurance.

“We welcome, of course, already existing individual initiatives to combat overweight and obesity, cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes often but are poor diet and lack of exercise coupled with each other and part of an overall unhealthy lifestyle. Needed is therefore a comprehensive behavior change in individuals and society.

To achieve this is a common procedure in charge of the responsibility areas of nutrition, science, education, sports and health required “, says Prof. Dr. Gudrun Doll-Tepper, President of the International Council of Sport Science, ICSSPE.

Lack of exercise, unbalanced diet and stress contribute to this the health of the people deteriorated steadily. The burden of health insurance is high. The majority of the German population is not physically active enough. Many children lack the necessary space to live out their natural urge to. This leads also to abnormalities in social behaviour. We are all challenged to provide the children with a turbulent environment and exemplify them a healthy movement behaviour.

The first step

Every little step on the way of physical inactivity to activity regularly uses their health. It is never too late to take the first step. Especially for the quality of life and productivity of older people, it is important to integrate physical activity into their daily routines.