The Island Council and the Health Department will prescribe physical activity in conjunction with health centers to prevent sedentary lifestyles

The Governing Council of the Tenerife Island Council (Cabildo de Tenerife) approved at its meeting today the collaboration agreement to be signed with the Canary Islands Government’s Ministry of Health to implement the program called “Physical Activity Prescription in Tenerife.” This program will target people with cardiovascular diseases or those with risk factors linked to a sedentary lifestyle.

The Island Councillor for Sports, Concepción Rivero, explained that “through this collaboration, healthcare personnel at the island’s health centers will be able to refer patients to physical education professionals, who will guide them and recommend activity programs through a catalog of municipal activities and facilities, as well as those offered by non-profit organizations within their area of ​​influence.”

Rivero adds that the Island Council will take the necessary steps to collaborate with the municipalities where the program is implemented, among other things, to facilitate the introduction of physical activities led by fitness professionals in municipal sports facilities.

She also points out that “this physical activity prescription program is one of the key components of the Tenerife Sport Strategic Plan, which aims to increase the number of active people on the island and thus improve the health and quality of life of citizens with any type of pathology or risk related to a sedentary lifestyle.”

The councilor notes that, according to a study conducted by the Department of Sport and Health of the Spanish Agency for Health Protection in Sport, increased exercise among the population would reduce healthcare spending in Spain by 10%, representing annual savings of 5 billion euros.

Sports Habits Survey

For her part, the Island Director of Sports, Laura Castro, indicates that “the Tenerife Island Council has information that supports the implementation of this program, derived from the 2019 Survey of Sports Habits of the Adult Population of Tenerife, which reveals that approximately 61.7% of the population is overweight or obese and that 32.7% of those surveyed on the island are sedentary. Furthermore, the latest published figures on the prevalence of childhood obesity and overweight in the Canary Islands indicate that it affects 32.8% of the population, that is, almost 4 out of every 10 children.”

“Given these worrying figures, we have other data that puts a positive spin on this issue, which is the approach we, from the Sports Department, want to take with this program, aimed precisely at people whose lack of physical activity is affecting their health. For example, people who exercise regularly are less likely to suffer from illnesses or disorders such as hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, depression, and anxiety, and it is estimated that their medication use is also lower than among the inactive population,” explains Castro.

The island director concludes by reminding everyone that the World Health Organization recommends at least one hour of physical activity or sport per day for children and adolescents, and at least 150 minutes per week for adults, considering it one of the most important factors in preventing diseases resulting from a sedentary lifestyle.