Don’t just watch the World Cups on tv, get physical

The AMA today released its new Position Statement on Physical Activity.

AMA President, A/Prof Brian Owler, said that the AMA believes it is important that all Australians are provided with appropriate opportunities to engage in physical activity.

“This week some of Australia’s most outstanding athletes are competing on the world stage to provide us with the example and the inspiration to become more active in our daily lives,” A/Prof Owler said.

“Our men’s team won gold and our women’s team won silver in the Hockey World Cup this week, and our men’s football team played bravely against Chile on the weekend and will face the strong Netherlands team early tomorrow morning.

“These teams are not only doing Australia proud at the pinnacle of international competition, they are promoting the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and physical activity.

“We can’t all make it to the World Cup, but we can all be more active.

“Doing any physical activity is better than doing none.

“There are proven health benefits through participation in recommended levels of physical activity.

“It could be walking, cycling, jogging, going to the gym, social sport, and organised individual or team sports.

“People can exercise on their own or in a group, which can provide greater incentives to stick to a routine.

“Team sports have additional benefits, specifically for children, including socialisation.

“Regular physical activity is an important contributor to good overall health.

“Physical activity reduces the risk of a number of physical health problems including cardiovascular disease and stroke, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, some cancers and osteoporosis.

“Physical activity can also improve mood, and has both short and long term psychosocial benefits such as reduced feelings of stress, anxiety and depression,” A/Prof Owler said.

Background

• according to the Australian Health Survey (2011-12), more than half of Australian adults (60 per cent) do less than 30 minutes s of moderate intensity physical activity per day;
• only one third of children and one in ten young people are meeting the 60 minute recommendation;
• physical inactivity is the fourth leading cause of death due to non-communicable disease worldwide (heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancers), contributing to over three million preventable deaths annually (six per cent of deaths globally);
• physical inactivity is estimated to contribute to 21-25 per cent of breast and colon cancers, 27 per cent of diabetes and 30 per cent of ischemic heart disease;
• along with school-based physical activity, many children participate in organised sport, with the most popular options including football (soccer), swimming and netball;
• research suggests that, along with benefits for early brain development in infants and young children, participation in physical activity in sports and other forms of physical activity can enhance academic achievement via improved cognitive functioning, memory, concentration and behaviour;
• participation in sport and physical activity can be enhanced via measures in the physical environment, including walking paths, cycle paths, parks and recreational facilities and services. State and Local Governments have an important role to play in facilitating these measures within local communities;
• State and Federal Governments also have an important role in promoting and encouraging participation in sport and other forms of physical activity, including the development and support of multifaceted, population-wide interventions and public education campaigns that increase population levels of physical activity; and
• medical practitioners also have a role in encouraging and promoting physical activity within primary care settings, as well as within the broader community.

Current recommendations (these have recently changed)

• the current Australian physical activity recommendations (for those aged 18-64 years) are for between 2.5 and 5 hours of moderate intensity physical activity per week, or between 1.25 and 2.5 hours of vigorous intensity physical activity per week, or an equivalent combination. Recommendations also suggest including muscle strengthening activities on 2 days per week.  The guidelines also recommend effort should be made to minimise periods of prolonged sitting;
• children, adolescents/young people (those aged 5-17 years) should accumulate 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity daily, which includes a variety of activities, including, on three days, activities that increase bone and muscle strength.  Effort should also be made to reduce prolonged periods of sitting, and time spent on electronic media should be limited to two hours per day;
• for the healthy development of infants (aged up to one year), recommendations highlight the importance of supervised floor-based play;
• for toddlers and pre-schoolers (aged from 1 to 5 years), the emphasis is on the need for daily physical activity for at least three hours (spread throughout the day);
• in terms of sedentary behaviour, the recommendations suggest that children aged under two years should not spend any time watching television or engaging with other electronic media, and children aged from 2 to 5 years should be exposed to less than one hour per day; and
• for older people (those aged 65 years and older), recommendations suggest being physically active for at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity per day, preferably on all days (and more if they are able). Activities that incorporate a focus on strength, balance and flexibility should also be incorporated.

The AMA Position Statement on Physical Activity 2014 is athttps://ama.com.au/position-statement/physical-activity-2014

17 June 2014

CONTACT:        John Flannery                     02 6270 5477 / 0419 494 761

                            Odette Visser                      02 6270 5464 / 0427 209 753