How can Sport contribute to health?

Engaging in sport has multiple health benefits. Physical activity can reduce the risk of dying prematurely from noncommunicable diseases as well as developing illnesses ranging from cardiovascular diseases, cancer and diabetes to stress, anxiety and depression. It also helps prevent and reduce hypertension, control body weight, prevent and control treat osteoporosis and manage chronic pain.

While it is critical that everyone regularly participates in sport and physical activity, regardless of age, ability, gender or background, physical activity provides additional benefits to certain groups, for example:

• Among young people, physical activity contributes to healthy bones, efficient heart and lung function and improved motor skills and cognitive function.
• Among women, physical activity helps prevent hip fractures and reduce the effects of osteoporosis.
• Among older people, physical activity enhances functional capacity, helping maintain quality of life and independence.

Most of these health benefits can be obtained from at least 30 cumulative minutes of moderate physical activity each day. Additional benefits can be obtained from additional activity (see figure). Appropriate forms of physical activity include a broad range of activities, such as walking, climbing stairs and dancing.

Sport can further contribute to priority health issues, including as a tool to mobilize societies in support of immunization campaigns and in HIV/AIDS programming (see Sport and HIV/AIDS).

Essential

Medical evidence shows that participation in physical activity, as part of an overall healthy lifestyle, is the most cost-effective and sustainable way to tackle the rise in noncommunicable diseases. Improving public health through increasing opportunities to participate in sport offers large economic benefits, particularly in developing countries, where health resources are already stretched making prevention especially essential.

Significant

Beyond improving public health and reducing health care costs, sport and physical activity also provide significant economic benefits through increased productivity. For example, in the USA, where physical inactivity added USD 75 billion to medical costs in 2000, it is estimated that USD 1.- spent on physical activity results in a USD 3.20 saving in medical costs. In Canada, it is estimated that physical activity increases productivity by the equivalent of CND 513.- per worker per year, resulting from reduced absenteeism, turnover and injury as well as the increase in productivity. Consequently, sport not only results in positive benefits for individuals, but also significant economic benefits for businesses, communities and nations.

Move for health

To highlight the importance of sport and physical activity for health, WHO dedicated World Health Day 2002 to 'Move for Health' and World No Tobacco Day 2002 to 'Tobacco Free Sports: Play it Clean'. In 2003, WHO further expanded the 'Move for Health' initiative with the aim of promoting sustained participation in physical activity and 'sport for all' in all member states as part of an integrated approach to the prevention of noncommunicable diseases, health promotion and socio-economic development. This initiative urges member states to celebrate a 'Move for Health' Day each year, promote physical activity as essential for health and well being and develop partnership-based global and national strategies on diet, physical activity and health.