ACSM Announces New Partnership To Promote "Physically Active Citizenry" Worldwide

Main Category: Sports Medicine / Fitness
Article Date: 18 Feb 2009 - 7:00 PDT

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A new international partnership promoting the benefits of physical activity and exercise has a call-to-action for all Americans: be a physically active citizen.

The message comes from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and CELAFISCS (Centro de Estudos do Laboratório de Aptidão Física de São Caetano do Sul), a Brazil-based organization that encourages research, advocacy and community education for physical activity and health. CELAFISCS is also the developer of the Agita Mundo Network, which facilitates "World Day for Physical Activity," a campaign promoting physical activity that mobilized more than one million participants in more than 6,000 events around the world.

ACSM, CELAFISCS, and Agita Mundo have gained recognition for their contributions in public health for programs in support of physical activity promotion. Each organization recommends at least 150 minutes of physical activity be accumulated each week for health, which can be easily accomplished in 30 minutes/day, five days/week.

This year, World Day for Physical Activity will take place April 6, with additional events occurring through the first 10 days of the month. The theme centers on "active neighborhoods building health." ACSM will build awareness of community-based opportunities for physical activity among its members and networks.

ACSM will work in conjunction with Agita Mundo to develop resources for individuals and communities to promote active citizenry that is ecologically and economically responsible. An "active citizen," according to the two organizations, will commit to simple lifestyle changes that incorporate physical activity, such as riding your bike to work and utilizing walking as a primary mode of transportation whenever possible.

"This partnership will build on the principles of what ACSM and CELAFISCS are doing already to help people lead more physically active lives," said James R. Whitehead, executive vice president of ACSM. "Inactivity and all the health risks associated with it, such as obesity and diabetes, are not problems for a single country. We are now responding to a global epidemic. Together, we can do more to reach across international boundaries and borders and help people of all nations understand their health is at risk without physical activity."

ACSM will encourage its members and partners to organize community and workplace events for World Day for Physical Activity. Event registration is available through the Agita Mundo Web site at www.agitamundo.org. Individuals can use various tools and resources at www.acsm.org/physicalactivity to start an exercise program or learn easy, efficient ways to become physically active.

"ACSM is uniquely positioned to expand and build upon our mission of enhancing and increasing physical activity worldwide," said Victor Matsudo, M.D., chairman of the Physical Activity Network for the Americas, of the Agita Mundo Network, and the Agita Sao Paulo program. "ACSM has the widest reach of any health and fitness organization in the United States through its various partners and programs, and is the perfect vehicle for Agita Mundo and World Day for Physical Activity."

The partnership is also part of an ongoing ACSM effort to expand global health and fitness research and health promotion. Last October, ACSM announced a partnership with Sato Sports Plaza, a Japanese organization that specializes in public health and performance.

ACSM has a number of programs aimed at getting people active, such as Exercise is Medicine™, which calls for exercise counseling to be a standard part of every doctor's visit, and the American Fitness Index™, an initiative that ranks U.S. cities according to a variety of health factors.

The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. More than 35,000 international, national, and regional members and certified professionals are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and practical applications of exercise science and sports medicine.

American College of Sports Medicine

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