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Health
Exercise is Medicine
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Exercise is a powerful medicine, essential for the prevention and treatment of 80% of chronic diseases.
The global scientific and medical community is unanimous: exercise is a powerful medicine that not only prevents but also treats several chronic diseases.
The health benefits associated with regular physical activity are many, at every age:
Children and Adolescents
Improved bone health (ages 3 through 17 years)
Improved weight status (ages 3 through 17 years)
Improved cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness (ages 6 through 17 years)
Improved cardiometabolic health (ages 6 through 17 years)
Improved cognition (ages 6 to 13 years)
Reduced risk of depression (ages 6 to 13 years)
Adults and Older Adults
Lower risk of all-cause mortality
Lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality
Lower risk of cardiovascular disease (including heart disease and stroke)
Lower risk of hypertension
Lower risk of type 2 diabetes
Lower risk of cancer
Reduced risk of dementia, including Alzheimer disease
Improved bone health
Lower risk of falls and fall-related injuries (older adults)
Reduced anxiety and risk of depression
Improved cognition
Lower risk of all-cause mortality
Lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality
Lower risk of cardiovascular disease (including heart disease and stroke)
Lower risk of hypertension
Lower risk of type 2 diabetes
Lower risk of cancer
Reduced risk of dementia, including Alzheimer disease
Improved bone health
Lower risk of falls and fall-related injuries (older adults)
Reduced anxiety and risk of depression
Improved cognition
On the basis of this evidence, the Exercise is Medicine® initiative was founded in 2007 by the American College of Sports Medicine with the goal of making physical activity assessment and exercise prescription a standard part of the disease prevention and treatment paradigm for all patients.
In Italy, the Emilia-Romagna Region was the first region to include, on 1 January 2014, the prescription of physical exercise in its healthcare system as a medicine for the treatment of chronic diseases.
This important achievement was the result of the awareness-raising work initiated by the Wellness Foundation in 2003, and of the fruitful collaboration established with institutions, general practitioners and gyms.
In Italy, the Emilia-Romagna Region was the first region to include, on 1 January 2014, the prescription of physical exercise in its healthcare system as a medicine for the treatment of chronic diseases.
This important achievement was the result of the awareness-raising work initiated by the Wellness Foundation in 2003, and of the fruitful collaboration established with institutions, general practitioners and gyms.
Today the “health promoting gyms” are a concrete reality in the Emilia-Romagna: a network of certified fitness and wellness clubs that collaborate with the local health authorities in health promotion programs, and assist patients with exercise therapy protocols for the treatment of diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and skeletal disorders.
The next steps of the project will be making exercise prescription an integral part of medical culture and promoting physical activity assessment as a “vital sign” for disease prevention.
Worldwide, 1 out of 4 adults and 3 out of 4 teenagers (aged 11–17 years) do not currently meet the global recommendations for physical activity set by WHO.
The next steps of the project will be making exercise prescription an integral part of medical culture and promoting physical activity assessment as a “vital sign” for disease prevention.
Worldwide, 1 out of 4 adults and 3 out of 4 teenagers (aged 11–17 years) do not currently meet the global recommendations for physical activity set by WHO.
Integrating physical exercise assessment into medical evaluation represents an opportunity for effective health promotion and towards building an equitable and sustainable healthcare system.
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Health
The Pyramid of Wellness Lifestyle
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An original and concise guide to easily identify and develop the three key elements that make up our well-being.
Wellness is within everyone’s reach. It’s about living healthy by developing the correct habits that allow each of us to achieve complete psychophysical well-being through regular exercise, a balanced diet and a positive mental approach.
The Pyramid of the Wellness Lifestyle®, elaborated by Technogym's Scientific Research Department, helps us visualize and focus on the daily activities that mostly influence and impact our overall health and wellbeing.
On the two lateral sides, the Pyramid shows the right amount and types of movement and food to get in a typical week: from what needs to be practiced or eaten more frequently (at the bottom) to what is equally useful but required to a lesser extent (at the top).
The Pyramid has at its base the positive mental approach, a “non-quantifiable” element that interacts synergically with the other two.
The Pyramid of Wellness Lifestyle was conceived as a dissemination tool in order to make it easy for everyone to understand the principles of wellness and how to apply them easily.
Thanks to the social commitment of Technogym and the Wellness Foundation, over the last 20 years millions of people worldwide have benefited from this simple and straightforward guide to start changing their habits.
The Pyramid has at its base the positive mental approach, a “non-quantifiable” element that interacts synergically with the other two.
The Pyramid of Wellness Lifestyle was conceived as a dissemination tool in order to make it easy for everyone to understand the principles of wellness and how to apply them easily.
Thanks to the social commitment of Technogym and the Wellness Foundation, over the last 20 years millions of people worldwide have benefited from this simple and straightforward guide to start changing their habits.
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Health
Training of general practioners
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Training general practitioners on the methodologies of exercise prescription: a cutting-edge initiative in Italy
Exercise as an effective therapeutic treatment has to be prescribed in the optimal dose and modality according to the specific needs of each individual patient and the pathologies to be treated or prevented.
Since 2015 Wellness Foundation has been promoting a specific educational programme to train general practitioners on the methodologies for the prescription of physical exercise.
A cutting-edge initiative in Italy made possible by an innovative agreement between the Wellness Foundation, the Emilia-Romagna Region, the Romagna Health Authority and the Medical Association, and thanks to the support of Technogym, a Global Partner of the Exercise is Medicine® (EIM) initiative since its foundation.
The course aims to provide young physicians with the necessary instruments and information to integrate exercise counselling into medical practice and to properly advise their patients on the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and regular exercise for health.
The training course takes place at the Technogym Village in Cesena and includes:
The training course takes place at the Technogym Village in Cesena and includes:
- theory lessons with experts on NCDs and exercise therapy
- practical activities at the gym to learn the various exercise protocols that can be prescribed – Adapted Physical Activity and Adapted Exercise
Thanks to this innovative project, over the years more than 500 general practitioners have been trained on exercise prescription and today physical exercise is increasingly recommended and prescribed by the primary care physicians in the Wellness Valley to treat diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer and skeletal disorders.
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Health
Growing up healthy from 0 to 18 years
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An agile and scientific tool for children and teenagers to build healthy habits from an early age.
Healthy habits start early.
As part of its commitment to improve young people’s health through education, the Wellness Foundation launched an innovative project in 2018 in collaboration with the Cultural Association of the Pediatrics of Romagna: “The Pyramid of Wellness Lifestyle. Growing up healthy from 0 to 18 years”.
An agile and practical tool for parents, educators and doctors to teach youth the correct daily habits related to movement, nutrition and a positive mental approach for a healthy lifestyle.
The Pyramid of the Wellness lifestyle contains specific illustrations and recommendations for the different stages of development (0-1 year, 1-6 years, 6-11 years, 11-14 years, 14-18 years), and it is widely distributed to families through the network of pediatricians from Romagna.
The project was implemented thanks to the support of Technogym and with the patronage of the Emilia-Romagna Region.
The Pediatric Cultural Association carries out training, research and health education activities and promotes the integration of health services that deal with children’s health and psychophysical well-being.
The project was implemented thanks to the support of Technogym and with the patronage of the Emilia-Romagna Region.
The Pediatric Cultural Association carries out training, research and health education activities and promotes the integration of health services that deal with children’s health and psychophysical well-being.
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