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Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Joshua Leo.
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And I'm Liz Waid. This program uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
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Pour votre santé, bougez
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Por tu salud, muévete
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Bewegung ist Leben, Leben ist Bewegung
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Move for health.
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This idea of moving for health is centred around a movement called Agita Mundo - Portuguese for 'shake the world.' Today's Spotlight is on Agita Mundo, and the importance of exercise.
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Agita Mundo began in a community in the Brazilian state of S?o Paulo. It was a movement to encourage local people to be healthier. This community group invited people to move their bodies, exercise their minds and change their surroundings. This was all to improve public health.
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The movement then expanded to the whole country of Brazil. Next, the movement spread around the world. But Agita Mundo still keeps to its original goal - encouraging people to exercise! The 'Agita fever', as it is sometimes called, is very catching.
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So how does Agita Mundo encourage people to exercise? First, they share the message about exercise with as many people as possible. They encourage all people to exercise for 30 minutes every day. Each year, Agita Mundo shares this message on April 6 in events around the world.
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Second, they encourage organizations and governments around the world to share this message too. They connect these groups together through their website. This way, people can learn from each other's methods. When anyone develops a new way to encourage exercise, other people can also use it.
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Third, through this network, Agita Mundo funds and share research about exercise. They share this research with many organizations. In this way, everyone learns more about exercise. Agita Mundo truly is "shaking the world"!
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It is well known that exercise is good for people. Experts all agree that exercise is necessary for good health. And yet, many people still do not get enough! Here are some facts that may make us think about this more seriously.
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The World Health Organisation, or WHO, estimates that about sixty percent of all adults do not get enough exercise. The WHO estimates that, every year, 17 million people die from heart disease, and related diseases. A lack of exercise greatly increases a person's risk of death from these diseases. And exercise may even prevent other serious sicknesses. The W H O says that a healthy diet and enough exercise can even prevent cancers.
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What kind of exercise are they talking about here? For many of us, thinking about exercise is the last thing we want to do – particularly after a busy day. But experts say that even small changes in our way of living can have huge results.
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Physical exercise does not have to take up too much of our time either. And it does not have to be too difficult, or make us tired. In fact, some reports show that exercise increases our energy levels! Anything that makes us move is exercise - in simple words, moving our bodies! When we walk, clean the house or even play with our children, we are exercising.
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The World Health Organisation says that any physical movement will make us feel better physically. Most people need to exercise for over thirty minutes every day to help prevent disease. But this does not have to be done all at once. For example, a person could get off the bus one stop earlier and walk for an extra ten minutes. Later, the same person could use twenty minutes in cleaning the house. With these small acts, this person will have done their thirty minutes of daily exercise!
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People do not have to spend money to exercise either. There are lots of fun, free ways to get moving! It could be a thirty-minute game of football. Dancing is very good exercise too. Or a walk outside is great for your heart and lungs.
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Anyone can start exercising. But experts say that if you are not used to much exercise you should start slowly. It is best to achieve thirty minutes over a period of time. The more exercise we do, they say, the greater the results. If you are still not sure, here are some of the good results that come from exercising often:
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It reduces the risk of dying early.
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It reduces the risk of dying from heart disease and some cancers by up to fifty percent.
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Exercise helps reduce the risk of developing bone disease and lower back pain.
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It reduces feelings of depression.
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It can reduce anger and violence too.
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And it helps to control body fat. Exercise reduces the risk of becoming extremely fat by 50 percent!
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Exercise brings good results to an individual. But there are excellent gains for the community too. Improved health means lower health care costs. It also means that people will perform better at work and at school. The World Health Organisation recognises these good results for communities. This is why it encourages people to exercise.
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The idea of 'moving for health' is not just to get your physical body fit. It is to get the whole person fit – body, soul and mind.
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Exercise is proved to help the mind. It reduces mental worry. How does this work? Some researchers say that a chemical is released in the brain during some exercise. This chemical helps the body to heal itself from the harmful effects of worry and depression.
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Leslie James is one woman who has seen these effects in her own life. She suffered from depression. At this time, she found the pressures of life too difficult. She received medical treatment. But she also had help from an unexpected source. She says that exercise also helped her. Now Leslie says, 'I have to exercise to stay healthy - both physically and mentally'.
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We all feel worried and depressed sometimes in life. Different pressures and difficulties in our lives can make us feel this way. Or, sometimes, we just feel depressed for no reason at all. Next time you feel like this, take some advice from the World Health Organisation. 'Move for Health' and 'Agita Mundo!'
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