As announced previously in our EHFA Update No. 4, the draft EU Physical Guidelines have been discussed at the meeting of Member State Sport Directors in Versailles in France on 30-31 October 2008.

Based on requests from sport and physical activity organizations, the Sport Directors agreed that the draft of the Guidelines can be made public for information purposes.

We are pleased to attach the full draft English version here.
The French (abbreviated) version here. 
The German (abbreviated) version here. 

According to the Commission, the full texts of French and German translations will be available in the second half of November.  Please contact the EHFA Secretariat should you need a copy.

The Action number 1 of the "Pierre de Coubertin" Action Plan, which accompanies the White Paper on Sport adopted by the European Commission in July 2007, foresees that the Commission and the Member States will develop new physical activity guidelines before the end of 2008. An Expert Group (consisting of 22 outstanding independent experts) and the EU Working Group on Sport & Health (consisting of representatives of Member States) prepared a draft of the EU Physical Activity Guidelines during the past year.

The EU Physical Activity Guidelines will not become a binding document. The Guidelines should be perceived mainly as a source of inspiration for Member States, regional and local authorities, sport organisations, civil society organisations and other relevant actors to define and implement policies which would make it easier for Europeans to be physically active as part of their daily lives.

As to the Health and Fitness sector, EHFA welcomes the Guidelines which in the Introduction confirm that there is “sufficient evidence to show that those who live a physically active life can gain a number of benefits, including the following:

• A reduced risk of cardiovascular disease
• Prevention and / or delay of the development of arterial hypertention, and improved control of arterial blood pressure in individuals who suffer from high blood pressure.
• Good cardio-pulmonary function
• Maintained metabolic functions and low incidence of type 2 diabetes
• Increased fat utilisation which can help to control weight, lovewring the risk of obesity
• A lowered risk of certain cancers, such as breast, prostate and colon cancer
• Improved mineralization of bones in young ages, contributing to the prevention of osteoporosis and fractures in older ages
• Improved digestion and regulation of the intestinal rhythm
• Maintenance and improvement in muscular strength and endurance, resulting in an increase in functional capacity to carry out activities of daily living
• Maintained motor functions including strength and balance
• Maintained cognitive functions and lowered risk of depression and dementia
• Lower stress levels and associated improved sleep quality
• Improved self-image and self-esteem and increased enthusiasm and optimism
• Decreased absenteeism (sick leave) from work
• In very old adults, a lower risk of falling and prevention or delaying of chronic illness associated with ageing"

There are 41 Guidelines for Action grouped in the following categories: General, Cross-Sectoral Approach, Policy Areas (Sport, Health, Education, Transport-Environment-Urban Planning- Public Safety, Working Environment, Services for Senior Citizens), Indicators-Monitoring-Evaluation, and Public Awareness and Dissemination.

The European Commission underlines the importance of cross-sectoral cooperation in order to make the population more physically active.

Sport organizations should collaborate with vocational and/or academic training providers and both public and private actors should be able to compete for funding on equal footing.

A strong mutual connection is recommended between physical activity and health. Health insurance providers are urged by the Commission to promote physical activity.

As for the education of training and health professionals it is also important to include lifestyle counseling and physical behavior change.  The EHFA Standards Council will consider a response to this call.

Specific muscle training plays an important role especially in improving the quality of life of senior citizens.

The implementation of policy actions and public awareness campaigns should be monitored, reviewed and combined with other forms of intervention within a coherent strategy.

Below are the Guidelines, which are considered especially relevant for the health and fitness industry: 

Guideline 3 – Public authorities responsible for different sectors should support each other through cross-sectoral cooperation to implement policies that can make it easier and more attractive for individuals to increase their level of physical activity.

Guideline 5 – Governments should launch initiatives to coordinate and promote public and private funding devoted to physical activity and to facilitate access for the whole population.

Guideline 8 – (…) Public and private actors should be able to compete for funding on an equal footing.

Guideline 11 – Sport organizations should cooperate with universities and higher vocational schools to develop training programmes for coaches, instructors and other sport professionals aimed to advise and prescribe physical activity for sedentary individuals and those with motor or mental disabilities who wish to take up a particular sport.

Guideline 12 – Low-barrier health-related exercise programs targeting as many social and age groups and including as many sport disciplines as possible (…) should become an integral part of the offerings of sport organizations.

Guideline 13 - (…) Sport organizations gain a special significance for health policies if they can offer quality-tested and cost-effective programmes in prevention and health promotion.

Guideline 15 – Public authorities should identify the professions that have the competences necessary to promote physical activity and consider how the relevant professional roles may be facilitated through appropriate recognition systems.

Guidelines 19 – Health insurance schemes should encourage clients to be physically active and should offer financial incentives. Physical activity upon prescription should become available in all member states.

Guideline 23 – Information about the need for physical activity, the best way to introduce it in everyday life and changes in lifestyle should be available to physical education teachers, health professionals, trainers, managers of sport and leisure centers and media professionals in the course of their studies and/or professional training.

Guideline 38 – The implementation of policy actions for physical activity promotion should be monitored regularly, based on pre-defined indicators to allow for evaluation and review.

Guideline 39 – To have an impact, public awareness campaigns should be combined with other forms of intervention within a coherent strategy.

Next steps

The draft Guidelines will still have to go through the final step of the political process and will be officially launched during the Sport Forum and meeting of Member State Sport Ministers in Biarritz, France on 26/27 November 2008.

The President of EHFA, Harm Tegelaars, has received an official invitation from the EU to speak at the EU Sport Forum on the subject of the Professional Qualifications (please see the Agenda of the EU Sport Forum).