A few examples of national activities of NISB.
Moving Cultures
Research shows that half of all young people aged between 12 and 17 do not get enough exercise. Pupils in vocational types of secondary education get even less physical activity. To prevent obesity and other lifestyle diseases it is essential that young people are physically active. Moving Cultures is a series of lessons for secondary schools specifically directed at pupils in various forms of vocational education.
Beweegkuur
The Beweegkuur is a combined lifestyle intervention programme aimed at long lasting behavioural change through increased physical activity and a healthier diet. The Beweegkuur is designed for physically inactive people who are overweight and have a high risk of developing health problems such as diabetes mellitus type 2, and for inactive people who suffer from obesity. The programme is tailored to the individual needs of the participant.
National Action Plan Sport and Physical Activity
The National Action Plan Sport and Physical Activity encourages those who are insufficiently active to get more physical activity on a structural basis. The Action Plan offers funds for local authorities and provides advice and expertise concerning effective interventions. The Action Plan is funded by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport and by the local authorities that are involved. The Netherlands Institute for Sport and Physical Activity (the NISB) supports the local authorities that have signed up to the Action Plan.
Beweegkriebels
Beweegkriebels (“urge to move”) is a project offering information to parents and professionals about options for physical activity for babies and young children (aged 0-4). The project focuses on childcare, pre-school, the first years of primary school, baby and child health clinics, and all settings where young children play and live. Courses and workshops are offered to train professionals and teachers to be creative in finding forms of physical activity and how to organize meetings with parents on the importance of physical activity. A website has been developed, as well as a DVD and cards with tips and advice.
Communities on the Move
Communities on the Move (CoM) encourages inactive people to lead a consistently active lifestyle. It is targeted at certain groups that earlier campaigns and interventions have failed to reach. Those groups include people with chronic illnesses, older people, certain groups of young people, people on low income and with a low level of education.
In Balance
Falling is becoming an ever increasing problem for the health care sector. One in three elderly people living at home and half of those living in nursing homes fall at least once a year. This comes down to more than 1 million cases annually, and GP, physiotherapy, hospital treatment and operation costs already amount to more than €600 million a year in the Netherlands.
In Balance is a training programme that combines the best of Eastern and Western approaches. This is supplemented with information that provides more personal insight, increasing the motivation to exercise. The programme is accessible (‘round the corner’) and affordable. Exercise is done in groups to promote social interaction as well. Recent study by the Amsterdam VU University shows that the programme reduces the chance of falls to 61%.
