Giving them a push
Free exercise classes in a public setting might be just what it takes to make residents of a city more active.
It seems to be working for residents of Recife, the fifth-largest city in Brazil. There, city officials set up free calisthenic and dance classes in 21 public places, enrolling more than 10,000 residents a year starting in 2002.
Phone surveys conducted among 2,046 city residents found that people who had taken part in the program were twice as likely to engage in moderate to high levels of leisure-time activity as those who had never participated. Those currently enrolled in classes were 11 times more likely to do so. Even those who had heard about the program or seen a class had greater rates of moderate to high levels of activity. The study appears in the January issue of the American Journal of Public Health.
In the study, researchers wrote, “Evaluation and dissemination of local programs such as ACP in Recife can inform physical activity public health efforts both nationally and globally. If other cities and states in Brazil and even other countries are to effectively adopt programs such as ACP, they should consider the needs of local communities.”
It might not be a bad idea to try this in the U.S., but anyone who has that notion might want to steer clear of Santa Monica, where local police are cracking down on people who exercise on the medians.
--
