‘Sportief Gezond!’ for sport and health

The Municipality of The Hague will work together with partners in the city in order to actively promote sport and exercise among residents of The Hague. The goal is to ensure that residents who don’t get enough exercise choose a more active lifestyle to improve their health and well-being.

The municipality and national government have earmarked € 2.7 million for the Sportief Gezond! programme which will be carried out between September 2010 and June 2014.

The Municipality of The Hague believes it is important for people who aren’t very active to get enough exercise through sport and intensive movement at least once a week. A healthy and sporty lifestyle helps to reduce health problems such as obesity, diabetes, heart and vascular diseases and depression.

Tailor-made exercise programmes

Some 180,000 residents of The Hague get too little exercise. For the youth extra attention will be paid to obesity and developing motor skills. The programme aims to improve the health of adults by working together with their employers to provide sport and exercise programmes. Employees who are better fit are usually happier and more productive.

Senior citizens will be approached at home. Following a fitness test they will be invited to participate in a programme geared to their needs. Attention will also be paid to residents with a physical limitation.

Sportief Gezond! will be carrried out together with partners in the city, such as schools, sport clubs, health care facilities, social services, housing corporations, organisations for people with a physical limitation and employers.