Movement is crucial for health.
Exercise and physical activity can have immediate and long-term health benefits and reduce the risk of developing several diseases like type 2 diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease.
The Wellness Valley is at the forefront in promoting projects and initiatives that can bring health to people and improve their quality of life.
Particular attention has been devoted to creating a social and cultural environment that can promote active living among school-age children and young people and effectively prevent childhood obesity epidemic.
Exercise is a strong medicine. Its regular use positively effects the prevention and treatment of 80% of the most common chronic diseases.
Emilia-Romagna has been the first Region in Italy to adopt on January 1, 2014 the prescription of physical exercise in its Healthcare System, and to develop a network of certified Gyms offering the Exercise is Medicine service. Patients can receive their treatment through dedicated training programmes based on their needs, with the support of graduated exercise professionals.
Since 2015, over 300 general practitioners in the Wellness Valley have been trained on the methodologies for the prescription of exercise through a specific Wellness lifestyle educational program. Thanks to this commitment, doctors in Romagna have become true lifestyle consultants and an increasing number of people is receiving guidance on the opportunities that physical exercise offers for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer and skeletal disorders.
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One third of children in the industrialised countries is overweight or obese and at high risk of developing chronic diseases in adult life, and this number is continuing to rise.
Play Wellness is a comprehensive education program aimed at fighting childhood obesity in younger generations.
The project involves over 17.000 children in the Wellness Valley aged 3 to 9, together with their teachers and their families and consists of three actions:
– Free physical activity for children during school hours
– Training courses for teachers and meetings for parents to inform them about the benefits of physical activity for children’s growth
– Educational toolkits specifically designed to involve children and their families in the activities, including: a day-by-day lifestyle book for pupils; a guide to the wellness lifestyle for their parents; wellness posters and cards for the teachers and the school environment.
For its particular social and educational value, Play Wellness has been affiliated with the international network of Let’s Move!, the public health campaign led in the United States by former First Lady Michelle Obama.
Istituto Scientifico per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori (IRST) IRCCS was founded to give substance to the conviction that the fight against cancer can be won.
IRST is part of the Regional Health System and promotes and manages cancer research with the aim of gaining knowledge and furthering excellence, innovation and progress in the areas of diagnosis/healthcare and organizational pathways, maintaining the safety and respect of the patient at the centre of every action and project.
The Institute collaborates in regional health planning on cancer with multidisciplinary programs and activities of research, training, treatment and care, and has been proposed since 2007 as an innovative population-oriented model of Comprehensive Cancer Care and Research Network within the Romagna Health Authority.
A real Marathon dedicated to Alzheimer’s. The first to trace its path between the hilly and maritime landscapes of Romagna, the only one in the territory to be a great day of fundraising solidarity and to propose distances suitable for every level of preparation. Finally, the only one designed to promote physical activity as an effective response against the disease, and as a vehicle for social integration for people with dementia.
The event is promoted by the Association “Amici di Casa Insieme” and takes place every year in mid-September: it represents a key moment to increase public awareness and to generate resources for the “Alzheimer’s Fund 360” dedicated to Alzheimer’s prevention, research and assistance.
The programme includes three competitive races – the Marathon starting from Mercato Saraceno, the 30-km race starting from Borello, and the Half Marathon starting from Cesena, – and two non-competitive walks: the 16 km Alzheimer’s March from Cesena and the Walking in Cesenatico of 8 km. All of them end in Cesenatico, at the Parco di Levante, where every year about 6,000 participants gather for the event.
A great event of sport and solidarity, which aims to provide concrete support to children and adolescents with diabetes, and to raise awareness about Diabetes Mellitus and the importance of healthy lifestyles to prevent or reduce the risk of illness.
Diabetes Marathon involves every year about 9,000 people and is promoted by the Association Diabete Romagna. The run has two distances, 10 km (6.2 mi) and 21 km (13.1 mi), with arrival at the Athletic Field C. Gotti, in Forlì, and attracts many competitive athletes from all the Italian regions.
Diabetes Marathon combines the running race with a weekend of events across Romagna (Forlì, Cesena and Rimini), including cultural walks, conferences, laboratories, training course, workshops and leisure activities for children, to spread the culture of prevention and to inform the population about Diabetes from a scientific and medical point of view.
Physical activity is recognized today by the scientific community to have beneficial effects on patients also during cancer treatment: a regular ‘dose’ of movement, in fact, can help increase the effectiveness of therapies and reduce the side effects at the same time.
Move your Life is the special sports project for cancer patients promoted by the Cancer Institute of Romagna IOR as part of the “Health in Motion” programme, and realized in collaboration with Rimini Marathon and Rimini Terme.
A 3-month athletic preparation plan with two workouts per week, tailored according to the physical possibilities of each participant, in order to improve their health and help them attain a personal sporting goal: whether it is walking or running, over distances of 5, 10 or 21 km.
Move your Life has positive effects on both physical and mental well-being. The programme is specifically designed for each of the patients to achieve their sporting goal enhancing their propensity to experience positive emotions. A strong drive for all the participants to look ahead with hope and to overcome the disease.
The Cultural Association of the Paediatricians of Romagna brings together 50 paediatricians to develop initiatives that protect the psychophysical well-being of the child, from the neonatal period to adolescence. The association carries out training, research and education activities and promotes the integration of health services for children.
ACP Romagna has provided scientific input to develop “The Pyramid of Wellness Lifestyle. Growing up healthy from 0 to 18 years”, a scientific educational and informative tool for children and their families, containing simple and practical guidance on the correct habits and behaviours to be adopted across the different stages of childhood and adolescence to grow up healthy (0-1 years, 1-6 years, 6-11 years, 11-14 years, 14-18 years).
The Pyramid of the Wellness Lifestyle® for children and teenagers is a project promoted by Wellness Foundation and is based on the principles of Wellness, which combines regular exercise, healthy eating and a positive mental approach. The Pyramids are distributed to families through the Wellness Valley’s pedriatic network. The initiative enjoys the patronage of the Emilia-Romagna Region.
The Brisighella Heart Study is one of the largest Italian studies on the epidemiology of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, and one the most advanced cases of longitudinal monitoring of a population worldwide, together with the American Framingham Study.
The study was initiated in 1972 and has been monitoring the citizens of Brisighella for over 40 years. The aim was to investigate the spontaneous trend of risk factors for atherosclerosis and the incidence of coronary heart disease in a rural population. The observational phase of the study contributed to the evidence of a strong physiopathological link between hypercholesterolemia and hypertension, while the interventional phase was one of the first examples of successful cardiovascular risk reduction obtained through an educational intervention on a whole population.
The observed risk factors, initially above average, have been significantly reduced and are now below national average thanks to the close and fruitful collaboration between the local Health Authority, the University of Bologna and the Municipality of Brisighella, to modify the population’s unhealthy dietary habits and promote active lifestyles.
‘Io gioco d’anticipo’ (I play in advance) is the project promoted by the Romagna Cancer Research Association which combines Prevention, Culture and Sports with an aim to educate young people to health protection from an early age.
For 10 years ARRT has focused its efforts on nutrition education programmes in the schools of Cesena, especially in kindergartens and primary schools, to encourage children to develop healthy eating habits through illustrated brochures and workshops in the classroom.
From 2018, the nutrition educational plan has been completed with the “play and movement” programme to create a comprehensive course on healthy lifestyles. Physical education classes and sports activities in schools are led by instructors of New Virtus Cesena, and at the end of the school year the ARRT mini Olympics are held, with sports games and activities for all kids to make the sports experience safe, fun and healthy. About 2,100 children from more than 100 school classes participate in the project every year.
The “Domus and the bike” aims to promote healthy and active lifestyles among the employees of Domus Nova, a private hospital in Ravenna integrated in the Regional Health System.
The employee who goes on foot or cycles to work accumulates every day an amount of minutes of paid leave calculated according to the distance from home to the workplace: from a maximum of 12 minutes per day to those who live over 2 km away, to a minimum of 3 minutes for those who live within a range of 1 km.
In 2013 thirty-two employees took part in the project covering a distance of 13,000 km on foot and by bike that saved the environment about 1,225 kg of CO2 and helped to create healthy and environmentally friendly habits among the participants.
Domus Nova has a long-standing commitment to prevention and involves both its employees and the community in health promotion activities. Over 100 doctors work in this medical facility, which throughout the year organizes meetings and seminars open to the general public to foster healthy behaviours at all ages.
Long Life Clinic is a centre dedicated to the prevention and correction of lifestyles that combines the health competence of the Villa Maria Group with the culture of well-being and the experience of the Thermal Baths of Castrocaro.
Long Life Formula® is an innovative method derived from the laboratory formula developed by GVM Care&Research researchers to analyse and study cellular aging, understand its causes and put remedies through lifestyle correction. A scientific project designed with the aim of prolonging life expectancy in good health.
All 7 Long Life Formula courses (weigth-loss, relax, clean, evergreen, energy, sport, re-start) include a full medical check-up with oxidative stress analysis, posture education, a personalized physical activity programme and diet plan and a selection of the most suitable treatments to achieve the goal, carried out under the control of a team of doctors and professionals to improve the quality of life.
Riccione Terme is a thermal centre conceived to fulfill every desire for health, relaxation and enjoyment, a new philosophy of hospitality and well-being for each guest. Its precious sources of sulphurous water containing bromine, iodine and magnesium, just a stone’s throw from the sea, are a rare combination in nature and represent the heart of Riccione Terme.
Overlooking the beach of the Adriatic Coast and nestled in an ancient pinewood, Riccione Terme offers a variety of health services in agreement with the National Health System for the treatment of respiratory, osteoarticular, vascular and dermatological diseases, as well as for the gastrointestinal and genitourinary apparatus. Rehabilitation in thermal water combined with physiotherapy, hydrokinetic and physical therapies allow to optimize the results. The Centre provides the best care with the latest technology and customizable protocols.
The proposal of Riccione Terme is enriched by its Polyclinic ‘Oasi’, the Wellness Center Oasi SPA, the Sensory Thermal Path with the fitness area, and the Wellness Park ‘Pearls of Water Park’, with areas of relaxation and revitalizing hydropaths to offer every guest a wellness experience.
Riminiterme is the only Spa in the region that uses both sea water and thermal water for treatment.
The complex provides a physiotherapy centre and a team of professionals specialized in physical re-education, postural gymnastics and osteopathic treatments, to maintain or regain functional abilities that may have been compromised due to aging, physical stress or trauma, illness or environmental factors. The rehabilitation programme is tailored to each guest and includes treatments in the water, in the gym or in the clinic.
Prevention is the basis of good health. For this reason, Riminiterme offers the possibility of carrying out clinical examinations and health screenings inside the facility and participates in various initiatives for the promotion of healthy lifestyles in collaboration with local institutions. The education project “Growing Healthy with Children at the Thermal Baths” involves every year 300 children from the primary schools in Rimini to teach them the principles of healthy and sustainable lifestyles.
170 years of activities, 2 million patients and 26 millions of therapies supplied: here is the great wealth of experience of Terme di Castrocaro, a point of reference of the Italian hot springs industry.
It has been famous since the middle of the nineteenth century for its green salso-bromo-iodic waters and for its natural muds and sulfurous waters, all of which have been used therapeutically since 1938.
Terme di Castrocaro combines knowledge and respect for the delicate curative mechanisms of the thermal waters and muds with technological innovation and a highly professional staff.
The facility includes a specialised centre for the treatment of rhinogenous deafness, peripheral vascular disease, motor rehabilitation and hydrokinesiotherapy.
“Prevention is better than cure” is not simply a cliché in the Wellness Valley, where since 2015 general practitioners have been attending a specific Wellness lifestyle educational program that allows them to give their patients appropriate advice about healthy eating and the use of regular physical activity both for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases.
Thanks to the shared commitment of the Medical Councils of the Provinces of Rimini, Forlì-Cesena and Ravenna, together with the local Health Authority and the Wellness Foundation, over the years more than 300 general practitioners have been trained, and the prescribing of physical exercise is widely used in the Wellness Valley as a new medicine in the therapeutic approach and the prevention of diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular and skeletal diseases.
For years now, pharmacies in the Wellness Valley have been making a dynamic contribution to create a new culture of health in the local community, representing not only a reference point for the provision of medicines and healthcare products, but also a place for the promotion of health through education to healthy lifestyles.
The Pharmacist’ Associations of the Wellness Valley play an active role in improving the quality of life in the community and the future sustainability of the healthcare system by providing appropriate information to patients on how to prevent chronic diseases and by participating in events and initiatives aimed at empowering people to improve health and wellbeing through healthy lifestyles.
