SPORT EN MASSE

It is believed that the situation with a healthy lifestyle (HLS) in Azerbaijan is not very good. We do not often see people doing morning runs. Most do not like doing extended exercises in gyms. And smoking is still the main entertainment for the youth, which later turns into a bad habit of all life.

At the same time, the situation became better than say five years ago. To a large extent, this was facilitated by the construction of the state-funded modern sports infrastructure throughout the country, holding of significant sporting events of continental and global scale in Azerbaijan. This contributed not only to the popularisation of professional sports - the approach to a healthy life has improved markedly as a way of thinking.

People do not want to get extra kilos, they strive for harmony, go to fitness clubs. And the entrepreneurs’ response was immediate. Frankly speaking, there is no shortage of fitness clubs in any region of the country today. Another thing is affordable prices. The government agencies could also participate in the popularisation of HLS from this point of view. So, is mass sport available in Azerbaijan, including for children from low-income families and people with physical disabilities, pensioners?

Physical Education at Schools

The science of health is known as valeology. It teaches the rules of hygiene, healthy lifestyle, basis of ecological literacy. In many countries, the disciplines that teach the concept of a healthy lifestyle are introduced into the curriculum. The press service of the Ministry of Education agreed that the domestic curriculum of such disciplines really is not enough, and now the institution is working on it. "And even without the valeology, the healthy lifestyle must be propagated in schools as part of the educational process," noted the Ministry of Education. The ministry also said that the physical education for preschool children is carried out through the inclusion of entertaining games in educational programs and takes at least ten hours a week. The organization of physical culture and sports in educational institutions covers the conduct of compulsory physical education classes under the programs established by educational standards, as well as additional physical exercises and sports under auxiliary programs.

Physical education at work

As for the further introduction of mass physical education, according to the head of the Sports Department of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Aydin Mammadov, the legislation prescribes the creation and improvement of the system of physical culture and sports. "We are aware of the importance of developing physical culture and sports among the low-income layers of population and those who need social protection - these are children from large families, children with disabilities. The law provides for interaction in this area of ​​state bodies and municipalities, public associations of physical culture and sports," says Mammadov. The continuity of the physical education of citizens from different age groups is carried out at all stages of life activity.

"Up to the point that, according to the law, the heads of all enterprises, institutions and organizations, regardless of the form of their property, are obliged to create necessary conditions for their employees to exercise and work during the working hours and after work, as well as sports and health tourism. By the way, all this should be provided in the labour agreement," said Mammadov. Interestingly, the Law on Physical Culture and Sport is so multifaceted that it stipulates gratuitous provision to employees and their families of sports facilities and bases for physical education and sports under the relevant enterprises. By the way, the same enterprises and organizations are obliged to carry all depreciation expenses for servicing these facilities.

Physical culture at home

The same principles hold true for the relevant executive authorities and municipalities within their authority for the development of physical culture and sports at the places of residence and recreation of citizens. This covers the residential areas, neighbourhoods, hotels, yards, parks, suburban recreation centres, tourist bases and other places of recreation.

"The design of residential areas should provide for the construction of facilities for physical education, including sports campuses, halls, swimming pools, sports grounds, health zones and other facilities in yards, parks and other recreation areas," said a representative of the Ministry of Transport.

Mammadov underlined that the legal provisions are not completely implemented in the country, although there are youth sports schools of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Youth and Sports that operate on a free basis. "They are not so many but they exist." And in the regions, there are sport schools functioning as part of the Olympic complexes.

Alas, for pensioners there are no such sections yet but they can use simulators in parks for free. "There is, for example, such a park in the Yasamal district of Baku. There are simulators on the National Seaside Boulevard and in some other places. These sports facilities are very popular among the pensioners," said Mammadov.

By the way, according to the head of the department, the holding of a marathon in Baku contributed to the popularization of a healthy lifestyle in Azerbaijan. This year it was held in April under the motto "Win the wind!". "The purpose of the event organized on the initiative of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation was to support the development of sports, as well as to unite people under noble ideas. The marathon, which has been successfully held in Baku for the second consecutive year, has every chance to become a landmark event in the life of the city. Such mass long-distance races aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles are practiced in many parts of the world," said Mammadov.

On the flip side

The people are still complaining about the inaccessibility of gyms and small number of free youth sports sections. Yes, it is true, the design of residential complexes does not often include the construction of facilities for physical education. There are no free health zones for pensioners, where health procedures should be conducted with coaches. Such facilities do not exist at all. There is only one Health Zone in Baku for the pensioners but the coached classes are not free. Prices, although affordable, but a visit to the Health Zone for many pensioners is a luxury. Not all heads of enterprises and organizations provide their employees with physical education, i.e. the Law on Physical Culture and Sport in Azerbaijan is perfect but it lacks executive potential.

It is depressing that the number of smokers in Azerbaijan has increased by 1.3% in ten years, which is a fairly high figure on the general background of a decline in the number of smokers in the world. This is the data reported by The Lancet, a medical publication that conducted a research in 195 countries of the world. There are about 1 billion smokers in the world. Meanwhile, smoking is the main cause of premature death in more than a hundred countries.

In Azerbaijan, the percentage of male smokers is 40.2%. The indicator is higher only in Armenia, Belarus, Greenland, Indonesia, Kiribati, Laos and the Northern Mariana Islands. The number of smoking Azerbaijani women is also growing, although in comparison with other countries their percentage is quite low - 1.6%.

It is encouraging that the parliament has adopted the draft Law on Restriction of the Use of Tobacco Products. The bill determines the places where smoking the cigarettes is prohibited. The list includes educational institutions, sports venues and other mass events. It also includes retail outlets, restaurants, cafes, bars, catering facilities, hotels, healthcare facilities, resorts, social facilities, theatres and cinemas, exhibitions, reading rooms, libraries, museums, other cultural institutions, underground and ground crossings.

Personal responsibility

It seems that at this stage, while Azerbaijan is improving the mechanisms for introducing a healthy lifestyle to the masses, this principle should be based on personal responsibility for health.

According to endocrinologist Ilhama Mammadova, the concept of a healthy lifestyle should be introduced from a small age. "First of all, it is about sleeping well. It is one of the important components of a healthy lifestyle. It is necessary to balance the hours of sleep and vigilance. Secondly, a balanced diet, which is a complete science alone. We, as a nation, have a tremendous cuisine but, unfortunately, we suffer from a food culture, from the products we consume, their combinations, and those that we do not use but we should. Without thinking about the benefits, we do everything wrong. Thirdly, an active way of life. It is not about training in the gym, you can not force everyone to going to the gyms but in our country the youth is very passive. I am sorry to admit it but it is true. Further, the psychological component and attitude to life. After all, it is not a secret that all diseases are associated with our brains. Do not forget about the preventive examinations - the Azerbaijanis do not have the concept of preventive visits to the doctor, while detracting from the dignity of prevention is impossible. Our people visit medical institutions in the very last second. Next, the rejection of bad habits, which is not even a topic of discussion”, says the doctor. According to her, international experience focuses on fitness.

So, what about them

The doctor also noted that each leading country has its own priorities in a healthy lifestyle. "Germany focuses on bicycles and nutrition, disease prevention. Sweden – on fresh air and travel. Japan – on respect and food. China – on nutrition, acupuncture, massage, moxibustion and non-traditional methods. Italy – on food, swimming and sports. Each country has a special approach to HLS," concluded the expert.

In the 1970s, the introduction of a healthy lifestyle at the state level in conjunction with environmental measures began to bear fruit: mortality from cardiovascular diseases, the main form of chronic non-infectious morbidity, decreased by almost 40% in the USA, Japan, Finland, Germany and Canada.

Together with the improvement of well-being, for example, in the USA, paradoxically, there were many problems associated with the deterioration of public health. People would return from work in cars, turn on the TV, drink beer, eat popcorn and chips, move a little and, of course, got fat. The obesity problem was growing, and this worried not only the doctors but also the American government. Then, the Council for Fitness was established under the President of the United States, which included 20 of the most respected experts in the field, as well as politicians from different states. The tasks of the council included popularizing a healthy lifestyle, promoting the creation of a network of public fitness complexes. In 1983, the American Mark Mastrow created a system of "24 hours of fitness", which has provided access to literally all areas of human activities from the mode of operation to the price. There are various fitness clubs in almost every village in the United States. In addition, in recent years, the number of smokers has fallen sharply in the country. A large number of institutions, offices, theatres, stations, and airports are declared non-smoking zones.

The hygiene experts from the developed countries of the world have concluded that the only way to reduce the incidence of diseases is to prevent the effects of risk factors. Simply put, this means a healthy lifestyle, which involves the rejection of bad habits, active physical education, rational nutrition, coping with stress, and the rational mode of work and rest.