More than 4000 senior citizens of the Vila Nova de Famalicão, who participate in the "More and Better Years" project, will have a Physical Health Bulletin which will contain all the information about their physical fitness, the type of training prescribed by the municipal technicians, the record of the physical assessments carried out within the scope of the programme and other information that can then be directly consulted by the respective family doctors.
The document was presented this Monday, October 31, in a session that brought good news for the program "More and Better Years", which according to an evaluation made by the Faculty of Sports, University of Porto (FADEUP), is effective in preventing some geriatric syndromes and has helped to improve the physical robustness of the elderly famalicenses that even present results above the reference values of the Portuguese population.
Professor of FADEUP and scientific coordinator of the municipal program, Daniel Gonçalves, presented the conclusion today.
Results that left the mayor, Mário Passos, "very satisfied". "This is the path we want to pursue, but there is much more to do so that we can reach even more seniors", said the mayor, pointing some projects that can help achieve this goal, as is the case of the expansion of the complex of municipal swimming pools of Famalicão and senior academies.
The study presented this morning also highlights the importance of a more targeted approach to the needs and clinical characteristics of each participant in the program and the importance of regular assessment for monitoring and possible adaptation of the type of exercise practiced.
It is then that the Physical Health Bulletin for the Elderly appears, an instrument highly praised by the director of the Ave/Famalicão Health Centres Group, Ivo Sá Machado. "It is, unquestionably, an excellent aid, with an importance and scope that stand out. There is no doubt that it adds a lot", he said.
Improving the physical fitness, emotional well-being and quality of life of the participants; preventing and attenuating the severity of symptoms, promoting functional independence are some of the objectives of the "More and Better Years" programme that will be divided into six areas of action that seek to respond to the specific needs of the participants: "Healthier Heart", "More Active", "Healthier Mind", "More Life", "Breathe More and Better" and "More Movement".