County elections: The wellbeing services counties need goals and plans in order to improve the conditions for exercise

The work of the wellbeing services counties will be directed by their strategy and wellbeing plan. The strategy contains plans for the next ten years or so, while the wellbeing plan is a more short-term plan. It can also be included in the wellbeing report. Each wellbeing services county must have a wellbeing plan to ensure that its activities will continue to be planned in a goal-oriented way in the future. It is important that both documents also include entries on exercise.

Some of the wellbeing services counties’ funding is tied to the wellbeing and physical activity of the population. Exercise is included in the process and result indicators as a preventative factor, which affects the health and wellbeing coefficient that acts as the basis for the state funding that each county receives. The municipal health and wellbeing coefficient is affected by 5 exercise indicators. The results of the indicators must be reported once per term as part of the wellbeing report.

This means that exercise is measured in many ways in the work of the wellbeing services counties and municipalities. Why not, then, also include it in the strategy and wellbeing plans of the wellbeing services counties?

One reason to invest in exercise is the funding of the wellbeing services county, but there are also other reasons. Exercise supports people’s wellbeing in a holistic way at different life stages, and it has a positive impact on both mental and physical wellbeing. This is why promoting exercise can’t be left solely to the municipalities; to ensure well-functioning supply chains both the municipality and the wellbeing services county must focus on exercise.

The wellbeing services counties must remember that exercise is a preventative and rehabilitating factor. Below we have listed a few examples on how to include exercise in the county’s strategy and wellbeing plan.

Examples of good entries:

• Wellbeing services county X is known as an expert in promoting wellbeing, exercise and health.
• The activities and services promoting the wellbeing of the working-age population is strengthened in order to promote exercise and physical fitness.
• Access to sustainable forms of exercises increases by Y percent in residential areas.
• Everyone can use recreational facilities in their local area, regardless of socio-economic background.

Essi Lumme