Leveraging the golden decade to reduce physical inactivity

News
Written By David Burns

Brisbane was excitedly announced as the winning bid by the International Olympic Committee in July this year to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2032.  

The games will be the culmination of unprecedented major sporting events to be held in Australia over the next decade 2022 to 2032. These include: 

  • Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 (cricket) 

  • FIBA Women’s World Cup 2022 (basketball) 

  • UCI Road World Championships 2022 (cycling) 

  • VIRTUS Oceania Asia Games 2022 (intellectual impairment) 

  • World Transplant Games 2023 (transplant recipients) 

  • FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 (soccer/football) 

  • ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships 2025 

  • Netball World Cup 2027 

  • Olympic and Paralympic Games 2032 (multi-sport event) 

*The 2027 Rugby World cup could be added to the list with Australia pushing strongly to host.  

This is going to be a decade like no other in Australia. There are huge benefits to hosting major sporting events, especially a boost in tourism and spending, the sense of national pride we feel and the way it inspires people to take part in sport and physical activity. So, how can we leverage this unique opportunity to make a real shift in reducing inactivity and increase participation in physical activity and sport.  

Now is the time for all sectors that have an intersection with physical activity to get behind the International Society for Physical Activity and Health (ISPAH) and their coordinated national actions.  

ISPAH is recognised as the leading global society of researchers and practitioners focussed on promoting physical activity across the life course, through its eight investments.  

ISPAH’s eight investments: 

  • Whole of school programs 

  • Active travel  

  • Active urban design 

  • Healthcare 

  • Public education, including mass media 

  • Sport and recreation for all 

  • Workplaces 

  • Community wide programs 

I applaud ISPAH and its 8 investments and urge individuals, communities, organisations and our physical activity eco system to join the global movement and targets to reduce physical inactivity by 10% by 2025 and 15% by 2030. Leveraging this once in a generation golden decade.  

Each sector can harness the enthusiasm that will be generated by these major sporting events.  

Read more about the eight investments here: www.ispah.org 

David Burns
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