Czech Olympic Committee promotes healthy lifestyle among general public
The Czech Olympic Committee has launched a campaign encouraging people to boost their health by living a more active lifestyle. The campaign, called ‘Silnější pro život’ or ‘Stronger for Life’, focuses on people who are not currently practicing any sport, particularly the older generation.
The ‘Stronger for Life’ campaign aims to show that people are never too old to make small changes in their lifestyle that can have a significant positive effect on their health.
It promotes simple steps that everyone can take to strengthen their immune system and build up resilience to current health threats, such as Covid-19.
The campaign is specifically targeting the over-40 age group, which on average tends to be less active than younger generations.
Jiří Kejval, the President of the Czech Olympic Committee, says the current Covid-19 crisis presents an ideal opportunity for people to change their lifestyle and return to the basic values of the Olympic Movement’s founder, Pierre de Coubertin.
“I believe it is the first time in history when a campaign by the Czech Olympic Committee focuses on ordinary people who don’t do sports regularly, rather than professional athletes.
“We focus on everyday activities and try to show people that they don’t necessarily have to train to become world champions and yet they can do something beneficial for their health.”
The series of TV spots, directed by the renowned advertising director Tomáš Mašín, feature ordinary people in standard situations to emphasize that keeping active is something we all can do.
The videos challenge people to lead a more active life, from taking a cold shower in the morning and cycling to work to walking the stairs rather than using a lift.
The main initiator of the concept is the renowned Czech sports physician Pavel Kolář:
“Today, we don’t have the natural stressors that we had in the past, when we lived closer to nature and had more manual labour. We have to replace that with physical activity and learn to better adapt on the emotional and psychological level.
“The most serious problem of our times is emotional stress, which affects our immune system. In reaction to stress, the body releases hormones which launch a reaction of the neural system.
“We should deal with the emotional burden by doing some physical activity. The lack of physical activity leads to all kinds of illnesses.”
Another public figure to promote the campaign of the Czech Olympic Committee is the 80-year-old surgeon Pavel Pafko. Mr Pafko, who still works at Prague’s Motol Hospital says the most important thing is positive thinking.
“The mind and the body are one entity, that’s a holistic approach to life. Many illnesses originate in the head and end up in the body. Other health issues start in the body and affect your mental health. So the unity of the body and mind is extremely important.”
