Get physical on World Move for Health Day

The Ministry of Health is encouraging Jamaicans to get physical on World Move for Health Day tomorrow.

Community groups, schools, churches and corporate bodies are being urged to organise activities in communities across the island.

The ministry, as part of its Jamaica Moves Campaign, will host a major event at Sam Sharpe Square in St James.

"A number of activities will take place in the square, including games such as skipping, dandy shandy, hula hoop, among others. There will also be jogging and aerobics as well as a number of health screenings," senior health education officer in the ministry, Charmaine Plummer, said.

She noted that World Move for Health Day is part of a plethora of initiatives by the ministry to keep the message of staying active current and relevant for all Jamaicans.

"It is important that we utilise every opportunity to reinforce the message, because of the benefits to be derived from trading a sedentary lifestyle for an active one," she said.

She outlined that 27 per cent of diabetes cases and 30 per cent of heart diseases can be prevented by increasing and maintaining physical activity.

"We want to use Move for Health Day to remind persons that it is much more beneficial for us to make some time for physical activity now rather than be forced to take time to deal with illnesses later," Plummer stressed.

The observance began in 2003 as an initiative of the World Health Organization to promote physical activity and heighten public awareness around the benefits.