University of Turku (Finland): www.utu.fi/en

University Profile:

Facilities: 2 Sports Halls, 1 Fitness Hall, 2 outdoor tennis fields, 1 Fitness centre

 

Health promotion of the University:

Health Promotion is already included in the strategy of Academic Sport Service and has become more and more important. Every second year the University makes a survey about the physical activities to discover the health problems of students and staff and to find solutions to promote their health. The outstanding project of the university was “Bottoms Up!” The project was instigated by the prevalence of neck and lower back problems, as well as obesity and the illnesses associated with it, among the staff and students at the University of Turku. The issue was considered by the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS) and University of Turku Sports, and the decision was made to instigate a project designed to inform students and personnel about the risks associated with excessive sitting.

”Bottoms up” achieved the ENAS Best Practice Award in 2015.

 

Selected health promoting physical activities:

• Well-being days for staff and students (health measurements, physical condition tests, sports try-outs, lectures, massage)
• Rehabilitation courses for neck and shoulders and back (staff)
• Find your own physical activity- courses for students
• Get Fit- courses for staff
• Sport Tutors (help beginners at the sports facilities and at the first times and arrange walking groups and easy groups)
• Courses and classes for beginners at the schedule
• Break Exercise instructor courses and idea classes for staff
• Help for beginners with Sports tutors, Sports counselling, Personal trainers

 

 

 

 

 

Tampere University  (Finland):  www.unipolisport.fi

University Profile: 

Facilities:  Sport hall, Fitness hall, 2 Gyms, Recreation park with a grass field, sand based field, 5 tennis courts, orienteering area, jogging paths with lights (for cross-country skiing in the wintertime), swimming pool (only physiotherapy use)

 

Health promotion of the University:

Since 2010 the health promotion is included in the main strategy of the university. Academic Sport Service is involved as a member of both students and staff wellbeing groups. The groups make guidelines and “official” programs in the university to improve the wellbeing of students and staff members. These programmes are being completed by the tutor students, teachers and other staff members working in student guidance and counselling. With the financial input by the university about 30 different actions are completed yearly (etc. cultural and recreational events). About 300 staff members take part into these events yearly. The main focus is more in mental than in physical wellbeing. The university has started actions to find and get along passive students. The focus of these actions is to ease to get started and easy to join groups with expertise guidance and facilities for individual with a low level of skills and physical condition.

 

Selected health promoting physical activities:

• The wellbeing clinic of the physiotherapy department is arranging “easy step groups” for students and staff twice a year. They are for those who have not done any physical activity at all.
• Actions for none active students and staff members (mostly with a very small or no fees):

1. • Get Started course: Participants can learn more about the ABC of gym training, body care and group exercise classes
   • Buddy Start course: Collection of a group of friends and reservation of a course to enhance the well-being
   • Sports consultation: Sports consultation is a free two-hour-service that is meant to help students and staff members who are not currently active to find their own way of doing sports. The service is designed for people who have no health obstacles to training but who need some personal guidance to get started. Sports consultation service is free for every student and staff member of the university.
   • Gym instruction: At specific times at the gyms of UTA and TAMK there is a gym instructor or personal trainer present and available for questions regarding the gym training.