Published in:
01-06-2017 | Overview
Sports and martial arts activities for public health purposes: the musician’s risk profiles and exercise-based health care as a model
Published in: Journal of Public Health | Issue 3/2017
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Purpose
The common saying that sports promote good health is in line with main results of sports medicine, but conflicting with the high amount of sports injuries and sports-related diseases. This paper contributes to the discussion of the pros and cons of sports, particularly of the martial arts. It intends to shed light on the benefits of sports in the general public and to explore the enormous and yet unexploited potential of individually tailored sport activities for public health.
Methods
Comparative analyses and meta-synthesis of empirical studies on the health benefits of sports. Musicians with very heterogeneous work-related risk profiles serve as a model for inductive generalisation.
Results
For health promotion and to avoid adverse outcomes, sport activities must take one’s physical status and risk profiles into account and refer to well-adjusted training zones. This encompasses musculoskeletal and biomotor factors, behavioural means to rebalance the nervous system, cardiorespiratory fitness, mental health and psychological benefits, and active pain management and pain relief.
Conclusion
Sports organisations provide a wide spectrum of facilities for sports-oriented lifestyles; however, informal experience and relevant publications let us assume that they rather do not explore how to optimise preventative and health-related benefits, except for training with personal coaches. And yet, relatively simple screening methods and individually adjusted intensities, modes, and frequencies of trainings can enhance benefits and greatly contribute to public health, which would, however, require a stronger health awareness of providers and specific education of sports coaches.