Article by Andreja Žibret was published in Delo daily newspaper on 16 September 2024
Društvo Šola zdravja (School of Health Association), which provides daily morning exercise for all generations, mostly older participants, celebrates its 15th anniversary in October 2024.
Members of the association exercise every morning using the “1000 moves” method all over Slovenia, all year round, also in bad weather conditions. There are currently 257 groups in 93 municipalities, with 5200 members.
The Health School Association is a great success story, as evidenced by its many awards. The most notable of these is the international award from the Fit for Life Foundation from Geneva, which was awarded last September for “innovation in improving the health of the elderly population by promoting regular physical activity for a healthier and more independent life“. The Foundation supports non-profit organisations around the world to promote healthy ageing. The competition was fierce, with more than 350 projects from over 80 countries competing for the award, and four projects were selected, in addition to the Slovenian School of Health, from England, Ireland and Austria.
The pandemic has brought to their attention the problem of loneliness among the older population. They also organised the “1000 Moves” exercise guidance via the zoom app, which is still organised during the winter months. The association made a film of the exercises, which was broadcast on more than 20 local television stations.