Intercultural Knowledge
Sports counseling to promote physical activity
The Institute of Sport Science has developed a sports counseling concept designed to help people get more exercise. A study has shown that the concept could be successful.
Although exercise is important for a person’s health and well-being, there’s a portion of the Swiss population that either never exercises or only does so on an irregular basis. One reason for this might be that many of them simply haven’t found the athletic activity that’s right for them.
Under the counseling concept developed by the Institute of Sport Science (ISPW) of the University of Bern, participants seek out an athletic activity that suits their personal preferences and fits into their own personal day-to-day routines. Participants also learn about their exercise-related motives and goals. Accordingly, the concept is called “Counseling based on motives and goals in exercise and sport” (COMET).
The concept of sports counseling is ideally suited for healthcare institutions, for incorporation into cardiac rehabilitation programs after heart attacks or following weight-reduction surgery, for example, as a way of encouraging patients to exercise on a regular basis.