Active Ageing: Moving Hearts for Health
WHO and the World Heart Federation call on people of all ages to join world-wide walk events on 29 September
The GLOBAL EMBRACE on Active Ageing and WORLD HEART DAY will be celebrated jointly this year on Sunday 29 September. Together we will be encouraging people around the world to take action and protect themselves from cardiovascular diseases and promote healthy ageing.
Physical inactivity has been firmly established as a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases in men and women of all ages. Jointly, cardiovascular diseases and stroke are the main cause of death globally, with 17 million deaths worldwide annually (one in three of all deaths!).
However, heart diseases and stroke are largely preventable and modest increase in physical activity (such as walking for 30 to 60 minutes every day) even at older ages can significantly reduce the risk for heart disease.
On September 29, the World Health Organization and the World Heart Federation encourage people of all ages to increase their level physical activity. The Global Embrace is the annual advocacy event of the Global Movement for Active Ageing. It consists of a chain of locally organized walks and celebrations encircling the globe during a 24-hour period.