{"id":20769,"date":"2013-12-11T18:59:10","date_gmt":"2013-12-11T16:59:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.zeus.aegee.org\/magazine\/?p=20769"},"modified":"2013-12-11T23:47:03","modified_gmt":"2013-12-11T21:47:03","slug":"why-promotion-of-a-healthy-lifestyle-is-essential-in-aegee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zeus.aegee.org\/magazine\/2013\/12\/11\/why-promotion-of-a-healthy-lifestyle-is-essential-in-aegee\/","title":{"rendered":"Why promotion of a healthy lifestyle is essential in AEGEE"},"content":{"rendered":"

When collecting information from the Network about sportive activities across Europe The AEGEEan journalist Patricia Anthony was overwhelmed. Many antennae wrote back providing not only pictures but also lots of interesting stories on how they use physical activity for teambulding and more in their antennae.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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Sport in Kyiv<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cSports is one of the best ways to working on your health and body. In AEGEE where most of things are about communication, sports is the way to find common things between people and improve yourselves together,\u201d says Anna Smailikova from AEGEE-Kyiv about the use of sports in AEGEE. Since last year the antenna has had an amazing project called AEGEE Sport Activities (ASA) started by Sergii Lakhtadyr. At least once a month a sport event is organised that could be related to snowboarding, skiing, roller skating, climbing and more. It is a great tool for not only team building but also involving new members to take an active part in AEGEE-Kyiv\u2019s life. A challenge for yourself and a manner to find new friends. AEGEE-Kyiv encourages other antennae to try to organise this kind of project as it is the mix of everything needed for old and new members \u2013 you can choose any type of sport that is utmost popular in the specific country and it will gather people who are ready to change their life and be active.<\/p>\n

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Sport in Yerevan<\/p><\/div>\n

In last month\u2019s Local of the Month, AEGEE-Las Palmas<\/a> also uses sports and President Carmen Martin informs The AEGEEan about the reasoning behind it: \u201c<\/strong>I think that\u00a0sports\u00a0really fit in our association, since we\u2019re students\/young people, and the practice of\u00a0sports\u00a0is a really healthy activity that helps us to have a longer life. Moreover, we can practise\u00a0sports\u00a0with other people and become friends thanks to this. Also the fact that we play matches in favour or against things we want to improve\/change is really symbolic (like the match right before Spring Agora in Mannheim against racism by the Sports Working Group).\u201d<\/em> During the Academic year, every Monday night AEGEE-Las Palmas meet in the same spot of one beach which is in the city with exchange and local students and organise the regular\u00a0Sports\u00a0Night; in which they play football and volleyball. All the materials are provided by AEGEE-Las Palmas and one of the active members always take care of the participants. During European events, AEGEE-Las Palmas always tries to have a day for visiting one of the highest points of the island (Roque Nublo), which is the symbol of Gran Canaria, and the trip is usually by bus but afterwards there is a 45 minute walk that leads to a breath taking view and they hope to organise more walks and days in the nature in the mountains in the future. Carmen agrees with Anna that it is a good way to meet new people and making the antenna more visible in the city and increasing the member\u2019s list in a healthy and fun way.<\/p>\n

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Running team in Zaragoza<\/p><\/div>\n

This month\u2019s Local of the Month AEGEE-Zaragoza<\/a> also uses sports and one of the coordinators Irene Arregui talked with The AEGEEan. \u201cOne of the fundamental missions of our association is to empower young people in Europe to take an active role in society. Physical activity is an essential aspect in the life of millions of European citizens and also another way of participating as an active citizen. Furthermore, sports help people to develop personally and socially, improving their skills in areas like cooperation, responsibility and going the extra mile, an important objective which AEGEE as an association follows,\u201d are the inspiring words she comes with when listing why sports are relevant to our organisation. This September a group of new members from AEGEE-Zaragoza came up with the idea of a running team, wanting to create a new activity for Erasmus coming to study in Zaragoza: \u201cWe thought many of them, being new to the city, would like to meet other people in the same boat. People who didn’t want to stop doing sports just because they’re on Erasmus in another country.\u201d <\/em>Together with Irene, three other new members: Sara Roche, Carlos Embid, Adri\u00e1n Mart\u00edn\u00a0and Cristina Ortega organise this activity every Tuesday every time trying to create fun moments as well with different active games and that way hopefully more and more people will be bold enough to go out in Zaragoza on a cold and windy day late in the evening. Once the weather improves the group has even more ideas in mind to promote a healthy lifestyle which Irene considers very important \u201c<\/em>As an association of young people, we think it\u2019s fundamental to promote healthy lifestyles such as sport. We believe sport can not only bring benefits on a personal level but also help strengthen the team spirit, which is very important for an antennae. Sports have numerous advantages and absolutely no disadvantages. It can help promote team work and foster important values such as cooperation, tolerance and social integration. It also helps building self-esteem and self-confidence.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n