As Hamlet (or not quite so), so we face the eternal dilemma: to be or not to be active. Let us take arms against sedentarism and to sleep no more! But better said than done: to combat sedentary behaviour, particularly in the troubled times do Covid-19 pandemic, is no easy task, both individually and collectively. To stay at home has been mandatory for days and days in a row, ever since early 2020, therefore making it much more difficult to have any kind of physical activity.
Recognising and addressing the issues of sedentarism - as well as food habits, sleep habits, mental health and general well-being -, a multi-disciplinary team of University Lusófona's professors and students took arms to against sedentary behaviour, hopefully inspiring fellow colleagues and other staff members to join the cause. Under development since early 2021, the research project LusofonAtiva - https://lusofonativa.ulusofona.pt/ - aims to monitor and to promote active and healthy lifestyles in students, faculty and other staff of the Lusófona University campus in Lisbon, Portugal. More specifically, the LusofonAtiva project has two main purposes:
1. to design and implement a digital monitoring and epidemiological surveillance system of behaviours and physical literacy linked to active and healthy lifestyles,
2. to develop, implement and test a campaign of promoting active and healthy lifestyles, through co-creation: focusing on reducing sedentary behaviour, in promoting physical activity and its overall benefits.
The communication campaign is planned to take place from February 2022 until the end of June 2022. From the start, the LusofonAtiva communication strategy was developed by and with students and faculty, in which the cornerstone of the campaign is the production of a series of short films, namely by faculty member Possidónio Cachapa, PhD student Dulmaa Purev-Ochir, plus PhD student Anastasiya Maksymchuk, with overall coordination by faculty member Célia Quico.
Watch the video HERE.