Oulu is number one among large cities in health-promoting exercise

The city of Oulu is handling health-promoting exercise excellently according to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare’s (THL) benchmarking system TEAviisari.  

In health-promoting activity, Oulu is the number one among large cities with 86 points. The national average is 69. Points for other large cities are Helsinki 65, Espoo 75, Vantaa 75, Tampere 66 and Turku 80. Oulu has been holding the number one spot among the six largest cities for the previous years as well.  

Promotion of exercise is an essential part of health promoting action in the municipality. Information is gathered into the benchmarking system from the municipality’s activities and purchases for developing health-promoting exercise and creating opportunities according to exercise legislation. Points are awarded, for example, for reasonable exercise prices, guided exercise groups and participation of citizens in developing exercise facilities. 

“The results do not surprise us since Oulu has been persevering and determined in the exercise sector in order to promote the health and wellbeing of citizens. The results show that we are using our current resources well and the actions we have taken have been effective from the perspective of health-promotion", explains Sport Manager Niina Epäilys overjoyed.  

You may read the results at the address www.teaviisari.fi. This year, information has been gathered from 289 municipalities, that is 99 % of Mainland Finland’s municipalities. The information gathering is done in cooperation with the Education and Culture Ministry’s physical activity area of expertise, the Association of Finnish Cities and Municipalities and the National Sports Council. 

Health-promotion activity is monitored in basic health care, culture, basic education, upper secondary education and vocational schools and municipal administration on top of exercise. Information has been gathered on even years since 2010.