Sport is Health: The Role of Sports in Prevention and Well-being
27 February 2025
On Tuesday, February 25, 2025, the event “Sport is Health” took place at the Senate of the Republic in the Sala dell’Istituto di Santa Maria in Aquiro. The event was promoted by Senator Ignazio Zullo, in collaboration with Radio Parlamentare – Percorso Consapevole and Unika Conferences & Events. The meeting, moderated by Cristina Del Tutto, Director of Radio Parlamentare, saw the participation of experts from the medical, sports, and institutional sectors to explore the connection between sports, health, and prevention.
After the institutional greetings from Senator Ignazio Zullo, Francesco Riva, CNEL Councilor, Giampiero Pastore, Director of the Institute of Medicine and Sports Science at CONI, and Giorgio Caruso, CEO of Unika, the debate was opened by the introductory lecture from Prof. Pierangelo Metrangolo, Delegate of the Politecnico di Milano for sports activities, who emphasized the role of technology, inclusion, and sustainability in sports.
Throughout the conference, numerous interventions by sector experts followed. Prof. Maurizio Casasco, President of the Italian Sports Medical Federation (FMSI) and the European Sports Medical Federation (Efsma), highlighted the value of sports in the prevention of diseases. Senator Paola Mancini, a member of the Committee on Social Affairs, Health, Public and Private Employment, and Social Security, emphasized the need for policies to support physical activity, while Dr. Maria Rosaria Squeo, Health Officer of the Olympic Area at CONI, stressed the benefits of physical exercise, speaking about “Exercise is Medicine.”
A significant portion of the discussion was dedicated to the theme of inclusion and education through sports, with the presentation of two innovative projects. The Longevity Run Project, presented by Dr. Andrea Russo, Medical Director at the Policlinico Gemelli, demonstrated how physical activity is a fundamental tool for ensuring well-being and quality of life over time. The Sport Senza Confini Project, with interventions from Dr. Sandrino Porru, President of FISPES, and Dr. Riccardo Calvi, Senior Director of Communication at Procter & Gamble, highlighted the value of sports as a tool for integration and social growth.
In our intervention, we emphasized how crucial it is to create alliances to spread a culture based on healthy lifestyles and prevention. In this perspective, experiences such as Wellness Valley, Milano Wellness City 2030, and Cortina in Wellness represent concrete models of this approach, aiming for a deep cultural shift: taking care of people when they are healthy, so they can maintain their well-being for as long as possible.
