Letter to the Editor – Healthy ways to work – Liechtensteiner Volksblatt, the daily newspaper for Liechtenstein
Government Councilor Dr. Graziella Marok-Wachter put it in a nutshell when welcoming the 15th Liechtenstein BMM Day and the conclusion of the AMIGO project “Active Commuter Mobility”: “We all sit too much and move too little. We sit in the car, at work in front of the computer, we sit on the cell phone or in front of the television. Lack of exercise is one of the greatest health challenges of today. Chronic complaints such as back pain are on the rise. Most of us are aware of this and yet it is not easy to change something in the movement habits.» Analyzes as part of the AMIGO project show that around 70 percent of those working in Liechtenstein live no more than 15 kilometers from their place of work. Many also have much shorter commutes. A look at the Schaan-Vaduz-Triesen “agglomeration” shows that the traffic jams are largely self-made. Of the full-time and part-time employees who live in “SchaVaTri” and work in the country, 80 percent work in the “agglomeration”. The commute to work is about 5 kilometers on average, with a maximum of 10 kilometers. 45 percent work in their own community; they also have a commute of 1 to 4 km. Many of these routes could also be covered on foot or by bike, for the sake of your own health. But how can we change the habit of choosing a means of transport by car towards active everyday mobility? Changing habits is a challenge, even if it only brings benefits for everyone: increased fitness, better health, a better quality of life. Years ago, the VCL, together with the Health Office, started the “Exercise Diary” as part of the EU project “ViaNova”. Today there is a need for a broad campaign to promote active mobility; also a campaign by the government in cooperation with the health insurance companies and the medical profession. For better public health.
Traffic Club Liechtenstein (VCL)