In December 2023 the project BE NEW was formally closed. While the academic partners are assembling data and working on the publications, we have tried to gain a better understanding on how was the experience of the sport organisations active at grass-root level.
»The project - explains Elisa Gaggioli – represented a great opportunity to make the sport really inclusive, to extend the number of our users and to gain a better understanding on the needs of people with diabetes. It allowed us to create cross-border partnership, a very useful element to improve our methods«
»The diabetes is often perceived as problem and not as a disease: people with diabetes can live a regular life, but sometimes they have to deal with a sort of social stigma linked to non-communicable diseases. We should consider that often the diabetes is related to socio-economic or familar factors. These elements are often ignored, underlining the behavior of the individuals. Therefore, the people with diabetics can feel a stigma: even if it is clear that sport is good for their health, people can not feel welcome in sport environment, they might be afraid. Through the project BE NEW we showed that our goal is to help them to improve their health, without any judgment. This is a positive factor« says the representative of UISP Bologna.
»The education of sport instructors is crucially important, since it allows to make the sport environment safe for everyone, increasing the quality of the program and reducing any barrier that people with diabetes might perceive. In this way we extend our offer to larger audiences« concludes Elisa Gaggioli.
The partners meeting in Suceava, in the Northern part of Romania, was the last for the project BE NEW, since the official ending is set for December 2023. How did it go? Milena Raffi, project coordinator in behalf of the University of Bologna, answers to this question: “It was useful, since we could analyze all the results obtained until now. For the teacher training, we have agreed upon a metholodogy on how to record and elaborate the data in order to produce scientific articles. Moreover, we have also set the calendar for the last edition of the universitz course for our students. We have also further discussed the methodology on how to work on the data related to the people involved in the program, also in this case for our future academic publications. Last but not least, we have also shared important practical information related to the final report: each partner is aware about the specific documents and the deadlines”.
“For us - explains the project coordinator - to be part of this project has been useful for many reasons. BEside working together with universities, which have similar approach, we could interact with the sport organisations and with Radio Capodistria. Consequently, we could closely observe new working methodologies applied to different contexts, as well as new tools that we did not know. It was good to raise awareness on what is ongoing outside from the University, that have a strong theorical approach, and to see how the knowledge that we develop is used in practice, in daily life”.
»Sport and physical activity are very important aspects in the life of any person, independently from being able-bodied or disabled: as person having also diabetes, I consider it as the most important moment of my day. In order to keep glycemia under control, it is fundamental practice sport: it is good to move your body, it is good to socialise, it is good to improve your health, preventing many non-communicable diseases as hearth attacks. After my qualification to Paralympic Games in Tokyo, after winning the world championship in my category, I believe that everything is possible. Through hard work you can reach anything you want: you need only to be brave, to commit yourself and to train hard«. These words were said by Matteo Parenzan, representative of the Italian national team of Para-table tennis, flag bearer at the closing ceremony of Tokyo 2020, during an interview on Radio Capodistria.
These principles are valid also for those practicing sport at grass-root level, as explains Marco Maccaferri, 18 old guy coming from Bologna, during an interesting interview recorded with our intern Leonardo Businaro few months ago. »I discover to have the diabetes around 10 years ago – explains Maccaferri – for me it was »normal« to accept this situation, it was probably harder for my parents. For sure, you need to learn how to manage the glycemia, to manage your nutrition and to learn the characteristics of the food you eat. Lukily I had my parents close to me. Slowly, I have learned how to manage myself and how to inject insulin by myself. Then the life has become easier, since the medicine and the technology evolved: today everything is digital. I played football for 12 years, now I practice martial arts: sport helps a lot to manage the diabetes. I must say also that coaches, trainers and teachers were always supporting me« concludes Maccaferri.
These words should let us focus more on what we can do, more than what seems impossible. To set goals and to be committed to reach them seems to be one of the best way to improve ourselves and the quality of our life, independently of having the diabetes or not. Sport is always there, ready to help us in any moment along our path.
The project activities have started also in Italy: the University of Bologna is gathering the first data and information. What do we know until now?
»Through my previous research – explains the researcher Alessandra Laffi – we have discovered that the diabetic population has worse conditions than non-diabetic people, within groups identical by age and sex. In particular, the diabetic people have reduced muscular capacity and worse balance and lower control of movements. To be diabetic means to have high level of glucose in the blood: this generates many negative effects on the body, including on the legs. Consequently, the diabetic people have higher possibility to loose the balance and to fall: we have tested mostly people above 50 years old, so when it is natural to loose muscular mass and power.Through the physical activity we expect the improvement of the physical conditions, especially regarding balance and stability. On the other side, I can say that the participants don't react as we expected and wanted. The unhealthy habits are consolidated, so many participants are lazy: moreover, many people think to solve the issues through injections or pills. But the diabetes is complex: in facts, physical activity can both prevent and solve the issue related to diabetes« concludes Alessandra Laffi.
It seems that the University has reached many diabetic people, but many of them has decided not to train: »There are many difficulties – says professor Alessandro Piras – since the participants have never been physically active, therefore they are often un-comfortable in going to swimming pools or gyms. In these locations, they meet other people, often fit and slim, while they consider themselves as non appropriate: to be ashamed is a relevant factor to push them out from our program. Often they say to train on their own, but we don't know either if it is true, either if they train properly«.
The issues on the carpet are many and well evident. Is it any possible solution? »We still don't have any clear strategy – explains Alessandro Piras – anyway during the pandemic we have re-discovered the e-traning: the participants are at home, in their comfort zone, they see only a qualified instructor that watches all the participants. Everyone is comfortable and the programmes are appropriate. Slowly, the interactions among participants can be facilitated, then we can try to invite them to meet and train together. This could be a good strategy to develop in the future« concludes Alessandro Piras.
Last week the project partners met in Spain, in Logroño, for a meeting organised by the University of La Rioja. The first day was dedicated to discuss both practical and technical elements, as the coordination of the activities and the preparation of the intellectual outputs, documents including the learning outcomes of the project: these files will be available also for people, organisations and institutions not directly involved in the partnership (for example, the suitable training programs for people with diabetes). During the second day, a conference on different aspects of health was organised: the event involved also researchers coming from different European countries. The project BE NEW was presented through a panel discussion by all the partners.
The discovery of the artistic, historical and cultural heritage of Logroño, city crossed also by the »Camino de Santiago«, was also part of the program: the participants walked around the city center and visited a cellar, since the wine production is a key pillar of the region of La Rioja.
»I can define the meeting as successful – explains Milena Raffi, project coordinator in behalf of the University of Bologna – since all the partners have discussed both the results obtained until now and the objectives to be reached in the next months: we have also discussed the possibility to keep the activities also after the formal closing of the project. It is therefore very important to focus on the intellectual outputs: these documents will be written in simple and understandable way for everyone, since the ultimate goal of the project is to make physical activity a regular habit for many people, both with and without diabetes«.
»The physical exercise must be an important elements in the life: it should not be suspended, but it must be part of daily routines« concludes Milena Raffi.
Between the ending of February and the beginning of March, the project partners will meet in Logroño, for both a technical meeting and a conference.
How are the activities going from the perspective of the Spanish partner?
This question was asked to Angela Durante, from the University of La Rioja: "Until now, we have reached over 50 volunteers in our programs. The majority of the participants trains independently, since it is not mandatory to come to our Faculty. There are three options: to walk, to swim or to work out in the fitness center. Moreover, we prepared some forms: the participants can fill in or adapt, if necessary. In my opinion, the best part of this project are the activities organised at our Faculty, right in front of my office: we are running two programs related to strength development and aerobic activities. The sessions are based on BE NEW protocols, anyway we tailor them according to our participants: basically we work on the repetitions of exercises. We change regularly exercises to make our programs more attractive, so the participants are keeping on training. This is a very relevant element in this project".
How are the training organised?
Angela Durante: "The sessions are divided in three parts: initially we warm up, so there won't be problems for the participants, then there is a central part, where we work for example on the strength development, both for upper and lower parts of the body, before the stretching, very useful to both relax the muscles avoiding injuries. The participants reduce progressively also the heart beat rate. Every session lasts for about one hour. The aerobic training can take place indoor or outdoor, according to the weather: we are speaking about walks with appropriate pace, our objective is to increase the distances every 2 months. Also in this case, we have a warm up and cool-down activities. We have scheduled 3 sessions in the afternoon and 2 in the morning, so everyone can participate".
"It is also a very meaningful opportunity to communicate with others - explains Durante - since there is a very important psycho-social dimension: our training paths increase the quality of life of the participants, since they feel to be part of a group, they speak about many topics related to their life. These are very important social aspects for everyone, especially for people above a given age".
Have you obtained any outcomes?
"The first outcomes will be presented in March - concludes Durante - but among the feedback, the first positive element is related to the participation rate. The participants are still taking part in our programs. This is a great result, since one of the difficulties of scientific research is not much to reach the participants, but make sure that the program is effective and the participants rate is stable. This is very important also in the domain of physical activity and non communicable diseases, since these paths generates relevant changes. This is a very complex issue for adults: it is necessary to be motivated, since there are already many habits and routines deeply consolidated. Therefore, it can be difficult to introduce and to keep new habits".
In the past days, our project was presented among the good practices within the second edition of EU SPORT LAB, international event related to the sustainability of European sport projects held in Milan. In this frame, sustainability was related to the implementation of activities also after the ending of the support offered by the European Commission. It was organised by L'Orma, a sport club based in Milan, over 30 professionals from over 20 countries participated in it.
In this frame, the key element of BE NEW is related to the partnership building and on the division of tasks. In facts, the three Universities are dealing with preparation of the sport programs, with running academic research, as well as with implementing educational and training activities for students, teachers, coaches and other stakeholders. The three sport organisations are testing the pilot programs. Radio Capodistria is in charge for communication and dissemination activities.
Consequently, the universities are gathering scientific knowledge, the sport organisations are developing relevant competences on how to involve people with diabetes while Radio Capodistria gets relevant contacts and contents related to three relevant topic for a public broadcasting company, as sport, health and diabetes. We are therefore sure that the impact of our project will surely go beyond the formal deadline, since the decisions made in the project planning (partnership building, division of tasks,...) were carefully made.
Leonardo Businaro, intern at UISP Bologna within the BE NEW project, interviewed Valentina Bignami, doctor in motor science and dietetics.
Can a person with diabetes be able to regularly exercise?
"Yes, of course. For the person with diabetes type II, the physical activity is essential because it is therapeutic. In diabetes type I, it is a matter of managing the level of insulin and eating snacks when necessary".
Are there any general trends, particularly in adolescence, that relate physical activity and diabetes?
“Yes. We are speaking about diabetes type II, since it is mostly related to lifestyle, in facts it is often related to sedentary lifestyle, to unhealthy diet, with many calories, saturated fats and sugars. We are often speaking about overweight or obese people, with other diseases and relevant risk-factors".
How can the adults diabetic people adapt their nutrition according to physical activity?
"I would concentrate on the athletes with diabetes type I: they should carefully keep appropriate glycemic level. It is important to consider many factors, as the intensity of the trainings and the competitions, not just for mental and physical efforts, but also other aspects as the travels. In facts, travels can be stressful: stress, together with the diabetes, can influence glycemic levels. It is therefore important to combine snacks, nutrition and insulin, because there are several factors that define the needs of the body. For example, it is important to consider the specific therapy and the type of insulin, as well as the duration of the activity and the intensity. Another factor to consider is certainly the timing within the day, also in relation with the blood sugar levels ".
During the past days, the project partners met for the third meeting in Komotini, in Greece, at the Democritus University of Thrace. The meeting was planned in relation with the 30rd edition of the "International Congress on physical activity & Sport science": in this frame, an interesting round-table on the BE-NEW project was also held. Several relevant topics were discussed, including the importance of physical activity for diabetic people, how to teach physical activity to diabetic kids, the importance of healthy lifestyle: more than 60 stakeholders participated.
The partners discussed also the project activities. Basically, the physical activity and sport programs have started in all the countries. The Universities are getting ready to collect and analyse data provided by the sport organisations. The recruitment of participants are anyway opened by all the partners.
"We have started over six months ago - explains Alessandro Piras, University of Bologna - with preliminary test implemented on the participants at the beginning. Then we have offered three options for the exercise: walking group, swimming pools or in the fitness centres. Some participants reacted positively and are regularly walking, other are less engaged. We have then implemented again the tests for the comparison. In the meanwhile, we are recruiting other participants" concludes Piras.
by Leonardo Businaro
In the past weeks, we have met spokeperson of varied gyms, fitness centres, sport clubs and swimming pools active in Bologna. Our goal was to understand if people with diabetes can regularly train with others. In practical, there are no restrictions, as long as the person has a regular medical certificate released by the doctor, as prescribed to anyone. In facts, the clubs can not check the healthy conditions of their members, that sometimes hide some aspects of their status.
"We had kids with diabetes in our summer camps - explains Simonetta Ludovisi from the sport club Energym - so we established a protocol to be followed: a nurse was coming on daily basys to provide the kids with appropriate medicines. When the kids were suspecting a possible crysis, they were undergoing a self-test, in case they were ready to eat a cookie to re-balance their status, We have also experienced a grup composed by school mates, aware of the issues of the diabetic kids: in this case, they were ready to help and integrate the kids. Often, the parents are very worried for their kids, but usually with the time passing, they get more relaxed and confortable".
Many tendencies identified in our research, are valid for everyone: for example, the clubs generally try to include the new members in existing groups. Another important theme is the nutrition: "Few seasons ago we had a player expert in nutrition - explains Marco Nanetti from the volleyball club Savena - so we organised few meeting with the parents of our young members: in facts, we have noticed some issues in this domain, in particular among teeen-agers. We would like to deliver more activities in this domain, but we need more funds and resources: in this moment, unfortunately, we are struggling to find them".
Beside Radio Capodistria, active mostly in dissemination, the Slovenia is represented also by the ŠUS – Sportna Unija Slovenije (Slovenian Sports Union), a broad national network of local sport clubs active mostly in recreational sport.
»The Slovenian Sports Union – explains the vice president Patrik Peroša – is in charge of the sport-for-all programs in Slovenia: for us is crucially important to raise awareness on healthy and active lifestyle. Under the slogan »United in the movement« we underline the importance of the movement in relation with health, quality of life and wellbeing. Sport-for-all is important because our bodies are created to move, we have about 650 muscles and a widespread system of nerves dedicated to the movements. When we train our muscles, we train our brain: many researchers have identified a close link between physical activity and brain development«.
Why did you decide to join the project »Be New«?
»Regular physical activity– explains Peroša - generates many benefits fort he health also for diabetic people. Anyway, before starting any physical activity program, is important to be aware of the specific conditions of the subjects. ŠUS joined this project to get to know better this area and to contribute to develop the »learning outcomes« offering our experience in the training-for-trainers activities«.
The physical activity programs are going to be held around Novo Mesto, in the southern part of the country.
The first thirteen months of the project have been strongly influenced by the pandemic. In facts, the grassroot physical activity and sport programmes are among the activities particularly influenced by the rules aimed by limitating the diffusion of the covid. Consequentely, it could be more complicated to launch innovative projects as Be New. Therefore, in this first part of the projects, the consortium worked mostly on educational and training activities.
The partners have delivered two cycles of seminars to Greek and Italian university students. Then, a set of training and educational materials for teachers have been created and translated: dedicated training programs are about to start, in the different project countries (Italy, Greece, Romania, Slovenia and Spain). In the meanwhile, the partners have started to recruit the participants for the walking, swimming and training programs created specifically for people with diabetes. At this link, you can find the relevant contacts: https://site.unibo.it/benew/en/contact-us
Among the Italian partners of the project there is also the Bologna Committee of the UISP (Italian Sport-For-All Union), which is active in promoting sport, physical activity, societal development, health and well-being for individuals of any ages. Teresa Di Stefano, head of educational services within UISP Bologna ansnswered to some questions.
Why did you decide to participate in this project?
“The Be-New project allows us to promote well-being of citizens, in particular those affected by diabetes. The idea is to standardize physical activity also for people having some diseases: we should work with calm and tranquility".
What contributions can you offer?
“We want to share our experiences and discuss with the other partners if the difficulties or strengths that we faced in the past can be shared internationally. In facts, we have been working for many years on promoting physical activity as a prevention tool for many chronic degenerative diseases, not just diabetes".
What opportunities can the Be New project offer?
“The project offers us the opportunity to remove this prejudices that many of us have, including the patients, about the participation in physical activity programs, about the possibility of socializing in a very complex moment. In facts, it can be complex to work with people having diabetes or other chronic degenerative diseases. But we believe that our protocols and our welcoming approach based on calm, can provide everyone with the possibility of participating properly in sport and physical activity programs".
"One of the key objectives of the project - concludes Teresa Di Stefano - is to train qualified personnel in order to create a proper basis for welcoming the participants in our programs, a base built on the awareness of being properly trained and prepared for manage the project activities ".
The training of trainers, coaches and physical education teachers, the academic research and the first steps of the physical activity programs were the key pillars of the program of the second meeting in presence of the project “BE-NEW”, held in Bologna in the third week of October 2021. The partners discussed many relevant details of the project and agreed upon the next steps.
The program included also few interesting visits, including the Museum of Specola, Palazzo Poggi and the Museum “Luigi Cattaneo”, through which the participants could get a deeper understanding on the history of science, medicine and the University of Bologna, the organizer of the meeting.
“I am very satisfied – commented Andrea Meoni, technician at the "Laboratory of Perceptual-Motor Processes" of the University of Bologna. This project aims at both promoting the physical activity among people with diabetes and scientifically validating a specific training protocol. I think we are going to be succesful” concluded Meoni.
In spite of the difficulties related to the pandemic, in June 2021 many partners have managed to reach Ljubljana for the first off-line meeting, integrated with zoom for those uncapable to travel. The educational activities have been an important component of the agenda, since they have already successfully started. During the last weeks, the partners have led few online seminars on different aspects of the project. The participants were few groups of university students located in Greece and Italy.
The students represent an important target group, since they can potentially use the competences acquired in the frame of the project in their future carrier. In the near future, we will train also physical education teachers and sport coaches/instructors: they will cover a relevant role, as coordinators of the physical activity programs for people with diabetes, under the monitoring and supervision of the Universities.
In any case, the educational activities are an important pillar of BE-NEW: once the models will be created, they will be usable also after the ending of the project.
The Romanian partner of the project " BE-NEW " is the Association Sport For All in the district of Suceava. The President, mr Mihai Androhovici, has accepted to answer to few questions.
Why have you decided to join the project?
"We have accepted the invitation for different reasons, also because we have gained relevant experience in such kind of project in the past. We have many volunteers and members that work in schools, so also with kids having diabetes. We are keen to learn more in this domain, also if in this moment the situation about grass-root sport is confused for the pandemic".
Will the number of people overweight or obese rise up after the pandemic?
"I don't think that overweight, obesity and diabetes will be the main problems in the future, when the pandemic will be over. These problems existed also before the covid, the solutions are always the same: healthy food, healthy life-style and regular physical exercise. Personally, I believe that the main problems will be anxiety and fear, well present in the souls of many people who "close themselves" when they meet someone. Another problem is to properly organize our life, living in our spaces but interacting with the rest of the society. We must find a way to be physically active".
How important will be sport and physical activity in the near future?
“They will be more and more important since, genetically speaking, we are programmed to move and to socialize, especially after long time spent at home. Therefore, sport and physical activity will be very helpful to stay healthy and to have a regular social life"
Through an interesting online meeting, the project BE-NEW kicked off in the second half of January 2021. The initiative will try to improve the health of people with diabetes through varied programme based on walking, swimming and indoor exercises.
The project has been supported by the EU Commission through the programme Erasmus+ Sport. The project coordinator is Milena Raffi (University of Bologna). The consortium includes organizations with different profiles, within sport, academy and communication. Simplifying, the Universities will monitor and evaluate the physical activity programme implemented by the sport organizations, in direct contact with different ages group of people with diabetes. Radio Capodistria will be active in communication and awareness raising. The partners will be also engaged in educational activities, related to varied stakeholders.
"Our work will be oriented towards making the people with diabetes more aware of the beneficial effects of the regular physical exercise - explains Milena Raffi, the project coordinator - we will also try to raise the level of physically activity among people with diabetes, a segment of population often sedentary".