The National Olympic Academy has inaugurated a specialized two-month “Health Coaching” course for sports physicians, aiming to address sedentary lifestyles and enhance the well-being of professional athletes.
Iran
NOC; Tehran: Supported by the IOC Olympic Solidarity, this initiative aligns
with the global mandate established through the agreement between the
International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the World Health Organization (WHO)
to reduce physical inactivity by 15 percent by 2030.
During
the opening ceremony, NOC Secretary-General Dr. Mahdi Alinejad highlighted the
necessity of integrating sports into daily life and the critical role
physicians play in driving behavioral change. He emphasized that beyond
societal health, this program addresses the imperative for monitoring
professional athletes, many of whom may suffer from undiagnosed conditions that
pose long-term risks.
The
curriculum, which follows the initial proposal by the Sports Medicine
Federation to boost population-wide physical activity, covers diverse critical
topics essential for modern sports medicine. Day one featured instruction from
prominent experts including Dr. Gholamreza Norouzi on the impact of exercise on
longevity, Dr. Saeed Kazemi on sports and health economics, Dr. Amin
Rafiei-Pour on sports psychology and sociology, and Dr. Shahin Salehi on
medical research methodologies and the application of artificial intelligence
in sports.
The
inaugural has drawn interest from 42 physicians, of whom 30 were chosen based
on rigorous qualification assessments to participate in the training. The
program is spearheaded by key officials, including Dr. Amir Balzadeh, Director
of the Olympic Solidarity, and Dr. Laleh Hakemi, Vice President of the Sports
Medicine Federation and the primary architect of the initiative, marking a
collaborative effort to reshape the landscape of sports health and education in
Iran.