Conference Agenda

In many countries, physical activity counselling is implemented within primary health care or closely linked to it. In Finland, most municipalities provide counselling in cooperation with health care services, offering process-based support towards a more physically active lifestyle. While this approach works for some people, it does not always reflect the changing realities of everyday life. A new national direction in Finland is therefore expanding counselling beyond healthcare while maintaining its important role.

The vision guiding this work is that “physical activity counselling ignites the spark for movement throughout life.” The approach recognises that motivation for physical activity is not stable. It rises and falls as life situations change. The aim is to provide easy and accessible opportunities for people to discuss physical activity whenever their motivation fades and needs to be rediscovered. In this evolving model, counselling is not limited to healthcare professionals or clinical settings. It can take place in schools, workplaces, community settings, nature environments or online. Short everyday conversations, remote check-ins, or walking together outdoors can all serve as counselling encounters that help people recognise their strengths and identify simple ways to increase activity in daily life.

The model brings together municipalities, wellbeing services, education providers, community and non-governmental organisations, and private actors. Together they form an ecosystem that makes counselling accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds.

Conclusions: Finland is developing an ecosystem-based counselling model that complements healthcare services and requires new ways to measure impact and coordinated policy support across sectors.