Exercise drive must not be a flash in the pan

We have seen it time and time again – powerful political or business figures in tracksuits, leading workout campaigns, be it jogging or aerobics, only for the activities to end up as an exercise in futility. Now, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is embarking on a similar path and critics are, understandably, cynical. His “order” that Thai bureaucrats must exercise every Wednesday afternoon may be implemented, but will it really yield fruit?
Exercise requires determination and consistency or it will never work. Prayut’s order will face obstacles – from bosses who are afraid that official work may not get done, junior bureaucrats who are convinced the campaign is just another showpiece that would make them work extra time, and whoever is responsible for supplying or taking care of equipment and venues who doubt the seriousness of those involved.
Prayut’s initiative followed a disheartening global health report about Thai kids. Of the 38 countries assessed in a newly launched “Active Healthy Kids Report Card” Thai children got a D minus score while those in Zimbabwe scored a C+. Unhealthy activities like spending too much time with smartphones, computer tablets or TV was identified as the main cause of the poor score of the Thai youngsters, who were asked to go out and play “real” sports, not video games.
Reports coming out of Government House about its new resolve are not too encouraging. Prayut was quoted as saying that he would join the Wednesday exercise whenever he could find free time. “I’m not free” is the most formidable enemy of those who aim to exercise. While the prime minister should be lauded for taking up and acting on a very important issue, he has failed to send a strong message to the public.
In a political landscape marked by a great divide and lingering threats of potentially troublesome protests, the importance of exercise can get dwarfed by constitutional conflicts and worries about how a proclaimed “reform” can work. Yet there is no need to say what’s more “real” – the notion that people will have “better” lives if senators come from direct appointment or election, or the assertion that people will have “better” lives if they stretch regularly.
On the one hand, the health score of Thai children is not surprising because the electronic games-dominated lifestyle is there for all to see. However, the scores are alarming, more so given the fact that Thai society has become somewhat health conscious. The report indicates that health concerns and the value of exercise has not been effectively instilled at homes or schools. Kids love to play video games, but their unhealthy activities can be kept in check by families and teachers. There have been government calls for business companies to do something similar to the government’s Wednesday exercise campaign. To get business leaders to sacrifice working time for employees’ exercise routines may be harder than launching a campaign for bureaucrats to be effective and consistent. There will probably be more obstacles, more excuses and more doubts.
One medical fact is that exercise can reduce the risk of major diseases that plague the workforce everywhere. Sick labour is not good for national development. On a smaller scale, employees suffering from strokes or cancer can affect a company’s profitability and/or balance sheet. The unspoken rules for running a bureaucracy or a company are that workers should find their own free time to exercise. The workload or work schedules blocking them from exercising are hardly taken into consideration.
Prayut has appeared serious about many issues, and he should be serious about this one. And while Thais have been divided about many things, they are unlikely to be about this policy, provided it is implemented earnestly and is here to stay.