The SXD Galicia Activa Chair, an initiative by the Xunta de Galicia and the University of A Coruña, held its seventh conference at the Ciudad de la Cultura in Santiago de Compostela. The event, titled The role of health-related physical fitness in the school curriculum, brought together professionals from research, administration, and teaching to analyze the importance of physical fitness during school years and its integration into educational practice.
During the conference, programs from the Xunta aimed at promoting health and active habits from childhood were presented. Carolina Muñoz Ibáñez, from the Dirección Xeral de Saúde Pública da Consellería de Sanidade, discussed school-based nutrition and healthy lifestyle promotion programs. Meanwhile, Miguel Rodríguez del Corral, from the Fundación Deporte Galego, introduced the Active and Sports Life Projects (PVAD), which encourage regular physical activity and the adoption of healthy habits in Galician educational centers.
Eliseo Iglesias Soler, a titular professor at the University of A Coruña and director of the Chair, spoke about the trajectory of DAFIS, a tool from the Xunta used to assess the health-related physical fitness of students, facilitating individual reports and tracking their progress. Also participating were Alberto Dorado Suárez (University of Castilla-La Mancha) and Mónica Mourelle Zas (Physical Education teacher), along with José Felipe González Álvarez, Fernando Quinteiro López, and Alberto Casal Lamas, who shared best practices from Galician educational centers.
Since its launch in September 2018, the SXD Galicia Activa Chair has worked to connect scientific knowledge with its societal application, fostering the exchange of experiences among professionals in academic, sports, educational, and health fields. Its conferences serve as a meeting point to discuss physical activity, health, and the challenges of promoting active lifestyles.
Its main lines of action include disseminating the benefits of regular physical activity, professional training, research on exercise as a tool for preventing chronic non-communicable diseases, and collaboration in monitoring initiatives of the Plan Galicia Saudable. Previous editions have addressed topics such as physical activity across different life stages, health in high-level sports, and exercise and cancer.
