"I WANT to exercise": the controversial recommendations for physical activity on the Ministry of Health website

• Published in: Ciência & saude coletiva 2023-02, Vol.28 (2), p.575
• Main Authors: Nunes, Bárbara Coelho, Knuth, Alan Goularte
• Format: Article
• Language: eng ; por
• Subjects: Brazil; Exercise; Health Promotion; Humans; Leisure Activities
• ISSN: 1678-4561
• DOI: 10.1590/1413-81232023282.07462022

The scope of this article is to analyze the contents regarding physical activity posted on the Brazil Health website of the Ministry of Health, between 2017-2020, describing them and discussing the (non-)existent interactions between the contents published and the Physical Education and Public Health area. Through net ethnographic tools, 98 publications that deal with physical activity/physical exercise/corporal practices were located, which were posted on the website over four years. It was observed that the behavioral aspect of health promotion is predominant in all the content, and three perspectives on physical activity recommendations were identified: "sportivized," daily and generalized physical activity. These approaches are analyzed and considered along with the lack of the predominance of leisure in the recommendations, the absence of coordination with SUS programs and policies, and the lack of clippings that assess the social and economic inequalities in the country that affect the health/disease process and, consequently, the practice of physical activities. In addition to these points, it is essential that communication campaigns to encourage the movement treat the recognition of physical activity as a human right and foster the commitment to a fairer and more equitable society.