Exercise, nature and hiking

Movement is medicine. There is almost always a safe way for everyone to be active!

Physical activity is essential for maintaining your ability to manage everyday tasks. Even light activity provides health benefits; for example, it can lower blood sugar and fat levels. It also boosts blood circulation and helps keep muscles and joints limber.

The features under the Nature and Outdoor Activities theme will be updated during 2026. For now, you can find information on the topic also at the Luontoon service.

Go to service search

Service path: Physical activity to promote wellbeing in adults

1. Assess your current physical activity

Would you like to take a closer look at your own activity habits or perhaps make some changes? The tests below can help you assess your current physical activity.

Assess activity web application Children and young people movement inquiry

My Physical Activity Form helps to assess your current physical activity habits, compare your habits to the physical activity recommendations and draw up a viable plan to increase or diversify your physical activity. There are two versions of the tool: for working-age adults and for elderly people over the age of 65.

My physical Activity form

2. Physical activity recommendations

Moving around and breaking up long periods of inactivity should be part of everyday life. Explore the UKK Institute’s general physical activity recommendations in the services below.

Weekly Physical Activity Recommendation for 18–64-year-olds – UKK Institute Recommendation on Physical Activity for Children and Adolescents – UKK Institute vuotiaille Weekly Physical Activity Recommendation for over 65-year-olds – UKK Institute

3. How to add physical activity to your daily life?

With these coaching programmes and guidelines, you can get professional support and explore which small changes might suit you.

Coaching programmes offer tips for basic physical activity and ways to increase it.

Omaolo Coaching for beginning exercisers

Municipal physical activity counselling can help you find a form of activity that you enjoy and that fits your daily life. Some municipalities in North Savo offer physical activity counselling targeted at different groups. Check the links below to see whether your municipality offers physical activity counselling that’s right for you.

Suonenjoki, physical activity counselling Kuopio, physical activity guidance and counselling Siilinjärvi, liikuntaneuvonta Pielavesi Keitele, liikuntaneuvonta Vieremä, hyvinvointi- ja liikuntaneuvonta Kaavi, liikuntaneuvonta Varkaus

Reducing sitting and inactivity

The health risks caused by sitting and inactivity can be reduced, for example, by taking regular breaks to move around, choosing muscle-powered transport whenever possible, and varying working positions and methods.

Reducing sitting

Service path: Adapted physical activity

1. What is adapted physical activity?

Adapted physical activity refers to physical activity for people who, due to a disability, illness, or other impairment in functional capacity — or due to the effect these have on their social situations — find it difficult to take part in general physical activity offerings and whose activity requires adaptation and special expertise.

The target groups for adapted physical activity include people with functional limitations, people with long-term illnesses, and those over the age of 65 whose functional capacity has clearly declined due to age, disability, or a long-term illness.

You can assess your physical activity habits and compare them with the physical activity recommendations using the Assess Your Physical Activity online tool, where you can select the option for adults who use an assistive device or a wheelchair.

Asses activity web application

2. Recommendations for adapted physical activity

Physical activity recommendations for adults whose mobility is somewhat limited and who use an assistive device or a wheelchair.

Weekly Physical Activity Recommendation for Adults with Functional Limitations – UKK Institute

3. Everyday support services in the wellbeing services county

The Wellbeing Services County of North Savo provides transport services for people with severe disabilities who, due to a disability or illness, have difficulties with mobility and cannot use public transport.

Please note that you need a decision on transport services. Read more and apply:

Transportation

You may also be eligible for a personal assistant and compensation for equipment purchases due to an illness or a long-term or progressive disability.

Assistive devices

You can also get assistive devices to support mobility through the Paralympic Committee and Malike.

Malike promotes opportunities for people with severe disabilities to participate.

Malike aids

Service search

You can search for services using keywords or filter the results from the North Savo region by municipality, theme, or target group. You can select more than one municipality, theme, or target group if you wish. You can also choose to view only free services or only digital services.