The European project that will involve 12 cities, 113 sports associations and clubs and 290 pharmacies throughout Italy was presented in Milan. 

Movement Pills it's the new European project to fight sedentary lifestyle and spread healthy lifestyles among people of all ages. UISP-Italian Sport for All Association- is the leading association in Italy: for the months of March and April people can go to the pharmacy in one of the 12 cities involved in the project and ask for a free pack of Movement Pills. These packages are very similar to those of medicines but inside there are no pills but only a leaflet which gives the right to two months of free physical activity in many sports facilities and gyms in the city. 

"In this original way, we will distribute 120,000 boxes of movement pills, a natural remedy to allow people who have never been able to practice it to experience the benefits of physical activity for free - said Tiziano Pesce, UISP national president  - in fact, change does not happen by magic, but a series of facilitating elements are needed for sedentary people to become active. The project involves 12 cities and 113 sports associations and clubs, offers over 100 sports and motor activities, bringing UISP boxes to 290 pharmacies throughout Italy". 

“Promoting healthy lifestyles is one of the most significant challenges of our time. Data shows a worrying trend, both globally and in Italy, with an increase in overweight and obesity rates, especially among children and adolescents. In this context, the Municipality of Milan is proud to support initiatives such as Movement Pills, which offers everyone a concrete and accessible opportunity to rediscover the importance of movement and physical activity. The approaching Olympic Games Milano Cortina 2026 represents a unique opportunity to strengthen the role of sport as a tool for inclusion and well-being. For this reason, the Municipality is committed to developing legacy projects that, in synergy with the work carried out by UISP, can transform the energy of this great event into a lasting legacy for the city and for new generations", says Martina Riva, Councilor for Sport, Tourism and Youth Policies of Milan Municipality. 

The project was presented in Milan on March 4, on the occasion of the World Obesity Day. Speakers included: Tiziano Pesce, UISP national president; Martina Riva, Councilor for Sport, Tourism and Youth Policies of Milan Municipality; Elia Biganzoli, Professor of medical statistics of Milan University; Luana Costa, Uisp physical activity instructor; Roberto Rodio, UISP Milan general secretary. Coordinator: Paola Arrigoni, journalist. 

Maria Teresa Proni from Rovigo, a participant in the Afa-Adapted Physical Activity courses, and Francesco Grisanti from Milan, a participant in the gymnastics for health and fitness course, explained with their testimonies how physical activity can change your life. 

Elia Biganzoli, professor of medical statistics at Milan University, also contributed, declaring himself impressed by the project: “This initiative recalls the experience we had from a scientific point of view because it proposes physical exercise as a therapy: in our studies on concer we have verified that physical activity has become an important complement to therapy in a serious pathology such as oncology and other chronic pathologies. For this reason we ask our city administrations to increase green spaces and cycle paths, which can encourage people's daily movement also to go to school or work”. 

Movement Pills will involve 12 Italian cities: Milan, Turin, Perugia, Bolzano, Agrigento, Ascoli Piceno, Foggia-Manfredonia, Grosseto, Reggio Emilia, Padua, Rimini and Matera.

“We have 15 sports clubs that make available the activity proposals with Movement Pills – said Roberto Rodio, general secretary of UISP Milan - In Milan, where the project arrives for the first time, we are addressing in particular to over 60s”. 

Luana Costa, UISP physical activity instructor, spoke describing the potential of movement in promoting people's physical and mental well-being:

"Practicing sports regularly is an opportunity for personal growth and a resource for our health - said Costa - the benefits reach all age groups. Sports practice educates, trains us to face obstacles, to set achievable goals, to know our limits and discover how to overcome them. Physical activity teaches us to communicate and find strategies to improve ourselves, to value ourselves and the others: in sport, confrontation and relationships with others are fundamental, experiences that allow us to test the confidence, in ourselves and in others. I propose this slogan to share: the more I move, the better I feel, the more motivated I am to move and involve those around me. Finally, I want to remember that dedicating time to our well-being is not a selfish choice but improves the quality of the time we dedicate to others and to other activities". 

A testimony of the benefits of physical activity at all ages was brought by Maria Teresa Proni who frequents  Afa-Attività fisica Adattata UISP courses in Rovigo:

"I have been practicing sports with UISP for four years, I didn’t start for health reasons, but because I needed to find a commitment that would get me out of  house, but the appointment with the weekly lessons at the gym has become very important. At the gym I find a group of people with whom I can exchange ideas and recipes, to go out to eat a pizza, but the practical results are also not to be underestimated: three years ago I did my exercises sitting on the chair and I couldn't bend over, now I can lie down on the mat by myself, I no longer have shoulder pain, I am more confident when walking because my instructor advised me on the correct way to place my feet. At the beginning I didn't believe it either, my instructor supported and encouraged me, so through her I thank all those who with patience and professionalism help us to feel better". 

Francesco Grisanti, a participant in the UISP course on gymnastics for health and fitness, added the experience of a young man who at a certain point in his life stopped practicing sports for personal reasons:

"the lack of movement brought out physical problems and overweight, a "pill" that was recommended to me was precisely the resumption of physical activity. I immediately saw benefits both on a mental level, because I felt able to do things that I could no longer do, and on a physical level, with benefits for my health. So my invitation is to never stop moving and always include a dose of physical and motor activity in our daily lives". 

The initiative is aimed in particular at people aged from 18 and over, who have not yet discovered the pleasure and benefits of physical activity and sports participation, offering them the opportunity to choose from a wide range of 105 sports activities, based on their preferences and needs. The main objective is to stimulate the motivation of sedentary people, encouraging them to practice regular and constant physical activity. 

A central aspect of the initiative is inclusion: access to sport is often hindered by socioeconomic and cultural barriers, such as gender, age, education, financial conditions and availability of facilities. 

Movement Pills aims to break down these obstacles by offering diversified and accessible sports activities, designed to involve even those at risk of exclusion. 

Movement Pills project, funded by the European Community (Eacea-European Education and Culture Executive Agency) will involve eight European countries: Italy, Denmark, Belgium, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Poland, Estonia.