Child-friendly beaches, first 'Green Flag' 2025 awarded today

Identifying the beaches most suitable for children, their well-being and their health. This year too, they will be marked by the 'Green Flags' assigned by 3,075 Italian and foreign pediatricians. Today, the first 2025 flag was delivered to San Salvo Marina (Chieti), at the town's 'Mediterranean Botanical Garden Coastal Biotope'. The symbol of the seaside resorts 'suitable for the little ones' was offered by Professor Italo Farnetani to the mayor Emanuela De Nicolis, who next Saturday, July 12, will host the official delivery ceremony to the mayors and ambassadors of the resorts awarded the other 158 'Green Flags' 2025.

The choice of San Salvo for the award ceremony, explains Farnetani, "was motivated by the fact that this location encompasses all the objectives of a seaside holiday for families and at the same time has the requirements to guarantee health and growth for children and adolescents. The 'San Salvo Marina model' consisting of 'sea-beach-seafront-pine forest' in continuity and symbiosis is what we propose as an example for promoting the health of children. This is because there are some elements that can represent a point of reference, in addition to the characteristics of the coastline that comply with all the requirements for a beach suitable for children, that is, sufficient space between the umbrellas to allow them to play, water that does not become deep immediately, services on the beach and inland, for children and families".

In the town, in fact, there is "a large, well-kept and equipped pedestrian promenade that allows children and adolescents to gather and meet. Furthermore, in continuity with the beach and the promenade, there are large shaded areas, also equipped in this case, which allow you to be outdoors and in company even in the hottest hours of the day. Inside the pine forest, then, there are cycle paths that are important for physical and sports activities. The possibility of meeting and being together is increasingly essential in today's increasingly virtual society. And it is necessary to combat all the isolation disorders that we have observed during the Covid 19 pandemic". The spaces that encourage movement are also essential for fighting obesity against which, in children in particular, physical activity is decisive.

"A similar environment allows you to effectively fight excess weight and obesity. In an hour you burn 300 calories if you walk slowly, up to 550 calories if you walk at a slightly faster pace. If you walk at an average pace for an hour you cover 3 km and burn 400 calories which, in terms of food, are equivalent to a good plate of pasta with meat sauce or a slice of cake or a ricotta cannoli or a cream bombolone". In short, to fight excess weight "you just need to walk enough and in San Salvo Marina it is possible - and easy - at any time of the day. It can also be an opportunity to teach your children to walk without always having to travel by car, equally it is an opportunity to use the bicycle more: by riding a bicycle you burn 200 calories for those who pedal slowly, up to 600 for the fastest, in an hour".

Further help comes from typical beach holiday sports. "Whoever swims for an hour burns from 300 to 600 calories, depending on the intensity, while a one-hour soccer match burns from 360 to 900 calories, tennis a little less, from 400 to 650, while beach volleyball burns more consistently at 500 calories".