Within academic discussions of health promotion related to physical activity an Eliasian perspective is seldom used. Based on a central theoretical theme within Norbert Elias’ sociology of sport (Elias and Dunning 1986), namely the quest for excitement, this article explores the health orientation of Danish society as an expression of a continued civilizing of the body.

In national governmental health messages sports participation and general physical activity are presented as an essential health-promoting instrument that keeps illness and disease away, thereby prolong life. But the all-pervading guide to physical activity and sport - often with a focus on quantitative dimensions like
frequency, duration and intensity - as measurable effects and risks, has resulted in a rationalisation of many movement cultures for large selections of the population. Health messages are then presented using narratives of ‘risk rationality’ (Lupton 1995; Beck 1997), which prioritizes a biomedical perspective and excludes emotional dimensions like pleasure and desire.

Norbert Elias' conceptualizing of the emotions, specifically within his work on the sociology of sport, can provide a fresh perspective from which to view the risk orientation of public health. In maintaining a central theoretical space for the emotions an Eliasian framing of physical activity can contribute new ways of
thinking about and engaging in public health. As such, it presents an interesting way in which we might seek to tackle continued issues connected to physical inactivity.

References:
Michie S, Atkins L, West R. (2014) The Behaviour Change Wheel: A Guide to Designing Interventions. London: Silverback Publishing. www.behaviourchangewheel.com.