The concept of healthy exercise refers to exercise and physical activities, which have a benefi cial eff ect on health. Healthy exercise is part of everyones own voluntary and active health care. Healthy exercise has physical, social and mental impacts. By increasing exercise, it is possible to make signifi cant improvements in peoples activity levels, health and well-being as well as in the prevention of disease. Th e purpose of the project was the development of active methods and cooperation with healthy exercise in order to improve the well-being and health of the working population. Implementation networks for the design, management and guidance in functional regional and local health exercise were planned to be functioning in Kainuu and Segezha in 2004, which would actively maintain and develop healthy exercise and other activities maintaining the ability to work and improving the health of the working population. Th e projects eventual aim was the improvement of the health and well-being by exercise of the residents of Kainuu in Finland and Segezha in Russia. Achievements: Kainuun Liikunta constructed an operator network for healthy exercise in Kainuu as planned, which became operational and well underway during 2004. Special emphasis was paid on increasing the exercise of the ageing population, as the population structure of Kainuu is estimated as aging at a signifi cant pace. Additionally, attention was given to healthy exercise maintaining and improving the fitness of the working population by, among other things, mass exercise events and break exercise campaigns. Even today, the aim of Kainuun Liikunta ry is the development of preventative healthy exercise in order to improve and maintain the health and activity of the ageing population. Reaching the targets in Segezha was more challenging, since the concept of healthy exercise was practically unknown in Russia but the importance of healthy exercise was promoted during the project. The importance of healthy exercise as a factor maintaining and improving the overall health of the population has become a significant part of health policies, along with the ageing population. The project was an intervention-type pilot project, and its experiences can be used in planning health and exercise policies.