Kiwis challenged to rethink their health

September 2013

Kiwis challenged to rethink their health

The time has come for Kiwis to step away from their desks and stand up for their health with the cityfitness Get Active challenge.

With just 54 per cent of New Zealand adults meeting the minimum recommended level of physical activity and an estimated one million adults now obese*, the dangers of living a sedentary lifestyle – including the development of heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure and cancer – are more real now than ever before.

cityfitness is tackling this challenge head on and encouraging Kiwis to be one of at least 15,000 Kiwis to improve their health and collectively burn 100 million calories and lose 12,000kgs.

Launching on 2 October, the cityfitness Get Active movement aims to motivate and inspire Kiwis to take control of their health for life. Starting in Auckland, cityfitness will travel through New Zealand with their Get Active mobile gym rousing desk-bound workers from their slumber and raising money for the New Zealand Heart Foundation, to support their goal of stopping premature deaths from heart disease.

At each mobile gym location the cityfitness team will encourage members of the public to be one of the 15,000 Kiwis contributing to cityfitness’s goal by taking a spin on one of the bikes or rowers. The cityfitness team will be recording everyone’s times and prizes will be awarded to the top performers.

New Zealand Heart Foundation Medical Director Norman Sharpe says campaigns such as this are integral to boosting the Kiwis’ awareness of the importance of good heart health.

“Doing just 30 minutes of exercise a day, even in 10 minute chunks, can help to reduce your risk of high blood pressure and diabetes as well as reducing your risk of heart disease and stroke. About one million adults are now obese in New Zealand and heart disease remains the single biggest killer of New Zealanders*, so campaigns like this are important to spread the ‘Get Active’ message.”

cityfitness Chief Operating Officer Doug Hatten said: “This campaign is an extension of our mission to help everyday New Zealanders be fit and healthy for life. We know how dangerous a sedentary lifestyle is; but we also know how common it is becoming for people to skip on their health. Luckily it doesn’t take much to make a difference to your own health. This is the inspiration of our Get Active campaign and this is the message we want to share with all New Zealanders.”

The cityfitness Get Active movement runs until the end of November. The mobile gym will be visiting locations in Auckland (2-13 October), Hamilton (15-17 October), Napier (19-21 October), New Plymouth (25-27 October), Palmerston North (30 October – 1 November), Masterton (2 -3 November), Christchurch (7-10 November), Blenheim (13-14 November), Nelson (15-17 November) and Wellington (20 November – 1 December)

ENDS

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