Rexona Partners With Black Ferns To Inspire Kiwis To Move More

• Study reveals 58% of Kiwis are not meeting Ministry of Health movement recommendation (2.5hours each week)
• 60% of New Zealanders state that mental or physical barriers impacted their ability to move
• Feeling self-conscious, not having someone to exercise with, and motivation – as well as lack of time – were cited as key barriers to movement

Rexona has today launched its ‘Not Done Yet’ movement, teaming up with the Black Ferns to inspire Kiwis to break through both mental and physical barriers, and to find the confidence to move more - whoever you are, however you move.

Rexona believes in the power of movement to transform lives and that everyone should be able to experience the incredible physical, mental and social benefits that movement brings.

However, research commissioned by Rexona has found that just over half of New Zealanders (56 per cent) believe they don’t move enough, with 58 per cent moving less than 2.5 hours each week, as recommended by the Ministry of Health1

When asked what was stopping those surveyed from moving more, 60 per cent stated that mental or physical barriers impacted their ability to move.

The study identified the most common barriers to movement are:

• Feeling self-conscious about the way you look when you move (22.5%)
• Not having someone to exercise with (21%)
• Feeling uninspired and/or don’t know what to do to stay active (31.4%)
• Hard to find time due to work and other commitments (44%)
• Feel incapable/not good enough due to outside influences e.g. social media (8.7%)

Furthermore, anecdotal survey responses showed that these barriers breed self-doubt and a lack of confidence, and in turn, are stopping people from moving with confidence.

As part of the Not Done Yet movement, Rexona has partnered with the Black Ferns to validate and normalise New Zealanders’ movement barriers through players sharing their own stories of self-doubt, and in an effort to help Kiwis push through their own barriers and move more.

Despite being professional athletes, the Black Ferns’ stories reflect many of the same barriers that everyday Kiwis face. Black Ferns halfback, Kendra Cocksedge, shares how being told she was “too small” to play rugby made her feel self-conscious when trying to make her way in the sport she now dominates. Kendra wants to inspire Kiwis who too have been told they can’t do something because of their size, shape, gender or any number of societal misrepresentations to have the confidence to move beyond their limits.

“I know all too well, what it feels like to have that voice of self-doubt in your head, and what it feels like to be told you can’t do something. One of my greatest achievements in life is not only overcoming physical barriers, but overcoming the mental barriers to confidently move freely and play elite sport at the highest level,” says Cocksedge.

Along with 44% of Kiwis, Renee Holmes highlighted that it was hard to find the time to move and train, due to working full time as well as other commitments. However, she pushed through those barriers with the support of family and friends, and now successfully runs her own business while also playing professional rugby with the Black Ferns.

“The juggle of work and training has been pretty intense over the years. When I needed to work full time as well as play in the Black Ferns, I found having a planned week helped. It doesn’t have to be a 30-minute long work out, it can just be a 5-minute walk, just to feel that fresh air!” Holmes continues.

Kennedy Simon’s injury was a significant setback in her movement journey, and posed both a physical and mental barrier for her to overcome. But after putting in hours of rehab and recovery, she was reselected for the Black Ferns – a goal that had felt totally unattainable at one point.

Simon says,

“I’m really proud to be partnering with Rexona to help Kiwis overcome barriers and find the confidence to move more. By starting the conversation and advocating for change, I believe we can make a meaningful difference, together.”

Not having someone to exercise with was one of the most common barriers for New Zealanders not moving as much as they want to. All three Black Ferns acknowledged team camaraderie plays a major part in pushing through those barriers – having the support of team mates, who are now friends.

INSPIRING PEOPLE THAT THEY ARE #NOTDONEYET

Rexona are proud to make products that keep millions of people staying fresh while on the move – but we want to take it further. Not Done Yet is about celebrating all movers, and challenging society’s out-dated views and fitness standards that fuel self-doubt.

John McKeon, Marketing Director, Rexona says,

“We were surprised to learn that many Kiwis move less because of perceived barriers such as feeling self-conscious, or feeling uninspired. This self-doubt holds them back from experiencing all the mental and physical benefits that movement brings.”

“While Rexona keeps people fresh, which gives them confidence to move – this is clearly not enough. We need to support and encourage Kiwis to break through their barriers to movement, which is why we’ve teamed up with the Black Ferns to share their own stories and inspire Kiwis to move more,” McKeon continues.

Find out more about how Rexona is empowering people with the confidence and opportunity to move more and show the world that they are not done yet through the Not Done Yet movement here https://www.rexona.com/au/social-impact/not-done-yet-nz/

REFERENCES:

A nationally representative Pureprofile survey was conducted with 1,000 New Zealanders aged 18+ during 4-8 August, 2022. The sample was representative of the NZ population aged 18+ by age, gender and region.

1Based on Ministry of Health’s recommendation for adults to ‘Do at least 2 ½ hours of moderate physical activity’ per week, with one session being 30 minutes

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