Nicky dances with her ‘star’

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Photo by Sandy Parkinson: Nicky Poona dancing with her ‘star’ – 12 year old son Gabriel.

Media Release

Date: 21 August 2007
Subject: Nicky dances with her ‘star’

Like the celebrities off ‘Dancing with the stars’, Wairarapa Health Promoter Nicky Poona is finding ballroom dancing a great way to get fit and work off the kilos. Nicky is one of three high-profile ‘Lifestyle Champions’ to undertake the ‘Move Me’ programme – a year long programme designed to help them make sustainable lifestyle changes to get fitter and regain a healthy weight.

“Dancing is so much more physical than I thought,” says Nicky. “You’re on the go the whole time. I didn’t realise just how much you sweat it out!” she says.

Nicky chose ballroom dancing to encourage her to make exercise a regular part of her week. “I’ve been going to dance class for 4 weeks now, along with 7 other couples and 3 pairs of ‘helpers’,” says Nicky. “It’s two hours non-stop, except for 15 minutes for supper. The music is really fast, and when you change partners, you just twirl from one to the next.”

Before starting her ‘Move Me’ programme, Nicky would typically walked around 1,000 steps a day. Seven weeks down the track, she is averaging 13,000 steps – well over the 10,000 she was aiming for. ‘I checked my pedometer before and after dancing class last week and found I did 3642 steps,” laughs Nicky.

Before starting the dancing class, Nicky had only danced at classes at school. She got inspired after her dad’s 70th birthday party in May. “I’ve always loved to watch dancing,” says Nicky. “At dad’s party, my aunty and uncle, who had recently been to dancing classes, got all 80 people up and dancing – just having a go. Everyone learned the basics in about 5 minutes, and I thought then – Yeah! I could do that!”

Nicky’s 12 and 14 year old sons are both coming to the class with her. “They are just great,’ smiles Nicky. “They encourage me every week, and we’re having real fun together.”

Fellow Lifestyle Champions Tere Torea and Gary McPhee are also managing to sustain the lifestyle changes they are making, and both are continuing to gain fitness and lose weight. Both men are keen to inspire others of all ages to start on their own journeys towards fitness. “As a community, we have to work harder to make sure that the outdoors has more appeal then sit-down indoor entertainment,” says Carterton mayor Gary McPhee. “We’ve got great facilities, walking trails, and sports fields in the Wairarapa, and kids and parents can enjoy most of them for free.”

Pacific Island stalwart Tere Torea has a different focus. “I’d like to see more families be shown how to eat out of their own garden,” says Tere. “Gardening knowledge is a real gift that is easy to share with other people – my dad taught me, and we fed our kids from our garden. It’s not just the food, it’s the exercise you get growing it, and being able to share it with other families when your crops are bigger than you can use. That kind of sharing is something we’ve lost from our communities, and we need to get it back again.”

You can follow the Champion’s progress in the media, and also on the MoreFM website www.morefm.co.nz – and click on the Wairarapa link.

ENDS

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