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Fitness from the internet
A thousand New Zealanders a week,
on average, are signing up for a healthy lifestyle by using a
new website that provides free, tailored fitness and nutritional
advice. The ACC recognised that there were many people suffering
injuries and some even dying, while participating in sporting
activities and it wanted to create a website that would help
those getting back into exercise.
Since ‘going live’ with a new website two months ago, ACC, in
association with the Ministry of Health, SPARC, the Heart
Foundation and the Cancer Society, has had over 6000 people log
on to gain personalised fitness programmes and dietary advice.
“The site is for everyone, but we’re particularly targeting
those people who decide to get back into sports or exercise
after a long break,’ says Injury Prevention Team Leader Simon
Gianotti. ‘It’s these people who tend to throw themselves back
into activity and suffer injuries due to lack of fitness.
ActiveSmart assesses your current level of fitness and
designs a programme that will build on that fitness and help you
reach your goals – whether that be taking up a new sport or
reaching a fitness target.”
The sporting programme itself was designed by a team of top
sports professionals including Mat Blair and Hugh Biss, two of
NZ’s top physical conditioning experts who currently design
programmes for top athletes. Nutritional advice is provided on
the site by Professor of Nutrition at AUT Elaine Rush. The
focus of the advice is on creating diets to complement an
increased level of exercise.
ActiveSmart has already received some high-level support from
sportspeople and politicians alike, with the Minister for ACC,
Hon Ruth Dyson, Minister for Sport, Hon Trevor Mallard and
Associate Minister of Health, Hon Pete Hodgson, as well as
Silver Fern Irene Van Dyk and
double world mountain running champion Melissa Moon attending
the opening reception in May.
The site has been visited by 26,000 people with over 6000
creating their own tailored programmes. Statistics from the site
show that 70% of those who logged on were female and 66% of
those who logged on felt that they had a poor level of fitness.
The site features optional email programme reminders, regional
events, weather updates and video footage of correct stretching
techniques.
To create your own fitness programme go to
www.activesmart.co.nz.
Specific sports programmes are also available on the following
sites:
www.netballsmart.co.nz,
www.soccersmart.co.nz
and
www.snowsmart.co.nz.
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