Physical activity

Community and Public Health seeks to improve the health and wellbeing of the people in our region by supporting the population to become more physically active.

Being physically active helps prevent and manage a wide range of conditions and diseases including:

• Coronary heart disease
• Hypertension
• Type 2 diabetes
• Stroke
• Colon cancer
• Osteoporosis and
• Obesity.

The key messages regarding physical activity and health are:

• Be active every day for at least 30 minutes in as many ways as possible. The recommended time for children is at least 60 minutes.
• Add some vigorous exercise for extra benefit and fitness.
• Aim to maintain a healthy weight throughout life.
• Reduce the amount of time you spend sitting down.

Find out about the health risks of sitting down or being sedentary for long hours (Just Stand.org).

Read the World Health Organisation factsheet on physical inactivity.

Mental Wellbeing and Physical Activity

Physical activity releases the “feel good” chemicals (endorphins) into the body, making you feel better.
Community and Public Health actively promotes the Five Ways for Wellbeing and works with key stakeholders to run the annual Walk 4 Wellbeing during Mental Health Awareness week.

Community and Public Health is a member of Active Canterbury which lists local groups, clubs or classes for activities and gives information about parks, tracks and facilities. We support this network in its work to:

• Supply activity providers and health professionals with the tools and information needed to help people get more active, more often.
• Raise awareness of training and funding opportunities to support physical activity
• Links with current physical activity and training providers to provide programmes that meet the needs of the community and the fitness industry.

Community and Public Health supports active lifestyles for Canterbury District Health Board staff by promoting activities such as:

• the Global Corporate Challenge and
• the annual Christchurch Walking Festival.

We also work to ensure our urban areas are designed to encourage physical activity (active environments) collaboratively with key stakeholders across the region. This includes green spaces, recreational parks and walking trails, and making forms of active transport easier more accessible (e.g. public transport, walking and cycling). This is achieved by voicing our point of view on local and regional planning strategies and initiatives.

Documents

• Sit Less, Move More, Sleep Well: Active play guidelines for under-fives (Ministry of Health 2017)
• Green Prescription Active Families Survey Report (Ministry of Health 2016)
• Active NZ Survey 2013/14 (Sport NZ 2015)
• Guidelines on Physical Activity for Older People aged 65 years and over (Ministry of Health 2013)
• The Economic and Social Value of Sport and Recreation to New Zealand (Sport NZ 2012)
• Sport and Recreation in the Lives of Young New Zealanders (Sport NZ 2012)
• A Prescription for Good Health: Green prescriptions in action (Ministry of Health 2012)
• A National Survey of Children and Young People’s Physical Activity and Dietary Behaviours in New Zealand: 2008/09 – Key Findings (Ministry of Health 2010)
• Active Movement: An Introduction – for preschool children under 5 (Sport NZ)

Downloads

Download or order resources from the Community Health Information Centre.

• Be Active Every Day: Physical Activity for Adults
• Be Active Every Day: Physical Activity for Children Aged 5 to 18 years
• A guide to Pregnancy and Exercise
• Need Help to Get Active?

Links

• Ministry of Health
• Sport NZ (formerly known as SPARC)
• Exercise Association of New Zealand (formerly Fitness NZ)
• Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs)

Walk, talk and explore the East with AWA Trails

It’s time to get those walking shoes on and discover the AWA Trails project!

Three primary schools and one intermediate school in Christchurch’s Eastern suburbs have designed walking trails around their neighbourhoods to encourage people to get active, connect, and celebrate their communities’ historical, social, ecological and natural treasures.

Find out more about the AWA Trails project on the All Right? website.