Tauranga –<\/strong> Two New Zealand industry leaders have been appointed to the very first major global council on health and fitness, the\u00a0Global Health and Fitness Alliance, set up by the international\u00a0health\u00a0racket and sports club association (IHRSA).<\/p>\n

They are ExerciseNZ chief executive Richard Beddie and Les Mills International\u2019s\u00a0Anna \u00a0Henwood \u00a0The group is all about collaboration globally, and getting more people physically active, Beddie says.<\/p>\n

\u201cIHRSA<\/a>\u00a0has already done a lot of work with the World Health Organisation, whom I have worked with for a number of years now to get people more into activity,\u201d Beddie says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe global fitness alliance (GHFA)\u00a0 chair Greg Oliver is chief executive of the largest group of gyms in Asia Pacific (Fitness and Lifestyle Group). In New Zealand the group is represented by the Jetts brand.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur first major piece of work is to set up major global research on the economic and social benefits of exercise and is being overseen by\u00a0Deloitte.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will be the first work of its kind globally. We can make the world a healthier place and create a better future for our industry.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe aim to use the findings from this to present to governments around the world so they can start thinking long term when it comes to the health and social benefits of exercise and movement.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Global Health and Fitness\u00a0Association is investing more than $NZ 400,000 into the project.<\/p>\n

Henwood says the importance of working together globally to change the way exercise and health are valued, is so critical to the world moving forward slowly out of the covid pandemic.<\/p>\n

She says the two Kiwis appointed\u00a0to the board are a\u00a0testament\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0quality\u00a0of New Zealand\u2019s exercise industry.<\/p>\n

The GHFA and the exercise industry are dedicated to increasing access to physical activity across the world, for people of all races, backgrounds, ages, orientations, and abilities.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Beddie says New Zealand has its own issues with 93 percent of New Zealand kids do not do enough physical activity, according to World Health Organisation stats.<\/p>\n

\u201cI constantly work with the WHO on physical activity and I know New Zealand is really lagging. If we increase our kids\u2019 physical activity there is a unique opportunity to get this right and the exercise industry is stepping up to offer to help.\u201d<\/p>\n

New Zealand is the 13th worst in the world when it comes to inactivity which is leading to a large range of poor health outcomes, putting an unnecessary drain on an already overloaded health system.<\/p>\n

For further information contact<\/strong>\u00a0Make Lemonade NZ editor-in-chief Kip Brook on 0275 030188<\/a><\/p>\n

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Tauranga – Two New Zealand industry leaders have been appointed to the very first major global council on health and fitness, the\u00a0Global Health and Fitness Alliance, set up by the international\u00a0health\u00a0racket and sports club association (IHRSA). They are ExerciseNZ chief executive Richard Beddie and Les Mills International\u2019s\u00a0Anna \u00a0Henwood \u00a0The group is all about collaboration globally,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5470,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1022,790,3125,71,1247,791],"yoast_head":"\n