First exercise day of 2022 just weeks away

Otautahi - The first days of 2022 are just weeks away, raising the spectre of the annual tradition of resolutions, such as getting fitter.

Healthier behaviours are valued more since covid arrived so 2022 promises to be an even more active year for Kiwis, ExerciseNZ chief executive Richard Beddie says.

A recent American survey found that health and diet are the most important 2022 new year’s resolutions.

Beddie agrees with the research and says people wanting to be more active next year should, first of all, enjoy the luxuries and pleasures of Christmas through the festive season.

“Kiwis should enjoy their time with friends and family / whanau over Christmas and also commit to being more physically active in 2022 - and most importantly develop a plan of how this will happen.

“Healthy living isn’t about sacrificing for one day, it’s about making changes for the long term, so people should focus less about how much they eat on Christmas day and more on how well they eat and how active they should be from January 1 on.

“For already active people the challenge can be maintaining the routine; the frequency can drop, but it’s important to keep up regular work outs.

“For those that are not active on a regular basis then holidays and a break from routine can be a great opportunity to form new habits.

“Christmas is approaching fast, and many people not only tend to ruin their usual diets, but they also gain a few extra pounds. Based on research studies, most people tend to gain additional weight during the holiday season helped by lack of physical activity and exercise.

“Kiwis should still keep up their physical activity routine whenever possible and if they can’t do that, be that going for a walk, or trying some activity.”

He says an obesity epidemic is gripping New Zealand which also has a physical inactivity crisis, being the 13th worst in the world and the worst for children with only 10 percent meeting World Health Organisation guidelines.

Exercise is the #1 sport in New Zealand with more than half a million participants and growing research confirming the health benefits of activity for all Kiwis.

For further information contact Make Lemonade NZ editor-in-chief Kip Brook on 0275 030188