Erin Barclay served the Āria community as a physiotherapist for many years. Photo supplie
JUST half of New Zealand adults regularly meet global guidelines for physical activity – defined as two-and- a-half hours of moderate activity each week for grown-ups.
Formerly Piopio-based physiotherapist Erin Barclay, herself a passionate advocate of fitness and physical activity, says there are unique challenges for those living in the King Country
“While we do have number of great resources such as the Piopio Recreation Centre [and Te Whare Takarangi O Te Kūiti (Gallagher Recreation Centre)], there is not a diverse range of options for running, walking or cycling in outdoor public spaces. There’s a lot more in Auckland and Rotorua,” she said.
“The King Country is a problem area in that people have to seek out exercise – there’s not very much at your doorstep. Take Piopio – there is really just that one 40-minute loop walk in the Mangaotaki Scenic Reserve. The rest of it is on private land. That’s literally it. Where do you go for your local walk?”
While we do have world-class options like the Timber Trail, they are not on everyone’s doorstep – and that’s what’s needed.
“Around here, there’s nothing knocking on your door. You have to make it happen.
“There’s not necessarily social football, for example.
“There are no cycleways. When I was riding around Piopio and Āria regularly, we had to go on the roads which we shared with stock trucks. You had to risk your life. As cyclists, we were very much the anomaly.”
Erin said that people living on farms and lifestyle blocks had space around them, but that this did not necessarily mean they were staying fit.
“It’s a different mindset in cities – people feel that they have to walk the dog (as just one example). But in the country, the dogs are already running around enough. It just takes away one of the common reasons for people to get active.”
The nationwide drop in activity was observed for the first time last year, advocacy group Exercise New Zealand said.
They described data released in mid- December from the Ministry of Health as “concerning”.
The ministry observed a significant drop of 5% from the previous year, making 2023 the first year that adults were not meeting the national guidelines in physical activity.
The group said the impact of low physical activity is not only affecting the public health system, costing over $500 million annually, but it is also resulting in a substantial loss to the economy, estimated at over $2.3 billion per year.
Mental health is also a major concern, with 70% of individuals experiencing some level of distress, according to 2022 rates. Approximately 9% of the population requires professional help, this figure rises to over 16% for young adults.
Recent studies have shown that physical activity is the most effective way to improve mental health, yet it receives less attention compared to other interventions.
Richard Beddie, pictured right, chief executive of ExerciseNZ, recently attended a meeting with the World Health Organisation in Geneva, where he was one of seven global experts discussing strategies to increase activity levels worldwide.
Richard said he had urged the new Government to work with the exercise industry.
“If we address this issue correctly, we can save taxpayers billions of dollars. If we don’t, the situation will only worsen … the solution is clear; we just need to implement it.”
