Campaign urges couch potatoes to get sweaty

Get down and get panting while you're watching TV. That's the advice from the Government's exercise advocates in their bid to encourage people to be physically active for at least 30 minutes on most days.

"Watching TV is a great opportunity to get in some movement, like lunges or push-ups ... ," says a new activity wheel they have produced.

The cardboard wheel, mounted on a fridge magnet, lists activity options, from the "TV workout", to using a whisk instead of an electric food mixer, to taking up cycling.

The Push Play Activator is the new tool of Sport and Recreation New Zealand (Sparc) "to inspire inactive Kiwis to get active". Available through the 0800 ACTIVE phone line, regional sports trusts and certain Countdown supermarkets, it is aimed at those who do not know where to start.

"Sparc wants Kiwis to understand that physical activity can be slotted into their lives for at least 30 minutes a day - no matter how busy they are," the agency says.

General manager of participation Deb Hurdle said the agency's research had found that at least 350,000 people wanted to be active but were busy and sometimes did not know how to do so.

"What we are saying is there are simple ways to get started by incorporating physical activity into your daily routine."

A third of New Zealanders do either less than 2.5 hours' physical activity a week or none at all. Ten per cent of children and about 20 per cent of adults are obese.