Jumping hurdles key to exercising

By MARTIN JOHNSTON health reporter

More than a million adult New Zealanders do not get enough exercise, a study has found.

It is not that they are lazy or slothful - they have probably been put off by friends, family or a lack of exercise buddies.

The survey of more than 8000 men and women, commissioned by Government agency Sport & Recreation NZ and the Cancer Society, found that 45 per cent - about 1.4 million - are active, 9 per cent "determinedly inactive", and the rest fall somewhere in between.

The survey results, which build on the Push-Play campaign, will shape policies on exercise and nutrition as the Government searches for answers to the worsening obesity epidemic and the predicted escalation in the rate of type 2 diabetes.

About a fifth of the population is obese.

The $447,000 survey by ACNielsen asked people about physical activity, nutrition, community facilities, obesity and health information sources.

Among the key motivations for physical activity that the researchers unearthed was the desire for others' approval.

Major barriers to exercise included discouragement from others, health problems such as arthritis, work commitments, difficulty sticking to an exercise routine, roaming dogs, the costs of clothes and equipment and access problems.

Sport & Recreation chief executive Nick Hill said yesterday that since inactivity caused 2600 deaths a year - four times more than road accidents - new ways must be found to tackle the problem.

The agency's participation general manager, Deb Hurdle, said many of the obstacles were already known.

"What we need is how to get people over those barriers. That's what this research is about.

"This has given us the opportunity to look inside people's heads: what motivates them and what sorts of attitudes do they have to physical activity.

"Some people want to do things for themselves ... For others, it's really important that 'I'm alive to see my grandchildren play'.

"Others don't have good self-esteem and are worried what other people think about them."

Ms Hurdle said someone who usually ran home from work might be put off by colleagues saying, "Stay and have a few drinks".

"What we want to do now is talk to some of the people who discourage [others] because of lot of people don't realise they are doing it."

The study breaks up the in-betweens group into six categories, one of which is labelled "Go away - it's not for me" and contains the highest proportion of young people.

Two categories will be the target of further research this year plus awareness campaigns and activities such as organised walking groups.

Ms Hurdle said the "Others-oriented" and "Support-seekers" were chosen as they should be easiest to convince to get more exercise, "and we can pick up some others on the way".

She said the detailed nature of the study would allow city councils and sports trusts to tailor programmes for specific groups.

The researchers were surprised to find that Asians were less likely than others, especially Pacific Islanders, to play organised sport.

"Also, fewer Asian people report that organised sport is available in their neighbourhood," says the report.

"This may indicate the opportunity to target organised sports that are particularly attractive to Asians within their communities, rather than the team sports mentioned in the questionnaire - touch, rugby, netball."

Ms Hurdle said ethnic data might also be used to determine where street lighting needed improvement or where park trees should be trimmed for people to feel safer about exercising and decide to "give it a go".

Obesity Action Coalition executive director Celia Murphy hoped the study would underpin a food and exercise policy based on knowing what motivated or hindered people.

Many "know what they should eat and that they should be being physically active every day, but they don't do it".