News

The Foundation of New Zealand has developed a 'heart-healthy' walking and jogging programme that offers easy-to-follow practical tips for Auckland couch potatoes or people not currently doing a lot of exercise.
 
The programme covers good nutrition tips as well as physical activity tips and has been developed to help all those Aucklanders thinking about doing the walking or running events at the adidas Auckland Marathon on October 30th - but who don't know how to start preparing, or what is safe to attempt within their fitness levels.
 
This is the first year the charity has signed up as the official charity for the adidas Auckland Marathon, and to celebrate the partnership the Marathon has launched a new event for the day, the Heart Foundation 5km Walk.
 
The Heart Foundation wants to encourage everyone not doing exercise to challenge themselves to enter the 5km Walk -or if they are already a little bit fit, or already a strong walker, to aim to walk or run the 10km.
 
To help people do this safely and sensibly, the Heart Foundation has developed two different resources -a one-page sheet of Heart Healthy Tips for people entering the 5km Walk, and 10-page resource of 10 weeks of Heart Health Tips for people entering the 10km Run.
 
The Foundation's partnership with the Marathon emphasizes the proven link between physical activity and improved heart health.
 
"Regular physical activity is one part of a three-part lifestyle recipe to help prevent heart disease developing, along with eating well and being smokefree," says the Heart Foundation's Physical Activity Advisor, David Driscole. "It is also an important part of rehabilitation, if you have already heart disease and want to stop it from happening again.
 
"Regular exercise increases the heart's strength, endurance and efficiency. Since the heart is a muscle, it can lose strength if you have a sedentary lifestyle. A fit heart can pump 50% more blood during physical exertion which makes it less subject to strain when demands on it increase."
 
"We'd like to see a whole new range of Aucklanders entering the day, and then aim to build themselves up over the years to enter the longer marathon events," David says.
 
The '10 weeks to 10kms' resource gives a week-by week guide to improving your nutrition and fitness over the 10 weeks leading up to the Marathon, starting this week.
 
The 5km sheet is intended to be used as a preparation guide over the 3-4 weeks before the marathon.
 
Both guides will be available from the Heart Foundation's website  from Monday August 22nd. They have been designed to be easy to print and then stuck up on people's fridges, next to their front door or running shoes - anywhere to keep them top of mind.
 
David Driscole reveals insights into the 10km programme: "In the first week, there are four workouts and nothing longer than 30 minutes. That's physical activity achievable for most people and what's recommended by SPARC's Push Play guidelines. The recommended physical activity is complemented by nutrition advice that will help people eat well and get the most out of their exercise."
 
The 10-week training programme is not overly strenuous and is conducted at a pace where people can still maintain a conversation. Participants are encouraged to find a time of day they prefer to exercise. It does not need to be a large chunk of time as the initial training sessions are only 20-30 minutes.

Regardless of a person's current physical activity habits, the Heart Foundation recommends that everyone consult their doctor before engaging in any exercise programme.

The Heart Foundation is also hoping everyone entering the Marathon will help them to raise funds to support its life-saving work.
 
Entrants in all the races can sign up as "Heart Racers" at www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/heartfoundation. People can fill in a website page about themselves and their marathon entry, and then ask their friends and family to view their page and support their efforts with a donation to the Heart Foundation.
 
It is also hoping to recruit volunteers to help assist on the day with duties including marshalling along the race and helping at the registration stand.
 
The Auckland Marathon is being held Sunday 30 October at 6:30 am at the Viaduct. Visit www.aucklandmarathon.co.nz  to enter. 

 PLEASE SHOW YOUR SUPPORT ON OCTOBER 30TH, 2005

For more information contact:
David Maida
Tel 09-571-9191 x 712