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Two New Zealand industry leaders have been appointed to the first major global council on health and fitness, the Global Health and Fitness Alliance (GHFA), set up by the International Health Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA).

The pair are Exercise Association of New Zealand (ExerciseNZ) Chief Executive Richard Beddie and Les Mills International’s Anna Henwood.

Advising that the new Alliance aims to enhance global collaboration to get more people physically active, Beddie advises “IHRSA has already done a lot of work with the World Health Organization, whom I have worked with for a number of years now to get people more into activity.

“Our first major piece of work is to set up major global research on the economic and social benefits of exercise and is being overseen by Deloitte.

“It will be the first work of its kind globally. We can make the world a healthier place and create a better future for our industry.

“We aim to use the findings from this to present to governments around the world so they can start thinking long term when it comes to the health and social benefits of exercise and movement.”

Henwood says the importance of working together globally to change the way exercise and health are valued, is so critical to the world moving forward slowly out of the covid pandemic.

Shoe notes that two New Zealanders being appointed to the board is a testament to the quality of New Zealand’s exercise industry.

The GHFA, which is backed by a US$275,000 investment, and the exercise industry are dedicated to increasing access to physical activity across the world, for people of all races, backgrounds, ages, orientations, and abilities.

Meanwhile, Beddie says New Zealand has its own issues with 93% of the country's children and youth not doing enough physical activity, according to World Health Organization (WHO) statistics.

Beddie adds “I constantly work with the WHO on physical activity and I know New Zealand is really lagging. If we increase our kids’ physical activity there is a unique opportunity to get this right and the exercise industry is stepping up to offer to help.”

New Zealand is the 13th worst in the world when it comes to inactivity which is leading to a large range of poor health outcomes, putting an unnecessary drain on an already overloaded health system.

The GHFA is chaired by Greg Oliver, Chief Executive of the Fitness and Lifestyle Group, the largest group of gyms in the Asia Pacific.

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