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Bike On Mums

Bike On NZ co-founder Meg Frater has set up a great initiative for mums - Bike On Mums. Meg says:

"Bike On Mums aims to help mums who are busy with work, home and children rediscover the fun of being outside riding a bike.

I try to keep it as simple as possible. The mums discover for themselves very quickly the side effects of riding; weight loss and toning, bike and accessory purchasing and the clothing. And the feeling of being away from it all with no one to bother you."

See Meg's blog: http://bikeonmumsnz.blogspot.com/.

more health hero success

Recently we sponsored travel costs for Health Hero Kath Johnstone to go to the Gold Coast Masters Games. She has just sent us this message:

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To Radius

I would like to thank Radius for organising this opportunity for me to compete in the Pan Pacific Masters Games in the Gold Coast, Australia.

This has been a wonderful opportunity and honour for me to do what I love most in life, and that is to inspire all age groups to live a healthy and fit lifestyle. I am forever truly grateful for all your support that has assisted me to pursue life to the fullest.

I am delighted to say that I came back to New Zealand with 5 gold medals. Thank you once again for your generosity and amazing support.

Yours truly,

Kath Johnstone

 

Health hero success

Health Hero Paul McArdle of Bike On NZ has proved again how much he deserves the title of health hero: he has been centrally involved in the successful Hastings District Council bid for $4 million to become a model community for walking and cycling. From the HDC media release:

"Hastings will be making walking and cycling “simply irresistible” after winning a national bid to be a New Zealand Transport Agency walking and cycling model community.  Hastings and New Plymouth went up against 22 other cities to win the bid and Hastings will get $4.1m - $3.57m to invest in walking and cycling infrastructure and $518,000 for education. The cities will then be “how to” models for the rest of New Zealand."

Paul says everybody wins when more people are walking and cycling:

"There will be less traffic congestion, people will be healthier and Hawke’s Bay businesses will benefit from more cycling tourism."

Initiatives coming out of the project include:

  • Working with Hastings employers to encourage staff to walk and cycle to work.
  • Improving facilities for people cycling into the CBD, to bus stops, to work and school.
  • Encouraging young people to learn to ride safely to school.
  • Promoting safe cycling routes.
  • Improving road networks for cycle safety.

Congratulations Paul and the team at HDC!  Click for more information.

health hero

Watch Kath Johnstone, 92 year old swimmer and 2009 Sydney Masters games multi-gold medallist:

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School bike track opens

On Friday 19 February the Prime Minister Rt Hon John Key opened on the St Mary's School Bike Track - imagined and realised by health hero Paul McArdle of Bike On NZ.

A winding limestone track around the perimeter of the school gives the year 1 - 3 pupils a safe way to learn the skills of riding - and staying on - a bicycle. Bike On has supplied 60 bikes of three sizes for children aged 5 - 8 years, as well as three bikes for teachers, and helmets for everyone.

A skills course designed and build by New Zealand cycling legend Jonathan Kennett offers the children a bit more challenge, with berms, bridges, see-saws, and posts to weave in and out of.  And a pump track brings added fitness options for the children (see video clip below).

Cycling offers children a wide range of balance and co-ordination skills, and being active in childhood has proven health benefits for later in life.

See the Bike On Blog for more information and video clips.


Learn from Kath

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Kath Johnstone is a health hero because of the positive health and wellbeing choices she has made throughout life. Whatever our age, stage or circumstances, we can all learn from Kath:

  • Be active: maintaining regular physical activity is a well-tested way to prevent most of the long term illnesses that cause early death, or reduce quality of life: heart disease, strokes, diabetes, cancers, dementia. Kath has an lifelong exercise habit, and is active in some way every day, including stretches on her bed at home, swimming, and exercising at the gym.
  • Be positive: Kath maintains a positive, can-do, flexible approach to life. On turning 70, she decided to do something adventurous every year, and so has had some pretty exciting experiences over the past 20 years: sky-diving, white-water rafting, black-water rafting, rally driving, to name a few.
  • Be sociable: Kath has an active social life with her family, and the people she lives at Abbbeyfield with. Each week she takes her 96 year old sister (all 6 siblings survive and are in their eighties and nineties) on an outing to Takapuna, and she enjoys takes an active interest in companionship with others
  • Eat well: Kath enjoys food – she ‘eats everything’ she says, and has a balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables. A diet low in saturated fats is important.

For more health tips go to our self care section.

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