Tom Gannon
The Heart Foundation has found that a large percentage of people in the Latrobe-Gippsland region are not active enough for good health.
Figures released last month show 67 per cent of people in the region fail to meet daily exercise requirements, which is on-par with the Victorian state average.
However, more pertinent is where the region differs from the rest of the state.
Out of 17 regions in Victoria, the Latrobe-Gippsland region has the fourth highest rate of death from coronary heart disease which works out to be 71.5 out of every 100,000 people and 16 per cent above the state average.
In a Heart Foundation survey of more than 7000 Australian adults, two in three (65 per cent) said they know that exercise can lower their risk of heart disease, the nation’s single leading cause of death.
Heart Foundation Group chief executive officer Adjunct Professor John Kelly said although people know this information, not enough are acting on it.
“Our research suggests that while many Australians know that movement is good for their hearts, and they have been advised by their doctor to be more active, they are not acting on this,” he said.
“Overall, around one in two Australians aged 18 to 64 – that’s almost eight million people – are not active enough for good heart health. This is extremely concerning given physical inactivity is a key risk factor for heart disease, which takes 50 Australian lives each day, or one every 29 minutes.”
In a bid to encourage more people to get moving, the Heart Foundation has launched its Personal Walking Plans program.
The free, six-week program, offers participants a walking plan tailored to their current activity levels, as identified during an easy, two-minute sign-up process.
The plan will be delivered weekly via emails and texts, which are designed not only to support and motivate participants, but also to deliver information about the many benefits of walking beyond just fitness and heart health.
To get started with a free Heart Foundation Personal Walking Plan, visit walking.org.au
