Joanna is a health promotion student currently on placement with SPARC (Sport and Recreation NZ). In particular she will be assisting with the 'Active Communities' programme, where projects are developed in collaboration with community groups with the aim of increasing participation in sport and physical recreation at a community level.
For the next three months Joanna will be mentored by Maureen who has successfully established several community sporting groups as well as helping to reduce barriers that prevent people making changes to their lives to include daily recreational exercise.
Maureen loves her role as it allows her to share her passion for exercise with others. She competes regularly in local fun runs and plays in a social touch rugby team. Joanna is not so keen on sport. While she used to play sport at school now that she's at uni she has little time for structured sport and is quite unfit. In other areas of her life she feels very healthy; she eats from a range of healthy choices, doesn't smoke or drink and has a very positive outlook on life. This wasn't her first choice of placement but she'll need to complete it to pass the practicum paper.
Joanna is wondering whether she should take up some sport and embark on a get fit campaign, or whether she can be equally effective in her health promotion role in her current 'unfit' state.
What do you think? As health professionals do we need to 'walk the talk' ?
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www.sparc.org.nz/en-nz/communities-and-clubs/Active-Communities/It is proposed that Joanna takes up regular exercise as part of her health promotion placement.