Vitality Works provide innovative and evidence-based programs to improve the health and wellbeing of New Zealand youth. The staff at Vitality Works have published extensively in the area of youth health promotion. They also have over a decade of teaching experience in both NZ and Australian schools.

Currently we offer schools a choice of three programs:

• The Official 10000 Steps® @School program

• The Girls Stepping Out program

• The School Staff Development program


All three of these programs are backed by scientific research.
In other words we only implement services that are proven to work.

The Official 10000 Steps® @School Program



Official 10000 Steps® @School 30 Pack - $1299.00 +GST includes:

30 x Yamax Step1 SW200 Pedometers

30 x Pedometer Safety Straps

30 x Student Program Booklets

3 x Around NZ Challenge™Maps

1 x CD with Guidelines & Electronic Log

1 x Teaching Resource Booklet

(Value = $2058.00)

 Notes

A full one-year warranty will be provided on all Yamax Step1 pedometers – excluding impact of water damage.

? The Official 10000 Steps® @School Program uses only Yamax Pedometers which are the most reliable and accurate pedometer on the market ? the only pedometer that counts within 1% of the actual steps taken.

The Girls Stepping Out? Program

Girls Stepping Out

"Some girls will, some girls won't...some say they will and some girls lie" (Racey, 1979)

The lyrics of this '70's hit song provide an apt description of the physical activity behaviour of adolescent girls. Although some girls are sufficiently active for health benefits, many are not. Documented evidence demonstration that teenage girls, particularly older girls are less active than their male counterparts is available through analysis of most population-wide physical activity studies throughout the world.

Anecdotally, many physical education teachers would identify gender differences in the amount of vigorous physical activity of high school students. Schofield, Mummery, Schofield and Walmsley (2002) in a study of 244 adolescent girls in Year 11, found that 25.5% of this sample reported no involvement in organized sport or recreational activities in the year preceding the survey. Of note, several researchers have reported that as girls get older they tend to be less active on weekends as compared to weekdays.

The Girls Stepping Out™ Program is a 12 week program designed to increase the lifestyle physical activity of low-active adolescent girls. The program is divided into two distinct phases aimed at adoption and adherence respectively. The adoption phase consists of individual self-monitoring and goal setting of steps per day using a pedometer for immediate and personalised feedback.

Program participants attend six weekly focus group meetings that will provide counseling and education regarding physical activity. Participants receive social support via the weekly meetings. In addition, each week (for the first six weeks) participants will each receive a behavioural plan regarding the amount of physical activity they will do the coming week. This plan will be negotiated on a weekly basis between the individual participant and the group leader. This plan will include specific goals regarding the amount of physical activity (recorded via steps or minutes) to be done each day. The weekly physical activity goal will increase each week of this plan until the desired level is reached after six weeks. All participants will record their daily physical activity in a specially designed physical activity diary. This will include various health information and tips for losing weight and feeling energetic.

The adherence phase will occur over the subsequent six week period. This phase will see the continuation of individual monitoring using the pedometers. Also during this phase the participants receive a bi-weekly postcard simply to act as a reminder regarding the program. The postcards will include adherence tips.

The research behind this program has just been published in the highly rated academic journal of Medicine, Science, Sports and Exercise. Please read the below article.

The School Staff Development Program

Stepping out with the School Staff Development Program

The staff development package is ideal for a professional development session where staff will walk away with an effective, yet simple method to improve their personal health and productivity.

Program includes:

• Exploring and Exploding the Myths of Health and Weight Management
45 minute Presentation by Assoc. Professor Grant Schofield - AUT

• The Official 10000 Steps® Program Pack - $40.00 + GST (Retail Value $59.95)
Minimum order of 20

Further information

For more information or to order email us at info@vitalityworks.co.nz or phone (09) 488 0078

Research shows that the Yamax Step1 Pedometer is the most reliable and accurate pedometer available.