Myzone Champions Physical Activity Policies Worldwide
Myzone is intensifying its efforts to educate governments and promote policies that encourage physical activity and healthier populations across the globe.
With a vision of making ‘movement a movement’ and encouraging people to be physically active for their own health, the wearable fitness brand has been engaging with policy makers about the critical role of physical activity for public health and wellbeing.
Mike Leveque, CEO of the Americas, Myzone, says: “As one of the leading risk factors for noncommunicable diseases and death worldwide, physical inactivity needs to be urgently addressed. Inactivity not only harms individual health, quality of life and life span, it also significantly impacts national economic development and productivity. That’s why we are working with our partners to deliver this message to law makers globally and bring physical activity to the forefront of political discussions.”
In the US, Myzone representatives got together with legislators and their staff during the Health & Fitness Association’s ‘Fly-In’ and Advocacy Summit at Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, in May 2024. Twice the size of the 2023 event, the Fly-in saw 120 industry leaders hold 130 meetings with members of Congress or their departments to build support for the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act. If passed, the PHIT Act will make physical activity more affordable allowing Americans to spend their pre-tax dollars on healthy living activities like gym memberships and fitness equipment.
Fly-in participants were also invited to a Myzone-sponsored group workout, which formed part of the annual Congressional Physical Activity Challenge. Run by Myzone and the Physical Activity Alliance (PAA) – the largest coalition in the US dedicated to advancing regular participation in physical activity – the Challenge ran throughout May to promote the importance of physical activity to members of Congress and their staff.
Last year’s winning team, led by Senator Cynthia Lummis, beat their rivals again this year earning both the highest number of MEPs (194,844) and the highest average MEPs (10,255).
Ben Hitchcock, Chief Marketing Officer, Myzone, says: “These initiatives are not publicity stunts, but important ways to strengthen relationships with law makers and allow them to personally experience the benefits of being active, however they choose. The impact of physical inactivity is felt across all aspects of society, from overburdened healthcare systems to decreased productivity. We all need to play our part in bringing physical activity to the forefront of government policy to halt the rising levels of inactivity which is challenging societies across the world.”
In Australia, Myzone was a key supporter of AUSactive’s Million Moves initiative in May. Highlighting the fact that 75 per cent of Australian adults don’t meet the WHO guidelines for physical activity, Million Moves challenged those living in the Sunshine Coast’s electorates of Fisher, Fairfax and Longman to complete 75 moves or Myzone MEPs every day for 21 days. With local MPs including Andrew Wallace, Ted O’Brien, Llew O’Brien and Terry Young driving the initiative, more than 1,300 children and adults squatted and jumped, stepped and pedaled their way to complete over 2 million moves in three weeks.
Finally, in the UK, Myzone partnered with ukactive to host the second ‘Fit for Office’ physical activity challenge, which saw 143 MPs, peers and their offices exercise throughout March using Myzone’s wearable devices to track their physical activity effort levels. The office of Andrew Lewer MP (Conservative) was crowned winner of the challenge, racking up an impressive average score of 18,076 MEPs, followed by runners up the office of Alex Davies-Jones MP (Labour) with 10,674 MEPs.
For more information about Myzone visit: myzone.org
To find out more about Myzone’s advocacy work across the globe, click on the following links
EMEA – https://www.myzone.org/blog/fit-for-office-uk
AMER – https://www.myzone.org/blog/advocacy-in-action-usa
APAC – https://www.myzone.org/blog/australia-million-moves
Justin is the Managing Director of Active Management, which he began January 2004. He offers coaching to businesses worldwide in everything from start up and design to marketing and sales systems. Justin also facilitates four Australian and New Zealand ‘fitness industry roundtables’ events, which allows him to see a huge cross section of business models.