Scooting round the bays helping keep kids fit

1:58 pm on 24 January 2018

The annual Round the Bays run around Wellington's waterfront next month will for the first time allow some children to do the event on their scooters.

Dre Piki-Lyttle (7) lifts his scooter of the ground at one of The Green Prescription Active Family days in Porirua. The Programme is run by Sport Wellington nationwide.

Dre Piki-Lyttle (7) lifts his scooter of the ground at one of The Green Prescription Active Family days in Porirua. The Programme is run by Sport Wellington nationwide. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King

Among those taking part are those involved in the Green Prescription Active Families programme, a nationwide scheme funded by DHBs which offers fitness sessions and nutirition advice for the whole whānau - children included.

On a hot sunny day at Wellington's Aotea Lagoon, a group of about 20 children, parents and grandparents amble into the park for a training session.

Among them was Rita Uiese and her two children, Manaia and Leiana.

At a training session at Wellington's Aotea Lagoon, she said they had been coming for a year after they were referred by Leiana's preschool teacher.

Rita Uiese with her son Manaia, 7, and daughter Leiana, 5.

Rita Uiese with her son Manaia, 7, and daughter Leiana, 5. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King

"We've cut down on our fizzy. We were probably going through, I'd say in a week, about five 1.5-litre bottles of Coke and Sprite. [Now] we do milk and Coke Zero, so we still get a bit of fizzy."

Another participant Natalie Fraser and her daughter Naomi had come along to improve their nutrition.

Natalie said she had cut down on sugar in coffee since starting the programme and was trying to drink more water, but admitted it had taken a while to get to grips with the meal plans.

"I re-signed for the fruit and veggie co-op that our neighbourhood has, and the ones I don't know how to cook, Sega (healthy lifestyle coordinator) said to text her and she'll tell me how to cook it.

"So [I can] stop giving it to my mum, the yucky vegetables I don't like," she said.

Healthy lifestyle coordinator Katie Siueva said the families they worked with were typically hard-working, but were often stressed out and exhausted.

"Like all families, they want their families to be in better health and I think that's what we try and do is give families the opportunity to take a stocktake, just pause and figure out 'hey, what's working and what's not working'," she said.

Katie and Hoani Siueva from Sport Wellington. The Green Precription Active Family helps families with over weight children.

Katie and Hoani Siueva from Sport Wellington. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King

"And then our role, if needed, is to support them with some of those changes," she said.

Katie said there were two common issues that families faced: excessive screen time and families not eating together.

"Family meal time is important for so many things in terms of a child having time with their parents, time to communicate.

"It teaches us manners, it teaches us about our culture, it teaches us about habits, it gives us the opportunity to [learn] good role modelling of food. And so family meal times is this crucial habit that has changed and it's not happening," she said.

Another coordinator, Sega Elise said they tried to get people involved in events and activities that were local and free, like fun runs.

Sega Elise from Sport Wellington.

Sega Elise from Sport Wellington. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King

She said it was about getting famiies moving.

"After school or in the evenings, in the weekends, seeing families out there kicking a ball around on a daily basis as much as possible, weather dependent, that's success to me," she said.

Ange Piki, who was there with her son Dre, said she liked the group's philsophy and meeting others in a similar situation. She said as a result Dre was more confident and conscious of what he was eating.

After four years of having families in the Round the Bays, Sega Elise hoped allowing kids to bring their wheels would mean it could be a record year for families in the programme taking part.

"Because of the introduction of Step It Up it's called Active Families, the kids are going to love being able to use their scooters," she said.

Wellington's Round the Bays is held on 18 February.