ecofit

In partnership with Newcastle City Council and Lake Macquarie City Council, researchers from The University of Newcastle have developed the ecofit program. Ecofit is a web-based platform designed to encourage adults in the community to do more muscle strengthening and aerobic exercises.

Ecofit uses smartphone technology and local outdoor gyms/spaces to help people get active. At each location, there are workouts for each level of fitness. This program has been successfully tested in three different studies in the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie area. Currently, the program is being implemented on a larger scale and is available for anyone aged 18 and older.

The best way to use ecofit is by downloading the mobile app, which is available for Apple and Android devices.

Get the ecofit app here

Professor Ron Plotnikoff, Co-Director of the University of Newcastle’s Centre for Active Living and Learning, says that ecofit is designed more for the average person than those with rippling muscles.

“Health guidelines recommend adults get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate exercise each week, including at least two sessions of strength training each week,” Professor Plotnikoff said. “But a lot of people are put off by the cost of gym memberships, concerned about injury, or just feel intimidated and embarrassed walking into a gym."

“Outdoor gym activity, however, has lots of advantages, including being cost-free and may be performed individually or as a small group. Studies also show that it improves mental health and mood, perhaps even more than indoor exercise sessions.”

The ecofit platform contains ready-to-go workouts for 16 outdoor gym locations across Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, as well as workouts for any outdoor location and at home. Users can even create their own workouts using the new ‘custom workout builder’ tool. In addition to workouts, users can set and review goals, and read the motivational and educational material provided on the platform.

To enrol, please email ecofit@newcastle.edu.au.