STATE GOVERNMENT HELPING WOMEN AND GIRLS GET ACTIVE
Published Tuesday, 23 October, 2007 at 04:05 PM
Minister for Police, Corrective Services and Sport
The Honourable Judy Spence
Health and fitness opportunities for women and girls in Queensland are set to improve following the unveiling today of an innovative new resource aimed helping women and girls to get active.
Sport Minister Judy Spence launched the new “Active Women and Girls” website while touring the Tallebudgera Active Recreation Centre on the Gold Coast today.
Ms Spence said the website will provide practical and user-friendly information to encourage and assist females to participate in sport and active recreation.
“This government is committed to providing all Queenslanders with every opportunity to live a healthy and active life,” Ms Spence said.
“In recent years, the health and fitness of Queensland women and girls has declined, with recent statistics showing that 48 per cent of women are not sufficiently active to receive any health benefits.
“A Queensland Health survey found that less than one in 15 girls reported meeting the physical activity guidelines of at least an hour of moderate activity every day, and this proportion decreased with age.
“A lack of physical activity leads to higher mortality rates, shorter life expectancies, plummeting productivity and crippling financial burdens on families and our health system.
“This government has spent around $11 million since 1998 developing opportunities for women and girls to get active – and this new website is the latest project aiming to encourage more women and girls to get involved in sport and recreation, so they have the best chance possible of living a long, healthy life.”
Ms Spence said the Active Women and Girls website has a range of fact sheets, handy tips and guidelines for families, teachers, clubs and organisations, as well as the women and girls themselves.
“This site shows women and girls just how easy and fun it can be to get more active,” Ms Spence said.
“There are fact sheets explaining the importance of physical activity, as well as handy tips for easy and fun ways to be more active.
“A lot of busy women and girls don’t realise how easy it is to incorporate activity into their everyday lives, and this website aims to change that.”
Some of the resources available on the site include:
• Active Girls – information for 8- to 11-year-olds
• Active Teens – information for 12- to-17 year-olds
• Active Women – information for those 18 years and over
• Parents, Teachers and Clubs – information on how to encourage women in your family, school and community to get active
• I Need A Hero – read about girls and women just like you, as well as some of Queensland's elite female athletes in a variety of sports
• Events – events promoting women and girls in sport and active recreation
• Fact Sheets and Links - a wide variety of downloadable fact sheets you can use for your team, club or for assignments, and links to other sites that can assist you with information on sport and active recreation for women and girls.
Clare Polkinghorne, a member of the Matildas football team which recently payed in the FIFA Women’s World Cup, helped the Minister launch the new resources and spoke to school children at Tallebudgera about how everyone can enjoy sport.
“I’ve been playing sport all my life and I’ve met all my friends through sport,” Clare said.
“It has taken me overseas and provided the opportunity for me to experience things I would never have experienced.
“Sport is a great way to meet people, to make friends and find out things about yourself you may not have known before. The more girls that get involved, the better off they are. It will also help their fitness and boost their self image and self esteem.
“I think there are also great opportunities for young girls to have fun and enjoy what they’re doing, to extend themselves and to excel.”
Fore more information about the Active Women and Girls Web based Resource, visit www.sportrec.qld.gov.au
Media contact: Nicola Hazell – 0439 673 287
Sport Minister Judy Spence launched the new “Active Women and Girls” website while touring the Tallebudgera Active Recreation Centre on the Gold Coast today.
Ms Spence said the website will provide practical and user-friendly information to encourage and assist females to participate in sport and active recreation.
“This government is committed to providing all Queenslanders with every opportunity to live a healthy and active life,” Ms Spence said.
“In recent years, the health and fitness of Queensland women and girls has declined, with recent statistics showing that 48 per cent of women are not sufficiently active to receive any health benefits.
“A Queensland Health survey found that less than one in 15 girls reported meeting the physical activity guidelines of at least an hour of moderate activity every day, and this proportion decreased with age.
“A lack of physical activity leads to higher mortality rates, shorter life expectancies, plummeting productivity and crippling financial burdens on families and our health system.
“This government has spent around $11 million since 1998 developing opportunities for women and girls to get active – and this new website is the latest project aiming to encourage more women and girls to get involved in sport and recreation, so they have the best chance possible of living a long, healthy life.”
Ms Spence said the Active Women and Girls website has a range of fact sheets, handy tips and guidelines for families, teachers, clubs and organisations, as well as the women and girls themselves.
“This site shows women and girls just how easy and fun it can be to get more active,” Ms Spence said.
“There are fact sheets explaining the importance of physical activity, as well as handy tips for easy and fun ways to be more active.
“A lot of busy women and girls don’t realise how easy it is to incorporate activity into their everyday lives, and this website aims to change that.”
Some of the resources available on the site include:
• Active Girls – information for 8- to 11-year-olds
• Active Teens – information for 12- to-17 year-olds
• Active Women – information for those 18 years and over
• Parents, Teachers and Clubs – information on how to encourage women in your family, school and community to get active
• I Need A Hero – read about girls and women just like you, as well as some of Queensland's elite female athletes in a variety of sports
• Events – events promoting women and girls in sport and active recreation
• Fact Sheets and Links - a wide variety of downloadable fact sheets you can use for your team, club or for assignments, and links to other sites that can assist you with information on sport and active recreation for women and girls.
Clare Polkinghorne, a member of the Matildas football team which recently payed in the FIFA Women’s World Cup, helped the Minister launch the new resources and spoke to school children at Tallebudgera about how everyone can enjoy sport.
“I’ve been playing sport all my life and I’ve met all my friends through sport,” Clare said.
“It has taken me overseas and provided the opportunity for me to experience things I would never have experienced.
“Sport is a great way to meet people, to make friends and find out things about yourself you may not have known before. The more girls that get involved, the better off they are. It will also help their fitness and boost their self image and self esteem.
“I think there are also great opportunities for young girls to have fun and enjoy what they’re doing, to extend themselves and to excel.”
Fore more information about the Active Women and Girls Web based Resource, visit www.sportrec.qld.gov.au
Media contact: Nicola Hazell – 0439 673 287