![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riskinfo.com.au\/news\/files\/2019\/11\/Damien-Mu-2.jpg\")
<\/a>AIA states that the research found:<\/p>\n
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- Engagement with the AIA Vitality program improves both physical and mental wellbeing<\/li>\n
- For those members with a BMI in the overweight range at baseline, approximately 10% moved into the healthy BMI range within two years<\/li>\n
- Similar, yet stronger changes for members experiencing mental health distress at baseline, where almost 50% moved into the low distress range within two years<\/li>\n
- For every month of physical activity, people reduced their BMI score by 0.02. However, those who are overweight or obese demonstrated much larger BMI score reductions for the same amount of physical activity (0.04 and 0.08 respectively). Notably those whose baseline was in the healthy range maintained their weight. This is significant, because the average Australians BMI typically increases with age and, according to Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data, two in three Australian adults are already overweight or obese<\/li>\n
- Similarly, for every month of physical activity, people reduced their levels of mental distress (K10 score) by 0.02 points, regardless of their initial level (i.e., on average mental wellbeing improved for all). This is significant when considered against the national decline in Australian\u2019s mental health over recent years. AIHW data confirms that 11.7% of\u00a0 Australian adults experienced high levels of mental distress in 2014, increasing to 15.4% in 2020<\/li>\n
- The largest positive changes to both physical and mental wellbeing were where individuals frequently completed online health assessments. That is for every month of online activity, these people reduced their BMI score by 0.40 and their K10 score by 0.72 points.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
AIA says the primary measures of activity used to understand the impact of the program were:<\/p>\n
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- Any physical activity (measured by a smart watch or smart phone)<\/li>\n
- General online activity (e.g., the completion of mental health assessments or nutritional assessments)<\/li>\n
- Mental health fitness activity (e.g., the participation in sleep tracking or mindfulness sessions)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
…any form of physical activity, no matter how small, can have positive impacts on people\u2019s physical and mental health…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Damien Mu<\/strong>, CEO and Managing Director of AIA Australia, says the findings support the notion that engaging in any form of physical activity, no matter how small, can have positive impacts on people\u2019s physical and mental health.<\/p>\n
He says AIA Australia’s mission is to help people live healthier, longer, better lives “…and we believe that this can be as simple as making small, incremental changes to your routine over an extended period.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mu adds that AIA Vitality motivates and inspires its members to implement these small changes in behaviour each day, while also offering them financial incentives to do so.<\/p>\n
\u201cPhysical activity, paired with a deeper understanding of your overall health via online health assessments can further help to support mental and physical wellbeing.\u201d<\/p>\n