Lift for Life receives Commonwealth Funding for the Healthy Communities Initiative

Nicola Roxon, Minister for Health & Ageing today announced a significant National Program Grant to Fitness Australia, the health & fitness industry association, as part of the COAG Healthy Communities Initiative. The funding of $986,920 over three years will be used to promote the delivery of the Lift for Life® program within fitness centres across Australia.

"The fitness industry has an integral role to play in Australia's preventative health strategy. We are extremely pleased to have been offered this opportunity by the Department of Health and Ageing to have a positive impact on the health of the community, and for the fitness industry to be recognised for its important role in the prevention of chronic lifestyle-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes," says Lauretta Stace, Chief Executive Officer of Fitness Australia.

"We are very supportive of the government's preventative health strategy and are extremely proud to be involved with it", said Stace. "Our aim is to make Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute's Lift for Life® program more widely available to the community through the fitness industry."

Director of Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Professor Garry Jennings said the Institute was committed to playing a key role in building healthier communities by translating laboratory research into new approaches in clinical care and long-term preventative health and lifestyle strategies.He said the Lift for Life® program was a strong example of the Institute's translational work, with research into the benefits of resistance training by Baker IDI researchers - including a two-year trial of a weight training program - leading to the development of a dedicated exercise program for older people with type 2 diabetes.

We know that this program also has broad-based preventative health benefits and we're very proud that this pioneering, evidence-based program will now provide many more Australians – particularly those at risk of chronic disease - with a simple, effective and sustainable way to lead a healthier life," said Jennings.

The National Program Grant funding through the COAG Healthy Communities Initiative (HCI) will enable the Lift for Life® program to be offered in more locations across Australia including settings that are accessible to disadvantaged communities and to people who are not in the paid workforce.