Reading residents are invited to take part in a revolutionary healthy lifestyle education programme launched this week.
Reading Borough Council is the first local authority in the country to pilot a community challenge using Milife – a personalised online fitness and lifestyle system.
The Council’s Sport Reading Development Team is running the scheme, which is being introduced under a new Get Active Challenge.
The team is looking for people to take up the three month challenge, and is working in partnership with New Directions and the Thriving Neighbourhoods Partnership to target particular communities.
MiLife works by monitoring and measuring a user’s daily activity levels, producing recommended actions to increase fitness. These are tracked and sent via a MiBand – a form of wristwatch.
MiBand synchronises with an online coaching system, giving feedback and encouragement to increase activity.
One important feature of MiLife technology, is that it can link people to sports classes and activities in their local area.
Reading residents can take advantage of a special offer and receive a Milife starter pack for free (normally £49). Three months of online coaching is £9 a month.
The MiLife starter pack includes:
· MiBand
· Smart scales
· MiLife software CD
· USB Bluetooth receiver
· Recipe and calorie counter books
· Tape measure
· Access to the world’s most advanced online personalised coaching system
· Membership to Get Active club providing information about activities available in Reading
Graeme Hoskin, Lead Councillor for Reading Culture and Sport, said: "This is a really exciting pilot to see how this cutting edge technology might help Reading residents eat more healthily, do more exercise and look and feel better as a result.
"This is part of a big range of initiatives our Sport Reading team has rolled out to encourage more sport and exercise in our town. I’m a classic example of someone who used to do a lot of sport but with working long hours and the demands of a young family I’m now very inactive. If it can support and motivate someone like me to fit in more exercise then I know it can benefit a lot of others in our town too."
Reading Borough Council
