Active communities—Dr Geoff Kira
How do we support communities to get active? For Associate Professor Geoff Kira it’s all about removing constraints and having fun.
A self-confessed “high-school dropout”, Dr Geoff Kira came to study later in life.
Although he had always been active through sport and the outdoors, he fell into studying exercise science when he was at a loose end after a stint in the military.
“When I left [the military] with no qualifications I had no idea what to do. My boss suggested I do a diploma, and I liked sport, so ended up doing exercise science.”
That undergraduate degree led to a PhD exploring associations of patterns of daily life, physical fitness, and body composition of primary school age children.
Working with communities and children during his PhD shifted Dr Kira’s philosophies on physical activity from the clinical to the social and environmental.
“I started out as an exercise physiologist, where we take a very clinical view of calories, minutes of exercise, and sleep.”
“Working with families opened my eyes to the social determinants of health and led to a desire to find ways to make it easier for people to be healthier.
“Improving the environment for kids can be influential for the adults in their life too.”
Translating physical activity strategies for children to other parts of the population forms part of the University’s new Master of Physical Activity and Hauora, which Dr Kira will be teaching on in 2024.
The programme includes a specialisation in Play—the only one of its kind in Aotearoa.
Explore the Master of Physical Activity and Hauora
If you’re a health and physical activity practitioner who wants to develop advanced knowledge and skills in promoting physical activity and mātauranga Māori, this is the degree for you.
Learn more“Play is normally associated with children, but we are looking at play for everyone. There is no reason why adults and even the elderly shouldn’t play. It is something that can be done together—people who play are more inclined to be active.”
The programme also incorporates Mātauranga Māori and the environment, Te Taiao, into the teaching—something Dr Kira has a particular affinity for.
“Sport has been a minor part of my journey being active. Being out in nature, in the forest and on mountains—just moving and getting out there has been more important for my wellbeing.”
"There will be opportunities in this programme for students to learn while using the environment—experiencing this firsthand allows students to find different ways to help communities put together a programme that works for them.”
“It’s not about following frameworks. It’s about following what is good for people in the moment and working with communities to be able to get the best for them.”
Having come from a non-academic background himself, Dr Kira is keen to welcome students from a range of backgrounds to the programme.
“Learning helps us to see the world differently, but the on-the-ground stuff is the key to translating the theory into practice.
“We welcome people from all walks of life who can bring a valuable perspective on physical activity and hauora to the programme.”