Articles
Tinana Community Gym takes active approach to supporting mental wellbeing
More than 1,300 people have benefitted from the Tinana Community Gym’s holistic approach to mental health.
Launched by He Waka Tapu to help address inequities in physical and mental health outcomes for Māori, the gym provides free memberships and classes to the community.
Dozens of group training sessions are on offer each week, as well as access to personal trainers, equipment, health checks and assessments, massage, pop up clinics and health and nutrition classes.
As a Kaupapa Māori service provider, He Waka Tapu is committed to a holistic approach to wellbeing and hauora, including a person’s physical, mental, social, and spiritual needs.
Emmanual Feala, who runs the gym with co-personal trainer Jordan Wawatai, says a lot of members are suffering from severe depression or anxiety when they join. Others are battling addiction or family harm issues.
“There is always mental health stuff going on. They come here to work on their wellbeing, but there are a lot of flow-on effects from that.”
“When they start coming in, they might be really anxious. They only want to come at the quietest times. But then you do start to see that transformation, and they will start showing up when we’re really busy.”
“We try to make people feel as comfortable as possible in this space. We use a lot of humour. We have a lot of direct conversations.”
The gym is open and free to everyone, including whaiora who have just been released from prison.
“We welcome everyone. It does break down some of those barriers. We aren’t seeing people as criminals or someone who has just gotten out of prison. We are all just people going to the gym.”
“We do see this place as a kind of holy ground.”
Mr Feala says the community aspect of the gym plays a large role in supporting the mental wellbeing of whaiora.”
“We will be walking around the gym, and we hear the conversations going on. People are talking to each other about their lives and checking in on each other.”
“I’ve been doing this for 30 years. I’ve had a lot of health tragedies for my friends and whānau because they didn’t have access to these kinds of services.”
“When someone walks in here, I really try to plant that seed. Once they break down those walls you can see them become an even more amazing person.”
He Waka Tapu Community Manager Tyler Aukusitino believes the gym helps support the other mahi He Waka Tapu provides in the community.
“It makes a massive difference … There is a connection between our physical and mental health. We all know that when we’ve had a bad day, we’re going to feel much better if we go for a walk instead of lying on the couch.”
Ms Aukusitino says the success of the gym speaks to how important an integrated view of health is.
“I want to make sure our people have access to these services. It is about that wraparound support and making sure all that person’s needs are met.”
Research support’s He Waka Tapu’s framework of holistic wellbeing. Research by Sport NZ found that people meeting the physical activity recommendations through recreation were 51 per cent more likely to have healthy mental wellbeing.
- 19 October 2023