Information for Exercise Providers » NSW Health

Welcome to the NSW Active and Healthy website.

This website is designed to:

Provide a high quality on-line directory of physical activity programs in NSW.
Provide evidence based information for older adults on the benefits of physical activity and opportunities to increase their physical activity in their everyday life;
Provide evidence based information for older adults on falls prevention strategies;
Provide evidence based information for health and exercise professionals on physical activity and falls prevention strategies;
Provide resources and tools for you to use in your workplace and with your clients

Online Registration

To register new Programs or edit existing ones, please Login using your provider details and manage your Programs.

If you don't yet have any login details, you can Sign up as a Program Provider.

If you run more than one program, it will be necessary for you to register each one separately.

Frequently Asked Questions for Program Providers

What is Active and Healthy?

Active and Healthy is a web-based resource directory of community physical activity fall prevention programs and general physical activity programs for adults aged 50 years and over.

Active and Healthy is designed to:

Provide a high quality on-line directory of exercise programs in NSW to assist older adults to identify exercise programs in their area;
Provide evidence based information for older adults on the benefits of physical activity and opportunities to increase their physical activity in their everyday life;
Provide evidence based information for older adults on fall prevention strategies that can assist them to reduce their risk of falling; and
Provide evidence based information for health and exercise professionals on physical activity and older adults and fall prevention strategies;
Provide information about upcoming events and training opportunities related to physical activity and older adults and fall prevention.

Who uses Active and Healthy?

Our directory is accessed by:

Local community members looking for physical activity programs
Carers
Hospitals
Community Health Centres
Residential Aged Care Facilities
General Practitioners
Allied Health professionals such as physiotherapists
Other Health Practitioners

Why should I register my program on Active and Healthy?

Active and Healthy is an excellent opportunity for you to promote your program within your local community.

We have been informed that GPs, health professionals and community members may not be aware of appropriate physical activity programs in their local area. Paper-based resource directories often become out-of-date quickly due to changes in program details, and are often not widely circulated. A web-based directory is a quick and easy way for them to access program information, and also allows for the information to be updated by the Program Provider as changes occur.

Some other benefits include:

Free advertising and promotion of the program within your local community and beyond.
Ready access to your group by health professionals and your local community.
You will receive (via email) education updates, information on new initiatives regarding falls prevention and general physical activity, and a regular newsletter.

How do I register as a Program Provider on Active and Healthy?

It’s easy! All you need to do is register your details on Active and Healthy.

Is there a cost involved in being a Program Provider on Active and Healthy?

No, participation is absolutely free. This initiative is fully-funded by the NSW Ministry of Health.

How do I know if my program is eligible for inclusion on Active and Healthy?

The programs registered on Active and Healthy are categorised into general physical activity programs and fall prevention programs. To see if your program is eligible for inclusion on Active and Healthy you will need to see our Exercise Program Inclusion Criteria.

Programs that are being registered as general physical activity programs must meet the four requirements of the inclusion criteria for community based physical activity program registrations. Programs that are being registered as fall prevention programs must meet the four requirements of the inclusion criteria for community based physical activity program registrations and the three requirements for the additional classification criteria for fall prevention program registration.

How do I add a program?

To add a program:

Log in to your program details. If you are not registered as a Program Provider you will need to register here.
Click on Add a new program which is under My Programs.
Fill out the program details. Please ensure you have met the Exercise Program Inclusion Criteria.
Click submit at the bottom of the page. This will save your program in Draft Programs where you can keep the program if it is not ready for submission.
Click the submit button which appears next to the program name in Draft Programs when you program is ready to be submitted for review.
The program will then be reviewed and you will receive an email about the outcome of the program.

Programs on Active and Healthy are reviewed case by case. Once you have submitted a program for review you may be contacted by email for missing information or clarification.

How do I update or remove my program?

Sometimes programs need to be updated or removed from Active and Healthy due to a change in class time, location, contact details, or the program has been discontinued.

To update a program:

Log in to your program details.
Go to Online Programs.
Click on edit which appears next to the program name.
Update your program details.
Click save at the bottom of the page.

To remove a program:

Log in to your program details.
Go to Online Programs.
Click on offline which appears next to the program name to remove the program from Active and Healthy. This allows you to reactivate the program at a later date OR;
Click on delete which appears next to the program name to remove the program from your account.

What do I do if I receive an email saying my program is due for review?

An automated email system has been implemented to help keep the programs on Active and Healthy as up to date as possible. These emails start when a program has not been reviewed for 9 months. The emails will continue until a program has been reviewed otherwise it is removed from Active and Healthy if it has not been reviewed for 12 months.

All programs receiving these emails need to follow the below process to remain online whether or not changes need to be made. Following this process lets the Active and Healthy team know that the programs are being kept up to date.

To review a program:

Log in to your program details.
Go to Online Programs.
Click edit which appears next to the program name.
Check the details are correct and make any necessary changes e.g. to the time, place or contact details of the program.
Click the tick box above the save button to indicate you have reviewed the program.
Click save at the bottom of the page when you are finished.

Please ensure you click the tick box before clicking save. This allows our system to register that you have reviewed your program and will cease sending reminder emails to review your program. The emails will start again if your program has not been reviewed in over 9 months. You will then need to repeat the above procedure.

How do I change my email on my Active and Healthy account?

Program providers are unable to update their email on their Active and Healthy accounts.

Please email MOH-ActiveAgeing@health.nsw.gov.au with your new email address so we can update it for you as soon as possible.

How do I change my password?

If you have forgotten your password:

Go to the log in page.
Click on I’ve lost my password which is located under the log in button on the log in page.
You will be asked to enter your email address to reset your password.
Please ensure this is the email address used for your Active and Healthy log in otherwise you will not receive an email.

If you know your old password:

Log in to your program details.
Go to My Details.
Click on Change My Password.
Enter your old password and new password.
Click change password.

Please email MOH-ActiveAgeing@health.nsw.gov.au if you are having any issues with changing your password.

How can I get a free copy of Staying Active and On Your Feet?

Staying Active and On Your Feet, a NSW Health publication, is a comprehensive resource for older people. It contains falls information, safety checklists and home exercises in addition to other pertinent falls prevention information. It is a useful and practical guide recommended for anyone over the age of 50. The English version of the booklet can be ordered for free by those residing in NSW, Australia. If you are located outside of this area you can still download the PDF of the booklet and have it printed yourself. The booklets are also available for download in Arabic, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Greek, Italian, and Vietnamese.

Click here to order a free printed copy of Staying Active and on your Feet.

Click here to download a printable PDF of this document.

How do I print my search results?

Printing off the results of your Active and Healthy search can give you a snapshot of the physical activity programs in your local area. This feature has been particularly useful for health professionals and their clients. The printed version of your search results will include the name of the program, address and contact information.

To print your search results:

Go to Find an Exercise Program. [link to find an exercise program]
Fill out your location and select the distance from the location you wish to search.
Click “Search Programs”
This will take you to your search results for your chosen area.
Click the blue printer icon at the top of your search results to print the results.

Exercise Program Inclusion Criteria

The Inclusion Criteria have recently been updated in October 2016 to include a focus on a broader range of physical activity programs for people aged 50 years and older. As a general rule, physical activity program registrations for participation-based physical activity program registrations received at Active and Healthy will be accepted if they match the inclusion criteria below. Programs can achieve additional classification as fall prevention programs if they meet the additional fall classification criteria. All inclusion decisions will be at the discretion of NSW Ministry of Health. Please note that NSW Ministry of Health reserves the right to amend these inclusion criteria at any time without notice.

Inclusion criteria for community based physical activity program registrations

The program provides group-based physical activity opportunities within NSW.
The program provides non-contact physical activity opportunities. Sports that involve limited body contact physical activity opportunities that have been specially adapted/modified for older adults will also be considered.
The program caters for people aged 50 years and older. Providers will be asked to describe how they achieve this in the program registration process.
Provider background.

Provider background should match one or more of the following descriptions:

Tai Chi Leader
Nurse
Physiotherapist
Occupational Therapist
Sports Teacher
Exercise Physiologist
Registered Local Health District Physical Activity Volunteer
Fitness Leader – Cert III
Fitness Leader – Cert IV
Fitness Leader – Registered
Fitness Leader – Accredited
Registered Yoga Instructor
Dance Instructor
Coach (providers may be asked to provide further information on relevant training or experience)
Volunteer leader/trainer (providers may be asked to provide further information on relevant training or experience)

Additional classification criteria for fall prevention program registration

As a general rule, the additional fall prevention program classification will be awarded if programs received at Active and Healthy match the criteria in ALL THREE areas listed below, however each registration will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. All decisions will be at the discretion of the NSW Ministry of Health. Please note that the NSW Ministry of Health reserves the right to amend these criteria at any time without notice.

Area 1: Specific Strength and Balance Exercises

The most beneficial exercises include those where participants aim to:

Stand with their feet close together or on one leg (movement from one leg to the other);
Undertake exercises while standing with minimum use of hands to assist;
Undertake exercises with controlled movement of the whole body while standing (eg reaching while standing, tai chi, etc).

One or more of the exercises listed below should be included in the registration form:

Heel to toe standing
Knee raises
Heel to toe walking
Side leg raises
Sideways walking
Heel raises
Stepping up a step
Sit to stand exercises

Tai Chi registrations are automatically accepted.

AREA 2: Class Time

At least 40% of class time should be spent undertaking one or all of the specific strength and balance exercises listed above.

AREA 3: Provider Background

Provider background should match one or more of the following descriptions:

Tai Chi Leader
Nurse
Physiotherapist
Occupational Therapist
Sports Teacher
Exercise Physiologist
Registered AHS Physical Activity Volunteer
Fitness Leader – Cert III
Fitness Leader – Cert IV
Fitness Leader – Registered
Fitness Leader – Accredited
Registered Yoga Instructor
Dance Instructor

This Inclusion Criteria for balance mobility and falls prevention was established in consultation with key NSW Falls Prevention experts.

References:

Sherrington C, Michaleff ZA, Fairhall N, Paul SS, Tiedemann A, Whitney J, Cumming RG Herbert RD, Close JC, Lord SR. Exercise to prevent falls in older adults: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis.Br J Sports Med bjsports-2016-096547. Published Online First: 4 October 2016

Sherrington C, Whitney JC, Lord SR, Herbert RD, Cumming RG, Close JC. Effective exercise for the prevention of falls: a systematic review and meta-analysis), Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2008 Dec; 56(12):2234-43.