A Canadian chain of fitness clubs has partnered with an Indigenous diabetes prevention program to outfit a full gym in the remote, northern community of Moosonee, Ontario. GoodLife Fitness sent a large container of fitness equipment and sent staff to the town last week..

They spent five days teaching use of the equipment and group fitness classes. In return, they asked to learn about Indigenous customs and culture of the Cree people.

Indigenous elder Dorothy Wynne describes some traditional Cree tool to GoodLife Fitness staff as part of an historic tour of Moosonee. (CNW Group/GoodLife Fitness)

Second donation made

The stated goal of GoodLife Fitness was  “to create more options for recreational and physical activity for residents…and provide youth…with a safe and fun space to spend their spare time.”

In a similar initiative in September 2017, Goodlife Fitness donated fitness equipment to the town of Cambridge Bay in Canada arctic province of Nunavut.

High incidence of diabetes among First Nations people

About eight in 10 Indigenous young adults will develop Type 2 diabetes in their lifetime, according to a recent study. That compares with five in 10 in the general population in Canada.