By nature and necessity, the NZDF is the country’s fittest organisation.

“Fitness is a really important issue for us. On any given day our people might be asked to push themselves and their equipment to their limits as they respond to a crisis or catastrophe at home or aboard. It’s something we take seriously and we make sure our people have the support they need to help keep them in top condition” – Chief of Defence Force, Lieutenant General Tim Keating.

The launch of the App was timed when fitness was naturally coming into the collective consciousness after its winter hibernation. More importantly it dovetailed with a number of Defence events include fitness Assessment Days and the lead up to basic training for already successful recruits.

Our battle cry for the support campaign was ‘Make fitness your mission’. Promotion of Force Fit pushed future recruits to the Force Fit app and encouraged them to complete the 6 week training programme. Force Fit not only provided a direct channel to NZDF, it provided their expertise to be right behind you, helping you get fit.

Force Fit features programmes that are customised to your gender and fitness level, instructional how-to videos instructed by NZDF personnel, plus extra tracking programmes tailored to each service. This becomes the gateway to finding out more about a career in the Defence Force.

Since Force Fit launched it has achieved 45k downloads in New Zealand and thus 45,000 leads for NZDF. It was ranked #1 on iTunes against all other health & fitness free apps and reached number 2 on the iTunes free apps chart. Not only that, 579 people registered their interest in a career with the NZDF illustrating that this fitness app is proving to be a very valuable recruitment tool.

Already Defence Recruiters are noticing a marked improvement in the fitness scores and preparedness of applicants:

“So far, 100% of my walk in interviews this year have also stated they are using the Force Fit app so it seems to be going viral in my area.” Recruiter, Tauranga [dated 16 February 2015].

“A high number of candidates… are using the app to assist with the preparation towards Assessment Day fitness testing.” Southern Recruiting office.