Mental Health Awareness Week

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It’s Mental Health Awareness Week (14-20 May 2018)Mental Health Awareness Week 2018.jpg
This years campaign lead by the Mental Health Foundation is focusing on stress.

According to a new survey from the charity, over the past year almost three quarters (74%) of people have at some point felt so stressed that they felt overwhelmed or unable to cope.

We’ve pulled together some organisations and useful resources for individuals who might be dealing with stress and to help employers support their employees’ mental health and wellbeing. 

DID YOU KNOW? Mental health problems are all too common in the workplace and it is the leading cause of sickness absence. 70 million work days are lost each year due to mental health problems in the UK, costing employers approximately £2.4 billion per year.*

Top Santé Magazine – Fit tip of the month

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Featured in Top Santé

Top Santé Magazine   November 2017
Our Founder Julia featured in Top Santé Magazine this month with her fit tip for keeping more active in the workplace during the festive season.  

Team lunches, office parties, chocolate everywhere!… with so many temptations in the workplace, it can be hard to find the time and motivation to exercise in December. Find easy ways to be more active during your working day. Anything that gets your heart beating a little faster will help; An active commute – walk, run or cycle to work. Use your lunch break – organise a workplace fitness class or go for a brisk walk with colleagues.  Take to the stairs – 15 minutes up and down your office stairwell will burn a few extra calories. Or park further away from work – you’ll be amazed how many more steps you’ll achieve.

Sky News – Top tips for getting active in the workplace

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Sky News LogoOur Founder Julia Scodie featured on Sky News yesterday with her top tips for getting active in the workplace.

Julia Scodie - Sky News Interview

Julia was asked to comment following Public Health England’s (PHE) shocking statement that six million adults in England are so physically inactive that they are not even doing ‘a monthly brisk 10-minute walk’.

According to PHE the severity of the current physical inactivity epidemic amongst adults contributes to 1 in 6 deaths in the UK and is costing the NHS over £0.9 billion per year.

You’ll be able to view the full Sky News interview here shortly. In the meantime here are Julia’s top tips to help you get more active during the working week. 

Add a brisk walk to your commute
By simply getting off the tube or bus a stop earlier or parking a little further away from your office or station, if you drive, you can easily increase the amount of physical activity you’re doing each day.

Julia Scodie - Sky News Interview

Quick & easy stretch you can do at your desk

Deskercise
Every hour or so  try some simple stretches and exercises you can do seated or standing at your desk. Great for improving posture too rather then sitting slumped at your computer all day.

Use your lunch break  
Get into the habit of leaving your desk and making the most of your lunch break. Take a walk or even organise a fitness class at your office for you and your colleagues. We can help with that!

Create an active culture in your team
If you struggle to motivate yourself, encourage your colleagues to join you too. Why not think about organising a weekly walking session with your team? Make it part of your routine. Or even planning ‘walking meetings’ – much better than being sat in a stuffy meeting room!

Sky News interview
Get your arms moving – simple exercise you can do at your desk!

 

Public Health England Report: 6 million adults do not do a monthly brisk 10 minute walk

Sky News article: Millions fail to walk briskly for 10 minutes a month

 

 

Jacqueline Gold’s WOW Winner

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Jacqueline Gold’s Women on Wednesday Winner!We were one of three businesses chosen by Jacqueline Gold for her Women in Business Award Exercise in the City Founder, Julia Scodie, with Jacqueline Gold at Ann Summers HQback in 2015.

Since then we’ve had some amazing opportunities to work with Jacqueline, including a mentoring lunch at the Ivy, London last year, and a full day of mentoring at Ann Summers Head office in August.

Jacqueline is passionate about supporting female founders, and it was so inspirational to learn more about how she has grown Ann Summers to the huge brand it is today.  It was a fantastic day at Ann Summers HQ.

Ann Summers Visit (2)

In addition to a fabulous goodie bag (of course!) our founder, Julia had the opportunity to meet with her team of Directors and a Q&A session with Jacqueline.

It was also really great to meet with some other inspirational women and fellow winners who have all set up their own businesses too.

Ann Summers HQ - Mentor Day with Jacqueline Gold , our founder Julia scoping the building!

We’re so grateful to Jacqueline for choosing Exercise in the City for her Women in Business Award and for taking so much time to spend with and advise us.

Find out more about Jacqueline Gold’s #WOW Campaign

Q & A with Jacquline at our mentor day - Ann Summers HQ

 

 

 

 

 

Nominated for #BeActive Workplace Award

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European Week of Sport #BeActive Awards 2017Exciting news… we’ve been selected by ukactive as the UK nomination for the #BeActive Workplace Award for 2017. It’s part of the European Week of Sport taking place this September. 

The #BeActive Workplace Award is one of three categories for the 2017 European Week of Sport Awards (EWoS).  The #BeActive Workplace award celebrates those who most promote EWoS objectives to enhance participation in physical activity in the workplace and encourage employees to #BeActive.

Nominations have been submitted from EWoS partners across Europe and ukactive, the UK’s leading not-for-profit health body for the physical activity sector, selected Exercise in the City for the UK nomination.

We’re delighted to have been nominated by ukactive and we’ll find out if we’ve been selected as one of the finalists in the coming weeks… in the meantime, fingers crossed and watch this space!!

You can find out more about EWoS and the #BeActive Awards here

Public Health Chief supports lunchtime exercise classes

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In an interview with the Observer this weekend Duncan Selbie, chief executive of Public Health England, cited; lunchtime Yoga classes, walking meetings and workplace running clubs as just some of the positive steps businesses can take to improve staff wellbeing.Restorative Yoga session at TfL

Selbie said in the interview “SMEs are the backbone of the nation’s workforce and can kickstart a revolution in helping their staff to improve their health. People spend 30, 40 or sometimes 50 hours a week at work. That’s a unique opportunity for employers to use that big chunk of someone’s week to care for their health,”

“Employers could adopt group exercise challenges, such as ‘Couch to 5k’ or lunchtime run clubs, and promote active travel like cycling to work. Being regularly active is one of the best ways to prevent and manage poor musculoskeletal health and combat stress, which are both major causes of sickness absence”

Teach First - Abs blast classWe at Exercise in the City are passionate about getting workplaces active and bring Yoga, Pilates, Circuits, Bootcamp and more of your favourite fitness classes to workplaces across London. Our clients tell us how much they benefit from our classes, so we were delighted to hear PHE encouraging businesses to promote physical activity and employee health and wellbeing initiatives.

To find out more about the classes we offer and to book a workplace fitness class with us email info@exerciseinthecity.com

Read more from the interview here (Source; Guardian) 

How healthy is your lunch?

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We all know how hard it can be to try and eat well whilst at work. Colleagues’ birthday cakes, office bake-off competitions, team biscuit tins… it can be quite challenging to avoid temptations in the office right? Planning and choosing what to eat for lunch every day can be difficult too.

When thinking about yours and your staffs’ Health and Wellbeing, consider also the importance of healthy eating. What you eat and your diet can affect work performance as well as your health. If you don’t have a well-balanced breakfast, lunch or drink enough water during the day, this can lead to headaches, feeling tired or difficulty concentrating.

Riya Grover - Founder of FeedrWe’re passionate about making workplaces healthier and making it easy for staff to get active during the working week.  Feedr are a business who share our passion and can help your employees to eat well by bringing delicious, healthy food to the office.

We interviewed Feedr Founder, Riya Grover, to find out more about them and her tips for eating more healthily at work.

How did you have the idea for Feedr?
I love eating well and am conscious about what goes into my body, but I know not everyone knows where to find food that is both delicious and really good for you.

The ‘aha’ moment came in late 2015. I saw a line that extended around the block – people were waiting for one of my favourite healthy eateries to open. It dawned on me that preferences have evolved significantly and so many people aspire to eat well. I researched the industry and realised there are so many fantastic food providers with innovative concepts, just waiting to be discovered. So we built Feedr!  Our curated online marketplace bringing together over a hundred healthy, nutritious food and snack vendors for Corporates and individuals to purchase.

How do you choose the vendors you work with?
Healthy Lunch options from Feedr (3)We’re very selective about who we choose to work with. We’re not about cardboard salads and kale-only meals. We find food vendors who have innovative concepts, source high quality produce, strip out bad ingredients and substitute them for healthier ones, cater to varied dietary requirements and have a strong ethos behind their food.

Give us a few examples of the healthy lunch choices you have available?
We’ve hundreds of boxes and buffet options to choose from. I’ve picked just a few examples from vendors; Vita Mojo, Karma Cans and Fork Deli.
Healthy Lunch options from Feedr (4)

  • Spicy turkey meatballs with quinoa, avocado, crispy polenta and a kale salad with a spicy thai dressing 
  • Chicken breast with jewelled cauliflower cous cous, mixed leaf salad and herb dressing
  • Seared salmon with za’atar, tahini and pistachio with a kale and spelt fattoush salad
  • Healthy Lunch options from Feedr (5)Sweet potato Falafels, siracha, yogurt dressing, chickpeas marinated in parsley, coriander, olive oil and lemon zest, dark green leaves blanched.

What are your three top tips for eating more healthily whilst at work?

1) Seek variety and ensure balance. Try to fill your week with a range of nutritious foods.

2) Keep healthy snacks at your desk like dried fruit, almonds, carrot sticks or apple with nut butter. Small snacks through the day help you keep focused and avoid you binging on junk food.

3) Plan – it’s not always easy to find healthy meals near your office. Plan ahead by bringing healthy leftovers from home. You can also sign up to Feedr’s Daily Menus .

Find out more about Feedr at www.teamfeedr.com.
We’ve got special offer for you too… Use the code “FEEDR15” to get £15 off a corporate catering order, or £15 off a credit pack of meals for individuals using Daily Menus. 

As well as offering healthy lunches and catering for meetings, another great way to promote healthy eating in the workplace is to signpost staff to reliable information. British Heart Foundation and NHS Choices  provide the most up to date and reliable advice and have lots of useful resources on their websites. 

We can support you too and can organise bespoke Health and Wellbeing days for your workplace to include; fitness and physical activity, talks, healthy food and more.  Contact us for more information about how we can help make your workplace healthier.

Ditch the coffee, try stair walking to feel more energised during the working day

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CoffeeA new study has shown that taking just 10-minutes to walk up and down stairs may be more effective than caffeine for increasing energy and motivation. Another great reason to get away from your desk and get active during the working day!

Many of us drink coffee, tea or caffeinated energy drinks to keep awake and energised whilst at work. We’re not preaching to stop drinking you’re favourite drinks, but next time you feel the need for a caffeine hit, maybe try the active option instead.

Researchers from the University of Georgia found that sleep-deprived adults who walked up and down stairs at a regular pace for 10 minutes felt more energised and motivated than those who consumed 50mg of caffeine  (roughly a can of diet coke).

The study was recently published in the journal Physiology and Behavior. Study co-author Patrick J. O’Connor, of the Department of Kinesiology at Georgia said;

“Office workers can go outside and walk, but weather can be less than ideal…And a lot of people working in office buildings have access to stairs, so it’s an option to keep some fitness while taking a short break from work.” 

The research involved female college students who reported having chronic sleep deprivation (less than 6.5 hours of sleep each night).  Participants were required to complete tests that assessed their working memory, attention, reaction time, work motivation, and mood states under two separate conditions.

Subjects completed the tests after taking a capsule containing either 50 milligrams of caffeine or a placebo. In the other condition, tests were completed after the participants had walked up and down 30 floors of stairs at a regular pace for around 10 minutes.

The team found that under the stair-walking condition, participants reported greater motivation to work and an increase in energy, compared with those under the caffeine condition.

Next time you feel the need for a coffee to boost your energy... try heading to the office stairwell instead!“We found, in both the caffeine and the placebo conditions, that there was not much change in how they felt, but with exercise they did feel more energetic and vigorous. It was a temporary feeling, felt immediately after the exercise, but with the 50 milligrams of caffeine, we didn’t get as big an effect.” said O’Conner.

O’Connor added that there is still much research to be done, but even a brief bout of stair walking can enhance feelings of energy without reducing cognitive function which is more beneficial than a dose of caffeine when it comes to energy and motivation in the workplace.

So next time you feel the need for that third coffee of the day, try taking some time away from your desk and hit the office stairwell!

 

Why you should try run commuting

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Now the clocks have gone forward why not make the most of the extra light (and hopefully warmer days) and try run commuting?Run Commute

It’s such an easy way to fit exercise into your working day. If running your whole journey seems daunting, try getting on (or off) the tube a few stops earlier and run, jog or even walk just some of your way to work.

We spoke to run commuter Peter Ward to find out why it’s so great and for his advice and top tips for getting started:Peter Ward

Why did you start run commuting? 
I don’t like being on the tube in rush hour and was looking for ways to make my journey to work a little less stressful. I was a casual runner at the time (I’d completed a few 10K runs) so thought I would give it a go.  

How often do you run to or from work and how far is your run commute?
When I first started I would just run to work in the morning, maybe one or two times a week. I’m lucky I have shower facilities and lockers at work. Over time as my fitness improved, I started sometimes running home too. If I run directly to work it’s around 4 miles, but I often take a more scenic 6 mile route which is a little further but avoids traffic.  

London run commute viewWhat’s your favourite thing about run commuting?
I love being outside and experiencing London from a different perspective. There are so many beautiful parks and spaces in London to explore and I’ll often run through Hampstead Health, Primrose Hill,  Regents Park or along the Canal. 

What are the benefits of run commuting for you?
Firstly the cost saving. If I run to work and back, I save over £5 a day. I’ve got so much fitter since I started too, so there’s health benefits. Personally I’ve been training for a half marathon, and it’s been a great way to fit my training into my working week. Importantly for me I find it such a fantastic way to start the working day. I always feel really energised after running to work and running home from work is so good for stress relief after a busy day at the office. Plus I avoid the London rush hour on the tube.

What are your three top tips for someone looking to try run commuting?
1) Prepare the night before and try and pack light. Once you’ve got the bug invest in a lightweight ruck sack. 
2) Plan your route ahead and vary your route to keep it interesting.  
3) Make sure you have good trainers – it’s really important to have well fitting shoes. Most specialist running shops will be able to help buy the right shoes. 

You can follow Peter and his run commute routes on Strava or Twitter @Petos