Today is Workout at Work Day! A fantastic initiative led but the Charted Society of Physiotherapists (CSP). The campaign highlights the importance of why employers should be keeping their staff healthy with lots of tips on how to do this.
Exercise at work in 3 easy steps!!
One easy and low-cost way for employers to help their staff lead healthier lives is by offering fitness classes during the working day.
Exercise in the City brings Pilates and a range of other fitness classes to offices across London. All you need is a free room or space in your office. Classes can be held during the lunch break, before or after work.
Three quarters of officers workers polled in the city for the CSP said they continued working on smartphones and other devices after they left the office, and spent an average of two hours 50 minutes doing so.
These stints came on top of an average of six hours 54 minutes in front of a screen in the office during their regular working day.
Physiotherapy staff across the UK are encouraging people to be more physically active in order to combat stress and avoid musculoskeletal disorders, like back pain.
Dr Helena Johnson, chair of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, said: “The results of this survey are a huge concern to physiotherapists, who see the consequences of poor posture and bad working practices each day.”
The survey also revealed that 66% of those surveyed reported suffering job-related ill health such as headaches and back pain.
Fewer than one in four people told the survey that they considered their posture when looking at screens outside of work. Long hours can also contribute to stress-related illness.
The CSP hopes employers will become more aware of the need to keep their staff healthy, and will encourage better working habits among staff. The CSP recommend these simple low cost measures.
- Arranging and supporting activities that help staff to get active, like lunchtime Pilates classes
- Encouraging staff to report any concerns about their health at an early stage
- Encouraging staff to take regular breaks and be physically active during lunchtimes
- Displaying leaflets and posters promoting good posture, health advice and activities for staff
- Encouraging workstation assessments to reduce and treat musculoskeletal disorders.
Access to fitness classes were one of the top three services that many workers in the survey said they would like in their office.
…And I know it works – I first started practising Pilates through weekly classes held in my office, during a lunch break, in a meeting room with the desks and chairs pushed to the side! The opportunity to get away from my desk for an hour, network with colleagues, and generally re-energise and stretch always made me more productive and focused for the afternoon.
So book your first class today!
Contact julia@exerciseinthecity,com
Find out more about hosting classes in your office
NOTES:
- Find out more about The CSP and Workout at Work Day on their website www.csp.org.uk/wowd
- Facts and Stats referenced from CSP news release
- Lots of useful information for employers on the CSP website here