Business Healthy is a City of London led initiative to bring together businesses in The City to ignite a positive change in the health & wellbeing of their workforce.
We were asked to write an article for their website with health and wellbeing strategy tips for senior management. Read the full article here
Naturally one of our favourite days of the year…
it’s National Fitness Day today!
Why we’re getting involved? National Fitness Day is about raising awareness of the benefits of being active and kick-starting people to start regular exercise so we have a healthier, happier nation overall! We’re passionate about getting busy Londoners active and improving the health and wellbeing of workplaces. We do this by making it easy for employees to get active by bringing fitness classes to you at your office …. so no excuses!
Today we’ll be teaching classes for staff at… graze, Transport for London (TFL), The British Council, Girlguiding, Genesis Investment …and lots more taster classes planned through September.
So why not get active with your colleagues and book a taster session this September? It’s a great opportunity to try out a new fitness class or motivate yourself and your staff to get away from your desk and get active! Our team of fantastic instructors teach Pilates, Yoga, Circuits, HITT plus more.
Get in touch today to find out more and book your taster session today.
Email info@exerciseinthecity.com
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What is National Fitness Day? National Fitness Day takes place on Wednesday 9th September and is organised by ukactive, the UK’s leading not-for-profit health body for the physical activity sector. The day aims to encourage everyone in the UK to try a new fitness activity, get moving, or see what new classes they might enjoy. Find out more about National Fitness Day
We were delighted to support Teach First’s wellbeing day last week for employees at their London office.
The day kicked off with taster exercise classes for staff. An hour’s Pilates session followed by a high intensity Abs Blast half hour!
The afternoon was a little more relaxing with the lovely Lisabetta and Fabio giving back and shoulder chair massages for staff to enjoy.
Poppy Richards, Programme Coordinator at Teach First said of the day:
“Thank you SO much for yesterday. The day was a real success and I have had so many staff members come up to me to say the same. One colleague said the Pilates was the best Pilates class she has been to, so credit to you!
I thoroughly enjoyed my massage with Fabio, even though it was only 15 minutes it was so relaxing and made all the tension in my shoulders go.“
Organising a wellbeing day for your staff is a great way to show your commitment to your employee’s health and wellbeing. We can help support your day and tailor make a package of options to suit your workplace and objectives.
Continue reading
Enter our National Fitness Day competition to be in with a chance to WIN a free fitness class at your London office.
It’s National Fitness Day on Wednesday 9th September and we at Exercise in the City are supporting the day helping to get London office workers active offering you the chance to win a fitness class at your London office.
One of our fantastic instructors will come along to your office on National Fitness Day to teach one of our classes. All you need is a free meeting room or space in your office and some willing colleagues.
To enter simply email us at info@exerciseinthecity.com with ‘National Fitness Day’ in the subject. Include your name, phone number and the name/address of your company where you would like the class to take place if you win. There are ten classes up for grabs… so enter now to be in with a chance to win!
You can double your chances of winning by Following us on Twitter and Tweeting‘@EITCLondon I’d love a fitness class at my London office for @NationalFitnessDayhttp://www.exerciseinthecity.com #nationalfitnessday’
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What is National Fitness Day? National Fitness Day is organised by ukactive, the UK’s leading not-for-profit health body for the physical activity sector. The day aims to encourage everyone in the UK to try a new fitness activity, get moving, or see what new classes they might enjoy. Find out more about National Fitness Day
Why we’re getting involved? National Fitness Day is about raising awareness of the benefits of being active and kick-starting people to start regular exercise so we have a healthier, happier nation overall! We’re passionate about getting busy Londoners active and improving the health and wellbeing of workplaces. We do this by making it easy for employees to get active by bringing fitness classes to you at your office …. so no excuses!
More about the prize One of our fabulous instructors will come to your office on National Fitness Day – Wednesday 9th September – to deliver a free 45 minute fitness class. Winners will be contacted by Wednesday 2nd September and we’ll arrange a mutually suitable time on the day to come to you.
Competition closes 6pm on Friday 28th August.
Read the full terms and conditions of the prize here
Contact julia@exerciseinthecity.com to find out more about booking classes at your office.
The Workplace Challenge is a fantastic initiative to promote sport, physical activity and health improvements in workplaces across the capital. I was delighted to be asked by the organisers London Sport to give some tips for fitting exercise into your working day for their newsletter. Read the full article below.
Do you struggle to find the time or motivation to fit physical activity into your working day? Here are some simple steps to make it easier.
Find a fitness buddy
It’s a lot easier to motivate yourself if you’ve got someone else to encourage you. Ask around at work, involve your team and you’ll have a set of new fitness friends in no time.
Commit to it
Block out an hour in your diary over lunch at least twice a week. Share as a meeting request with your fitness buddy. Go for a pre-lunch fast-paced walk, jog or run.
Plan ahead
Bring in your lunch so you don’t need to waste time queuing for a sandwich!
Remember to have fun
Exercising over lunch with your colleagues is great for team building, plus it can help get rid of the stresses of the morning so you’re ready to face the afternoon ahead.
Get active in your office
Why not organise a lunchtime/after-work Pilates or exercise class in your workplace? You don’t need much space – just move desks and chairs to the side, throw down your mats and away you go! We at Exercise in the City bring fun, energetic and effective exercise classes to you in the convenience of your own office. We come to you… so no excuses!
To find out more and book your first class today email me at julia@exerciseinthecity.com
Workplace Health Week is set to increase employee activity, health and wellbeing in London
We’re excited as this week is the first ever Workplace Health Week. It’s a fantastic campaign organised by Workplace Challenge and London Sport to encourage employers and employees across the Capital to get involved and show their commitment to workplace health and wellbeing. Something we’re of course passionate about! Read on for more information about the campaign and how you can get involved.
Workplace Health Week (18-22 May) is celebrating employee health and wellbeing and encouraging businesses across London to put more emphasis on workplace health by making a Workplace Challenge Pledge.
When 60% of our waking hours are spent at work, the importance of increasing opportunities to be active in the workplace is clear. Regular physical activity can help reduce the risk of many chronic conditions including: coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancer, obesity, mental health problems and musculoskeletal conditions.
How can individuals and employers get involved?
Take the Workplace Health Pledge Both employees and employers can make a pledge via the Workplace Challenge website. With individuals making a personal commitment to increasing their levels of workplace activity and businesses taking action to improve the health and wellbeing off their staff by facilitating a more active working environment.
Share your pledge on Twitter and Facebook and help encourage others to do the same. Use the hash-tag #WorkHealth2015
Join the Workplace Challenge Midday Mile At noon on Wednesday (20 May) step out your door and get walking. Hosted by London Sport anyone can take part – just start and finish outside your office! You can raise funds too for the British Heart Foundation who are supporting the event. Find out more
Organise a Pilates or fitness class at your office An easy way to get active in your workplace. All you need is a free room or space, push desks the side and away you go. We come to you… so no excuses! Find out more about fitness classes at your office and book your first session today.
Vote for Exercise in the City!
We at Exercise in the City have a vision of bringing fun, energetic and effective exercise classes to offices across the UK. Until 5pm on Wednesday, you can vote for us to pitch our vision to Richard Branson!
Please vote today – let’s get the UK active!
Why should businesses sign up and commit to the Workplace challenge?
In addition to the clear health and fitness benefits for employees, businesses can reap the rewards of workplace activity initiatives. Research shows that workplace physical activity programmes can reduce absenteeism due to sickness, increase work attendance, reduce job stress and decrease use of the healthcare system.
I’m in – how can I get my employees more active?
Visit the Workplace Health Challenge website to register your pledge and find out more about how your business can support a healthy, active workforce. www.workplacechallenge.org.uk
Organise a Pilates or Fitness class in your office with us at Exercise in the City. Contact us to discuss class options and book in your first class today!
Email julia@exerciseinthecity.com
References
Business case – why workplace physical activity? http://www.workplacechallenge.org.uk/business-case—why-workplace-ph
Get walking this week (and every week!)
Walk to Work Week is a great campaign organised by National charity, Living Streets. The charity are urging employees across the UK to make walking part of their commute.
Walking for just half an hour each day can transform your fitness levels, reduce stress, and vastly improve your concentration levels for the day ahead. With stress being the biggest cause of work place absence, a walk to and from work or a lunchtime stroll can make all the difference to employee wellbeing.
Living Streets Chief Executive, Joe Irvin says: “Walking part of the way to work is a great way of incorporating exercise into your day. Doing it on the way to work or even going for a walk during lunchtime can help to improve productivity and has proven benefits to mental and physical health.”
It’s so easy to incorporate walking into your daily commute and even just getting off the tube a stop or two earlier and walking the rest of the way makes a different… So no excuses!
Check out the Living Streets Walk to Work Week website for more information.
There’s lots of free resources, tips and you can log your steps and miles walked.
Why not get some healthy competition going in your office and set up a workplace challenge? A great way to motivate your colleagues too.
I’ve just entered Exercise in the City into a competition to win the chance to pitch to Richard Branson!
We need to get as many votes as possible by Tuesday (5th May) to get to the next stage. It just takes a few moments to vote and I would so appreciate your support.
If you’re on Twitter or Facebook – please do spread the word and share the link http://www.virginmediabusiness.co.uk/pitch-to-rich/start-up/exercise-in-the-city/
Thank you!
Today is Work Your Proper Hours Day…
I haven’t made this up! Launched by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) it’s an annual day to encourage you to reflect on your work-life balance and just work the hours you’re paid to do.
According to the TUC over five million people at work in the UK regularly do unpaid overtime, giving their employers more than £31 billion of free work in 2014 alone. Londoners are over-working the most with an average of over 8 hours a week… that’s a whole extra day!
Working continuous long hours is bad for your health… it creates stress and of course sitting slumped at a desk for hours at a time is horrendous for your back. It causes bad posture which can lead to muscle imbalances and pain.
If you take proper breaks from your desk you’re going to be far more productive in the hours you’re working. So employers take note….better work-life balance means happy employees. So less staff turnover, less recruitment costs and a more productive workforce.
A great way to make sure you take your full hour lunch break or finish work on time is to organise exercise classes in your office. Pilates is especially good for a lunch-time class. You’ll lengthen and stretch your muscles, focus on your posture, strengthen your core and re-energize your body for the afternoon ahead.
Find out more about organising classes at your London office with Exercise in the City.
So on this Work Your Proper Hours Day make sure you leave your desk and take your full lunch break. Go for a walk and enjoy this rare day of London sun. And start your weekend on time… It’s Friday!!
The clocks go back; it’s darker earlier, days get colder, you’re finding it harder to motivate yourself to leave the office at lunchtime & an increased desire to go straight home after work and not exercise… Sound familiar?!
Yes it’s that time of year again… and we had such a fabulously long and warm summer, I fear the impending darkness will be sure to hit us Londoners hard! It will be at least 5-6 months before we can enjoy after-work jogs in the sun, lunchtimes spent sat wherever we can find a piece of green, waking up to the sun streaming in through the curtains…. Feeling depressed yet?!
So you know you’re going to find it hard to motivate yourself to keep active right? Not leaving the office for your usual lunch time walk – preferring to microwave some soup and browse the internet instead. And then rushing home from work to stay warm on the sofa and catch up on the latest box set is far more tempting than the gym or an exercise class after work.
Do not fear …. Exercise in the City is here to help!
We bring lunch-time or before/after-work Pilates classes (or any other fitness class of your choice) to you at your London office. It’s easy to organise, low-cost and a great way to keep active during your working day.
Did you know? Melatonin is a hormone that affects sleep. It’s produced by a small gland in your brain (pineal gland). When it’s dark, the pineal gland produces melatonin to make you feel sleepy. So in winter, when we’re exposed to less sunlight, some people produce higher amounts of melatonin. This results in symptoms such as sleepiness & low energy levels *
Physical activity is a great way to keep energised, stay motivated and can also help combat the effects of SAD (Seasonal affective disorder, also known as ‘winter depression’)…. And if we’re coming to office each week…. you’ve no excuses!
Contact Julia at julia@exerciseinthecity.com to find out more and book your first session today.
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