Tag Archives: Workplace health and wellbeing

Public Health England launch new Health at Work resource

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Public Health England (PHE) have published a fantastic new Health at Work resource this week. The publication presents facts and actions employers can take to ensure the health and wellbeing of their staff.

Musculoskeletal Conditions and Work

Key findings from the report include that in the UK;

  • 131 million working days are lost to sickness absence yearly,
  • 28.2 million days of this are down to musculoskeletal problems
  • and 1 in 10 employees report having a musculoskeletal condition

This of course is a huge cost to the economy as a whole (£100 billion annually according to the report) and to businesses individually.

For employers who take care of their employees health and wellbeing there are huge benefits to be had. A healthy workforce is more productive, will take less time of sick and of course a happy employee will stay with you for longer.

PHE’s Health at Work resource suggests actions all employers can take to support their employees health and wellbeing. From ensuring senior management buy-in to encouraging healthy behaviours –  such as taking breaks, eating well and increasing physical activity.

PHE Health at Work - Call to action for employers
As many of us spend most our waking life in the workplace, one way employers can help staff increase their activity levels is by giving them opportunities to get more active during the day. For example, ensuring staff take their lunch break and encouraging them to leave work on time. Offering workplace fitness classes, such as Pilates or Yoga, is also great for helping staff with musculoskeletal problems (and for prevention). Encouraging staff to take time away from their desks to strengthen and stretch their muscles, can reduce the possibility of them taking sick days for back-pain and other MSK conditions.

Useful links:

Here are our top tips for getting active in the workplace

Find out more about our Workplace Fitness classes – an easy way to help your staff get active!

Download the full Public Health England Health at Work Publication here 

World Mental Health Day – 10 October

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Today is World Mental Health Day. At least one in six workers experiences common mental health problems, including anxiety and depression. Work is often one of the biggest causes of stress in people’s lives. *

With this in mind we’ve listed some useful resources employers and managers can access to support their staff and colleagues mental health. 

Time to Change - I'm fine poster

The average person in Britain says “I’m fine” at least 14 times a day, according to research conducted by the Mental Health Foundation, but how often do they actually mean it?”

Time to Change are encouraging people to #AskTwice if someone replies with “fine thanks”.

Find out more about how your organisation can get involved in Time to Change ‘Ask Twice’ campaign

 

*According to research by Mental Health charity Mind

 

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.*

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!

 

office* show round-up

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IMG_1666We had a fantastic two days at the office* show at London Olympia last week.

Our founder, Julia Scodie, chaired a Workplace Health and Wellbeing panel discussion in the Keynote Theatre. Thank you to Femina Makkar, London Sport lead for the Workplace Challenge and Xenia Koumi, Project officer for Business Healthy, who joined the  panel.

20170301_110645It was great to chat to so many of you over at our stand where we were giving taster Workplace Stretch Sessions throughout the show.

If you missed us there, please do feel free get in touch. Find out more about our workplace Pilates, Yoga and fitness classes and tips and advice for championing Health and Wellbeing in your office. Email julia@exerciseinthecity.com

Workplace Stretch with our Leading Yoga instructor Meg
Thanks to all to came along to our Health and Wellbeing talk at the office* show

 

Join us at the office* show, 1-2 March 2017, Olympia LondonAbout the office* show
The largest event of its kind, office*connects PAs, EAs, VAs and Office Managers with a host of exhibitors.  Education & experience is at the core of the show; with its keynote theatre and seminars offering seminars, workshops, panel discussions and presentations.

Active Lunch Challenge Competition

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London Sport

Staff at London Sport get active with a lunchbreak Pilates class

We’re working with London Sport supporting the Active Lunch Challenge offering you the chance to win a lunchtime fitness class at your London office.  

The Prize
One of our fantastic instructors will come along to your workplace to teach one of our classes. All you need is a free meeting room or space in your office and some willing colleagues!

How to enter
1) Pledge to get active and sign up to the Active Lunch Challenge
2) Email us at info@exerciseinthecity.com  to let us know you’ve pledged to get active!
Entries close 28th February 2017. Ts & C’s apply 

Why take part
The Active Lunch Challenge is an 8-week national activity logging challenge taking place from now until the 28th February 2017.
active-lunch-social-media-image
It’s a great and easy way to make an active change to your daily routine.

Activities can be anything that gets your heart rate elevated, makes you feel a little bit warmer and gets your blood pumping.

From a brisk lunch break walk, stretching at your desk, taking the stairs instead of the lift to a fitness class in your office… everything counts.

Visit www.workplacechallenge.org.uk/activelunch
and sign up to the challenge today

The Guardian – How to be more healthy at work in 2017

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the_guardian-logoThe Guardian Online    January 2017
How to be more Healthy at Work in 2017

After the festive over-indulgence, experts shared their tips for keeping fit and healthy in the workplace.  Our Founder Julia featured with her top tip for an active lunch break!

Read the full feature here

BBC Radio 4 – Office cake or office workout

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radio-4-logoWe featured on BBC Radio 4’s report ‘Cake Culture vs Active Workplaces’.  Listen to hear our Pilates classes at software company, Pivotal, and what staff have to say about how much they value their weekly classes.

Listen to the full report here… we’re at 2 minutes!
pivotal

We’ve been bringing lunch break Pilates and Yoga classes to Pivotal for over seven months. Staff tell us how much they enjoy the classes and value the break from their computers.

Continue reading →

Workplace Health Week

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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

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? 

Workplace Challenge 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

Staff at Girl Guiding UK enjoying an after work Pilates classOrganise 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