WIGGLE IT, WAGGLE IT, MOVE IT, GROOVE IT… JUST DON’T SIT ON IT!

At Health@Work we want workplaces and individuals such as yourself across Britain to #SitLess and #MoveMore, that is why we are promoting Get Great Britain Standing’s, fourth annual ‘On Your Feet’ Day which takes place on April 27^th 2018.

Over 2 million workers across the country will be sitting less and moving more on this day… let’s make it 2 million and one…

Not sure its beneficial?

It is estimated that most us are sitting for around 9 HOURS PER DAY! Go on, do the maths for yourself with this handy calculator from Great Britain Standing and work out how long you are sitting for? Go against colleagues, or work as a team and see how much sitting time you can reduce on the day; and if you want to start now, read the rest of this newsletter ON YA FEET!

Great Britain Standing Calculator:  www.getbritainstanding.org

What are the problems of having a physically inactive workforce?

• £60 billion cost to the UK taxpayer
• 131 million working days lost per year
• 4 days per worker due to sickness absence
• £14.9 billion in lost working days
• £2.4 billion cost to employers due to staff leaving jobs with mental health issues

So why would you want to participate in ‘On Your Feet Day’?

Well, increasing physical activity levels within the workplace has been shown to have a positive impact on employee health and wellbeing which in turn, significantly benefits businesses. Given that over 75% of the adult population aged 16-64 are in employment, it is essential that physical activity is integrated within the workplace.

What are the benefits of having a physically active workforce?

• 30% reduced risk of depression
• Reduced risk of more than 20 diseases
• 16% increase in employees walking to work
• 19% increase in employees cycling to work
• Improved staff morale
• 42% reduction in absenteeism

For every £1 spent on workplace health initiatives, the return on investment can range from £2 to £34! Given that ‘On Your Feet’ day is FREE to sign up to, you could experience the benefits of having a physically active workforce at no cost whatsoever.

Struggling to come up with ideas of how to get more active in your workplace?

Here are a couple of simple tips you can use to get your wheels (feet) in motion, it’s easier than you think:

• Stand reading emails (Are you still standing?)
• Opt out of emailing a colleague from the other side of the office and go and have a chat, they are not going to bite!
• Stand during phone calls and burn more calories than sitting down.
• Stand and take a break from your computer every 30 minutes.
• Use the stairs instead of lifts, can you beat the lift to the next floor?
• Move your printer further away from your desk and force yourself to get up and move
• Ditch your usual lunch ‘al desko’ and eat it somewhere else. If the weather’s nice, you could always go and soak up the sun.

Decided to take part? Let other businesses know what you are doing by sharing your ‘On Your Feet’ day attempts on social media. Who knows? Maybe you could beat your competitors in reducing sitting time in the workplace! Don’t forget to use the hashtags! #SitLess #MoveMore and tag @healthatworkuk as well as Get GB Standing:

Twitter: @getGBstanding               Facebook: www.facebook.com/getbritainstanding