2018 Active Workplace Challenge

Busy, modern lifestyles are making it harder to be physically active in our daily routines. Shockingly we are 20% less active now than we were in the 1960s and it's time to make a change! For most of us, we spend over half of our waking hours at work, there's no better place to start adding activity into our working day.

Many of us spend more than 8 hours a day sitting down (whether that's at a desk or on the sofa) and 1 in 4 of us are doing less than 30 minutes of activity a week. This level of physical inactivity is having a detrimental effect on our health, causing 1 in 6 deaths in the UK (the same as smoking!)

There is no coincidence that exercise is often called the miracle cure! People who are physically active can reduce their risk of more than 20 chronic diseases, including a 30% reduced risk of depression.

Regular bite-sized chunks of 10 minutes of activity during the working day can help you as an employee to:

• Improve mood
• Boost concentration
• Increase communication
• Help you to get a better night's sleep

Or can help you as an employer to:

• Improve team morale
• Create a more productive workplace
• Reduce sick days

The effect of physical inactivity on the economy has never been more apparent. Active workplaces are more productive- engagement in physical activity interventions alone has demonstrated reductions in absenteeism by 30-50%. Currently, we're losing on average 4.4 days (approximately cost of £975) per employee each year nationally.

Workplace Challenge has been working with Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland businesses for the past five years and with most experiencing high levels of absenteeism, some reaching peaks of 12 days per employee.

Workplace Challenge allows you to log your activities, win points and track your physical activity. It also provides you with the chance to try new sports and activities including Workplace Challenge competitions which allow workplaces to team up and battle it out for sporting glory. Whether that be through mass events such as the Business Games or more niche' activities such as Quidditch, WPC can benefit not only you as an individual but your company too.

4,300 local employees are already engaged with Workplace Challenge from 619 businesses. When signed up make sure you're logging your points because as with all good things, they can equal prizes. Spot prizes are frequently awarded for taking part. In Leicestershire, Leicester & Rutland, 4,300 people are already signed up with many of those logging on a regular basis. Whether your choice of activity is a run or something a bit more outlandish, it does not matter, as the WPC recognises everything and scores it on a set basis.

Sign up your workplace today- let's get everyone moving more!