Active workplaces and mental wellbeing

We all know being active is good for our physical health but what about the impact on our mental wellbeing?

Going for a walk over lunch, parking the car a bit further away from your workplace or having an active commute can be some really simple ways of building some activity into your working day without impacting on your time. Once you realise how much better you feel, you’ll want to do it more! It helps clear your head, gives you time to ponder decisions – work related or personal!

Our lives and day to day tasks have been simplified and in today’s society there is an app that can do almost anything for us. A recent survey estimated that 86% of today’s workforce is in sedentary employment i.e. desk based and are spending up to 8 hours a day sitting. When you are sitting your blood flows slower and your muscles burn less fat – the pancreas produces more insulin too, which can increase the risk of diabetes. Not to mention increased Musculoskeletal Conditions (MSK) such as back and hip problems. If your body isn’t feeling great, your mind isn’t either.

So take a break from your desk over lunch, do some simple stretching, stand up and walk around to talk to colleagues a bit more and do your best to build some time to get outside into your day. Not only do you feel better if you get some fresh air and allow your body to move, but you’ll be more productive too! We’ve all experienced that middle of the afternoon slump!

Employers are realising they need to allow their desk-based staff time away from their workstation and that this isn’t ‘wasted time’ but will actually mean increased productivity in less time. 

V Watkins, Key Transport Consultants is one of them and she said: "As a mother of three small children, finding time to do activity in the week is really hard. I work in central Bristol and have realised that rather than driving the whole way and parking in the local car park, I can park further away and then run to my office even if just once a week (when not raining!) I start the day feeling much better. Building physical activity into your daily commute is a really simple way of tackling the barrier of time."

Wesport are the local County Sports Partnership for the West of England and are here to support businesses foster a more ‘Active working’ culture. They can give advice on simple ways in which both employees and employers can encourage staff to move more and also run a calendar of sport events for workplace teams to enter for some competitive fun.

So when you are thinking of the health and wellbeing of your staff – make sure you consider the connection between both physical and mental Wellbeing rather than try and separate them. 

An active workforce is a happier and more productive one!

Please visit our website for more info on how we can support you to be a more ’Active Workplace’: www.wesport.org.uk/activeworkplaces