Tackling Winter inactivity for a healthier workforce

By GM Moving | 17 January 2024 | TAGS: active adults, Active Workplaces

As the winter months settle in, maintaining an active lifestyle can become challenging, impacting both physical and mental well-being. Recent research from Sport England indicates a 4% decrease in adult activity during winter, resulting in a decline of 1.8 million participants. The colder, darker days often contribute to stress, anxiety, and depression, now identified as the most significant reasons for workplace absence. 

Embracing Movement for Employee Well-being 

The GM Workplace toolkit, recently refreshed, offers innovative ideas for employers to support employees by encouraging activity within the working day, especially during daylight hours. Recognising the difficulty of staying active during the dark winter months, employers can play a pivotal role in fostering a culture of movement. 

Empowering Employers for a Healthier Workplace 

Promoting well-being as a workplace priority creates positive environments, boosts employee engagement, and contributes to organisational performance. By supporting movement during the working day workplaces can actively combat winter inactivity, address mental health concerns, and create a culture that values movement for a healthier and more vibrant workforce. 

How can we all move more during the working day? 

• Fake commute: For those staff working from home, begin and end your day with a brisk walk, wheel or cycle, simulating a morning commute.
• Stairs instead of the lift: Opt for the stairs whenever possible.
• Buddy up with colleagues: Team up with colleagues for lunchtime strolls or challenges.
• Walking or wheeling meetings: Conduct meetings on the move to stimulate both creativity and physical activity.

How can an Employer support staff to keep moving during the working day? 

• Comfortable footwear: Encourage and permit employees to wear comfortable footwear (#ActiveSoles). 
• Breaks and meetings: Allocate 10 minutes at the end of meetings for some activity e.g. a quick walk or wheel, use of resistance bands, or just a few stretches away from your desk and promote lunchtime breaks with no meetings and staff can be active.
• Walking meetings: Model active behaviours by conducting walking meetings.Already mentioned walking meetings
• Cycling initiatives: Invest in cycle racks, pay business mileage for cycling.
• Involve the team: seek input from the team on movement preferences and what would help them.

There is much more information, including how to get started and which organisations can support you on The Active Workplace toolkit.