There are many benefits to adding more movement to your workplace. Check out this article on how to encourage healthy behaviours
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Look back through human evolution. No caveman ever said, ‘I need to get my 30 minutes of exercise in today’. It came naturally through exploration, and the need to hunt to survive.
Learning to move
How human beings learn and grow evolves from the way we explore as a baby. Learning to walk begins with crawling, watching and mimicking what others are doing around us, and exploring different movement patterns. We spend our time playing, and developing what our bodies can do. As we grow up that curiosity to move subsides, and we make less time for movement as our time fills up with other priorities. The busy nature of everyday life takes over our natural tendency to explore and improve our movement abilities, which can affect?our physical wellbeing.?Human bodies are built to endure challenges that stress the mind and body, forcing us to adapt. This ability to handle external stress is the cornerstone of human growth and puts us on the path to lead long and healthy lives, increasing our ability to work effectively as well. The sedentary lifestyle that many of us are accustomed to comes with some serious consequences not only to ourselves as individuals, affecting our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, but to society as a whole.
The costs of not moving
Financially, treatment costs for lower back pain, usually caused by lack of movement, are continuing to grow to an estimated $325 million a year?in New Zealand.(1)?Diabetes treatment costs in New Zealand reached an estimated $1.310 billion in 2017.(2)?Considering this is a predominantly preventable disease, there are still roughly 40 new cases every day.(2)?It’s time we ask ourselves, what can be done help improve the health of our communities? Not only does inactivity affect our physical capabilities, productivity in the workplace is significantly impacted too. Sitting at a desk for hours on end often results in lower back pain, tight shoulders and neck strain. This results in a significant decrease in mental clarity the ability to focus. All these health issues can be linked back to one thing; our movement away from movement. However, rather than focusing on simply increasing movement, the key is to focus on improving everyday habits and prioritising our health.
Encourage healthy behaviours
To improve our wellbeing we should consider all aspects of our health. Encouraging constant healthy behaviours and habits in the workplace and at home will help to improve the overall wellbeing of your team members and your workplace as a whole. Getting them up and active is a great start, but it’s important to remember that it’s about what you do 98% of the time that makes the difference.
According to a 2014 study conducted by the University of British Columbia, by adding regular aerobic exercise into the workplace, you can enhance the memory and thinking skills of your employees.(3)?A few easy examples include incorporating walking meetings into the workplace, taking the stairs or taking active breaks. Encouraging your team to adopt proper seating positions and correct computer desk set up also reduces the likelihood of lost work days due to back pain and discomfort. It’s these healthy habits that add up and create healthy, productive employees.
Make the small, easy changes first
Recognising that we need to make changes for our health also means providing a sustainable path within a supportive environment that will lead your teams to make those changes. As humans, we tend to go from 0 – 100; signing up to the latest fitness craze or following the latest fad diet. The issue here is we tend to fall over just as quickly, landing us back at zero.?Once we recognise the need to move, it’s about looking for easy changes, like finding activities that we enjoy and that will challenge the body and brain. It’s important to start slow, making sure to monitor and build on last week’s accomplishments.?Each week should include the aim to improve, even if it’s just a little.
Don't delay, start today!
Encourage your teams to start today. Challenge them to try moving each joint in their body today, and think about ways to facilitate more movement in your workplace. It’s important to recognise the potential of your teams and their health and wellbeing, and work together to help creating better movement habits.?
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? Southern Cross Medical Care Society
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Chief Executive Officer- TASKA
1 年Nice post. Movement is a critical enabler of positive energy flow. Companies that build a culture around strategic movement and building muscle capacity, both physical and mental muscle, through leaders whom walk the talk, will outperform their peers irrespective of the industry.
Enabling a culture of wellbeing in your workplace | SME | Holistic Wellbeing Solutions | People & Culture | BBus HR & Psychology
1 年Walking meetings are one of my favourite ways to get some movement in - all whilst getting some fresh air and taking a break from the desk!