Don’t make exercise compulsory – make it easier

Huw Edwards

Public Affairs Director,

ukactive

Britain is in the grip of a physical inactivity epidemic that costs £20bn each year. At the heart of this crisis is a modern workforce eternally hunched over desks, despite evidence that sitting down for eight hours each day increases the risk of premature death by 60 per cent.

With sedentary office culture taking a toxic toll on our health, should we be enforcing compulsory exercise sessions during the working day, as has been recently suggested? Probably not. We can’t force people to be active. We can, however, promote the myriad benefits of physical activity, which has been described as a miracle cure by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges.

We should also make it easier and cheaper for workers to be active. The Cycle to Work scheme has encouraged workers to buy bikes and ride to work through salary sacrifice incentives.

Cycling isn’t for everyone though, so why not expand the scheme to include gym passes and equipment? This policy – dubbed Workout from Work – is a ukactive flagship and we have now had a number of discussions with the government, outlining the economic and social benefits that would result from its implementation.

This would create an enormous opportunity for the physical activity sector. Health clubs and activity professionals are ideally placed to reinvigorate the workforce and stimulate the economy. Research shows that a healthier and happier workforce will be more productive and help boost the bottom line of UK PLC. It’s a win-win for everybody.

“We can’t force people to be active. We can, however, promote the myriad benefits of physical activity”

The Cycle to Work scheme allows employees to buy bikes through salary sacrifice incentives / PHOTO: shutterstock.com

Work spaces at health clubs can help people fit exercise into their busy lives

Hilary Rowland

Founder,

Boom Cycle

There is currently a strong focus on how to get people moving more, particularly those who are relatively inactive. One of the main reasons people give for not exercising is that they simply don’t have the time – with work and family commitments taking priority, and especially with millennials where it’s becoming a common trend to have two or three careers at once.

Without exercise, I know I would not feel as happy or mentally strong. Yet in an ever-more competitive world, and even though we all know how important it is, it’s hard to fit everything in.

To help people overcome this challenge, we at Boom Cycle are aiming to provide multi-use spaces that save time for our customers. An entrepreneurial way of life is very common within our community of riders and we wanted to create a space where the creative vibes can keep flowing. Our newest studio locations will provide lots of charging points and seating to enable people who are leading those busy lifestyles to catch up on their all-important work, before or after they work out.

These spaces allow us to strengthen our community feel and welcome everyone into Boom Cycle. I believe that, if more health clubs offer work-friendly environments, collectively we can begin to change the way people interact with fitness. Gyms and studios should be welcoming places that people feel comfortable hanging out in, whether they want to work, relax or meet friends.

“Gyms should be welcoming places that people feel comfortable hanging out in, whether to work or relax”

Clubs could offer work-friendly spaces / PHOTO: shutterstock.com

Welcoming people with disabilities into health clubs can benefit the local community

Lyndsey Barrett

Senior Occupational Therapist and Founder,

Sport For Confidence

I was encouraged by the letter in HCM April 17 (p17) from South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture, outlining its work in mental health care provision.

There is a huge opportunity for leisure centres to open their services up to a much wider demographic, through better engagement with community groups and the healthcare sector.

Sport for Confidence works in partnership with leisure operators to deliver fully inclusive sport and physical activity sessions for people with and without learning disabilities. The sessions, led by a specialist healthcare professional and a sports coach, measure and assess occupational outcomes. Since launching in 2011, the programme has grown to cater for 150 participants per month across six sites in Essex, and offering 12 sports.

Everyone can benefit from these initiatives. We’ve collated evidence, independently audited by the College of Occupational Therapists, that proves there are significant economic savings to the community. Many regular participants reduce the level of support they need from social care and public health.

Operators benefit from more customers, an uplift in secondary spend and the delivery of a fully inclusive local service.

“There is a huge opportunity for leisure centres to open their services up to a much wider demographic”

Specialists and coaches lead the sessions / PHOTO:shutterstock.com