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Throughout the month of November WORKPLACE are taking part in the British Heart Foundation’s Pedometer Challenge. The Challenge is a fun way to encourage employees to be more active. Walking can easily be incorporated into your daily routines;
Walk all or part of your journey to and/or from work
Get off the bus a stop early.
Take the stairs whenever possible.
Walk up the escalator.
Go for a lunchtime walk.
Workplace wellbeing is becoming a bit of a buzzword at the moment but a short walk goes a long way. Statistically, active people live longer and healthier lives. According to Path’s for All, a physically active workforce takes 27% fewer sick days. That works out at 2 days improved attendance annually per employee!
So How Many Steps Should You Walk Per Day?
A goal of 10,000 steps is often banded around as the magic number, but is nothing more than a nice rounded figure that was dreamt up by a pedometer manufacturer in japan in the 1960’s.
The average British office worker takes just 6,322 steps a day according to data gathered by Nokia’s own fitness app beating both France and the United States in the same study. This figure falls into the Low Active category as drawn up by Catrine Tudor-Locke of the University of Massachusetts who has been studying pedometer walking for many years. Her research can be broken down into the following:
Sedentary Lifestyle Index: Under 5,000 steps per day is an indicator of being inactive and sitting too much, which raises health risks.
Low Active: 5,000 to 7,499 steps per day is typical of daily activity excluding sports and exercise and might be considered low active.
Somewhat Active: 7,500 to 9,999 steps per day likely includes some exercise or walking (and/or a job that requires more walking) and might be considered somewhat active.
Active: 10,000 steps per day indicates the point that should be used to classify individuals as active. This makes it a good daily goal for healthy people who want a quick indicator they are getting in their daily exercise.
Highly Active: Individuals who take more than 12,500 steps/day are likely to be classified as highly active.
Walking is simple, free, and one of the easiest ways to get more active, lose weight and become healthier. Sometimes overlooked as a form of exercise, walking briskly can help you build stamina, burn excess calories and make your heart healthier.
"Walking is the nearest activity to the perfect exercise" according to Professors Jerry Morris and Adrienne Hardman in the Walking for Health’s Walking Works report.
So, over the next four weeks our three teams will count their steps and record their totals each day, competing to see who can do the most. We will post regular updates from our teams including photos, walking tips and motivational advice so you can see how they are getting on!
Wish us luck!