Go the extra mile for your staff’s health and wellbeing by taking part in a fun workplace walking challenge this Spring.
What is the challenge?
Employees can form virtual teams and motivate each other to get moving during the working day as part of the Step Count Challenge, an initiative from Way to Work partner Paths for All.
Starting on 2nd May, teams will be racking up their step counts with things like lunchtime walks, active breaks, walking meetings, and standing screen breaks during the challenge.
The challenge is designed to help us walk more during our working day by logging our steps in teams of 5 and setting mini challenges and targets each week.
What are the benefits of walking?
The benefits of walking more during the working day are huge. Spending time outdoors can help to clear your head and boost your mood, helping you to feel more productive and focused. The challenge is a great opportunity for us to get together and stay connected, having some fun along the way.
Recent findings from UK workplaces reveal that half of all employees experience poor mental health at work, including stress, anxiety and depression. Regular walking can reduce the effects of poor mental health, particularly walking in greenspace.
Paths for All run two national Step Count Challenges a year, one in the spring and the other in the autumn. It also offers bespoke Step Count Challenges which allow organisations to run their own in-house challenge at any time. The aim is to bring colleagues together to motivate each other to walk more and be more active and reverse the trend of sedentary behaviour at work.
Why should my workplace get involved?
Carl Greenwood, Senior Development Officer at Paths for All said: “Fun, connection with colleagues, and feeling the benefits of walking and being more active throughout the working day are what the Step Count Challenge is all about.
“The workplace is where the majority of us spend a great deal of our time, so it’s incredibly important that staff take a break from the screen and employers put wellbeing at the forefront of their mind.
“Walking is one of the best things we can do for our physical, social and mental health. It’s free, you don’t need special equipment, and it can be easily incorporated into the working day.
“Research shows that employees who are physically active in and around the working day take fewer sick days, are more motivated and productive, and are more able to concentrate, so walking is not just good for us, it’s good for business.
“Challenges like this help businesses put their staff’s health and wellbeing at the heart of what they do while making walking and moving more interactive and social.”
To find out more about the Step Count Challenge, visit www.stepcount.org.uk, or for more information on how Paths for All can help support workplaces to be more active, visit www.pathsforall.org.uk/workplacewalking.
Meet some employees who work walking into their daily routines.