Step away from your desk and step up for Sport Relief

Workplaces across the country are being urged to step away from their desks and get moving for just 15 minutes per day for Sport Relief.

Article Source: Sport Relief
Last Updated: 26 February 2018 10:16

With the help of Joe Wicks, James Haskell and Shona Vertue, Sport Relief is challenging workers to ditch the desk and try everything from walking meetings to lunch break lunges while raising all-important sponsorship.

The call is part of Sport Relief’s ‘Billion Steps Challenge’ which will see the whole nation come together to beat one billion steps a day, every day, between 17th - 23rd March.

The physical and mental benefits of being more active during the working day are well known - regular physical activity reduces the risk of more than 20 chronic diseases and can reduce the risk of depression by 30%. Yet the average Brit sits for 8.9 hours per day, with 1 in 4 exercising for less than 30 minutes per week.

Any workplace can get involved in the challenge and go head to head with competitive colleagues to see who can notch up the most steps across the week through the free Sport Relief app.

Businesses are leading the charge, with Sainsbury’s, GSK, British Airways, the BBC and many more battling it out in the official Step Up league.

Money raised for Sport Relief will help people vulnerable people, across the UK and the world, to live happier, healthier, safer lives thanks to projects like See Me, Scotland’s National programme to end mental health stigma and discrimination.

The programme has recently revealed that 31% of Scottish workers have personally experienced a mental health problem and 36% of Scots don’t meet physical activity recommendations.

Calum Irving, director of See Me, said: “We all have physical health and know how important it is that we look after ourselves. We also all have mental health, but we don’t always find it as easy to talk about how we are feeling when we are struggling. This can stop people from taking part in physical activity.

“However getting active is proven to have a positive impact on our mental health, so it’s important that everyone feels they can take part in sport and recreation. Workplaces can play a crucial role in making employees feel supported and encouraged to take part in regular physical activity.”

Your office can get fit for Sport Relief. For more information on how to get involved visit www.sportrelief.com and order a fundraising pack.