Getting businesses in Shropshire ‘On Their Feet’
Businesses across Shropshire are being encouraged to support their employees to swap their ‘sitting time’ for ‘standing time as part of a national campaign.
The ‘On your Feet Britain’ campaign which is due to launch on Friday 24 April is being led by Get Britain Standing and the British Heart Foundation and is being supported by Shropshire’s Public Health team.
Sitting down for long periods of time can increase future health risks such as heart disease, obesity and type II diabetes. It can also worsen our mood, making us prone to low mood and poor concentration.
Research published on the Great Britain Standing website shows there is a direct link between healthy employees and improved performance, and those who sit less at work tend to be more alert, task-driven and positive. A few simple steps that can be taken to reduce the risks of sitting down can be to take phone calls standing up, take the stairs instead of the lift or walk to a colleague’s desk instead of emailing them.
Shropshire’s Help2Change service have recently invested in Sit-Stand desks for its employees at Longbow House, and will be leading the way in the county to reduce the amount of time employees sit down to work. The team will also be taking part in the ‘On Your Feet Britain’ campaign on Friday 24th April.
Dr Kevin Lewis, Director of Help2Change said;
“According to the Office for National Statistics, an average firm of 250 employees loses nearly £5,000 per week due to sickness absence. Ill health can also result in employees performing at lower levels while at work. But by making a small change to our day to day behaviour, sitting less can really help lift mood, improve long term health and cost businesses less.”
Further information about the risks of sitting for long periods of time can be found by visiting the Healthy Shropshire website at www.healthyshropshire.co.uk
Any businesses interested in participating in the ‘On Your Feet Britain’ campaign can find out more and register by visiting www.getbritainstanding.org
For further information, please contact: Dee Hall, Public Health, Graduate Trainee, 01743 453537 or email at dee.hall@help2changeshropshire.nhs.uk.
Further information
Help2Change work closely with GPs, pharmacists, Shropdoc, community and voluntary groups, businesses, hospitals and NHS community trusts to help Shropshire residents lead healthier lives. The service brings together a range of health services to prevent illness and improve wellbeing, including:
- NHS Health Checks
- Help2Quit
- Help2Slim
- Active4Health
- DrinkSafe
