The Government has issued new guidance to businesses in the UK, entitled ‘Fitness at Work’, detailing the opportunities for employers to get their staff moving more inside and outside of work.
The guidance, produced in collaboration with ukactive, aims to tackle physical inactivity among the time-stretched British workforce, many of whom are sat down for the majority of the day, to the detriment of their long-term health.
Research published in the Lancet found sitting in front of a computer for eight hours a day can increase the risk of premature death by 60 per cent, meaning finding ways to increase physical activity among workers is paramount.
Fitness at Work highlights how businesses can harness the tax system to encourage physical activity among their employees, by making it cheaper and easier for them to work out, offering several useful examples.
This includes negotiating corporate discounts for staff gym memberships and setting up in-house fitness facilities.
Employers looking to engage with nearby fitness facilities are signposted to ukactive’s ‘Find a gym’ tool, which lists gyms, leisure centres and activity providers operating in their local area.
The guidance outlines the benefits of a more active workforce to businesses, underlining the role physical activity plays in producing healthier and more productive employees.
CEO of ukactive Steven Ward said:
“Employers have a vital role to play in overturning the physical inactivity crisis, so we are delighted the Government has highlighted the myriad of ways that businesses can help get their employees more active.
“Cost and time have been cited as two key barriers to physical activity – this guidance highlights the opportunity for employers to make physical activity the cheap and easy option for their staff.”
“Physical activity has proven physical and mental benefits for workers. Healthy and happy workforces are more productive, healthier and stay with their companies longer, driving revenue for their employers – it’s a ‘win-win’ scenario.”
About ukactive
ukactive is the UK’s leading not-for-profit health body for the physical activity sector, with almost 4,000 members from activity providers to major consumer brands, training facilities and equipment manufacturers. Members come from across the private, public and third sector and are united by ukactive’s longstanding and uncompromising commitment to getting more people, more active, more often.
ukactive facilitates big impact partnerships, conceives and drives breakthrough campaigns, conducts critical research and galvanises key stakeholders to develop and deliver key projects that support and champion the physical activity agenda. The organisation’s efforts are centred on supporting a national ambition to “Turn the tide of physical inactivity”.
For more information about ukactive, please contact our Press team on 02074008645, or press@ukactive.org.uk
Head of Communications
