Staywell » Blog » National Fitness Day

National Fitness Day

Wednesday the 26^th September is National Fitness Day which aims to encourage people in the UK to make today the most active day of the year.

Consequences of a lack of exercise

Research has shown that lack of exercise is a major cause of chronic diseases which are one of the leading causes of death in society today. Chronic diseases include obesity, insulin resistance, Diabetes, coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke, congestive heart failure and dyslipidaemia.

Lack of exercise also results in a reduced life expectancy as well as reduced quality years of life. With the number of people aged 60 years and more expected to triple by 2050 it is important that we maintain the elderly’s independence for as long as possible if not until end of life. And functional independence is directly related to physical fitness.

Benefits of regular exercise

Improved mood – Exercise has been shown to greatly improve symptoms of depression
Increased productivity in the workplace – Depression drains productivity
Decreased anxiety and has a calming effect
Can reduce stress
Increased feeling of well being
Anti-aging effects
Improved circulation
Lowers blood pressure
Reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke
Helps to reduce cholesterol
Can help control diabetes and insulin resistance
Increased capacity for work and exercise, increases muscle strength and Joint stability reducing the risk of injury
Preventing and managing Osteoporosis
Can reduce the risk of developing breast cancer and colon cancer, and during Cancer treatment can reduce the impact of side effects
Can improve memory in the elderly and reduce dementia
Can improve sleep
Can improve constipation and digestion

Recommendations

The NHS states that to stay healthy, adults should do at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity every week. This includes cycling, swimming, dancing or brisk walking or hiking.

As well as strength exercises on 2 or more days a week that work all the major muscles – legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms. There are many useful websites and apps to assist with these, for example – 30 Day fitness challenge, Runtastic and Aaptiv.

Activity and Exercise Promotion in the workplace

Some suggestions for promotion of exercise and activity in the workplace include

Promoting active travel to work
Providing showers for employees to encourage active travel to work
Incentive Schemes
Offering information, ongoing advice and support to employees
Signage at work to encourage activity – such as, ‘Did you know that 2 minutes of stair-climbing each day could burn enough calories to eliminate the weight an average adult gains each year?’