A workforce that is regularly active is a workforce with lowered risk of chronic conditions such as heart attack, stroke and diabetes. Exercise has also been shown to improve mood and sleeping patterns.
Many workers in Ireland are engaged in work that involves mostly sitting so it’s important to encourage your staff to get moving during their working hours. A workforce with decreased risks of disease and illness, enhanced mood, and better sleep and functionality has the potential to lead to multiple benefits:
- Greater productivity, innovation, and creativity
- Greater motivation and problem-solving capacity
- Greater loyalty to the organisation
- Greater workplace cohesion and stronger team spirit
- Reduced absenteeism
- Reduced insurance costs
- Healthy, happy and thriving workplace environment
Additionally, a commitment to the health of your employees will improve your public image and recruitment and retention opportunities.
Here are some quick resources to get you started:
Get Active Your Way!
A valuable resource developed by Get Ireland Active and Healthy Ireland to help get you feeling and looking good by being active.
Escape Your Chair Challenge
The Irish Heart Foundation is asking people to take on a challenge for one month and break-up their sitting time during the working day. Challenge yourself to move for just one minute in every hour that you are working.
Irish Heart Foundation
Our mission is to eliminate preventable death and disability from heart disease and stroke and to support and care for those living with these life-changing conditions.
Get Ireland Walking
Get Ireland Walking is a national initiative that aims to maximise the number of people participating in walking – for health, wellbeing and fitness – throughout Ireland.
Get Ireland Active!
The aim of the National Physical Activity Plan is to increase physical activity levels across the whole population. It aims to create a society which facilitates people whether at home at work or at play to lead an active way …
CARA
Cara is a national pan-disability sport organisation providing a collaborative and partnership platform to increase sport and physical activity opportunities for people with disabilities across Ireland.
While these resources are helpful to get you started, it’s very important to carefully plan your workplace wellbeing activities. Research shows that all activities that target the individual employee, should be coupled with activities at the level of the organisation. In other words, you should always take measures to create a supportive organisational environment alongside lifestyle-focussed supports for your employees. We’ve included detailed advice on how best to plan your activities at both these levels.
Organisation-level Activities
The “bedrock” of the CIPD Well-being Pyramid is culture, leadership and people management. These are the best ways to ensure you’re creating a solid foundation to your workplace well-being efforts:
Individual-level Activities
Your wellbeing initiatives at the individual level will likely focus on raising awareness and/or building skills to manage this wellbeing area.
Other Physical Activity Resources
In this section you can find additional resources to help you with your physical activity programmes
Connect with the HSE and community support organisations for infographics and other resources in our Community Links section.