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Corporate Gym Packages Are So Last Year

Let's Get FIIT For Work

This article first appeared as a blog on https://fiit.tv/ and is by Tom Young, Fiit

 

Let’s face the facts. Traditional corporate gym packages don’t work anymore.

No one’s using them. They’re rigid. And they’re usually structured around the office. But, who’s planning on going back five days a week? Only 2% of people. That’s who…

At Fiit, we think it’s time the corporate gym package got with the times and adapted to a hybrid, flexible way of working.

It’s time to Get Fiit for Work – the health and wellness package that works where you do.

WHAT’S FIIT FOR WORK?

Fiit for Work is our version of the corporate health and wellness package. It’s more flexible, inclusive, social, and tailored to you and your work.

So, how can you convince HR to make the swap to the #1 rated fitness platform?

Well, we’ve got all the juicy stats and persuasive arguments your People & Culture team need to sell Fiit to the powers that be.

FLEXIBILITY – AND NOT JUST ON THE MAT

The idea of hybrid working isn’t new. But now, it’s the norm.

85% of people who say they feel productive anywhere say they plan to stay at their company for a long time. This is damn good news for employee retention if employers can get it right.

And with such a strong link between companies that offer employee wellness programs and increased productivity, Fiit for Work becomes the perfect solution – giving something for everyone at home, in the gym, at work, in the park, on holiday – wherever, whenever.

GET EVERYONE INVOLVED – NOT JUST THE GYM RATS

Fiit champions diversity and inclusivity. So, no matter who you work with, we’ve got their back.

Beginner? We have classes and training plans designed to help them train safely and steadily. Advanced athlete? You know we’ll level up their training. Remote worker? Fiit works wherever – so no matter where your colleagues are, you can all train together.

Plus, Fiit works around the tightest schedules. Even if you only have a spare 10 mins, we have strength, cardio, yoga, and pilates classes to keep your mind and body in check.

COMMUNITY IS CULTURE

Work drinks. Awaydays. Daily coffee club. Culture exists when we’re together.

In the hybrid working world, fostering relationships through exercise, achieving something (and getting competitive), is an awesome way to build community and cultivate mental, physical, and social well-being.

Group classes. Scheduled team workouts. Company-wide challenges. Beating your CEO on the live leaderboard (my personal favourite). It’s all about connection and building healthy relationships through fitness.

MENTAL HEALTH IS PHYSICAL HEALTH

Let’s be honest – it’s been a terrible time for people’s mental health.

We’ve outlined the positive impact physical health has on the brain before – with researchers suggesting that as little as one hour a week of dynamic exercise can make a massive difference. But right now, it’s more important than ever.

“Modern neuroscience has shown that maybe the most important thing we can do for our brain — and therefore ourselves — is to be physically active.” — Dr. Anders Hansen, The Real Happy Pill

DATA-DRIVEN HEALTH

At Fiit, everything we do is backed by data. We’re a tech company after all.

Meaning (and this is something HR will go wild for) we can feedback anonymous and aggregated data to suit the needs of your company. Turning insights into bespoke company challenges, tailored group workouts or customised charitable initiatives are just a few examples.

And the data works! Just look at EY in the image on the right.

After their first 90 days, over 40% of employees had begun using Fiit – which is more than double average gym usage – and 26% of EY employees had integrated it into their weekly routines.

SO – YOU WANNA GET FIIT FOR WORK?
Click the link below to find out more and get your membership started:

Click here to get access to Fiit.

Government Review: Thriving At Work

The Stevenson/Farmer Review of Mental Health and Employers

The below information is a combined summary and quotation of the findings from both the Thriving at Work Review and the Government website www.gov.uk

Employers fulfilling their duty of care towards their employees is a broad subject with varying takes on how best to do so. One area of considerable focus has been mental health. In order to assess where organisations can do more, The UK Government has carried out an independent review as part of their Mental Health Reform initiative. Research carried out by Lord Dennis Stevenson and Paul Farmer has been published through both The Department For Work and Pensions, as well as The Department of Health and Social Care to look at mental health from an economic and social perspective.

The Study assumes the position that the correct way to view mental health is that we all have it and we fluctuate between thriving, struggling, and being ill and possibly off work

We need to move to a society where all of us become more aware of our own mental health, other people’s mental health, and how to cope with our own and other people’s mental health when it fluctuates. It is all our responsibilities to make this change and employers are perhaps able to have the greatest impact and scope to make an impact and are the focus of this review.
 

Thriving at Work sets out:

  1. What employers can do to better support all employees, including those with mental health problems to remain in and thrive through work.
  2. A detailed analysis that explores the significant cost of poor mental health to UK businesses and the economy as a whole
  3. How investing in supporting mental health at work is good for business and productivity.
  4. All employers, regardless of size or industry, should adopt 6 ‘mental health core standards’ that lay basic foundations for an approach to workplace mental health.

“ Many employers are already creating healthy, inclusive workplaces, but more needs to be done so that employers provide the support needed for employees with mental health conditions.” Prime Minister Theresa May, January 2017

10 Year Vision To Improve Mental Health In The Workplace:

  • Employees in all types of employment will have “good work”, which contributes positively to their mental health, our society and our economy.
  • Every one of us will have the knowledge, tools and confidence, to understand and look after our own mental health and the mental health of those around us.
  • All organisations, whatever their size, will be:
    • Equipped with the awareness and tools to not only address but prevent mental ill health caused or worsened by work;
    • Equipped to support individuals with a mental health condition to thrive, from recruitment and throughout the organisation;
    • Aware of how to get access to timely help to reduce sickness absence caused by mental ill health;

Its through the above that we can dramatically reduce the proportion of people with a long term mental health condition who leave employment each year and ensure that all, who can, benefit from the positive impacts of good work

This study has led us to conclude that underneath the stigma that surrounds mental health and prevents open discussion on the subject, the UK faces a significant mental health challenge at work.

  • 300,000 people with a long term mental health problem lose their jobs each year
  • Around 15% of people at work have symptoms of an existing mental health condition.

The human cost is huge, with poor mental health having an impact on the lives of many individuals and those around them. This manifests itself in a variety of ways both at work and at home, and impacts a person’s ability to manage other elements of their personal life. Then there is the ultimate human cost of loss of life through suicide.

With the help of an independent study on the cost to employers commissioned from Deloitte, we have also found:

  • There is a large annual cost to employers of between £33 billion and £42 billion
  • The cost of poor mental health to Government is between £24 billion and £27 billion
  • The cost of poor mental health to the economy at between £74 billion and £99 billion per year
  • The inescapable conclusion is that it is massively in the interest of both employers and Government to prioritise and invest far more in improving mental health.

Deloitte’s analysis of the case studies where investments have been made in improving mental health, show a consistently positive return on investment, which found that a manager mental health training programme could lead to a significant reduction in work-related sickness absence, with an associated return on investment of £9.98 for each pound spent on such training.

How Can This Vision Be Achieved?

A “mental health core standards” – a framework for a set of actions which we believe all organisations in the country are capable of implementing quickly. The 6 cores standards are:

  1. Produce, implement and communicate a mental health at work plan;
  2. Develop mental health awareness among employees;
  3. Encourage open conversations about mental health and the support available when employees are struggling;
  4. Provide employees with good working conditions and ensure they have a healthy work life balance and opportunities for development;
  5. Promote effective people management through line managers and supervisors;
  6. Routinely monitor employee mental health and wellbeing

The report also outlines a series of more ambitious ‘enhanced’ standards for employers who can and should do more to lead the way, building on the mental health core standards these are as follows:

  • Increase transparency and accountability through internal and external reporting
  • Demonstrate accountability
  • Improve the disclosure process
  • Ensure provision of tailored in-house mental health support and signposting to clinical help

Three other factors will help the implementation of these “mental health core and enhanced standards”.
 

  • Increasing employer transparency. Employer action on mental health is intrinsically measurable.
  • Calling on trade unions, industry groups, professional and regulatory bodies to help with the implementation of these standards.
  • The implementation and use of digital tools and products

The Role Of The Public Sector

The public sector, which employs 5.4 million people, has a huge opportunity to lead the way, particularly the three largest public employers: the National Health Service, Education and the Civil Service.

The Role Of Government

Government can do more to make it simple for employers, through support and online information platforms and joining up existing provisions aimed at employees and employers.
 

  • Government should consider exploring further the role of incentives and public procurement to drive implementation of the mental health core standards.
  • We also suggest Government sets clearer expectations of employers through legislation, and makes Statutory Sick Pay more flexible
  • There is a significant role for the NHS to support workplace mental health by ensuring support is accessible, high quality and fits around work.
  • Government does more to prevent and end employer practices which contravene employment and equalities legislation

Delivery And Implementation

It is clearly important this is done in a way that creates a self-sustaining and measurable change process, which survives future elections changes in personnel and is visible for future generations.

We recommend that Permanent Secretaries Chief Executives and equivalent senior leaders across the public sector, have a performance objective relating to ensuring the mental wellbeing of all employees, and accountability for adopting the ‘mental health core and enhanced standards’.

We also suggest that so as to achieve leadership across the private, public and voluntary sectors, the Prime Minister sets up a new Mental Health and Employer Leadership Council.

“ Employers have a huge positive role to play in improving the nation's mental health and it also makes perfect business sense to keep our colleagues as mentally fit and productive as possible. I particularly welcome the fact that the review suggests practical steps that large and small businesses can take to start moving forward on this vital topic.” Sir Ian Cheshire, Heads Together

CIPD: Stress In The Workplace Factsheet

Stress can affect an employee’s physical and mental health, altering their behaviour and relationships with colleagues. As a commonly cited cause of long-term absence from the workplace, its key for Managers to know how to recognise and manage the factors, that can cause work-related stress. Conducting stress risk assessments and reviewing the responsibilities and activities included in job roles are good starting points, to reduce the likelihood of stress developing.

The Stress Management Society

Interview with Neil Shah, by Nikki Roy, Body Mechanics

Stress and Mental Health are now more frequently talked about in the media as wellbeing issues we need to manage personally to stay healthy. But what if the issue is much broader than this? How can stress and mental health be managed by our Government, the NHS, the workplace and wider society adopting a preemptive approach, rather than a retrospective one.

Here, Neil talks to us about his experience of stress and mental health, what stress is and how it impacts us all as individuals and as members of society, as well as offering some practical stress management resources.

1.Why did you set up The Stress Management Society and what do you do?

In 2003 I had a personal experience with my mental health, which resulted in what was described at the time, as a breakdown. I actually now describe it more as a breakthrough. At the depths of that I didn’t actually want to be here anymore. The emotional and mental pain was so great, that I was happy to end my life.

My back story is, I started my first business at 24. I turned it into an international success, a multimillion pound business and then basically crashed and lost everything. That's why I had the breakdown.

I realised that the experience I’d had wasn’t a tragedy, it was actually the greatest gift I’ve ever been given. It was up to me to decide what to do with that gift.

There really wasn’t much to support a young person going through that kind of mental health challenge. No one was really taking the time to understand what I was going through. So I decided to do something about it. I set up The Stress Management Society, to offer support to people that are suffering from mental health challenges. Essentially inspiring and empowering them to do something about it.

We set up a research and consultancy organisation called International Wellbeing Insights, which goes into corporate organisations, to deliver mental health and wellbeing programmes, which in turn advanced all our non-commercial activity.

The sad statistic is that in W.E.I.R.D countries - western, educated, industrialised, rich and democratic - suicide is the main cause of death of men under the age of 45 and is rapidly becoming the same for those aged 15-29. It’s astonishing that even children under ten are having suicide thoughts and sadly many have followed through on those thoughts. It’s tragic. We are literally failing some of the most vulnerable members of our society. We have some serious societal failings where we don’t have the necessary support, and it's sad that lives lost to mental health don’t seem to matter as much as those lost to Covid.

Even with the support and right resources, it's not necessarily going to stop things; we can minimise, but we can’t stop it. With everything that’s been going on in the past two years things are getting worse, they’re not getting better.

Neil Shah
Chief De-Stressing Officer

  • International Speaker
  • Stress Management/ Wellbeing expert
  • Management Consultant
  • Executive Coach
  • Master Trainer
  • Best Selling Author
  • World’s Top 30 NLP Professionals

2. How do you define stress? Common symptoms? How important is it to manage stress effectively?

When we came into existence, there didn’t seem to be a universal, commonly accepted definition of stress, which is a little bit challenging, because if the experts don’t necessarily agree, we’ll struggle with the general kind of labelling.

It was actually a chance discussion I had on a plane, with a Structural Engineer, a stress tester, who knew a lot about stress as a force in physics, as opposed to something that is a human experience. But what I found fascinating was that there was really quite a lot of crossover. I asked him what his definition of stress was and he told me Force over Area equals Pressure.

He said if you put enough load on bridges they will eventually collapse, but before it collapses you will know that it's not coping particularly well, because it will start to bow, buckle and creak. When it's giving us those signs, we’ve then got some choices around what we can do to stop it from collapsing. We can start to take some of that load off, or we can better support it using concrete blocks underneath the bridge to help it bear the load more effectively.

My immediate reaction was, hang on a minute, people are exactly the same. It doesn’t matter how mentally tough or resilient you are, every single one of us, if enough demand is placed on us, we too ultimately collapse. And before we collapse, we’ll know we’re struggling because we show those bowing, buckling, creaking signs through changes in behaviour and emotions. It's then that we have options to actually do something about it.

So our definition of stress is where demand exceeds resources. Where the demand placed on the individual exceeds their capacity or their ability to cope with that demand, or more simply put, when the bridge has got too much load on it.

The reason we developed that kind of language is because it very much appeals to the ‘masculine mind’ of structure, logic, process, solution and focus. The masculine mind doesn’t really deal well with emotions. It allows us to have emotion based conversations in a very visual and practical way, which makes it more accessible particularly when people find it hard to tap into their emotions.

Someone saying I feel depressed can be viewed as a sign of weakness, but approaching the subject from the view that the bridge is overloaded, what do I need to either strengthen it or to remove the load, gets easier for people to kind of engage in those conversations. It’s a commonsense foundation of discussion (Final sentence added in by Nikki Roy as a comment she made during the interview).

About Neil

Neil Shah is the founder of International Wellbeing Insights and Chief De-Stressing Officer of The Stress Management Society.

A leading international expert on stress management and wellbeing, he is the author of Amazon #1 best-seller ‘Turning Negatives into Positives – An Introduction to Neurolinguistic Programming’ and ‘The 10-Step Stress Solution’

He is a renowned media personality on the subject of wellbeing, appearing regularly on BBC Breakfast, BBC Five Live and Sky Sunrise.

3. How can individuals help themselves with stress management and with achieving/maintaining good mental health?

It's not a one size fits all solution. If we go back to the bridge analogy, what options do we have to remove some of the load and how can we better equip ourselves.

One of the key things is getting the basics right and that includes things like what are you consuming both physically and mentally. Are you consuming information that is inspiring and uplifting you? Do you live your life in the past or the future?

We have no control over past or future events, so being present actually allows us to consider really how best we can navigate the experiences that we’re having. Reflect and look for things that are worthy to be grateful for - they are there in every given moment of every given day.

At the moment, the thing I think we really need to focus on is the sense of community. There is a direct correlation over the last 40 years, that as society and community have degraded, issues around mental health have increased. We don’t operate as a society anymore. We don’t have this community. We have this consumer culture that has really focused on the individual. You don’t need to rely on a person or a group to be able to function. That individualism is creating a sense of isolation.

I think we need to start moving away from this notion that mental health is an individual issue. Mental health is a societal issue. If someone has a breakdown, or takes their own life, that is not their issue, that’s a societal failing. We are creating the circumstances where that individual wasn’t supported.

Our focus for Stress Awareness Month this year, is building #Community as we are #BetterTogether. When we can build empathy and can start to see the world through each other's eyes and learn how to be compassionate, we can come together to find common solutions for societal challenges. We don’t need more polarity fuelled by profanity, we need to find unity through the power of community.

4. On your website, you've agreed with the principle that 'business leaders should drive change' - why and how?

The business community and business leaders have a vested interest in the solution around wellbeing, because there’s a direct correlation between happy, healthy staff and high productivity, performance and success. A good company to work for happens to be a successful company.

It also has a snowball effect because it impacts employees' families and therefore their communities. Company competitors, partners and suppliers suddenly start to pay attention. This is how we start to create ripples of positive change across society, by role modelling it.

Our campaign for this month is ‘Proactive not Reactive’.

We need to start getting more proactive around community building, wellbeing, inclusivity, diversity and engagement, and to move away from being reactive.

There’s significanly more chance of the suicide of someone close to you, than there is of them dying due to war or human violence, yet we don’t talk about it, we don’t understand the scale of the issue. We’ve let it get to the point where the main cause of death for a man aged 45 in Western society is suicide and even though that’s the case, we’re still not doing anything about it really. That’s absolutely tragic. 14.3% of all human beings who die every year, die as a result of their own hand. That’s incredible.

5. What do you mean by 'meaningful employment'? How do you help organisations achieve this?

Your work is a crucial part of your wellbeing. Having meaningful, gainful employment will actually contribute to your wellbeing.

To me, meaningful employment is where you’re valued as a human being, you’re able to develop and contribute your skills in a way that enhances your employer's overall vision, and you are rewarded fairly for it. This is really where organisations need to consider is their profit to the detriment of people or do we have a balance? This is really what we should be considering because this is good for everybody.

6. What projects/initiatives are you currently working on?

Right now, we’re really trying to emphasise this message of community. I’m talking about where you start to understand that collectively, we have far more things in common than the things that separate us. So we’re helping to bring people together to share their experiences and to build this community, from a local to a global level.

Also another project we’re working on is through our charitable arm, we’re currently raising money and we’ve received some lottery money, to run programmes for youths and children, particularly 11-19 year olds.

We just started a project with Charlton Athletic football club called Level Up, to equip kids with the tools that they should
be taught at schools - personal resilience, managing their wellbeing, really understanding how to equip themselves with the skills, tools and confidence to be able to navigate this world that we find ourselves in.

The other one is a Mental Wellbeing Ambassadors Programme. A proactive approach where it shows you how to have those preemptive conversations, not to wait until someone’s bridge is about to collapse, but to be able to pick it up before the bowing and buckling stage, knowing how to engage them and how to refer them to the most appropriate support resources.

7. What is the '10 Step Stress Solution?'

Neil has written two books that can help you with stress management, click on the links below to find out more.

10 Step Stress Solution

Turn Negatives into Positives: A Practical Guide to NLP

8. What changes have you seen towards addressing stress and mental health as a wellbeing issue?

We’re getting to a point where we’re more comfortable having this conversation. When Covid hit, mental health was sidelined. We’re slowly starting to see that come back up again, but it's put back the mental health progress back by 6 years. We’re back to where we were in 2016. And that for me is a real concern. Mental health didn’t just go away, because Covid came along, it actually got worse, so why have we stopped talking about it? Getting access to a Counsellor or someone on the NHS is next to impossible right now. I think it's going to take something quite prominent to put it back in our focus again. It shouldn’t take that.

9. Can you recommend any practical or insightul resources people can access to help with stress management?

Here is a link to my recommended resources: https://www.stress.org.uk/national-stress-awareness-month

Find out more and get involved...

Sign up to our newsletter
https://www.stress.org.uk/sign-up-to-our-stress-busting-newsletter/

The Stress Management Society Head Office: Suite C, Quay West, Salamander Quay, Harefield Middx, UB9 6NZ, UK.

Tel: 020 3371 3219
Email: info@stress.org.uk

Follow us on Social Media
Instagram : @thestressmanagementsociety
Facebook: @TheStressManagementSociety
Twitter: @StressMgtSoc

Mindfulness – Stress Alleviation

We all experience stress from time to time, it's a natural part of the hustle and bustle of life, however it can become an issue when stress reaches the point of overwhelm and we don’t feel able to competently manage our stress levels or to get them back into balance. Stress can manifest itself both mentally and physically, negatively impacting our overall health and wellbeing.

In this article we look at what mindfulness is and hope to provide you with some tools and resources to help you manage your stress levels regularly, working on the premise that prevention is better than cure - a little time spent managing your stress levels on a regular basis, will better place you to manage particularly stressful situations, when the time comes.

Mindfulness is a way in which we can slow down and gain awareness of ourselves; our thoughts, our biases and assumptions, our body, our environment, our relationships; it's a way to become present in the moment and to focus on what truly matters and what is within our control. It's a way of cleansing the mind and creating space for ourselves, of achieving a feeling of calm, regaining clarity and focus. Mindfulness can help rebalance our mental and physical health and elevate our resilience.

We all have a personal responsibility to ourselves to make sure we engage in self-care, but what about the duty of care our employers have towards us? How can mindfulness be incorporated into the workplace to enhance our experience and fulfilment within our job roles?

Mindfulness in the Workplace

In a CIPD Update article on 23rd March, Kristian Adams highlighted some key issues around resilience and how Line Managers in particular, play a key role in influencing how resilient team members are. He hones in on the onus still being passed back onto the individual to ‘buck up’ and get on with things, something we know from experience, isn’t an acceptable nor an effective management technique. What about adopting a more human approach? What about allowing people to acknowledge and discuss their emotions and challenges? What about Mindful Management in the Workplace?

Mindfulness at work is increasingly gaining traction as a positive way to move forward in terms of people management. It brings the ‘human’ element back into the workplace and stops treating employees as a mere resource.

Both Mindful and CIPD have backed the value of mindfulness at work. CIPD reference survey evidence from Mind in 2015 and the Police Federation in 2018, which looks at the high stress levels of police service workers and how they can be reduced. Mindfulness was considered to be an option. A bespoke mindfulness course was developed - MindFit Cop - which was positioned as a form of strength training; a way to ensure workers were fit, healthy and resilient in order to do their job. The participants learned how to meditate and were taught about the science behind mindfulness and its practical applications.

Overall, results found that police service workers who felt they had little control over their work activities experienced more wellbeing benefit than those who felt they had more control to begin with. The research is thought to have positive implications for other high stress job roles and work environments.

By incorporating mindfulness into everyday work at all levels - an individual, a managerial and an organisational level - it benefits everyone. Managers are allowed to engage in authentic leadership and to help empower their employees. Employees experience improved wellbeing and transformative experiences and different ways to work. It allows for confidence, optimism, coherence and a sense of openness to flourish and moves away from the threat of stress and burnout. Mindfulness and resilience together make for a powerful management practice, but also as a way to move forward as a business with a strong competitive advantage.

Resources For You

Meditation for Beginners
Mindful offers a free introduction to practicing mindfulness on a daily basis over 5 days. Sign up by clicking here https://mailchi.mp/mindful/sfbcf98skw

Tips on How to Lower Stress in 7 days
The Stress Management Society offer a practical guide
https://www.stress.org.uk/home-2/reduce-stress-in-7-days/

Types of Mental Health - What is Stress
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/stress/what-is-stress/

“Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally”
Jon Kabat-Zinn

Guest Contributor: Tala Oodit – What Makes A Successful Workplace

Tala Oodit is an experienced HR professional whose career spans over 10 years across the FMCG, Luxury Retail and Entertainment industries. She has shared with Body Mechanics her top 5 tips on what makes a workplace successful.

1. Support Services

Companies should provide insurance protection such as Private Healthcare, Income Protection, Life Assurance, and an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) as standard. I will caveat this and say that it's obviously subject to whether a company can afford to have this in place. In my opinion, these are more of a necessity than a unique selling point for a company. For the last few years, the recruitment market has been a candidate driven one - something that won’t be changing in the next few years. People are looking at the overall package and sometimes the base salary alone is not enough of an incentive to potential new recruits, so companies need to remain creative and competitive.

2. Culture

This 7 letter word is so simple and yet so complex in interpretation, so here is what culture means to me…

People will spend the majority of their life at work with colleagues, so its important that the work environment you provide is a decent one. Inclusion, access to Senior Managers and the level of trust given to people is key! It’s important that Managers sit with their team members regularly to understand what drives them and that people feel they have influence and are able to contribute to the overall success of the company.

Senior Managers need to ensure the company vision and the expectations surrounding the business goals are communicated clearly. In addition, Senior Managers should also be given Mental Health First Aid training as standard. Not only are they responsible for the financial health of the company, but also their people’s health and wellbeing too!

3. A Balanced Environment

Whilst innovation and quirky company incentives are great to boost morale, equally having fairness, transparency, consistency, and clarity in company processes such as pay review, career development, and family friendly policies are important. I saw the uncertainty that Covid-19 brought to people’s lives and just by having these basics in place, it provides peace of mind to employees.

4. A Multi-Faceted Physical Working Environment

Covid-19 saw companies having to change their physical environment overnight. All office workers were asked to work from home for months at a time. If employers are choosing to keep working from home as an option moving forward, they need to ensure that employees are suitably equipped to do so. For example, we have asked employees to let us know if they need chair supports to help with their lower back or upper back, neck and shoulders. We’ve also reinforced the importance of taking a break and moving around.

Having worked in companies with retail stores and distribution centres, our H&S team are regularly running checks to ensure manual handling training is continuously taking place, meeting with our Occupational Health team, to ensure that as a business we are making reasonable adjustments for employees.

Whether people are working from home or onsite, employers need to give consideration to their employees’ physical health and wellbeing. We’ve previously used Body Mechanics for onsite massages to help remedy any occupational stresses and strains and they also provide yoga and online workouts - a range of different ways to access and help maintain physical wellbeing.

5. Communication is Key!

An old cliche, however the most obvious. You will be surprised by how this is often overlooked or not done properly. With the events of Covid-19, all businesses have had to go through some sort of change management to accommodate their business during the global crisis. I understand that it may not be feasible to have weekly company meetings, but what I would recommend is monthly company get togethers, rather than just teams and if safe, have those get togethers in person, rather than online. A fixed date in the diary will give people peace of mind and a chance to see various people across the business. Human contact and networking shouldn’t be underestimated in terms of personal morale and career development.

Tala's Final Thought...

"People are a company’s biggest commodity. In my experience, the better you treat your people, the more inclined they will be to go above and beyond for you and for the business."

The Benefits Of Breathwork

This article first appeared as a blog on https://fiit.tv/

What if there was a magic pill that could give you more natural energy than a cup of coffee? That could help you to think clearer, be more creative, to de-stress and even sleep better.

Sound too good to be true?

What if we told you that you already have that magic pill and it’s quite literally under your nose!

Breathwork is being tipped as the next revolution in health and wellness. Thanks to world-renowned teacher, Richie Bostock aka @thebreathguy, you too can try a series of classes on Fiit.

You may be thinking, why do you need breathing classes? After all, you’ve been breathing all your life!

Well, Breathwork involves specific breathing techniques that have the power to change our physical, mental and emotional states.

Oxygen is the body’s number one fuel source, and increasing oxygen levels in the body brings a whole host of benefits. That’s why elite athletes, Silicon Valley CEOs and world famous performers are turning to Breathwork to feel and perform at their best. And now you can too, without leaving your living room!

“It’s so simple! All you need is a comfortable space to lie down, listen to me and breath along as I lead you through a series of breathing flows that will leave you feeling amazing!” says Richie

Many of us today live in a state of high stress all the time which is so detrimental to our health and happiness. Some of us have forgotten what it even feels like to be relaxed.

“The cool thing about Breathwork is it can get you out of your mind in a few minutes. You’ll start to feel physical sensations and then go into a meditative state, without needing to know anything about meditation. I’ve had clients with insomnia have their first good night of sleep in decades after just one class!”

With Fiit, you can breathe with Richie whenever and wherever you want. Start with the Fundamentals classes and master the basics before progressing to more advanced classes. We know you’re going to love it.

But don’t just take our word for it! Check out what some of our members have to say after trying Richie’s classes for the first time:

 

Richie’s Breathwork classes are available as part of Body Mechanics Membership.

Click here to get access to Fiit.

The Science Of Why It Hurts So Damn Good

This article first appeared as a blog on https://fiit.tv/

Could you imagine if we were one of those brands that said stuff like, The pain you feel today is the strength you feel tomorrow? We can’t.

But, with the launch of Boss Level, we thought we’d team up with Gede for a deep dive into the science of good pain. Look at why it’s sometimes good to ask our bodies to do difficult things. How to minimise muscle soreness. And find out why some of us just love to hurt.

THE GOOD PAIN

Exercise is incredibly important. And inactivity is the fourth biggest killer worldwide. But, being fit can sometimes be a pain in the glutes.

Gede says: When we train we stress the body. This creates micro tears in our muscles called myofibrils. These are the ‘good’ kind. They promote muscle growth. And depending on the intensity of the workout, they can leave you feeling pretty sore.

This is called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. Or, DOMS. And when we exercise, it’s usually eccentric movements (the contraction while lengthening the muscle) that give us DOMS. For example, the lowering phase of a bicep curl or running downhill.

Not everyone loves DOMS. Sometimes sitting down can feel like hard work – let alone another workout. But know that it’s all a process. It’s your body learning and adapting. Next time you do that same thing, your body will know and you won’t feel so sore.

YOUR COMFORT ZONE IS TOO SAME-SAME

To be more. We have to do more. If we want to do 100 unbroken push ups – we need to do more push ups. If we want to run a marathon – we need to run more. And if we want to take our fitness to the next level – we need to train at the next level.

Gede says: Progress is made outside your comfort zone. It builds physical and mental toughness. And it’s not just about the mat. When you train your ability to deal with discomfort, you’re building trust that you can conquer hard things.

None of us will feel comfortable doing Boss Level. Not even me, Luke, Adrienne, Sean, Gus and Corinne – and we made this monsta! But that’s a good thing. For the whole Fiit community, this is a chance to prove what we’re capable of. And be proud of it!

HOW TO MINIMISE DOMS

If you’re going to train at the next level, you’re going to get DOMS. No matter what. But, there are a few things we can do to limit the pain. And make sure simple tasks like going to the toilet doesn’t become too torturous.

Gede says: DOMS can be reduced by sufficient warm-up and cool downs. If you are starting a programme or taking on a big session like Boss Level, it can be tempting to jump straight in. But it’s important to ease yourself in so it isn’t such a shock to the body.

While doing nothing for a few days seems logical, adding in some light active recovery can help. Whether that be yoga/mobility work, some low impact cardio or a light walk. Some easy movements can actually promote recovery – by driving blood into the muscles to repair and reduce the swelling.

When it comes to nutrition, the exact strategy will vary from person to person and you should always seek out nutrition advice from a qualified professional, but remember to refuel with carbohydrates, rebuild with protein and rehydrate effectively – especially while it’s hot.

CALL A SADIST A SADIST

Some people just love the pain cave. One of our founders, Ian McCaig, is an unapologetically unhinged human being. He ran across the Sahara Desert for fun. And while that isn’t necessarily ‘normal’ – turns out he’s not the only one who yearns for suffering.

Gede says: Research has found that people who sit most of the time – at work, on the couch, in the car – can really enjoy going beyond the limits. For instance, Ultramarathons are far more popular with people who sit in offices all day. And this is because stress forces our body to focus. It becomes a form of escapism – like reading or meditating.

Plus, exercise releases a whole bunch of delicious endorphins, which interact with receptors in our brains to reduce the perception of pain and make us feel amazing! This is why the lines between pleasure and pain are so often blurred.

Ultimately – pushing ourselves to the next level can be a tough ask. It comes with a few aches and pains. But for many of us, DOMS is a glorious part of progress.

So, learn to love them. Focus on recovery. And only run across the Sahara if you really, really, really want to.

 

Ready to push yourself to the next level?

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Guest Contributor: Shannon Hoskin – First Swim Centre Manager

The trepidation sets in as you approach the water...how cool will it feel on my skin today? There is nothing better than getting my head under the water, pushing off the wall, and banging out a few laps. But how do you fit it into your daily life? Work (which has me in the water, teaching little ones to swim or watching my team of teachers teach), the kids, life admin, the extra activities, including sitting on pool side now for 5 hours a week with my two! I don’t swim anywhere near enough, which is frustrating given I’m in a pool environment 7 days a week. But I made myself a promise, that when the kids went back to school, I would go swimming for myself twice a week. I’ve managed that so far (week 2) and I plan on sticking with it. Why this time, unlike the million times before? I decided I deserve the time and space to do something for myself - I am worth it! Such a simple change in my mindset, with an unbelievably positive outcome for me first and foremost, but those around me too.

Swimming is a winning exercise – it lowers stress levels, reduces anxiety and depression, and aids sleep, therefore making it in my eyes, the perfect activity to do with babies. It also improves heart health, lowers blood pressure, and improves lung capacity. The biggest bonus - it doesn’t pound your body, so if like me you have back issues, it is wonderful to swim as it doesn’t load your already half broken body!

Having said all that, so many people still don’t swim. Did you see the latest stats by Swim England last week, stating that only 3% of children in London, aged between seven and eleven, can swim competently?! Across the UK, more than three million children were found not to be competent swimmers. This is frightening if you ask me. Swimming is not just an extra weekly activity, it’s a life skill. It’s essential to learn to swim. That’s why it’s included in the school curriculum.

I want my children to become competent swimmers. They are both on their way to achieving this, which reminds me daily to put the effort into myself. Be kind to yourself and if you can’t find the time to swim for yourself because there are one too many balls to juggle now, then bring your baby or toddler to swim with us and you at First Swim. We are based in Chiswick and Twickenham. Our lessons focus on gentle swimming progression, nothing is forced. There is also a sofa with your name on it for a post swim drink and cookie.

Want to book your kids in for classes? Get in touch with First Swim:

Phone: 07951936806 (Twickenham)

Phone: 07377998823 (Chiswick)

Email: info@firstswimlondon.co.uk

Guest Blog: Everything You Need To Know About Parkrun

Been wondering what a parkrun looks like? Where do you go? What do you do? How do you sign up?

Whether you’re looking to join for the first time, or a more seasoned parkrunner that just needs your memory refreshed, Parkrun have put together this handy guide to everything you need to know.

Firstly, all you need for parkrun is your barcode and something comfortable to wear!

How do I sign up for parkrun?

Signing up for parkrun is free and easy, you sign up once, print your barcode, and then just turn up! Any location, anywhere around the world, any weekend you want.

Here’s a link to our registration page: https://www.parkrun.org.uk/register/

Next up, you just need to decide where you’re going to parkrun.

How do I find an event?

Finding your local event is really simple with our map, which you can find here.

Each event has its own course page where you’ll find:

  • Contact details of the Event Team if you have any questions
  • A map that shows the course and the start and finish areas, as well as some handy tips for getting there, including nearest bus stops and train station, as well as the event postcode
  • Details of the Volunteer Team and how you can get involved.
  • Upcoming cancellations and other parkruns nearby

Many events also have their own social media pages where you can get in touch with the team, give them a search on Facebook and Twitter.

Do I have to complete 5k?

Parkrun can be whatever you want it to be. There are ways to get involved that do not involve completing 5k, and there is no pressure to complete the whole course if you’ve started and don’t feel able to continue (although we think you’ll surprise yourself!)

You can also just head down to your local parkrun event and watch what’s going on, soak up the atmosphere and get to know your local team.

For anyone starting out on their parkrun journey, or thinking about building up to the magic 5k distance, our simple and easy walking plan Strive for Five can be found here. You can do that anywhere, any time.

There’s also the option to get involved as a volunteer.

Volunteering is super easy, loads of fun, and there’s no training or experience required, one of the event team members can just show you what to do on the day.

To volunteer just find your local event on the map and drop the team an email at the address on the course page, or via social media.

What does parkrun look like?

Parkruns are friendly, relaxed environments, where there are people of all shapes and sizes, abilities and backgrounds.  Some people will be in sports kit, some not, some people will walk and some will run, many will just be there to enjoy the morning.

So, please don’t feel any pressure.

There’s a short First Timer’s Welcome for anyone who’d like a little more information on the day.

We can’t promise a safe space to leave your belongings so please bring as little as possible. All you need is your barcode and something comfortable to wear.

What happens after parkrun?

You’ll feel fantastic!

Whether you’ve walked, jogged, ran, volunteered, or gone along to watch, you’ll have set yourself up for the rest of the weekend.

Once the results have been processed (and if you’re volunteering someone will help you with this) you’ll get a text and an email from parkrun with all the details of your participation.

Everyone has their own record on our website, where you can track your progress and see all of the parkruns you’ve been to. Just sign in online with the details you created when you registered and all the information is always there.

You can reprint your barcode from this page on the website too, as well as update your details, or change your communication preferences.

We can’t wait to welcome you to a parkrun very soon. Make sure you get in touch to tell us all about it using our Feedback from the field link here.