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New Campaign to Get Us Active!

#Active2gether Campaign

#Active2gether Campaign

Get Active this summer for your Health and Wellbeing…and your chance to win prizes! This June 2021!

Norfolk and Waveney Health & Care Partnership and Active Norfolk have teamed up to launch a one-month #Active2gether workplace challenge for all Health and Social Care staff this summer.

The challenge this year is to promote good mental health and physical fitness either by getting out-and-about and reconnecting with nature, or promoting ways to stay active in the home to ensure all staff wellbeing is supported as they continue the fight against COVID-19.

With lockdown measures easing, we will feature a new theme each week in June on how to stay active whether you are working from home or on the move outdoors. We will be promoting resources, offering hints and tips to help you stick to your plan and enjoy the benefits of staying active in and around Norfolk.

Get involved!

There is also a photo competition for you to share your activity!

Whether you take your pet for a long walk, brush up your green fingers in the garden, dance around the kitchen or even take the plunge in the Norfolk Sea, be sure to capture a photo and use #Active2gether and we’ll share your creativity across our socials.

Photos will be judged and prizes will be announced at the end of the campaign. Prizes include Warner Bros Studio Tour The Making of Harry Potter, Phantom of the Opera tickets, Hot Air Balloon Flight and 6-hour Private tour of the Lake District.

Week FOUR: Get ACTIVE Working from Home

For many of us, since the start of the pandemic last year, our working environments have changed considerably.  Previously based in an office surrounded by our colleagues, we are now working from bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms or – if we’re lucky – a home office, whilst also adjusting to a more isolated working life where much of our interaction with colleagues and partners is completed online.

This change in working conditions has been welcomed by some, whilst others have struggled with Zoom overload, a lack of human interaction and a blurring of our work-life balance.

 

How can physical activity help?

In addition to improving our physical and mental health, building activity into our day can provide those of us working from home with a range of benefits including:

Reducing our time spent sedentary (sitting) – In recent years, several major international studies have provided compelling evidence that sitting for long periods is associated with an increased risk of a number of conditions including cancer, diabetes, backache and obesity. The UK Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity Guidelines report recommends breaking up long periods of sitting time with activity for just 1 to 2 minutes.  To help reduce your time spent sitting you could try standing or walking while you’re on the phone, place a laptop on a box or similar to work standing, or setting a reminder to get up every 30 minutes to do some stretches, exercises, or simply make a drink.

Creating a structure for our day using an active ‘commute’ – Working from home can blur the lines between our work and home life.  Using the time you previously spent commuting to your workplace to be active can be a great way to help you mentally mark the beginning and end of your working day.

How can physical activity help?
 Why opt to travel actively?

Why opt to travel actively?

  • Boosting our creativity and energy levels – Taking a break from our desks and heading out for a walk or doing some activity in the home can give us the chance to boost our energy levels and give our minds the space to think more clearly, creatively and problem solve.
  • Helping us to manage stress – If you’re struggling with racing thoughts, simply taking some time to exercise can give you the opportunity to think things over and help your mind feel calmer.
  • Providing an opportunity to socialise with others – Arranging active meetups with friends and neighbours can be a great way to reduce the feelings of isolation and loneliness that some people are experiencing working from home. If you need to catch up with your manager for a 1:1 or a colleague to discuss some ongoing work, consider arranging a walking meeting so you can enjoy some face to face contact and build in some physical activity at the same time!

Ideas to get you started

There are lots of way to build physical into your diary whilst working from home.  If you’re looking for ideas and inspiration, visit the Active Norfolk website.  There are plenty of videos and workouts that you can follow online. These include exercises for those with disabilities and long-term health conditions as well as videos which could help improve mood and wellbeing such as yoga and breathing activities.

Active Suffolk also has some great information on their website including some simple, creative ways that you can get moving around the house as well as some links to home workouts that people of all ages can enjoy.

Ideas to get you started

Further signposting

Sport England’s Join the Movement Campaign – Tips, advice and guidance on how to keep or get active in and around your home.

Activity Alliance – Exercise advice, workouts, videos and activity guides to support disabled people to move more while at home.

NHS fitness studio – Take your pick from 24 instructor-led videos across aerobics exercise, strength and resistance, and pilates and yoga categories. These workouts have been created by fitness experts and range from 10 to 45 minutes.

British Heart Foundation – Choose from several exercise guides and videos to help keep you active at home.

Joe Wicks / The Body Coach – Find over 250 free home workouts on Joe Wicks’ YouTube channel, including chair workouts for people with limited mobility.

Yoga with Adriene – This YouTube channel has over 500 videos. There are plenty of yoga practices to choose from, varying in length and ability level, so it doesn’t matter if you’re a complete beginner, or only have time for a 10-minute workout.

Fitness Blender – provides free workout videos and exercise programmes you can follow at home. There’s a range of videos of different lengths, including a 40-minute upper-body strength workout, a 15-minute cardio workout and an 8-minute breathing ‘workout’ to help with stress.

Click here for Week 1 Resources: Get Active your Way!

Click here for Week 2 Resources: Get Active for your Mental Health!

Click here for Week 3 Resources: Get Active Journeys!