Researcher Well-being Week Who am I? What do I do?

Researcher Well-being Week

Who am I?What do I do?

Strategy for Physical Activity

UK Government’s strategy for physical activity (HM Government, 2005)

“We want to create workplaces where we both protect the health and well-being of employees and optimise the opportunity to help improve their own health and well-being.[…] Success should lead to optimal performance and attendance [and] increased productivity, so that people are more effective when they are at work” (HM Government, 2005)

Benefits – less days feeling unwell

Benefits – increase productivity

International Journal of Workplace Health Management – people who exercised during their workday were 23 percent more productive on those days than they were

when they did not exercise.

“Sometimes, I feel bad about taking that sort of time out…There is a guilt feeling sometimes, isn’t there? You know, maybe I should be working?”

“But there's also, you know, maybe a little guilt thing about being away from your desk”

“And, maybe it might, might make me less productive, whereas if I’d just sat down, got a sandwich and carried on at my desk I would be ok”

A report by the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine showed that a reduction in work hours (through exercise) resulted in sustained or improved

production levels.

Quotes from participants in Coulson et al. (2008). Participants from Pension Company, Computer Company, University Southwest England

Benefits – improved mood

Figure 1. Mood scales: physical activity patterns of responses according to exercise days and no-exercise

days

Coulson et al. (2008)

Quotes from participants in Coulson et al. (2008). Participants from Pension Company, Computer Company, University Southwest England

Wakes me up

Interact better

Really concentrateFull of beans

Clear your head

Less of a problem

Changes you can make1. Schedule your week

2. Book appointments (meetings) around your schedule – would you move a doctors appointment?

3. Pack your bag the night before / leave trainers in the office

4. Prepare food ready to eat post exercise

5. Follow a program…saves you thinking when you enter the gym

6. Do activities you like…not what are considered ‘the best’

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

MON Work Study

TUE Work Study

WED UNI Study

THUR Work Study

FRI Study Study

SAT Study Study

SUN Study Study

MON Study Work

TUE Study Work

WED UNI Study

THUR Study Study Study

FRI Work Study

SAT Work

SUN Work

MON Work

TUE Study Study Study

WED UNI Study

THUR Study Work

FRI Study Work

SAT Study Study Study

SUN Study Study Study

Changes you can make1. Schedule your week

2. Book appointments (meetings) around your schedule – would you move a doctors appointment?

3. Pack your bag the night before / leave trainers in the office

4. Prepare food ready to eat

5. Follow a program…saves you thinking when you enter the gym

6. Do activities you like…not what are considered ‘the best’

Over 50 weekly classes- Mornings- Lunch- Evening

CategoriesRelaxation – Yoga (Hatha, Classic); PilatesEnergise – Circuit; Group Cycling; Aerobics; StepBody Conditioning – Hooping; Classic Aerobics; CoreDance / Movement – ZumbaRacket – Badminton Coaching; Tennis Coaching

Staff Only – Yoga (Arts); Pilates (Hastings); Fencing (Sport Centre)

CostStudent (ends August)Gold £165 (5.50 @ 30 wks)Silver £130 (4.30 @ 30 wks)Bronze £20 (3.50 / 4.20 visit)

Staff (12 months)Gold £200 (6.60 @ 30 wks)Silver £155 (5.20 @ 30 wks)Bronze £25 (3.50 / 4.20 visit)

Summary1. Physical activity helps to fight diseases

2. Physical activity helps reduces the amount of days feeling unwell / off sick (more time for research)

3. Physical activity improves your productivity at work (when compared to non-exercise days)

4. Physical activity improves your mood (great for your colleagues / partners / friends)

ReferencesAsp, K. How Exercise Boosts Your Brainpower. www.active.com/fitness.articles/How-Exercise-Boosts-Your-Brainpower?cmp 14/02/13

Coulson, J.C, McKenna, J. and Field, M. (2008). Exercising at work and self-reported work performance. International Journal of Workplace Health Management. pp. 176-197.

Nieman, D. C. (1994) Exercise, upper respiratory tract infection, and the immune system. Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise. (2) pp. 128-139.

Nieman, D. c., Nehlsen-Cannarella, S. L., Markoff, P. A., Balk-Lamberton, A. J., Yang, H., Chritton, D. B. W., Lee, J. W. and Arabatzis, K. (2008) The effects of Moderate Exercise Training on Natural Killer Cells and Acute Upper Respiratory Tract Infections. International Journal of Sports Medicine. pp. 467-473.

Ulrica, T. S. and Henna, H. (2011). Employee Self-rated Productivity and Objective Organisational Production Levels: Effects of Worksite Health Interventions Involving Reduced Work Hours and Physical Exercise. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. pp. 838-844.

Interesting article http://www.sparringmind.com/productivity-science/

Are you ready to change?

Contemplation not began to change,

thinking about it, intend to do so next 6

months

Preparationnext thirty days going

to change

Action individual changed behaviour past 6

months

Maintenance practiced behaviour for

6 months

Benefits – improved mood

Figure 1. Mood scales: physical activity patterns of responses according to exercise days and no-exercise

days

Coulson et al. (2008)

“…makes a problem that you may have had in work, or whatever beforehand seem less of a problem when you get back…”

“Its an important part of the day its as important as doing your work. I’m in a completely different mindset when I get back..that hour has taken on a different dimension and it change my day”

“It can make things, make you see things perhaps a little more clearly…physical exertion can clear your head…it…can have a good effect on your mind…lets your mind relax”

“I go back to work and feel full of beans…”

Quotes from participants in Coulson et al. (2008). Participants from Pension Company, Computer Company, University Southwest England

Benefits – improved mood

Figure 1. Mood scales: physical activity patterns of responses according to exercise days and no-exercise

days

Coulson et al. (2008)

“Exercise wakes me up. When I am sitting at work, I feel like I’m falling asleep, I’m tired, and if I go to the gym doing exercise at lunchtime just gives me a sense of feeling rejuvenated for the afternoon, so I’m sort of back up there again, rather than ground down”

“You can interact better with people perhaps afterwards than you could, I dunno, before…cos you’ve got that buzz of having done your exercise which last for quite a long time”

“You can really concentrate…exercise really helps for that …if I’m doing one big, long task all through the day where I need to concentrate on it, often come lunch time I’m so sick and tired of, of sitting at my desk and looking at it, its really nice to go and have a break and then you come back and you’re much better for it in the afternoon…”

Quotes from participants in Coulson et al. (2008). Participants from Pension Company, Computer Company, University Southwest England