Fitness barriers being broken in UK workplace exercise trial

Psychologists from the University of Leeds are helping to motivate more than 1,000 workers to get fit in a work-based study into physical activity and health – believed to be the first of its kind in the UK.

Bus drivers, office staff and managers from three major organisations have signed up to the trial run by a team from the University’s Institute of Psychological Sciences in partnership with the Health and Safety Laboratory and funded by a £300,000 grant from the BUPA Foundation.

British business loses 21 million days due to sickness. The North West lost the most days in 2006 at 8.8 days per employee.

Health psychologist Dr Rebecca Lawton, who is leading the team, said: “Exercise not only reduces the risk of physical illness and therefore sickness absence, but can also lessen anxiety and depression and help people to perform everyday tasks better.”

Dr Lawton’s team found people’s number one obstacle to being active is time. Now they have developed a toolkit of materials to help people overcome barriers and encourage a change in attitude towards getting fit.

The team recruited employees in sedentary jobs from Wrexham Council, a leading Yorkshire teaching hospital and the Leeds and York depots of transport business FirstGroup, where the trial is also being supported by the UK’s largest trade union, Unite.

Dr Lawton said: “Many of us sit for long periods of the day at work. The organisations we are working with want to give their staff the opportunity to become more active because this has real benefits for health and well-being.

“We hope the trial will help change the way people think about activity and that by working in groups with peer group support our participants and their employers will see real changes.”

The toolkit includes a fridge magnet to help participants monitor their exercise as well as tips and hints to getting fit, such as challenging teams of employees to scale a virtual mountain by climbing stairs.

More than 200 FirstGroup bus drivers from Leeds and York, are taking part in the trial. Operations director David Phillips said: “Our drivers can be behind the wheel for up to 10 hours a day so I believe we have a responsibility as an employer to look after their well-being.

“However, people often don’t know where to start, where to go and who to talk to. We see the research as a stepping stone to promoting health and linking with other partners, such as local gyms.”

Wales has the fourth highest number of days lost per employee at 8.1. Wrexham County Borough Council already holds the Gold category in the Welsh Assembly’s Corporate Health Standard, designed to recognise employers who encourage and support the health and well-being of their employees. Ten per cent of the council’s 6,000 employees are taking part in the trial.

Claire Broad, who works in the council’s Prevention and Inclusion Department said: “The initiative is a great way of raising awareness among staff of the benefits of becoming more active. As a facilitator in one of the council selected work sites, I hope that the toolkit will continue to support and motivate staff to exercise beyond the life of the project."

Dr Andrew Vallance-Owen, deputy chairman of the BUPA Foundation, said: “Dr Lawton and her colleagues were awarded a specialist themed grant to fund projects which promote health in the workplace.

“This study will look at ways to encourage more physical activity in the workplace. With obesity levels increasing and jobs becoming ever more sedentary we hope that the findings will support ways to improve attitudes to health and well-being that are easily transferable to any workplace in future. We eagerly await the progress of the project.”

Staff from the Health and Safety laboratory, an agency of the Health and Safety Executive, are carrying out health checks on all participants in the trial. In each workplace a number of employees are trained to support and encourage their colleagues using the specially designed toolkit.

The trial will compare changes in behaviour, health and work for employees using the toolkit with a comparable group of employees who are not receiving the same motivational methods.

Other businesses interested in taking part in the trial should contact Dr McEachan, Research Fellow on 0113 3435734 or email R.McEachan@leeds.ac.uk For further information on the University of Leeds’ Institute of Psychological Sciences visit psyc.leeds.ac.uk.