Member Article

Limber up for Office Games

If you didn’t take part in yesterday’s Great North Run, there are still ways to get active - even from your own desk. Sport England is challenging workers across the North East to get active this month with Office Games.

Office Games runs from October 2-31 and encourages employees to build activity into their working day. Top sports scientist Alan Pearson has produced a series of exercises specially designed for the office - from ‘the filing-cabinet shuffle’ to ‘photocopy push ups’ and ‘the tea dance’. Prizes are up for grabs for the organisations that show they are changing their workplace the most with Office Games each week.

Alan Pearson, who has consulted coaches for all Premiership football clubs and England Rugby, said: “Let’s face it, millions of people spend a huge amount of their average week in the office so why not use this opportunity to build some exercise into your working day, your journey to work and journey home?”

An Office Game to try today is Desk Disco Mirror Drills. Place office equipment such as pens, telephone, paper clips, calculator etc in all areas of the desk that is accessible from both sides. Working with a colleague and facing each other, one person takes the lead and lightly touches one of the pieces of equipment on the desk. The second person now has to mirror that exact movement and touch the same piece of equipment as quickly as possible. Stay focussed on your partner and try to anticipate colleague’s lead movements. Make sure you stay on the balls of your feet, like a boxer and are not flat-footed. This task increases heart rate, body temperature, balance, co-ordination and reactions.

Anyone can take part in Office Games, and larger workplace teams will be helped by appointing an ‘Office Games Manager’ to organise and motivate the team and keep tally of exercise levels achieved each week. For an Everyday Sport Office Games starter pack, log on to www.everydaysport.com or email everydaysport@sportengland.org with your company name.

The Everyday Sport campaign was launched after the Department of Health revealed that 76% of women and 63% of men in England are not doing the recommended amount of activity for a healthy life (30 minutes five times a week). Sport England has been set a target by Government of increasing participation in sport and physical activity by 3% over the next three years.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .