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Boost Health at Work to Boost your Business

Health at work is high on the UK business agenda in 2022, as more companies are recognising the importance of investing in employee wellbeing.

The link between mental health and the ability to work well is being talked about more than ever. But what about physical wellbeing? Specifically, those everyday aches and pains that become more present as we age.

Conditions like lower back pain, neck and knee pain affect over a third of adults in the UK. 

This kind of non-specific pain is commonly accompanied with high levels of fatigue and loss of mobility and dexterity.

Together, these symptoms can steal life’s fundamentals, affecting how we move, think, sleep and feel, and even our ability to work and spend time with loved ones.

Pain at Work

When it comes to work – Musculoskeletal (MSK) health is a wellbeing issue that’s too often overlooked. But it’s having a significant impact on your employee’s health.

Over the last few years, as many people continued to work from kitchen tables rather than in an office, rates of musculoskeletal pain have increased across the board. In 2021, nearly 60% of UK employees reported current MSK pain, most commonly in their lower-back, neck and knees, and post pandemic these aches and pains aren’t going away as people come up against barriers to exercise such as time, cost, lack of confidence and knowledge of where to start.

Too much time sat down is effecting your health

On average, UK working adults are sitting for nearly 11 hours per day; two hours longer than the UK average.

NHS, 2019

The rise in poor MSK health appears to be linked to the time that employees are spending sedentary. 

Evidence consistently tells us that between 150-300 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each week is enough to reduce the risks of a sedentary lifestyle, including MSK pain, heart disease, diabetes, and low mood. The current UK government recommendation is a minimum of 2 ½ hours of fairly challenging physical exertion every week for adults.

Alongside increasing the risk of MSK pain, time spent sedentary is also associated with impaired work performance and reduced productivity.

Journal of Occupational Health, 2021

In the years before the pandemic, 30% of adults reported being inactive or having low activity, falling below the recommended weekly guidelines. Post-pandemic, that number has risen to 37%. 

To put it simply, more people than ever need help when it comes to staying active. 

What can you, the employer, do about it?

By introducing just 1 x  60 minute session of physical activity into the working week, you are almost 50% of the way there to that 150 minute minimum weekly goal.

Businesses also get the opportunity to increase their employees’ enjoyment of time spent working in the office rather than at home. Increase social interaction between colleagues and self-esteem, integrate new starters into the business ethos and help staff make healthier choices outside of work. 

By providing just one group exercise class at RESET for your employees inside work time, you can help to create a culture of care within your workplace and reduce the symptoms of a sedentary lifestyle including sick-leave associated with MSK pain.

To put it simply, more movement = less pain
Less pain = better productivity

LET US HELP

CORPORATE WELLBEING WITH FORM MCR

FORM MCR takes the hard work out of providing health, fitness and wellbeing perks in your business. Here are just three of the ways we’ve helped local businesses elevate their employees’ health and fitness at work.

Online Training

Subsidise the cost of your employees physical activity outside of working time by investing in our online training programmes. Manchester business CAVU recently enlisted FORM MCR to induct all 80 of their employees into their purpose built gym. Following induction employees will have an online training programme by FORM MCR, subsidised by Cavu. Our online training programmes are designed specifically for busy individuals with non-negotiable work and family commitments.

Group Classes

A weekly class is a fantastic opportunity to showcase how much you care about the health and wellbeing of your employees over a sustained period of time, where participants can see progress and you can see the return on investment. We specialise in making sure these classes are suitable for all, regardless of fitness level or past experience.

Choose from Yoga, Pilates or Barre – and the option to host these classes with us at RESET, in your office or a hybrid set-up of in-person & online.

Wellbeing Events

Networking events can be dull and uninspiring without a unique USP. Why not make wellbeing the focus? Freeths LLP hosted their Networking for Women event with us at Bloc, enjoyed a relaxing yoga class followed by lunch from Trove and cold-pressed juices from The Garden. 

Don’t want to pack your gym-kit? Let us provide an engaging wellbeing seminar or ‘lunch & learn’. Our qualified trainers and nutritionist will educate and inform your employees about dieting & exercise and a number of other wellbeing topics.

Some of the companies that are going above and beyond to look out for their employees’ health and wellbeing in the RESET studio this Summer.

Bruntwood enjoy a weekly yoga class every Monday inside the RESET studio, and said;

With colleagues based across five different regions, we always struggle to do events that are inclusive enough so that all our colleagues can enjoy them no matter where they are based.  We also recognise that our colleagues work different days and different times. The exclusive Bruntwood RESET yoga classes have been a great solution because we have upto 18 colleagues attending in person, unlimited numbers dialing in virtually to join the live session from other work locations or home and also we share the recording afterwards so that colleagues can enjoy the session whenever and wherever they like. This makes it a really great value wellbeing product and we have had some great feedback from colleagues who have been enjoying them

Leanne Mullen, Wellbeing Lead at Bruntwood

What else can you do?

Walking Meetings

A walking meeting is exactly as it sounds – taking your meeting out on the road. Getting outdoors is great for creative thinking, but more than that, walking meetings could mean an hour of steady state cardio in the bag.

Keep it to a handful of people at a time so that you can walk & talk together and have a destination in mind so you’re not tempted to turn back early. 

Group challenges 

Set up a group challenge like who can clock up the most amount of steps over the week or month.

A prize at the end, is a great way to introduce competition and camaraderie into work wellbeing initiatives. 

Alternatively, sign up to a challenge together like a local 10K and get weekly training sessions booked into your everyone’s schedule. Great Run even provides their own 12-week training plans to anyone entering into a run, so you don’t need a designated running coach – just someone willing to coax everyone out of the office to go jogging each week!


If you want FORM to piece together an effective workplace wellbeing programme for your business – get in touch today.

Boost Health at Work to Boost your Business

Boost Health at Work to Boost your Business

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