Vigorous Physical Activity Reduces Sickness Absence

A recent study found that men and women who were vigorously active reduced their amount of sickness absence. It seems as though most health benefits occur with moderate to vigorous physical activity. Have you ever wondered what moderate to vigorous activity really means?

Moderate Activities include:
- Walking with a purpose
- In-Line skating
- Bicycling on flat ground
- Recreational dancing
- Frisbee
- Recreational swimming

Vigorous Activities include:
- Jogging or running
- Bicycling on rolling terrain
- Aerobic dancing
- Jumping rope
- Competitive sports such as soccer, basketball, or touch football

The study examined an aging population (aged 40-60) and acknowledges that there are some limitations. One listed is that if people are vigorously active they may be part of a group that leads an overall healthy lifestyle. Workplace health promotion can play a key role in helping improve the lives of employees causing a positive domino effect in the work environment. Some positive benefits include:

- cost savings from reduced absenteeism
- reducing musculoskeletal symptoms
- preventing lower back pain
- improve overall health and well-being
- reduce risk taking behaviour

If you are not sure whether you have workplace health promotion, look into it. It may have a positive impact on your quality of life.

References

• Jenkins, A., Christensen, H., Walker, J., & Dear, K. (2009). The Effectiveness of Distance Interventions for Increasing Physical Activity: A Review. American Journal of Health Promotion, 24(2), 102-117.
• Lahti, J., Laaksonen, M., Lahelma, E., & Rahkonen, O. (2010). The impact of physical activity on sickness absence. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 20(2), 191-199.

Stay Healthy, Save Money and the Environment - Bike to Work

Incorporating cycling into your work week will keep you strong and healthy, save you money and gives the added bonus of being easy on the environment. Environment week in Canada (June 3-6) is coming up soon and we would like to encourage all of you to get on your bikes and ride to work that week!

We all know that cycling has many benefits that include improved muscle tone, increased stamina and reduced stress, but did you realize just how much cycling to work can help save you money? If you currently drive your car to work every day, getting on your bike could help you:

• Save up to $50 a week on gas 
• Eliminate parking fees 
• Lower cost tune-ups for bike and vehicle 
• Lower your car insurance rates 

Even if you commute only a handful of times, it's better than none at all because:

• Cycling uses no fuel 
• Bicycles take a lot less energy to make a than a car 
• Bikes don't require toxic batteries or motor oil 
• Cycling significantly reduces transportation emissions and traffic congestion

If you’re still uncomfortable with the idea of riding to work, recruit a friend to ride with you or go for a dry run on the weekend to map out your route to get an estimation of how much time it will take. If you live too far from work, commute for a portion of your trip and keep your bike at a public transportation stop.

Commuting by bike is first and foremost supposed to be fun! There are many reasons people start cycling to work but it’s the daily enjoyment that keep people getting on their bikes day after day.

If you would like more information on cycling to work, check out the included links and resources from the SIRC collection.

References from the SIRC Collection

1. Dewey A. Why Your Business Should be Bicycle Friendly. American Bicyclist [serial online]. July 2009;:9.

Hamilton A. Take heart and bike to work. Cycling Weekly [serial online]. March 2012;:41.

2. Hawkins K. Bikes: The "Green" Machines that are Moving Vancouver toward Sustainability. Bicycle Paper [serial online]. August 2011;40(6):1-8.

3. Panter J, Jones A. Attitudes and the Environment as Determinants of Active Travel in Adults: What Do and Don't We Know?. Journal Of Physical Activity & Health [serial online]. July 2010;7(4):551-561.

4. Shephard R. Is Active Commuting the Answer to Population Health?. Sports Medicine [serial online].

5. Stuart P. Turn your commute into a training ride. Cycling Weekly [serial online]. January 19, 2012;:42-45

Workplace Health Promotion

Workplaces everywhere are feeling the impact of current health levels of the Canadian workforce with: high stress, poor job satisfaction, growing absenteeism, high turnover, and mistakes caused by physical and mental fatigue.  A healthy workplace creates happier, productive employees, which in the end increases your bottom line. It simply makes good business sense to invest in your work environment by promoting a healthy active lifestyle.

According to the Conference Board of Canada, the Canadian economy lost an estimated $16.6 billion last year due to absenteeism in the workplace. 

Why should we promote health in the workplace?

1. Reduced health care costs, absenteeism, staff turnover, worker compensation claims, and on the job injuries.
2. Increased quality and quantity of production.
3. Improved job satisfaction, employee morale, and corporate image.
4. Fewer workplace conflicts.

Tips for creating a healthy workplace: 

• Design a comprehensive program (some of these suggestions will depend on the size of your workplace) - planning may include: forming a wellness committee and a budget, getting management support, discovering the make up of your workforce (interests, shifts and location of employees), determining your target audience, and discussing your overall goals and objectives.
• Emphasize healthy weight loss through balanced nutrition, moderate exercise and behavioural changes. Create awareness of your program through emails, flyers and bulletin boards.
• Create an informal environment where participants can feel comfortable sharing frustrations, successes and failures. A supportive peer environment is essential in the success of any workplace health promotion program. Try to foster an idea of team spirit among your staff.
• Organize creative workplace activities, for example try out the 10,000 steps initiative, bike to work day or week, a fitness challenge, or a holiday cooking contest that features a healthy version of a holiday recipe.

Even if you aren't in the position to implement a program, there are many small steps you can take to encourage health and wellness. Implementing one component at a time can act like a trial run, it gives you the opportunity to see how employees respond and lets you gauge whether or not a more in depth program may be useful in the future. Whichever you choose - even a small step in the direction of health promotion - can have a positive impact on your workplace environment.

References from the SIRC Collection:

1. Archer S. Health Is Wealth: THE RISE OF WORKPLACE WELLNESS. IDEA Fitness Journal. May 2012;9(5):37-44.
2. DeJoy D, Wilson M. Organizational health promotion: broadening the horizon of workplace health promotion. American Journal Of Health Promotion. May 2003;17(5):337-341.
3. Linnan L, Fisher E, Flood S. THE POWER AND POTENTIAL OF PEER SUPPORT IN WORKPLACE INTERVENTIONS. American Journal Of Health Promotion. September 2013;28(1):TAHP-2-TAHP-10.
4. Machen R, Cuddihy T, Reaburn P, Higgins H. Development of a Workplace Wellness Promotion Pilot Framework: A Case Study of the Blue Care Staff Wellness Program. Asia-Pacific Journal Of Health, Sport & Physical Education. August 2010;1(2):13-20. 
5. Mills P, Kessler R, Cooper J, Sullivan S. Impact of a Health Promotion Program on Employee Health Risks and Work Productivity. American Journal Of Health Promotion. September 2007;22(1):45-53.
6. St. George A, King L, Newson R, Wells V, Campbell M. Implementing workplace health promotion initiatives: who should we target?. Health Promotion Journal Of Australia. August 2012;23(2):134-140.