An overview of sit down workforces, CMO Guidelines, individual and business benefits to active workplaces - delivered by Andy Picken.

1. Physical Activity as medicine
in the Workplace
Virgin Money Lounge 12th November 2019
Presented by Andrew Picken National centre for
Sports and Exercise Medicine Sheffield. Workplace
Health Lead.

2. OBJECTIVES
“Keep people
moving”
1. A culture of inactivity
2. CMO Guidelines
3. Physical Activity as medicine (MSK)
4. How you can help yourself
5. Job specific proactive measures
6. Aerobic and strength components preventing MSK issues
7. Practical takeaway messages
8. Strength for life

3. 3

4. Overall, in 2017/18, 25% of people aged 16 years and over in England
were categorised as ‘physically inactive’ – that is, they did less than
30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity a week

5. According to research from AXA PPP healthcare, UK workers are
spending most of their working day sitting down, the average time
being nine hours a day.
A poll of 2000 workers found that 46% sit at work from between 4-
6 hours a day and 25% sit for 7-8 hours a day.
29% also sit as part of their daily commute for at least half an
hour. 27% sit during travel for between 30 and 60 minutes and
17% sit for commutes that take between one and two hours.

6. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AS MEDICINE
Move more – According to Stuart McGill, PhD in his book, “Low
Back Disorders”, moving and “fidgeting” while in a seated position
breaks the constant pressure placed on the body by gravity.
Constantly, changing seated or standing positions alleviates low
back strain and repositions the glutes.
Walk – The office worker seldom has the chance to exercise during
the day. Adding some “purposeful” movement, such as fast
walking, during a lunch break is important to circulating pooling
blood from the lower body, burn calories, and lengthens muscles.

7. Without regular use and exercise our muscles weaken and deteriorate. It's a
process called atrophy. Studies have shown that astronauts experience up
to a 20 percent loss of muscle mass on spaceflights lasting five to 11 days

8. It is thought excessive sitting slows the metabolism – which affects our
ability to regulate blood sugar and blood pressure, and metabolise fat – and
may cause weaker muscles and bones.
"Essentially, the body is 'shutting down' while sitting and there is little
muscle activity," says Professor Biddle.
Research on astronauts in the early 70s found life in zero gravity was linked
with accelerated bone and muscle loss and ageing.
"Sitting for an extended period of time is thought to simulate, albeit to a
lesser degree, the effects of weightlessness on astronauts," says Professor
Biddle.

10. The impact of MSK in numbers
Sources: Health Survey for England, 2013; Health and wellbeing at work: a survey of employees, 2014; Labour Force Survey analyses, various years; Vaughan-Jones & Barham, 2009; Routes onto Employment and Support
Allowance, 2011
1in8
of the working agepopulation
reported having anMSK
Employment rate
for people who report MSK as
their main health conditionis
59.7%
In 2013, more days of sickness absence were attributed to
back, neck and muscle pain than any othercause.
In 2013,
30.6m
days of sicknessabsence
could be attributed toMSK
23%
of all working dayslost
33%
of Englishlong-term
sickness absence
is attributed toMSK
Anestimated
9.5m
working days were lost due
to work relatedMSK,
an average of 17 days lost for each
case.. This represents 40% of all
days lost due to work related ill-
health in2014/15. Agriculture;
construction; health and social
care; andtransportation and
storage industries all show
elevated rates ofMSK.
In 2015,
13%
of Employment and Support Allowance(ESA)
recipients reported MSK as their maincondition
In 2010, ESA claimants with
MSK were morelikelythan
those withother conditions,
to attribute their health
conditions to work–
36%
related it towork
The prevalence ofMSK
in the workforce is likely toincrease
6.5m
in 2008
7m
in2030

11. Musculoskeletal health in Greenwich
20% of primary care
workload72% of people with Hip OA
are overweight or obese
76% of people with Knee
OA are overweight or
obese
45% of people with hip or knee OA are
sedentary
Arthritis Research UK MSK
calculator
Joint affected by OA Total number of people Percentage *
Hip 8936 11.06%
Knee 14751 28.26%

12. What you can do – reducing the risk
through Physical activity.

13. Making Physical Activity
a Part of Your Life.
There are 1440 minutes in every day...
Schedule 30 of them for physical activity.

14. Studies have linked excessive sitting with being overweight and obese, type 2
diabetes, some types of cancer, and early death. Sitting for long periods is
thought to slow the metabolism, which affects the body's ability to regulate
blood sugar, blood pressure and break down body fat.

16. A life course approach
"Those who think they have no time for bodily exercise will sooner or
later have to find time for illness." Edward Stanley (1826-1893)”
7

17. Aerobic Fitness
Defined – The body’s ability to take in and use oxygen
to produce energy. Aerobic activities make you breathe
hard & they increase your heart rate.
Some of these activities include:
- Jogging
- Walking
- Stair use
- Bicycling

18. Muscular Fitness
Defined – The strength and endurance of your muscles.
Benefits:
Improve performance
Injury prevention
Improves body composition
Improves self image
Some activities include:
- Weight Lifting
- Push-Ups

19. Grip Strength and health

20. • Decline starts at 45 with major drops at
65 and 80, accelerates more rapidly with
disuse and increases chance of disability
(Bell et al, 2016).
• ‘50% of the physical decline associated
with ageing is actually disuse atrophy
resulting from inactivity’ (Jette et al,
1999).
• Especially important for women to
maintain strength & bone health (Cruz-
Jentoft et al, 2010).
• Covert and happens over many years.
45y point of
‘accelerated aging’.
Strength Levels through the
lifespan

21. So why is it important?
Muscle mass preserves strength &
enables movement
Regulates metabolism
Makes the body more resilient to
illness or injury
10,000 steps a day can maintain
muscle mass, strength training
increases it.
Muscle mass has a protective effect
on all round health.

23. Employee health and wellbeing schemes aim to:
reduce direct healthcare costs;
build and sustain high employee morale;
drive effective recruitment and retention;
improve productivity; and
reduce the damaging trend of presenteeism.
Why do we need to look after our employees’ wellbeing?
According to a CIPD survey of more than 1000 HR professionals,
bosses who take employee health and wellbeing seriously enjoy a
healthier and more inclusive culture (35%) and lower staff sickness
(31%).

24. BRANDING

25. Walk,run and cycle days

26. B. Braun team Second place out of 100 businesses in the June Move
More workplace challenge receiving trophy at awards ceremony (June
2017) 2018 most active workplace in Sheffield (150 workplaces) 2019
won most active team.

27. H&W PROGRAME STRUCTURE
1. Two 6 month H&W Programmes
2. Partners with outdoor city, NCSEM, RSPH, Local partner to increase
range of activities and draw on evidence base
3. Steered by an Employee H&W Group made up of Employees.
4. Links into TEF (The Employee Forum)
5. Links into new MH Strategy
6. Works with pay and benefits
7. Contributes to HR engagement rates, CSR Objectives and recruitment
strategy through H&W EXPOSURE
8. Keeps abreast of Health trends and latest evidence base to inform
activities
9. Works with internal and external vendors for specific expertise
10. Provides events and marketing opportunities.

30. Physical Activity in the
Workplace
CREDITS TO Professor Anthony D Woolf
Bone and Joint Research Group, Royal
Cornwall Hospital & University of
Exeter Medical School
Business in the Community Toolkit

31. Grip Strength Norms