Fit for Office returns to Westminster
Politicians across Westminster have been invited to celebrate the importance of physical activity and lead by example by joining ‘Fit for Office’, a challenge that encourages them to be more active.
Organised by ukactive and supported by global fitness tracking provider Myzone, the task will return to Westminster in March following a successful pilot in 2022.
Aiming to raise awareness among all working at Westminster, ‘Fit for Office’ will promote the benefits of physical activity for physical, mental and social wellbeing, and its importance to the communities MPs serve.
Participants will be given an MZ-Switch heart rate monitor that measures their physical activity across the month, with the technology tracking ‘effort’ levels rather than volume or distance covered – ensuring the challenge can be enjoyed and accessed by all.
They will then accrue Myzone Effort Points (MEPs) that can be collected by exercising within the target heart-rate zones over a given period – the more effort that is put into each workout or activity, the more points that can be earned.
The initiative has been announced with the nation on the edge of a general election, helping Westminster to stay healthy and positive by ensuring they are meeting the World Health Organization’s recommended guidelines for physical activity (150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic a week).
Figures show that ill health among workers is costing the government £150bn a year, which is up 60% in the last six years.
With their promotion of the challenge, MPs can show support for the physical activity sector – which is helping to prevent 20 chronic conditions including type 2 diabetes, cancer, depression and dementia – generating more than £4.1bn in healthcare savings every year.
The last edition of the friendly competition saw the office of Antony Higginbotham, Conservative MP for Burnley, take top spot on the leaderboard by collecting over 11,846 MEPs.
For more information on the scheme and to register, please contact stephenmcloughlin@ukactive.org.uk
