Friday, May 08, 2009

Stealth by Health

There's a health initiative at the moment going on at work, not because of the swine flu (sorry, I believe the media hype is just to make pharmaceutical companies even richer...) but basically because the company has cottoned onto the fact that healthy employees with good well-being equals less sick days.

I was volunteered by the boss to be the department's 'Health Rep', which basically means attending meetings, a bit of brainstorming and then letting the members of the team know what's going on and pass on ideas and stuff. We're a pretty healthy team anyway - nearly all of us are gym members (and attendees) and we have a tri-athlete and marathon runner amongst us.

The key numbers for this initiative?

0 = zero tobacco
5 = five fruit/veg a day
10 = 10, 000 steps a day
25 = 25 BMI (Body Mass Index) or less

Ooh, nothing about alcohol in there then, but I'm pretty good these days! Anyway, don't smoke, probably manage on average 3-5 fruit/veg a day, no idea how many steps I do a day (not many) and my BMI is around 22.

Like many people, unless I'm meeting up for a natter with the glamorous C, I sit at my desk most days to eat my lunch at work. Not very hygienic or healthy I know but it's what I do. Also, I don't tend to walk anywhere (unless I'm out shopping) - walking to and from my car and walking to and from my desk to toilet is all the walking I do most days.

Yesterday was rather different.

Clad in an oversized t-shirt with Health Rep emblazoned on the back, I went for a jolly 2.5 mile walk around Sale Water Park in sunshine on our first organised lunchtime walk.

The walk was surprisingly invigorating, although at a pace that was a little too slow for my liking.
I'll probably do this again, it was nice to get out, look at the ducks and geese.

Of course, it's possible that our syndicate will win the lotto tonight and I don't have to go to work any more and the next time I walk, it's a stroll on some foreign exotic beach…we can all dream!

Speculate to accumulate, that's how we've justified how much we've spent on tonight's Euromillions…

Someone's got to win it and why not us?

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous10:28 pm

    Going out for a short brisk walk somewhere pleasant at lunchtime is always a good thing and I have generally tried to do that. it def pays off in terms of brain power and feeling awake in the pm.

    I would fit in your team - not sure I eat the 5 a day - unless cheese counts as a vegetable and a glass of wine as a fruit - but the rest I do easily. I'll join as long as I don't have to do any work as well!!

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