EXPLORING THE ACTIVE BREAK COURSE: A PATHWAY TO HEALTHIER WORKDAYS
The Purpose of the Active Break Course
The Active Break course is a wellness initiative designed to combat the sedentary nature of office work by encouraging employees to incorporate regular physical activity into their daily routines.
The aim of the Active Break course is to educating office workers on the risks of excessive sitting and providing them with the informational tools and strategies to examine their own habits and routines.
Active Break aims to encourages a workday behaviour change which will improve employee health, productivity, and overall wellbeing by leveraging the routines of the workday and transforming them into opportunities for movement, energizing breaks, and improved focus.
The Active Break Course Overview
The goal of the Active Break Course is to equip office workers with the tools they need to transform sedentary behaviour into active routines.
By promoting a healthy workday that balances productivity and personal well-being. We aim to inspire people to break free from the habit of prolonged sitting, find opportunities to move through the workday.
Each lesson is carefully crafted to not only share knowledge but also to guide people through practical steps towards embedding healthy, active habits into your daily life.
Lesson 1 - you'll discover the dangers of prolonged sitting, understand the benefits of incorporating more movement into your day, and evaluate your current activity levels.
Lesson 2 – you’ll explore practical methods to integrate short, effective movement practices throughout your day, ensuring you respond to your body's signals to move.
Lesson 3 – you’ll identify triggers that can transform your intention into action and establish reminders and breaks that foster new movement habits.
Lesson 4 – you’ll pinpoint opportunities for incorporating movement into your daily routine.
Lesson 5 – you’ll evaluate the movement strategies you've implemented, noting the activities you enjoy and the positive impacts on your health and well-being.
As you work through the course you will reflect on your current activity levels, hopefully you'll realize that small, manageable changes are possible and achievable.
Setting simple reminders for movement breaks, you'll can move towards a more active daily routine where your good intentions start turning into consistent, active behaviours. Ultimately, it’s about finding what works best for you and making it part of your routine.
Throughout the course you will test different strategies, experiment with activities, some you might like, some you won’t. At each stage you will be able to reflect and adjust so you can tailor your movement work for your day.
At the end of the course, you will have the knowledge, tools and strategies you need to combat the sedentary office behaviours with active breaks and work towards a healthier, more energetic you.
Integrating Active Break into Health & Safety Training
In the UK, if employees regularly work with Display Screen Equipment (DSE) the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 advise that employers must analyse workstations to assess and reduce risk, make sure controls are in place, provide information and training, provide eye and eyesight tests on request.
DSE are devices and equipment like display screens, laptops and touch screens, most of which are commonly used in the office workspace.
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), taking regular breaks from DSE work can help prevent issues such as fatigue, eye strain, and back pain. Their recommendations include:
Stretching and Changing Positions: Regularly adjust your posture and stretch.
Looking into the Distance and Blinking: Frequently look away from the screen and blink to reduce eye strain.
Changing Activities: Switch tasks before you become overly tired to maintain productivity and comfort.
Taking Short, Frequent Breaks: These are more effective than longer, less frequent breaks.
Although the law requires breaks or changes of activity, it doesn’t specific durations or frequencies. The appropriate timing of breaks will depend on the nature of the work and individual needs.
The Active Break Course can form part of the health and safety training for employees who use DSE.
By incorporating the Active Break Course into training programs, employers can ensure that staff are not only informed about the importance of regular breaks but also equipped with practical strategies to incorporate movement into their workday.
10 Key Benefits for Employers
Integrating the Active Break course into your workplace wellness programme can provide several advantages beyond compliance with health and safety regulations.
By promoting regular physical activity and wellbeing employers can encourage a more productive, engaged workforce, other potential benefits include:
Compliance with Regulations: The Active Break Course helps employers meet their legal obligations under the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 by providing structured guidance on taking breaks and integrating physical activity.
Practical Implementation: Offers actionable advice on how to take breaks, including the type and duration of activities, aligning with HSE's guidance on short, frequent breaks.
Customizable to Work Demands: Strategies can be tailored to different types of work, providing adaptable movement solutions for both intensive screen work and less demanding tasks.
Promoting Employee Wellbeing: Regular movement breaks reduce the risks associated with prolonged sitting, such as musculoskeletal issues and eye strain, improving both physical health and mental well-being.
Improving Employee Health: Encourages regular physical activity, reducing risks of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and musculoskeletal issues, leading to a healthier and more energetic workforce.
Reducing Stress: Physical activity effectively reduces stress, with short active breaks helping to alleviate tension and improve mental resilience. Regular movement also helps regulate cortisol levels, fostering a more relaxed and focused workforce.
Increasing Productivity: Enhances cognitive function, including concentration, memory, and problem-solving skills. Active breaks re-energize employees, improving focus and efficiency.
Reducing Healthcare Costs: A healthier workforce incurs lower healthcare costs. Promoting physical activity and overall well-being can help prevent or manage chronic health conditions, reducing expenses.
Decreasing Absenteeism: Regular physical activity is linked to reduced absenteeism rates. Promoting a culture of movement can lead to fewer instances of illness or injury-related absences.
Encouraging Employee Retention: Wellness initiatives enhance employee satisfaction and loyalty. Demonstrating a commitment to employee health and well-being makes employees feel valued, leading to greater job satisfaction and retention, and lower turnover rates.
By investing in initiatives that prioritise physical activity and wellbeing, organisations can create a happier, healthier, and more engaged workforce. This can lead to benefits for both the employee and the company.
Integrating programmes like Active Break Challenge into the suite of corporate wellness practices HR and Wellbeing Managers can empower employees to take control of their health and wellbeing during the workday.
Encouraged to take regular breaks from their desk and incorporate physical activity into their daily routines, employees can not only counteract the negative effects of prolonged sitting but recharge their bodies and minds, so they have more energy and focus to achieve the business goals.
By investing in employee wellbeing organisations lay the foundations for a sustainable and prosperous future where people thrive both personally and professionally.
Practical Steps for Employers
To effectively integrate the Active Break course into your workplace wellness programme, consider the following steps:
Information and Training Sessions: Include the Active Break Course in mandatory health and safety training sessions. Begin by scheduling the roll-out as part of your regular employee onboarding and periodic refresher training.
Implement Active Policies: Promote the idea that short, frequent breaks are more beneficial than longer, less frequent ones and encourage employees to listen to their bodies and take breaks when needed, rather than waiting until they are already fatigued.
Flexible Break Schedules: Encourage employees to take control of when to take short, frequent breaks that fit their work patterns and personal needs, as long as the workflow and productivity are maintained.
Monitoring and Support: Check in with employees through surveys or line-management discussions to ensure they have the support and capability needed to integrate active breaks into their routines.
Get in Touch
Reach out to Active Break to discuss the course and your specific workplace needs.
