Promoting Employee Wellbeing Through Physical Activity: Mental Health Awareness Week 2024

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Promoting Employee Wellbeing Through Physical Activity: Mental Health Awareness Week 2024

As we mark Mental Health Awareness Week 2024, we are proud to support this year’s theme of promoting ‘moving more’ to enhance mental wellbeing. Physical activity has been widely recognised as a powerful tool in improving mental health.

The Mental Health Foundation’s report for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week provides valuable insights into the benefits of physical activity on mental wellbeing. According to the report, employees who engage in regular physical activity experience a range of positive effects on their mental health and overall wellbeing. These benefits include:

Reduced Tension, Stress, and Mental Fatigue: Physical activity can help alleviate feelings of tension, stress, and mental fatigue, promoting a sense of calm and relaxation.

Natural Energy Boost: Regular exercise has been shown to boost energy levels and combat feelings of lethargy and fatigue, helping employees stay focused and productive throughout the day.

Sense of Achievement: Setting and achieving physical activity goals can provide a sense of accomplishment, boosting confidence and self-esteem.

Increased Focus and Motivation: Physical activity has been linked to improved focus, concentration, and motivation, enhancing performance in both professional and personal endeavours.

Improved Emotional Wellbeing: Engaging in physical activity can reduce feelings of anger, frustration, and irritability, leading to a more positive and balanced emotional state.

Opportunity for Social Connection: Exercise provides an opportunity for employees to connect with others, whether through group fitness classes, team sports, or outdoor activities, fostering a sense of community and support.

How Employee Benefits Providers can assist your team in achieving their wellness goals

Reduce Cost of Gyms/Classes in Your Area: Many of our core benefit providers, including medical insurance and cash plans, offer access to gym and retail discount networks, as well as significant healthy discount offers as ancillary benefits. Through our partnered providers and discount portals, employees can easily locate gyms and fitness classes in their local areas at reduced costs, making it more convenient and affordable to stay active and healthy.

Access to More Facilities/Activities in Your Local Area: Many of our core benefit providers, extend beyond traditional healthcare offerings to include access to a wide range of facilities and activities in a local area. Whether it’s discounted gym memberships, fitness classes, or wellness programmes, they can provide resources to help your employees discover and take advantage of the health and wellness opportunities available to them nearby.

Finding an Activity Your employees Enjoy: Some providers offer ancillary benefits such as access to online fitness classes and assistance programmes that provide support, ideas, and inspiration to help employees find physical activities that they genuinely enjoy and look forward to.

Support and Ideas to help your employees Become More Physically Active: Many comprehensive benefits package includes resources such as articles, tips, and ideas around health activities to help employees become more physically active and lead healthier lifestyles. From workout tips to nutrition advice, they provide the guidance and support your team needs to make positive changes to their health and wellbeing.

The graph below from the Mental Health Foundation website illustrates what type of activity employees would find useful.

 

There are also many apps available for employees to download such as Parkrun. Additionally, the Mental Health Foundation has a movement tips page which you can see here.

In conclusion, prioritising employee mental health is not just a moral obligation, but a strategic business decision that can lead to reduced absenteeism, increased productivity, and legal compliance in caring for staff. We advocate for the inclusion of a confidential Assistance Programme in employee benefits packages, offering services such as a helpline, counselling, and wellness resources like apps for holistic support.

Let’s together create a workplace environment that values and supports the well-being of every individual. For more information or an informal chat to one of our Employee Benefit advisers contact us today on 0207 709 5560.