6 Good reasons to be at work on a sunny day!

Hi folks,

With pretty much all the country having glorious sunshine at the moment many of us would rather be off work. But if work sometimes feels dull, remember that being at work doesn’t just pay the bills! Whether we realise it or not, our workplace and type of job serves many other needs that we have healthy human beings:

1. It focuses our mind on a task or tests it with multi-tasking

2. It gives us a sense of challenge & reward (especially if we enjoy our jobs)

3. It gives our lifestyle routine & structure

4. It offers a change of environment(s)

5. In most cases it provides us with a setting for social interaction, expanding our communication skills & friend-base.

6. ..& yes, it’s even scientifically proven to have therapeutic value!

The government have realised that these points above are vital in society and have launched the ‘Fit-note’ as part of the Early return To Work scheme (replacing the sick-note). Basically, if someone is out of work due to illness, retirement, or even if they don’t financially need to work, then many of the 6 key elements start to disappear. This can ultimately lead to forms of depression, low confidence, low quality of life and poor health…..not good eh!

So next time you’re struggling at work, think if it’s ticking these 6 boxes. Similarly, if you’re out of work for whatever reason, try to involve activities in your lifestyle that equally tick the same 6 boxes.

Have an awesome weekend & get the BBQ on!

James

Junk food tax!

Hi folks,

Great week for blogging this week! Have you heard about the potential tax to be added on unhealthy foods?

As a health professional I’m sure you’ll guess what my thoughts on this are. Being that the most powerful way to influence people’s decisions is through money, it has the potential to have a massive affect on our culture in the UK, but only IF it is done in the right way. Some may say that this is another way of the government trying to take away our free choice, but I see it more as them having a positive influence towards our health, & therefore reducing health costs for the UK.

Look at what it has done for cigarettes! Significant amounts of people have given up smoking as a result of higher prices, saving themselves & NHS millions. Those who still wish to smoke can if they are prepared to pay for it, which may indirectly go towards any associated medical treatment. Why shouldn’t junk food go the same way?

The first step may be to put the ‘fat tax’ on the worst offenders (e.g. take-always, energy drinks, sweets, pastries, alcohol etc) then consult nutritionists at the highest level over any further decisions. I have a sweet tooth & crave the chippy just like anyone else but really try to eat healthily. Now these foods may become expensive so people can only afford them every so often, however that’s exactly what they should be – A TREAT!

Even though food manufactures have become a lot more responsible recently by displaying more nutritional information on their packaging, it is still a minefield out there so this new approach may help further educate people about what they’re eating & get them to actually take it seriously. There’s so much healthy & tasty food available but due to our cultures, habits, & possibly up-bringing, many people have never experienced ‘real’ food as the major part of their diet before.

I know I am a bit bias & may only see one side of the discussion, so let me know your thoughts on how it will affect you & the people you know!

Thanks

james

Killer Commutes!

Hi folks,

I read an article this week on commuting that I thought you may be interested in. When considering workforce health we normally concentrate what goes on within the walls of our workplace & don’t look at the bigger picture. The vast majority of us commute to work and this usually involves a sedentary (often sitting) position, so the key question is how long does the commute take?

A 7yr long U.S study found that those commuting significant distances also have a tendency for low cardiovascular fitness, absence of intense exercise activity, higher body fat %, & raised blood pressure levels. Specifically, a commute of 16km+ was correlated with higher blood pressure levels. An earlier study found that for every additional hour spent in a car, the likelihood of obesity rose by 6%.

So by having a longer commute this means a longer day and therefore less time in their lifestyle to be active, eat well, recover etc. and who can blame them! Being ‘healthy’ is bound to take a back-burner when you get home after being stuck in a traffic jam or crowed bus/ train for hours, plus this will raise most people’s stress levels which will of course negatively affect their health further.

So what can we do? Maybe these pointers should be a priority:

•         Commute by bike, walk or jog in if possible.

•         Opt to stand on busses / trains instead of sitting

•         Move jobs / house so your commute is shorter

•         Be as active as you can at work to off-set travel sedentary.

These changes can make a huge difference to your health & lifestyle.  Studies show that the happiest cities in the world are also the ones with the highest rates of cycling!

Thanks

James

Be Healthy - add some Food Colour!

Be healthy - add some food colour!

Hi folks,

We all know that a healthy nutrition consists of fruit & vegetables, lean meats, some wholegrains & plenty of water right! But how many of us stick to the same fruit & veg every week? The natural chemicals that give different foods their colour also have their own health properties, so it’s time to do yourself a quick mental review & see.

Fruit & veg is so versatile that’s it doesn’t have to be boring. Grab a piece of paper & jot these foods down to form an ultra healthy & tasty shopping list:

Reds, oranges, yellows, & Purples:

These foods can all help reduce the risk of developing the main ‘killers’ in our society today; various cancers, heart disease, & strokes. Many are also bursting with antioxidants which help reduce damage to your cells.

Include these: Tomatoes, beetroot (unpickled), peppers, radishes, strawberries, watermelon, cranberries, cherries, apples. Sweet potatoes, apricots, carrots, oranges, peaches, & pineapple. Plums, blueberries, blackberries, grapes, raisins, figs, & aubergine (egg plant).

Whites:

White vegetables can help also help reduce the ‘killers’ but additionally lower your blood pressure & cholesterol (HDL) levels.

Include these: Cauliflower, onions, garlic, potatoes, mushrooms, ginger, turnips, & bananas.

Greens:    

Greens contain powerful anti-cancer properties as well as giving us lots of additional vital nutrients. 

Include these: Broccoli, green beans, spinach, lettuce, cucumbers, kiwi fruit, avocados’ & even those sprouts!

Obviously there is a lot of food here & your shopping bill would be huge, so try to pick out several from each category that you are most likely to use. Also go for ones that are in season, are most versatile, & that you can use as snacks. Then after a while try to rotate your choices.   

If you’re interesting in a workshop on workplace nutrition then please contact me.

Thanks

James.

Creating Energy instead of Fatigue

Hi folks,

Here’s another concept that I find interesting from the Loughborough convention that I talked about last week….. Creating energy instead of fatigue.

Lots of people want to feel better so they aim to boost their health. However being healthy includes exercise, which often involves fatiguing our muscles, but then we feel knackered right? which from one angle sounds a bit backwards.

So rather than using lots of energy pushing our bodies to the limits to feel knackered, how about using a little energy to create more energy so that we feel great? Yoga, Tia Chi, plus various forms of stretching & meditation are all designed to have this affect. That’s why they are very successful for people with medical conditions as well as people who struggle with stress. If your goal is to improve your vitality & energy levels then these type of exercises may be for you, further improved by good quality sleep, a balanced nutrition, & making time for yourself.

Those of you who do enjoy regular higher intensity exercise are probably saying “but I do feel awesome after my workout” which is great because that means you’re getting the endorphin high from it, but you’ll also be familiar with the aches that follow a hard workout too. These are your muscles hurting & rebuilding after stressing them out.

Basically, if you want to change the shape / composition of your body, cardio fitness, & strength then the higher intensity exercise is best. But if you’re happy with all this & just want to feel great while promoting your internal health, then go for the energy-creating’ forms of exercise. When considering workforce health, then the type of industry & job roles become important in deciding which form of exercise to implement.

Have a think about what’s important to you & what type / combination of exercise will suit this.

Thanks,

James

Whats your Style?

   

Hi Folks,

I recently got back from THE health & fitness Industry’s annual convention held at Loughborough University. My aim is to listen to the latest material presented by the world’s top speakers, & then apply it to the workforce health in a realistic way. This year featured a lot of biomechanical sessions, teaching us how to look after our backs by developing a healthy pelvis. Hang on – isn’t this something I blogged on lastyear? (…smug face)

Many exercises to do this involved wacky tri-planar movements which were quite amusing to do but all these were simply exaggerations of what our body does (or should do) when walking.

So next you’re walking on a treadmill or walking down the corridor at work, I’d like you to think about 2 things:

1. Notice the walking ‘style’ of others around / passing you.
2. Be conscious of your own walking style.

By ‘style’ I mean are the feet or knees facing outwards? How far are they / you leaning forwards? Are the strides equal length? Are the shoulders rigid or swaying? What position is the head in? ……make a 5 sec assessment quick!

If biomechanically healthy then it should look even or balanced, that they move easily & all body parts are involved. If this is happening then look at their belly button (or where is would be if uncovered), it should be the point at which every thing else pivots around. This is the most important assessment.

Think of how a model walks on the catwalk, well besides crossing the feet over this is how we all should walk. But fella’s before you get too worried, let’s tone it down slightly. If everyone just lifts the ribcage up off the pelvis, eyes forward (not down at your iphone) & allows the arms to sway opposite to your stride then you’ve got it. It’s what we do naturally so let’s learn to stop inhibiting it. A sexy walk looks attractive for a reason!

More lessons from Loughborough coming soon,

James.

Are you built to exercise?

Hi folks,

We’ve all heard people say “I’m just not made to exercise” or “its easy for them, they’re suited to exercise” but is there actually any truth in it? You might have heard about people whose genetics make them either high or low responders to exercise. Basically this another way, this is the difference in results if two people were given the exact same exercise & nutrition plan to follow.

Aerobic exercise: According to some studies, there can be a 3 to 10-fold difference between low & high responders over a 15-20 week period.  This difference could be in the form of recovery speed, aerobic endurance, or calorie burning efficiency. On top of this, some people may be more suited to long endurance exercise & some to short sprints. Unfortunately there is no visible way of telling who is a high responder & who is a low responder, you have to undergo scientific testing.

Strength: Variations in response to weights training are well known. The potential to gain muscle size largely depends on the ratio of slow-twitch & fast-twitch muscle fiber’s the person has (i/e. a naturally taller / leaner person will find it harder to build muscle mass doing the same weights routine as someone naturally stockier). So this is a response that we can predict, just look at our body type.

Overall the messages to take away from this are:

·        Choose an exercise that you enjoy (even if you aren’t very good at it). If you enjoy it you will stick to it, which means you will get some results.

·        If you’re body type makes it harder to meet your desired goals, don’t be put-off you can still make a significant improvement!

·        If you want to excel in a sport or the gym then choose the type of exercise that suits your body / genetics, it will give you an advantage.

·        Eat well (especially lots of vegetables & lean meat)

·        Recover well & get your 7-8hrs of sleep per night

Hope this helps any body who is disheartened by exercise or gives you direction if you want to really progress.

Thanks

James 

Check out our 3min Video

Hi folks,

Keeping it short this week as I know you're all out panic buying Easter eggs, - I was! I've recently been working with SMart Wind, a leading consortium in the wind energy industry. We had it filmed so let the video do all the talking - take quick look:

http://www.occupational-fitness.com/smartwind


If you like it & would like me to deliver elements of this to your workforce then contact me!

thanks & have a great bank holiday weekend,

James

Feeling run down?

Hi folks,

As you probably know, I’m really interested in combating elements such as absenteeism in the workplace so that it reduces the drain on both the employee & the employer, however the one thing that is worse is Presentee’ism! This is were an employee is sick / injured but soldiers on without taking the necessary action.

Many of us can relate to this as we may think that we are far to busy to lose time to sickness, that we are the only person to do the job, that its’ only a sniffle / niggle & that its not really affecting our performance, that we cant afford time off, or that it will show us in a negative light. Sound familiar??? In our fast paced & high pressured culture we put pressure on ourselves that weakens our immune system, & then don’t allow ourselves to recover. In many cases this presentee’ism actually ends up having a greater impact (productivity, colleague stress, relationships, & safety) on ourselves & work than if we took a little time off.

Those dreaded words ‘time off’ don’t have to be so drastic, seen the Fit-Note? This was designed to replace the sick-note in order to offer more flexibility in the workplace & combat the spiralling dangers of being off work. Your GP can use it to say what you CAN do & works with the temporary choices listed below:

1. Altered hours                 (e.g 6hr shifts)

2. Part time                        (3 full days per week)

3. Altered duties               (admin instead of physical)

4. Workplace adaptations (ergonomic assessment / equipment)

Why not use these options next time you find yourself in presentee’ism? They are valuable short term solutions which will probably be the best course of action for you personally & your employer.

Thanks,

James

Do you need protein supplements?

Hi folks,

As a trainer this is one of the most common questions I get asked, usually by lads who want to gain weight &/ or increase muscle mass. Basically it comes down to the extent of our protein requirement. It differs from source to source but to maintain your current state we need about 75% of our body weight (kg’s) in grams per day. If you want to gain muscle you need to take up to 150% of your bodyweight in grams of protein (as well as the right weights training of course).

So how much protein are you getting from your food? Well a chicken breast may be approximately 20g, tinned tuna 30g, & don’t forget to count in things like bread with up to 4g per slice. Make a quick food diary of a typical day’s intake & see how much you are getting. 

Shakes tend to boast as much as 50g protein per serving! However research suggests we can only digest approx 30g per intake & that’s only if we have the right combination of other compounds present (including BCAA’s & carbohydrates). You can buy these as add-on supplements but why pay more when the right balance is naturally present in real food? It’s cheaper & contains valuable extra vitamins / minerals, & doesn’t need the added sugars to make them taste nice.

Shakes became fashionable when some research emerged saying that you have a 20min ‘window’ to get protein inside after a workout. Since then, other research says that there is no rush for protein & that as long as protein source is eaten between exercise & bedtime then that’s fine.

So I’m sure you can see it’s much better all round to get your protein from varied foods such as:

•         Lean meat (turkey, chicken)

•         Fish

•         Eggs

•         Nuts

•         Dairy products

•         Soya products

The only situation that I’d advise protein shakes is when someone’s training is really intense (such as an athlete) or that their muscle weight is so huge, that they cannot realistically eat the required amount from food alone.

Hope this sheds some light on the topic.

James

Sedentary is the Enemy!

Hi Folks,

As you may have seen by my recent Tweet & LinkedIn updates, I attended the latest ‘Health & Wellbeing @ Work’ conference at the Birmingham NEC. It was a great few days to see what other companies are already doing & to listen to (& ask questions to) industry leading speakers.

The main sessions that I was interested in were those on lower back pain & those on repetitive strain injuries. However, most of the information was about treatment methods & rehab, where as I’m passionate about PREVENTION. When looking back over my notes after the two days, everything seemed to come down to one basic element – being sedentary!

Whether we are sedentary in a seated position or standing position, it is precisely this lack of significant joint movement that causes physiological changes which then snowball into bigger problems. Most of us already know this, but highlighting it shows just how little we are doing about it in the workplace. Simply being sedentary at work all day then blasting the gym afterwards is not the answer. We must involve ‘tactics’ during our working days that get us leaving our workstation every 40min – 1hr, it’s about frequency not volume. In the fitness industry they are called NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) which means any movement that is not sleeping, eating or sports-like exercise,  I call these ‘Active Strategies’ & some simple examples are:

•         Putting you phone across the other end of the room.

•         Put the photocopier / printer in another room.

•         Go & talk to people face to face rather than calling / sending emails (especially if they’re in the same building)

•         Make sure you take 10min mid morning / afternoon breaks & lunch breaks that involve leaving your workstation.

Yes, some of these Active Strategies may sound inefficient or obstruct your work but by how much? …plus that’s partly the point. It all depends: Do you value your health over your job?

Watch out for more Active Strategies on my website, blogs, & workshops.

James.

Short & sweet

Hi folks,

With last weeks TV programmes still on my mind I’m going to talk about interval training. Whether it’s for your own training or for setting up effective training clubs within your workplace, here’s the low-down. I’ve previously blogged about interval training but think its well worth a recap.

There are a few types of interval training (tabata, fartlek among others) but the basic principle is that you exercise hard taking your heart, lungs & muscles to their highest safe level, for perhaps 30sec – 1min, before lowering the intensity. This is repeated several times. It was initially only thought effective for seasoned exercisers as they would take their heart rate up to 90% of it max capacity, but now interval training is a powerful tool for those of lower fitness levels too. Here we may only take the heart rate up to say 75% (even though it may feel like 90%).

Traditionally this is done through cardiovascular exercise (e.g. treadmill, bike, or rower) but is arguably more effective done using weights for full body exercise.

Weights based interval work…

•         Makes your muscles (inc your heart) more powerful

•         Can address all fitness goals.

•         Raises your metabolic rate (number of calories you burn when not exercising)

•         Improves your insulin response (blood sugar control) therefore lowering your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

•         slashes your workout time

In my opinion this really is the ultimate way of training that can be tailored to suit all fitness levels. Next week we look at how using this format can boost workplace performance.

That’s all folks! short but effective – just like interval training

James

Mental block

Hi folks,

Is it just me or does there seem to be loads of health related programmes on this week, especially Tuesday night? As you can imagine I get pretty opinionated about these programmes & either sit there smugly agreeing with what’s being said, or getting ultra frustrated if I think they’re giving out the wrong message.

I want to discuss how your brain can dictate how physically tired you feel. When we exercise, how do we know when to stop? – our muscles ache or we lose our breath right? We’ll research has found that when our bodies experience a high level of physical demand, our brains can make our muscles feel tired out even though they could go on for a little longer. This is an example of one of our natural safety responses kicking in so that we don’t damage ourselves. A similar response occurs in the muscle spindles when stretching called the ‘stretch reflex’. Like the stretch reflex, this mental buffering can be overridden by continuing to work to absolute fatigue (only advisable under guidance). By doing this regularly the body starts to reduce the mental buffer-zone & allows you to work a little harder before feeling the effects.

So could this explain why we find new exercises especially tough the first few times that we do them? My opinion is that this does play a part but muscle recruitment & establishing nervous pathways are also major factors. This research might be worth bearing in mind when novices are considering taking up exercise. If the activity is new then it should be at a relatively easy intensity, whereas if it’s new & at a hard intensity then it will seem impossible to them (especially in circuit training / group exercise / personal training). Then as their body learns the new movements, the mental buffer decreases & the intensity can be raised.

With workplace health in mind, this method may be useful when trying to engage those employees who aren’t so keen to join in workplace health activities – make it easy (or have an easier option) for them.

Next week I’m spending 2 days at the Birmingham NEC for the annual Health & Wellbeing @ Work conference, so ill be bringing you the absolute latest the industry has to offer!

Thanks

James

Slashing the calories SLOWS fat loss?

Hi folks,

Yep, you’ve probably seen it in the media this week. Another piece of research has been published to further confuse those of us trying to adopt a healthy lifestyle! Basically it states that if we dramatically reduce our daily calorie intake (e.g. by 500 cal), then over time this can slow our metabolism (i.e. our calorie burning efficiency) or even causing it to plateau. 

Let’s clear it up & put it into context. This study is useful as it demonstrates that extreme / fad diets aren’t effective & are unsustainable. If you want to reduce your amount of body-fat, the best way is still to reduce your daily calorie intake by roughly 200cal (typically from any fatty & sugary foods).

To accelerate the process and make you fitter, involve different activities & exercise. The most effective exercises involve using the whole body working against a resistance as this will boost your metabolism, even at rest! Such ‘metabolic workouts’ are the latest trend hitting the fitness industry but should only be done with professional supervision. Also it’s worth remembering that you need to eat enough healthy foods for your working muscles to work & recover, so if you are reducing your calorie intake bear this in mind. Good indicators of too little calories are dizziness during workouts or prolonged muscle soreness after every session (not just from tough exercises).

If you’re a type company manager then use the above info to help out any groups of employees that are struggling to get healthier. Email it or put it on a poster to give them a helping hand – remember last week’s blog on workforce engagement?

Hope this tidy’s things up a bit,

James

Why aren't you engaged yet?

 

Hi folks,

A valentines’ theme this week I think. As we know relationships are based on communication, not only personal ones but professional ones too. But good communication can only occur if both / all the people are interested… i.e. engaged with each other.

Many employers like to have that ‘family’ feeling or ethos in their workplace as we all know this is when people work at their best. The problem is when employers fail to engage their employees & so work is seen as ‘just a job’ with no emotional attachment. If people feel like they belong, then they will be happier, less stressed & put more into their work.

So, how do we engage our workforce? Some employees will be readily open to engagement whilst others will have no initial interest, but it’s these people who we especially need to entice. For them to become receptive to this we have to use values that are personally important to them (their health, financial reward, assisting their work, something for free, enjoyment).

If your workforce consists of 100’s or 1000’s then it is operationally impractical to engage them all at once (posters, emails, & feedback surveys are too impersonal) but not time effective to see them all on a one-to-one basis. Therefore a group setting is best, it also creates a team atmosphere & people will tend to open up more as discussions start.

But oh where can we get this group engagement I hear you ask? Well, our Occupational Fitness workforce workshops bring together employees from different departments, to discuss pro-active health techniques, with everyone on a level playing field, - perfect!

Hope this helps you develop some strategies for your workplace.

James.

Overweight & healthy?

Hi folks,

Something I saw in the media this week sparked me to do a little research to see if it’s possible to be overweight & healthy. Sounds a bit backwards I know but many people who have a high body fat percentage (i.e. calorie consumption) claim to eat healthily. There is much disagreement on this amongst medical professionals. Are these larger people saying that they are healthy as an excuse to not losing the weight, or does their size make them ‘who they are’, possibly making them mentally & physically happier?

The vast majority of us love food, definitely including myself. So if we exercise regularly & eat a healthy diet but of larger portions we should still be healthy right? Well our bodies will be getting all the vitamins they need but more energy (calories) than they can store so this will be stored as fat.

In this case, we will be fat but likely to be at no higher risk of the associated diseases than anyone else. For example, our blood sugar may be healthy (low diabetes risk), our ‘bad’ cholesterol & blood pressure may be low (lower cardiac disease risk). However the extra weight will cause muscular-skeletal issues stemming from joint pressure & reduced mobility.

So, a 150kg person who over-eats in healthy foods can eat more than a 150kg person who over-eats in fatty / sugary foods (1g carbs = 4 calories while 1g fat = 9 calories), & have healthier insides. But both people will not have good overall health due to the structural pressures of their weight.

Workplace health: For the reason mentioned above, to reduce sickness absence & raise top performance at work I recommend that the employer still needs to tackle ‘healthy’ & unhealthy obesity.  

Hope you found this interesting. I’d be really interested to hear your thoughts on this one!

James.

Flabruary?????

Hi folks,

I was munching my muesli in front of the TV news this morning, when I heard one of presenters say “This year, February has been re-named Flabrurary.” Apparently the statistics show that the majority of us that made New Year’s resolutions to get healthier have already thrown in the towel after just 1 month!

Although it’s just a name & I can see the funny side to it, part of me is a little mad as what’s the point in advertising the fact when it’s not going to help anyone or make them try? Obviously most of these people who have given up didn’t really WANT to do it which brings us on to the question of why did they set the goals in the first place? If your one of these people or even if you’re still on track then here’s a few questions for you:

Why are you doing it?

-     To look good naked?

-          Because you feel you should be doing it?

-          To improve your overall health?

-          To compete with that person across the office?

-          To increase confidence levels

-          So you can try to ‘get away’ with eating junk?

You don’t need me to tell you what the right reasons are. If the reasons are well founded & you’re serious about making it stick then keep going (check out my blog on goal setting). Plus remember – it’s easier to be healthy in summer so hang in there.

If you’re into workplace health then why not give these people a hand? Organise a small health event, initiative, or office challenge to keep people motivated. It’s easier to do it as a group & it will pay off in terms of their work performance as well as for them personally.

If you need any help just give me a shout,

James.

Company 'Health weeks' to Remember!

Hi Folks,

Is your workplace having a ‘health & well-being week’ this year?  Many do & they usually come around March / April time. As you can imagine I think the principle of these are great! So what’s happening in yours? In my experience they usually consist of the chance to have blood pressure, cholesterol, or the dreaded BMI test taken, healthier options in the staff canteen, a few emails saying to cycle to work or to take the stairs, & some extra ‘healthy’ posters up.

Although these actions mean well, are they really going to make any difference? Let’s think about it:

1. As it’s just for 1 week, it gives us the message that the other 51 weeks per year aren’t important.

2. How many employees will it impact on? – probably not a high % & even less of the ones that actually need it.

3. Much of it is reactive rather than preventative. E.g. who wants to have the health tests done just to be told that they are already unhealthy?

Grab hold of your HR staff & let them know what I’d recommend:

1. Have a healthy Focus week but carry the message / small challenges on in one day of each month of the year.  

2. Have short & sweet workshops by outside experts on common topics that are compulsory to attend! (this way you are engaging the employees that need it, plus they are more likely to take note of someone external).

3. Focus on activities to prevent conditions, such as enjoyable physical activities, stress / tension releasers, & new information of what we can do, not what we should stop doing.

I have experience at working in these events so please contact me & lets get something organised!

Thanks

James.

Big year for back pain!

 

Hi Folks,

Unsurprisingly lower back pain (LBP) is in the top 3 most common health complaints that GPs encounter. A high percentage of these are of working age = a costly impact on their company’s operation.

So what’s being done about it? Well it’s encouraging to see that one of my 2012 predictions is already taking shape, LBP is a very hot topic this year. Just last week I chatted with several clients about it on a one-to-one basis, it features strongly in professional seminars at this year’s Loughborough conference, plus it’s a key feature at the ‘2012 Health & Wellbeing @ Work’ conference.

Our existing Occupational Fitness ‘Lower back pain management’ workshop is already popular but we continually update it as more information becomes available from such events & new research. In the meantime here’s a hint; The key to preventing / correcting LBP is most often in the hips!

If you would like to know more then please get in touch.

thanks

James.

2012 sneak peak!

 

Hi folks,

You may be aware that the occupational health industry is continuing to evolve & follow a more pro-active approach. From looking back at last year & looking ahead to the industry conferences this year, this is my prediction of what’s big in the way of occupational health for 2012:

•         The benefits of external consultants will be realised & therefore sub-contracted by companies to assess & treat their employees. As new techniques continue to develop, ageing occupational health departments will become ineffective.

•         Short work-based health & well being related activities become a compulsory (or heavily incentivised) part of employee’s day. This will ‘catch’ those employees who are not self-motivated & cost your company money!

•         More companies will offer a variety of pre / post work health & fitness sessions to cater for employees who improve their health.

•         A more involved approach to back care & posture, ranging from educational workshops to practical on-site exercise sessions.

As you know, Occupational Fitness is not just dedicated to employee health, but how companies can utilise new training & techniques for significant return on investment. Our services already address all of the above points, so take a look at our website & get ahead early this 2012!

James