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, the UK’s trade body for the physical activity sector, and supported by global fitness tracking provider Myzone, the challenge will return to Westminster in March following a successful pilot in 2022.
‘Fit for Office’ aims to raise awareness among MPs, Peers and their offices about the benefits of physical activity for their own physical, mental and social wellbeing, and its importance to the communities they serve.
Participants will be given a 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.
2022’s challenge saw the office of Antony Higginbotham, Conservative MP for Burnley, take top spot on the leaderboard by collecting over 11,846 MEPs.
The initiative has been announced as Parliamentarians gear up for a general election, helping MPs, Peers and their offices to stay healthy and positive by ensuring they are meeting the World Health Organisation’s recommended guidelines for physical activity (at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity a week).
Speaking at the Active Uprising conference in Westminster on 1 February, ukactive Chair, Mike Farrar called on the Government to deploy the physical activity sector to help save the NHS, and boost the economy by improving workforce health.
Recent figures show that ill health among the working age population is costing the Government £150bn a year which is up 60% in the last six years.
By taking part in ‘Fit for Office’, MPs can show support for the physical activity sector, which is helping to prevent 20 chronic conditions including type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, many types of cancer, depression and anxiety, and dementia – generating more than £4.1bn in healthcare savings every year.
The same challenge has been accepted by politicians in Australia and the USA over recent years and arrives back in the UK to test Parliamentarians once again.
Huw Edwards, CEO of ukactive, said: “We know Parliament can be a stressful and demanding work environment, especially with a General Election approaching.
“’Fit for Office’ provides a friendly competition that challenges our MPs, Peers and others working in Parliament to be more active in their daily lives, and to experience the physical and mental benefits themselves.
“The health of our nation has never been of greater concern, so we also hope this challenge will help our politicians to appreciate the significance physical activity holds for the communities they serve and consider new ways that we can support people to be more active together.”
Dave Wright, Founder of Myzone Group, said: “After seeing the success of the challenge in Australia and the USA, we’re looking forward to seeing if MPs, Peers and their teams across the UK can raise the bar and take on Fit for Office this March.
“It promises to be a busy year for British politics so it’s great to be able to support those involved to ensure they stay active and at the top of their game.”
To find out more and to register for the challenge, email Stephen McLoughlin, ukactive’s Senior Public Affairs & Policy Manager at: [email protected]