Almost 14,000 people could die due to higher temperatures in the last decade of this century
As temperatures increase, so will hospitalisations and climate-related deaths.
Read MoreLast Friday, the 28th of April was National Workplace Wellbeing Day.
Keeping well at work can mean lots of different things to different people. For some, it may mean taking time to try to manage stress or eat well while at work; for others, it might mean promoting health and safety, or looking after your financial wellbeing.
However, one of the most important aspects of workplace wellbeing is physical activity. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), insufficient physical activity is the 4th leading cause of death worldwide, with an estimated 3.2 million deaths every year attributable to physical inactivity.
Sedentary behaviour refers to any time spent sitting or lying down, while awake. This includes sitting at a desk, watching TV, or scrolling through your phone before bed.
A recent study carried out by the Irish Heart Foundation found that the average amount of time spent sitting down for Irish people was 7.3 hours on weekdays.
Martin Ryan, Health Promotion Officer with the Irish Heart Foundation, said, “Sedentary behaviour in the workplace has become an ever-increasing concern and unfortunately this trend shows no signs of slowing down.”
“ Spending long, uninterrupted periods of time sitting or lying down during working hours is harmful for heart health.”
Martin cautioned that even if we are reaching the recommended levels of physical activity for adults (150 minutes of moderate – vigorous intensity exercise per week), “Spending long, uninterrupted periods of time sitting or lying down during working hours is harmful for heart health.”
Making small, sustainable changes to stay physically active during your working week, can have a big impact . Take a look at Martin’s top tips below:
“ It can be helpful to set reminders on your phone to move for 1 minute every hour,”
The Irish Heart Foundation website has lots of resources to support people in all aspects of their wellbeing. From our dietician-approved heart-healthy recipes, to the month-long Escape Your Chair Challenge and the Well@Home booklet, we have everything you need to start making small, sustainable changes to improve your wellbeing.
We have also created a set of online resources to help employers support their staff to live a healthier working life. No matter how big or small your workplace is, no matter what sector you work in, you can support better staff wellbeing with some simple changes.
Learn how to support your staff with our free online tools and resources.
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