Get moving with 'Beat the Street' and 'On Your Feet Britain'

Friday, 22 April 2016

We all know that sitting down for too long doesn’t do the body much good. That’s why over the next few weeks, we’ll be taking part in several healthy initiatives to get you off your feet.

Friday 29 April marks ‘On Your Feet Britain’ day, a national campaign aiming to raise awareness of the ill effects of sedentary work. As part of the campaign we are holding two lunchtime walks on Friday 29 April to encourage you to move away from your desk.

The walks will be at 12.00 pm and at 1.00 pm and will last approximately 25 minutes. Please meet in front of the University Library if you wish to take part. Please contact Dawn Grout or Alan Twyford for further details.

Also, ‘Beat the Street’ returns to Reading this month, and is a fun way to get you moving across town and our surrounding local areas. It’s really simple- all you have to do is scan your ‘Beat’ card at any of the 200 ‘Beat’ boxes across Reading, with the aim being to score points by scanning two boxes within an hour. There are four boxes stationed across Whiteknights campus; Quad near Palmer, Entrance to Harris Garden, Friends Bridge, and Path to Foxhill / Childs Hall.

Pick up a card and map from Whiteknights House reception and get moving today! To join our University team, email team.reading@beatthestreet.me or contact Karen Stanbridge for more. Beat the Street runs until Friday 27 May.

Being active helps keep your heart healthy, and if you’re active every day you’ll be less likely to develop coronary heart disease. Prolonged sitting can increase the risk of Lower back pain, Cardiovascular disease, High cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, and Obesity.

Regular movement exercises the heart and keeps it strong, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure, and promotes feelings of relaxation and wellbeing. There are lots of small things you can do to break the habit of sitting at your desk all day, including:

Take regular breaks form sitting by standing every 30 minutes
Take the stairs instead of the lift
Standing up or pace while on the phone
Walk over to speak to colleagues instead of emailing
Move your rubbish bin away from your desk
Limit the amount of time you look at your screen
Hold a standing or walking meeting
Park at a car park further away from your office and walk across the campus

See our Health and Wellbeing page for more.