Fit for work

Feeling unfit? Need to get more active but can’t find the time to fit in the exercise? An innovative new Scottish Government funded programme, active at work, designed to improve employees’ lifestyle and wellbeing may be the answer.

The programme, the first of its kind to run in Scotland, was developed by the Fitness Industry Association (FIA), and addresses three major national issues:

• Scotland has the second highest level of obesity in the developed world, only America fares worse.
• Almost 25% of men and 20% of women in Scotland are obese.
• Inactivity, obesity and obesity related diseases costs Scotland more than £171million a year.

The 12 week active at work programme has been designed to make exercise more accessible to employees and encourage them to adopt a more healthy and active lifestyle.

Workers in Hawick have signed up. Think Fitness in the town has teamed up to provide 50 employees from Hawick Knitwear and Emtelle with a dedicated programme of help, advice and support to ensure that they not only complete the active at work programme, but also ensure that they actually enjoy it.

Greg Dalgleish, co-owner of Think Fitness, said: “Each person has been provided with a full gym induction, health assessment and initial training programme. Over the course of the 12 weeks our instructors will also be offering advice on how each person can progress their personal programme so they can all achieve their goals.

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