Tuesday 19th June is the day when, all over the country, people sat at desks will be stretching, and those moving around the office will be doing so with much more vigor. Because the 19th is Workout At Work Day (WOWD). This is an opportunity for employers to encourage their staff to develop healthier work habits and to increase levels of physical activity.

Encouraging staff at a workplace to lead a more healthy and active life can have real benefits for a business.

Research by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) estimates that the median annual cost of sickness absence to business in 2010 was £760 per absent employee, but poor work habits don’t just affect a worker’s health, they can also cost a business money from reduced productivity, lower customer satisfaction and recruitment costs- to hire replacement staff for those who become ill. In addition, getting more active can also help to reduce stress caused by work.

The aim of Workout at Work Day is to kick-start people into assessing their activity levels and to help them identify ways to build more physical activity into every day. WOWD would not need to impact on ‘work time’ –activities can either take place before or after work, during lunch, or be incorporated into the normal working day.

Workout At Work Day has tangible benefits for both employer and employee, all of which are intrinsically linked. If the employees are healthy, they will be happy, which will mean a better standard of work, and happier employers, which should lead to even happier employees. And so on, the cycle is endless.

Karen Willcock from  Bolton Therapy Centre  will be spending the morning with the team at Fieldings Porter Solicitors looking at their work environment and how she can help and work with them to make small improvements which will really enhance their health, well being and overall productivity.

It's a fantastic initiative, one which will not only help a business to be healthier and more productive, but will show a high level of care for employees. There is also the added benefit of public exposure; last year there were over 250 pieces of media coverage on WOWD.

And this year is set to be even bigger.