Highland businesses and charities urged to step up for walking challenge
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Scotland’s national walking charity is inviting businesses and charities in the Highlands to take part in its four-week Step Count Challenge this spring.
It is hoped that the challenge will encourage staff to walk, wheel and cycle more and sit less during the working day, keeping them active and connected to colleagues while improving mental, physical and social wellbeing.
The challenge has been devised by Paths for All, whose chief executive officer Kevin Lafferty said: “The workplace is where the majority of us spend a great deal of our day, so it’s important that we encourage staff to take a break from the screen, stretch their legs and put wellbeing at the forefront of their minds.
“In today’s fast-paced world of work, short cuts are all around us. When in an office environment, colleagues still send emails instead of walking to each other’s desks – even though this short movement can make a big difference.
“Walking is one of the simplest things we can do to improve our physical, mental and social health. You don’t need any special equipment and it can be incorporated into the working day.
“The Step Count Challenge is a great way for individuals to see how easy it is to move more throughout the day.
“Employers and employees need to play a part in making the nation healthier and happier, in both a work and personal sense, and this challenge is one way to put your best foot forward.”
More than 830 teams took part in the spring 2022 challenge, with 4059 individuals totalling a step record of 2,224,660,960 – the equivalent to 995,375 miles. This equated to 31,551kg of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) saved.
According to the British Heart foundation, a physically active workforce takes 27 per cent fewer sick days.
The Step Count Challenge is made up of teams of five and has the aim of encouraging people to walk more to feel healthier and happier, with participants having access to leaderboards, goal-setting and a team chat system to keep them motivated.
Teams can track their daily walked or cycled miles and can access a carbon calculator to measure the positive effect on the environment of making local journeys on foot.
More information can be found at www.stepcount.org.uk
Businesses can register a team of five for £30 and can customise their challenges. An early-bird discount is running until March 31, with participants encouraged to quote SPRING23 for 20 per cent off.
