Physical Activity in the Workplace

1
Physical Activity in the Workplace
2
Encouraging Workers to be More Active, 2001

• The workplace is an excellent venue for
  communicating the importance, benefits, and means
  of achieving an active lifestyle to adult
  Ontarians. Consider
• Displaying a physical activity posters in
  cafeterias and high traffic areas.
• Communicating the benefits and tips on how to
  become more active on bulletin boards and in
  newsletters.
• Reinforcing the existing positive belief of
  employees regarding the beneficial role of
  physical activity in coping with stress, with
  particular emphasis on workers with secondary
  education or less.
• Working with community providers to provide
  information on local opportunities to be active
  through the workplace at key times during the
  year.
• Invite physical activity professionals to speak
  to employees about specific aspects of physical
  activity including, benefits, how to set goals,
  dealing with potential barriers to participation,
  fitting physical activity into a hectic lifestyle
  and how to clinics (e.g. safe bicycle commuting).

3
Employee Influence over Physical Activity
Opportunities at Work, 2001

• In 2001, 14 of Ontario workers reported having
  quite a lot or complete influence over the
  physical activity opportunities or programs
  offered at work and another 26 had some
  influence. This did not differ by workers age,
  sex, activity level, or industry type.

4
Beliefs About the Benefits of Physical Activity,
2001

• Overall, in 2001, Ontario workers held relatively
  strong beliefs about the work-related benefits of
  participating regularly in physical activity. 89
  of workers strongly agreed that regular
  participation helped people to cope and reduce
  stress. Although reported by significantly fewer,
  almost 80 also strongly agreed that physical
  activity improves effectiveness.
• This pattern of belief generally held for all
  workers with the exception of differences in
  beliefs about the role of physical activity in
  helping to cope and reduce stress by education,
  income, and size of organization.

5
Beliefs about Physical Activity and Stress
Control by Education, 2001

• In general, holding a strong belief about the
  role of physical activity in coping with or
  reducing stress increased with education. 81 of
  those with less than secondary education strongly
  agreed that physical activity helps one to cope
  or reduce stress compared to 96 of university
  graduates.

6
Beliefs about Physical Activity and Stress
Control by Company Size, 2001

• Holding strong beliefs about the role of physical
  activity in coping with or reducing stress varied
  by company size. In particular, workers in
  companies with 100 to 249 employees were less
  likely to hold strong beliefs about
  stress-related benefits than were those in
  companies with 1000 or more employees.

7
Workplace Support in Organizing Physical Activity
Events, 2001

• Overall, 28 of Ontario workers reported that
  their workplace would allow them to organize or
  participate in a community physical activity
  event during work hours without deducting pay.
  This was true for both men and women, for workers
  of all ages, and regardless of industry type.

8
Workplace Support in Organizing Physical Activity
Events by Education Level, 2001

• In 2001, Ontario workers with university level
  education were more likely than those with lower
  education to report that their workplace would
  allow them to organize or participate in a
  community physical activity event during work
  hours without deducting pay.

9
Barriers to Physical Activity at Work, 2001

• Lack of time due to work and the pressure of
  tight deadlines were the most frequently cited
  workplace related-barriers to being physically
  active among employees. These were followed by
  roads too busy near work and lack of places to
  be active near work.
• Overall, there were no significant differences in
  the prevalence of these barriers by age, sex, and
  education. However, those who were active were
  less likely than those moderately active to
  report that busy roads and lack of places near
  work were barriers to being more active.

10
Building a Corporate Culture Supportive of
Physical Activity, 2001

• Workplace culture can create a social norm that
  supports and encourages physical activity.
• Adopt policies that encourage physical activity,
  such as flexible hours to support participation
  in physical activity, permit dress down days in
  conjunction with regularly scheduled company
  physical activity events, institute short
  exercise breaks.
• Motivate and reinforce participation in physical
  activity through awards and recognition
  certificates.
• Promote and encourage employees to participate in
  local physical activity events like Summeractive,
  fun walks, charity runs etc.
• Post signs encouraging employees to take the
  stairs.
• Hold walking meetings and encourage walking
  breaks in long meetings.
• Hold company recreational events, encourage the
  formation of physical activity clubs like ski
  clubs.
• Encourage co-workers to establish a buddy system
  to support each other in becoming active and to
  be partners for activities like walking.

11
Access to Worksite Physical Activity Facilities,
2001

• In 2001, 83-84 of workers could use the worksite
  physical facilities before or after work, or
  during lunch breaks.
• Relatively fewer workers had access to these
  facilities on weekends.

12
Supports for Physical Activity at Work, 2001

• In 2001, 53 of Ontario workers reported having
  dress down days, and 35 reported having
  flexible hours at workpractices that could
  encourage physical activity. 42 of workers
  reported that they had access to locker rooms,
  35 to bicycle racks, and 29 to open spaces for
  playing frisbee, ball games, etc. 16 reported
  that there were signs encouraging them to take
  the stairs.
• Availability did not differ by age or sex of the
  worker however, university graduates were more
  likely than others to report having dress down
  days at work. Employees who were most active
  were more likely than those who were moderately
  active to report access to locker rooms.

13
Supports for Physical Activity at Work by Public
and Private Sector, 2001

• Employees in the private sector were less likely
  than those in the public sector to report that
  there were dress down days, bicycle racks, and
  open spaces for playing frisbee, ball games, etc.

14
Promoting Stair Use at Work, 2001

• In 2001, 76 of Ontario workers reported that the
  stairs were easily accessible at work and 57
  indicated that there were signs indicating their
  location.
• 16 of workers reported that there were signs at
  work encouraging them to take the stairs.
• There were no age or sex differences in the
  availability of easily accessible stairs and
  signs encouraging their use.

15
Promoting Stair Use at Work by Public and Private
Sector, 2001

• Employees in the private sector were less likely
  than those in the public sector to report that
  there were signs indicating location of stairs.

16
Information about Physical Activity at Work, 2001

• In 2001, 38 of Ontario employees reported that
  their workplace had a health or fitness bulletin
  board, newsletter, or e-mails.
• 31 of employees had access to information about
  local opportunities where they could be active
  29 to information on how to become more active,
  and 25 to seminars, workshops, or training
  programs about physical activity.
• More public sector than private sector employees
  reported these type of informational supports.

17
Health and Physical Activity Instructional
Programs at Work, 2001

• In 2001, 30 of Ontario employees reported that
  their workplace had a health, physical fitness,
  or nutrition program.
• 12 had access to instruction on how to build
  their own physical activity program or to
  instruction on particular activities such as
  swimming, tennis, and bicycling.

18
Other Physical Activity Opportunities at Work,
2001

• In 2001, 23 of Ontario employees reported having
  access to group discounts or subsidies for
  physical activity at local facilities negotiated
  through work (33 of these employees used them).
• 9-10 reported that there were short exercise
  breaks during work hours, as well as awards,
  recognition, and other types of motivational
  programs.
• 14 had fitness testing or counselling on
  physical activity available at work.

19
Organized Physical Activity Events and Clubs at
Work, 2001

• In 2001, 55 of Ontario employees reported that
  their workplace offered recreational events like
  golf tournaments, 34 offered team sports, 26
  offered other events like sneaker day, and 15
  had clubs like ski or walking clubs. The
  availability of recreational events increased
  with the size of the workplace.
• 28 of employees participated in at least one of
  these recreational events, team sports, clubs, or
  other physical activity events.

20
Fitness Programs at Work, 2001

• In 2001, 8 of Ontario employees reported that
  their workplace offered fitness programs.

21
Physical Activity Programs, 2001

• Workplace physical activity programs include both
  on-site fitness programs and programs linked to
  local providers.
• Support comprehensive programming with physical
  activity opportunities early in the morning,
  during breaks, at lunch, after work or on the
  weekends.
• Encourage programs to offer a variety activities
  to meet the needs and preferences of employees
  including structured and non-structured physical
  activities, competitive and non-competitive
  activities, solitary and team activities and
  activities with low and high skill requirements.
• Promoted shared leadership with members of all
  levels of the company to examine the role and
  opportunities for physical activity for workers.
• Explore the feasible ways of helping employees
  pursue an active lifestyle including physical
  activity counselling, fitness testing as well as
  offering programs either on-site or through
  discounts or subsidies at local facilities.

22
Physical Environments for Physical Activity Near
Work, 2001

• In 2001, half of Ontario employees reported
  having pleasant places to walk or jog near work.
  Half also stated that there were community
  recreation facilities or other facilities (e.g.
  YM/YWCA) nearby.
• Fewer employees had access to playing fields or
  open spaces for ball games and other physical
  activities near work.
• Professionals were more likely than labourers to
  have community facilities and pleasant places to
  walk nearby.

23
Physical Environments for Physical Activity Near
Work by Industry and Sector, 2001

• In 2001, more public sector than private sector
  employees reported having pleasant places to walk
  or jog as well as playing fields or open spaces
  for ball games and other physical activities near
  work.
• Furthermore, employees working in finance were
  more likely than those working in industry to
  report having access to pleasant places to walk
  and open spaces nearby.

24
Physical Environments for Physical Activity Near
Work, 2001

• A safe and pleasant physical environment near
  work can be conducive to physical activity among
  workers.
• A pleasant environment, convenience and safety
  provide a good opportunity for employees to be
  active at lunch or as part of walking meetings.
• Open spaces can be used by individuals or as a
  venue for team sports.
• Sidewalks, bicycle lanes, trails and street
  lighting need to be maintained according to
  safety standards.
• Local business groups could work together to
  encourage communities to ensure safe environments
  are available and well maintained.
• Workplaces could participate in the Commuter
  Challenge and as part of the week long event have
  employees note where there are safety issues in
  the walking and bicycling infrastructure between
  home and work. This information could be shared
  with local government and used to help plan safer
  routes for commuting actively to work.