Health & Social Care Moray’s Health Improvement Team has achieved the Paths for All Walk at Work Award for its innovative efforts to promote physical activity in the workplace and encourage colleagues to boost their health and wellbeing through daily walking.
Morgan McKay, Health Walk Coordinator, led the team in developing initiatives to get colleagues moving more. She carried out a travel survey to identify how staff travel to and from work and used the data to develop a plan to increase workplace activity.
The team mapped convenient walking routes from two key work locations in Elgin – the Moray Council Annexe and Dr Gray’s Hospital – offering both 30-minute and 15-minute options. To encourage staff to keep walking no matter the weather, Morgan arranged for umbrellas to be available for borrowing and designated areas for drying wet outdoor gear.
Staff engagement was further boosted through participation in the Paths for All step count challenge, a twice-yearly walking initiative that connects Scottish workplaces in friendly competition.
Morgan said: “Walking is an excellent and inclusive way to encourage people to move more and focus on their health and wellbeing. We’ve had great successes with our walking initiatives and colleagues have been enthusiastic about increasing their physical activity during the working day.
“As a team we are delighted to have achieved this award on behalf of Health & Social Care Moray and look forward to continuing to encourage colleagues – and the wider community – to keep walking.”
The Walk Moray project, which Morgan co-ordinates, supports a network of trained volunteers to deliver a variety of weekly low-level, accessible and friendly health walks in communities across Moray which are a great way to increase your activity levels.
Research shows that a daily brisk walk can transform health and wellbeing – reducing the risk of depression and dementia by up to 30%, cardiovascular disease and stroke by up to 35%, and metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes by up to 40%. Additional benefits include improved sleep, reduced anxiety, and better stress management.
Judith Proctor, Chief Officer of Health & Social Care Moray, said: “Walking is a great way to improve or maintain your overall health and I congratulate Morgan and the team on the initiatives they took forward which have had a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of colleagues.”
Paths for All, Scotland’s walking charity, set up the award to help tackle poor health in the workplace and reverse the trend of inactive workplaces where staff sit for up to nine hours a day.
Carl Greenwood, Senior Development Officer at Paths for All, said: “Congratulations to Health Improvement Team Moray for achieving our Walk at Work Award. It’s brilliant to see Scottish workplaces take the lead in creating a work-based walking culture and making improvements to staff health and wellbeing.
“Research shows that employees who are physically active in and around the working day take fewer sick days, are more motivated and productive, and are more able to concentrate, so walking is not just good for us, it’s good for business. I would urge any Scottish workplace to follow Morgan’s lead and use Paths for All’s support to take small steps to a healthier workforce.”
Learn more about the Walk Moray project at www.pathsforall.org.uk/walk-project/walk-moray. The Walk at Work Award is open to any Scottish workplace that wants to promote an active workforce. Find out more at: www.pathsforall.org.uk/walkatworkaward.
