POLITICIANS across Westminster have been invited to celebrate the importance of physical activity and lead by example by joining ‘Fit for Office’, a challenge that encourages them to be more active.
Organised by ukactive, the UK’s trade body for the physical activity sector, and supported by global fitness tracking provider Myzone, the challenge will return to Westminster in March following a successful pilot in 2022.
‘Fit for Office’ aims to raise awareness among MPs, Peers and their offices about the benefits of physical activity for their own physical, mental and social wellbeing, and its importance to the communities they serve.
Participants will be given a MZ-Switch heart rate monitor that measures their physical activity across the month, with the technology tracking ‘effort’ levels rather than volume or distance covered – ensuring the challenge can be enjoyed and accessed by all.
They will then accrue Myzone Effort Points that can be collected by exercising within the target heart-rate zones over a given period – the more effort that is put into each workout or activity, the more points that can be earned.
2022’s challenge saw the office of Antony Higginbotham, Conservative MP for Burnley, take top spot on the leader board by collecting over 11,846 MEPs.
The initiative has been announced as Parliamentarians gear up for a general election, helping MPs, Peers and their offices to stay healthy and positive by ensuring they are meeting the World Health Organisation’s recommended guidelines for physical activity (at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity a week).