POLITICIANS across Westminster are getting ready to celebrate the importance of physical activity by joining ‘Fit for Office’, a challenge that encourages them to be more active and lead by example on workplace wellbeing.
Organised by ukactive, the UK’s trade body for the physical activity sector, and supported by global fitness tracking provider Myzone, the challenge starts tomorrow (Saturday) and runs throughout the month.
This year, a record 207 entrants have signed up to take part, from 50 Parliamentary offices. Last year’s challenge saw 146 participants take up the challenge.
Huw Edwards, CEO of ukactive, said: “With a new Government in place, we’re seeing many new MPs, Peers and staffers taking on the Fit for Office challenge, with a record number of entrants.
“This friendly competition provides a perfect opportunity for those in Government to demonstrate their commitment to physical activity but is also a timely reminder of the value it can bring to their own lives and its importance among the communities they serve.
“Our nation’s health is a growing concern and we hope that this challenge will help our politicians to appreciate the significance of inspiring more people to be active and the benefits this will have not only on our wellbeing but also for the NHS and the economy.”
Each participant has been provided with a Myzone MZ-Switch heart rate monitor or will use their personal Apple or Android smartwatches to track their activity via Myzone’s MZ-Open function to earn Myzone Effort Points or every minute of exercise.
The Myzone Effort Points or ‘MEPs’ achieved by each participant, will be aggregated for each office, and recorded on a live leaderboard, with the winning office and the individual MP crowned Westminster’s Physical Activity Champions at the end of the challenge.
Last year’s challenge saw the office of Andrew Lewer, Conservative MP, named winners by earning 18,076 MEPs. Alex Davies-Jones, Labour MP, was the highest-scoring MP, accumulating 10,674 MEPs.