This year’s Healthy Week has been a fantastic success, with colleagues taking part in an additional 15 hours of organised activity compared to last year’s event.
Healthy Week returned last month with a virtual programme of activity to bring colleagues together and encourage us all to get out into nature.
This year’s events included over 37 hours of live activities (15 more than last year), plus a range of pre-recorded and written content to help improve colleagues’ physical and mental wellbeing.
Over 300 people participated throughout the week, with hundreds more tuning into the YouTube videos and Instagram content.
Going the distance
This year also saw the return of some in-person activities in small groups, such as walking and running.
These activities complemented the virtual distance challenge – an inclusive event that encouraged staff to get out into nature to see how far we could collectively ‘travel’ from Leeds by combining all distance totals. Six different activities were submitted throughout the week, with walking being the most popular form of activity.
A massive 1,973 virtual miles was travelled in total – the same distance from campus to Malta or Moscow!
Kate Petty, Physical Activity and Wellbeing Officer, said:
On behalf of the Healthy Week team, I’d like to thank all the staff that got involved with, and supported, Staff Healthy Week 2021.
The focus of Healthy Week this year was on bringing our community together, wherever they may be based. The virtual programme was considerably bigger than last year and it was great to be able to offer some in person activities again.
I’m pleased to say that some of the activities offered during Healthy Week are continuing over summer and there are additional activities on offer, both in person and online, to support your physical and mental wellbeing.”
The Healthy Week team would love to hear about your experience of this year’s events via this short feedback form, which will help improve future instalments.
Keeping moving
Healthy Week might be over for another year, but colleagues across campus are still committed to providing health and wellbeing opportunities for staff, and there are still lots of virtual – and in-person – activities you can get involved in:
- A Staff Rounders Club is being set up and informal introductory taster sessions are being held on Wednesday 14 July in Woodhouse Moor. Pre-booking is required by 12 noon on Tuesday 13 July, with places offered on a first come, first served basis.
- The Get Out, Get Active Wellbeing Run Club is meeting during the Summer every Tuesday at 12:05pm, meeting opposite Refectory Steps. Pre-booking is required.
- 15-minute upper body postural sessions aim to tackle aches and pains in your neck and shoulders through gentle exercises, including mobility, stretches and activation. Starting the week commencing Monday 19 July, the class will run every Monday at 12pm via Teams to help combat the tightness seen with poor posture and desk working. Email Fran Andralojc to be added to the class mailing list.
- 15-minute lower body postural sessions will target lower back pain or stiffness in your legs linked with a sedentary job/lifestyle. Starting week commencing Monday 19 July, the class will run every Wednesday at 12pm via Teams. Email Fran Andralojc to be added to the class mailing list.
- Virtual Qigong sees Ba Duan Jin (Eight Pieces/sections of Brocade) and Liu Zi Jue (Six Healing Sounds) take place online every Tuesday and Thursday from 4:30pm to 5pm throughout July. Sessions will start again in September. Please email instructor Xiaoping Lu to join the classes.
- Join colleague Deborah Marcus for a short 15-minute session focusing on physical movement, stretching and meditation. The time and number of sessions vary each week, so please email Deborah to be added to the class mailing list.
- The Edge are offering virtual classes every week over summer. Sessions include legs, bums and tums, Vinyasa yoga and Body Jam.
- Join the Staff Counselling and Psychological Support Service and take 15 minutes to catch up with yourself, settle, and reorientate at one of their virtual rest, reset and resume sessions. Sessions take place every Thursday until the end of July from 2pm to 2:15pm on Zoom. Join via the link above and input Zoom details: Meeting ID: 815 0192 0425 Passcode: +R#1bn
- Join the ‘Menopause for thought’ café which creates a safe, respectful and confidential space to discuss the menopause. The cafés are open to everyone irrespective of age or gender and no one is advised to follow any particular course of action in them. The final café over summer is taking place on Tuesday 20 July from midday to 1pm. They will begin again in September.
- Get Out, Get Active offer free running programmes including a nine-week nine-week Couch to 5K guide to get you running 5K without stopping. If you want to increase your distance and set yourself a new challenge, try the 12-week 5K to 10K programme.
- The Your Home, Your Move hub offers workouts as well as wellbeing and nutrition blogs. They are created by The Edge personal trainers, and the Health and Wellbeing Team, to support you in staying active and healthy at home.
Please contact the Healthy Week team if you have any questions.
Savannah Van Der Niet
