Arun Wellbeing helps businesses get in the right frame of mind
If your employees have overindulged over the festive season, why not invite members of Arun District Council’s Wellbeing team to give them some motivation and advice?
Bognor Regis-based business Frame of Mind enlisted Arun Wellbeing’s help because they were disappointed with their annual Wellbeing MOT results.
Arun Wellbeing helped improve employees’ health and wellbeing by creating a 12-week plan to help the team learn more about the negative impact of eating biscuits during tea breaks, not eating enough fruit and vegetables in their diet and being inactive.
Arun Wellbeing gave the Frame of Mind team advice on fats, proteins, carbohydrates, portion sizes and how to read and interpret food labels. They also received pointers on dangers lurking in some convenience food such as hidden sugars in cereals and sauces.
The team committed to regular exercises sessions including lunchtime walks and workplace circuits, they also undertook five Cook and Eat Sessions, where they learnt to cook tasty and healthy recipes to help them put the nutrition theory into practice.
Sarah Day, Arun Wellbeing Workplace Coordinator, said: “At the end of the course, follow up MOTs revealed the amazing changes that the Frame of Mind Team members had achieved.
“Everyone had made positive changes to their lifestyle with many people losing more than 5% of their body weight and building in more physical activity by walking and cycling more and swimming twice a week.
“Team members told us how proud they were of the changes they had achieved, seeing and feeling a difference in their bodies, feeling more in control and enthusiastic for their new healthier lifestyles.”
Ian Bates, Director at Frame of Mind, said: “I am very proud of the steps we have all taken to improve our wellbeing. Some team members were eating just one or two pieces of fruit a week, relying on processed, microwave meals and filling up on sugary snacks when hungry.
“The opportunity to try cooking and eating more nutritional food together has shown us how easy it is to put together a decent and healthy meal and we have had lots of laughs along the way.
“Making time to walk together at lunchtime or set up the circuits equipment has been easier than we thought and definitely much more fun. A big thanks to the team at Arun Wellbeing for providing the course, we have all enjoyed the experience.”
Councillor Mrs Gillian Brown, Leader of Arun District Council and Cabinet Member for Council Strategy, said: “I am delighted to hear about the positive impact Arun Wellbeing has made to encouraging the employees at Frame of Mind to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
“Office work can often involve a sedentary working life which encourages unhealthy eating practices to creep in. Making a few small changes to your lifestyle can bring about big results as demonstrated by Frame of Mind’s work with Arun Wellbeing.”
If you would like Arun Wellbeing to visit your workplace please contact 01903 737865 or Sarah.Day@arun.gov.uk.
For more information about Wellbeing services in your area please visit the Arun Wellbeing website.