Enabling staff to walk or cycle during the working day

People want to know how to take control of their health, and active travel should be a core part of the solution for a fitter healthier nation

Wokingham schools, workplaces and local residents are being urged to think about walking or cycling to school or work thanks to a new active travel campaign.

Wokingham Borough Council and the My Journey Wokingham campaign are working with Intelligent Health to encourage people to ensure they get and remain active.

Our bodies are meant to be active and we are designed to be connected to nature...the best thing we can do is to get moving outdoors

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Dr William Bird, founder of Intelligent Health, will be speaking in the APPGCW webinar on 11 December. Reserve your free place

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With days getting shorter and the COVID-19 pandemic still with us, the campaign aims to encourage people to ditch the car where possible and to focus on the importance of physical activity during COVID-19.

Now, more than ever, it’s vital to stay active to ensure your immune system is in the best possible shape to fight infection and to recover should you fall ill with flu or COVID-19.

As well encouraging active travel, the campaign also aims to encourage workplaces to enable their staff to enjoy a 30-minute walk or cycle during the working day.

With most of us working from home and with the nights getting darker earlier, a 30-minute break during the day is a great way to ensure your staff’s wellbeing and has positive benefits for physical and mental health.

The predominantly digital material uses the My Journey Wokingham branding and Wokingham Borough Council logos along with positive health messaging.

The campaign material is designed for the following audiences: Primary School Parents, Secondary School Parents and pupils and workplaces.

Intelligent Health is well-known for its award-winning behaviour change campaigns, in particular the popular Beat the Street programme. Marketing Director Katherine Knight said: 'Both returning to school and the changes in work patterns through COVID-19 provide major behaviour change moments. 

'We are delighted to provide support to the successful My Journey programme in Wokingham to help people embed healthy active travel practices. We know that one of the most powerful things we can do is to give permission to people to get active outside and active during the day. 

'Walking and cycling is the best way to do this, and this is such an opportunity for the Active Travel agenda to make big strides. People want to know how to take control of their health and active travel should be a core part of the solution for a fitter healthier nation. We are keen to use the insight we have gained from Beat the Street to support more active travel campaigns.'

The founder of Intelligent Health, Dr William Bird MBE added: 'Our bodies are meant to be active and we are designed to be connected to nature. As we move into autumn we want to get our immune system fighting fit to tackle poor health including COVID-19.

'The best thing we can do is to get moving outdoors. Firstly, it will reduce the chance of getting Coronavirus as it boosts the body’s ‘natural killer cells. Secondly if you have a high cardiovascular fitness then you have less risk of ending up in hospital. So, it is essential that everyone does preferably a 30-minute outdoor activity once a day. I often cycle to work in Wokingham and so know we can all fit it in!'

Chloe Ennis has been appointed at Intelligent Health to work with the My Journey Wokingham campaign where she will work with Wokingham Borough Council to promote active and sustainable travel for schools.

Her role will now be to work closely with schools in Wokingham, Finchampstead and Twyford to encourage more families to leave the car at home and to help address the issues of climate change, congestion and air quality. 

Chloe is passionate about sustainability and making a positive impact on the planet. Keen to lead by example, she travels around the Wokingham area from school to school by bike and has a wealth of experience in zero waste, empowerment, ethical and sustainable brands.