09/18/2018
Exercising at work: a benefit for people and businesses alike
The European population is increasingly sedentary. EMoCS (European Meetings for Company Sport): a project to increase awareness regarding the importance of physical activity, through meetings, exhibitions and sporting events.
Implementing sports and physical activities within workplaces is EMoCS’ ambitious goal- a European project led by the European Federation for Company Sport (EFCS), with 8 European partners from Italy, Belgium, France, Finland, Slovenia and Spain, and sponsored by the European Commission and Erasmus+. Upon the European Week of Sport (EWoS), on September 27th in Paris, EMoCS 2018 will run a bunch of activities under its single event including: a fair (Sport Wellness Lab), an exhibition, conferences, and even a digital and connected race (EMoCS Run and Walk Challenge) to inform and promote company sport. The event will take place in la Defense Congress Centre, in the heart of the biggest business district in Europe.
Europeans are increasingly adopting sedentary behaviours. According to the Eurobarometer 2018, almost half of the respondents never exercise or play sport, a percentage that has been increasing from 42% to 46% since 2013. 15% of Europeans never walk for 10 consecutive minutes throughout their week, while 12% sit for more than 8.5 hours a day.
The main obstacle to sport and physical activity participation is a lack of time. This is why opportunities to practise sports at the workplace are fundamental. EMoCS aims at promoting voluntary activities in sport, together with social inclusion, equal opportunities and awareness of the importance of health-enhancing physical activity through increased participation in sport for all- and especially at the workplace. EMoCS will involve institutions, operators and managers from all over Europe with 1000 participants expected.. High level panellists from all over Europe will stimulate a useful comparison of ideas and good practices between different countries.
EMoCS Run and Walk Challenge will also intend to make EU citizens and employees to “BeActive” by designating the most active company in Europe. It will last from Wednesday 26th September 00:00 (Paris timezone) to 27th September 2.00 pm (Paris timezone). The teams (6 participants) will have to register on a special platform and application (open access and free) that will measure the distance they will make as team by running and/or walking with a real-time ranking. The winner will be the team with the most important distance made during the day ! To register : http://bit.ly/emocschallenge.
“Statistics and scientific research clearly show that physical activity benefits employees and positively effects productivity too, which CEOs and managers are more and more recognising ” says Didier Besseyre, President of the European Federation for Company Sport. “In order to further spread this awareness and stimulate concrete initiatives, EMoCs will focus on multiple objectives such as: rainsing awareness of the importance of health-enhancing physical activity within or around the workplace; identifying and providing private and public decision-makers with concrete tools and solutions to support the development of company sport; and creating the foundations of a certification framework for an Active Workplace Label.”
No single solution exists yet, a series of various tools are available for companies and employees to bring forward, ultimately contributing to achieving goals, such as: stimulating competitiveness, organising physical activity sessions for groups of employees; changing the environmental context in order to promote physical activity among employees; creating programs to involve companies.
All countries possess their own habits and specificities, EMoCS will be an opportunity to reflect on these solutions and find new ones.