Pledging to 'Be Active'
MDX Sport have developed a Be Active pledge
We encourage you to sign a pledge to Be Active, More Often, and challenge you to complete 10 Be Active tips during one week. You will receive your own resistance band and could win a T-shirt, Pedometer, or Fitness tracker (similar to a fitbit).
Sign up to the Be Active pledge
To sign our pledge, download your Be Active pledge here, read and sign. Simply return your signed pledge by emailing it to thefitnesspod@mdx.ac.uk or by handing it in to The Fitness Pod reception. You will also be able to collect your free Fitness band and helpful guide from The Fitness Pod.
You can also download your handy 'Be Active' fitness band guide here or pick up a copy from The Fitness Pod reception.
Be Active tips
Research suggests that long periods of inactivity, such as sitting, can be a health risk. This is regardless of whether you undertake regular exercise and meet the recommended 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week. Current lifestyles generally involve people being less active (sitting at desks, driving to work, use of modern appliances for household tasks etc). So many of us have to consciously consider ways in which we can increase our levels of activity, and interrupt our sedentary behaviour. There are numerous ways in which you can Be Active:
Active University
- Stretch or exercise at your desk
- Study or work standing up
- Take regular breaks – set a reminder to stand up and move around every hour
- Use the printer, photocopier or toilet, furthest away from your desk
- Eat lunch away from your desk. Go for a short walk around Sunny Hill Park.
- Get up and walk to a colleague to have a conversation, rather than calling, texting or e-mailing
- Have a meeting while standing up or on the move
- When the phone rings, stand up to answer the call
- Go on a lunchtime walk around the campus grounds or Sunny Hill park
Active Travel
- Walk or cycle to University and avoid sitting in traffic
- Avoid using the lift, take the stairs instead
- If you need to drive to the campus, park a mile or more away, and walk the last bit of your journey
- If you take a bus, walk a few of the bus stops at the start or end of your journey
- Stand on the bus or train, rather than sitting
- Walk up the escalator or stairs rather than standing still on the escalator
Active Home
- When cooking or baking, use a wooden spoon or hand whisk instead of an electric mixer
- Stand up and move around when the adverts are on TV
- Where possible, walk to the shops and carry the shopping bags home
- Wash the car yourself, rather than take it to the car wash
- Hand wash dishes instead of using the dishwasher
- Cut the lawn with a hand push mower, rather than an electric mower
- Read a newspaper or book while standing up
Active Freetime
- Go for a bike ride and explore your local area
- Do some gardening - grow fruit and vegetables in your own garden, or get an allotment
- Walk your dog, and if you don’t have one, why not offer to walk a friend or neighbour’s dog
- Be active on holiday - go walking, cycling, skiing or play some other sports
