The RED January campaign helps Canadians maintain a healthy body and mind, resulting in a more productive, cost-efficient workplace for employers
The winter months present barriers for those striving to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. Lack of sunlight, declining motivation levels, and safety concerns make exercising difficult for many Canadians, which also results in productivity concerns for employers. With 50 per cent of Canadians regularly feeling lonely and 64 per cent being inactive in winter months, getting back into a healthy routine after the holidays can be incredibly exasperating.
But the message behind RED January Canada is that it doesn’t have to be. Janet Omstead is the director behind the mental, physical and social wellbeing campaign taking place throughout January. She explains RED means “Rise Every Day” together, encouraging employers and employees to participate, and get up and move more than they normally would.
“All the work I do revolves around reframing exercise as play so that it's more accessible to people, because inactivity is a pandemic in itself,” Omstead says. “There's 1.8 billion people in the world that don't do enough exercise to keep healthy, which is 150 minutes a week, or just over 20 minutes a day. People face January with this sense of dread, or they want to change all things at once. Everybody deserves good health, but sometimes people get stuck with an extreme all or nothing mindset. With RED January, the premise of this movement and what makes it so brilliant is you.”
REDers – those who participate in RED January – see a significant difference in their wellbeing after participating. Omstead notes that 32 per cent of REDers move from being inactive to active, while 74 per cent often report being more active than usual during the month. RED has also teamed up with the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP), who’ve set the 24-hour movement guidelines in Canada along with the World Health Organization.
There are several benefits for employers to participate in RED January, which can lead to a productive and cost-efficient workplace. Physical benefits include, improved cardiovascular health, increased muscular strength and endurance, improved flexibility and joint mobility, reduced risk of chronic diseases and better weight management. Associated mental benefits include reduced stress and improved mood, enhanced cognitive function and improved sleep quality as well as stress relief and relaxation.
“The social benefits are the opportunities for social interaction, whether it's in your neighbourhood, office, classroom or your communities. There’s also a promotion of teamwork and cooperation as a social benefit, leading to reduced social isolation and loneliness, improved mood and wellbeing,” explains Omstead. “You are socially benefiting, because you're sharing your goals and motivation. Some days, we could all use extra motivation from other people.”
Other ways employers can get involved is through organizing group activities like walking meetings, team lunches, or fun movement-based challenges, like stretching or ping-pong, which promotes social interaction and makes it easier for employees to participate. Omstead also points to workplace’s health and wellness benefits that could include gym memberships or massage therapy, to support their employees’ self-care during throughout the month. She also asserts that workplaces should lead by example, having managers and executives participate in RED January activities.
“When you’re led by someone who cares about your health, you're more likely to care about your workplace environment,” notes Omstead. “If employees feel like they're being supported, they're more likely to show up more frequently and take fewer sick days. They’re more likely to want to work for you if you're leading an environment where it's positive, not toxic.”
This has been the catalyst behind Omstead’s work around health and wellness as RED is laser-focused on the 80 per cent of Canadians who don't do enough physical activity.
“In Canada, eight out of 10 out aren't getting their 150 minutes [of physical activity]. It all stems from this place of possibility. If you could take any activity to do a couple of times a day, doesn't that make you get excited about what's possible?” she says.
