Over one million adults are in employment in Greater Manchester and nearly one in four of them is inactive.

Workplaces then are a great way for GM Moving and our partners to reach a key audience and continue building activity into everyday life.

With 60% of our waking hours spent at work, for many more than half of their day is sedentary and these levels of inactivity are a real cause for concern.

Inactive staff have reduced workplace productivity and are at increased risk of health problems; 1.7% of working days in GM are lost each year to sickness and absence, with an estimated statutory sick pay cost to employers in our region of £90m.

It is therefore essential that employers support their staff to move more during the working day for both their employees’ and business’ health.

By increasing activity in the workplace, we can build more opportunities to move more, each day, into people’s lives.

The Benefits

We know there are many ways an active lifestyle is beneficial; it supports physical and mental wellbeing, reduces health problems and decreases stress levels.

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The financial benefits of workplace activity are also clear to see. 

For employers, physically active employees take 27% less sick days than those who are inactive. For employees, just 90 minutes of activity per week during working hours can translate to increased earnings of 7.5%e 

An increasing number of employers are seeing the benefits of a physically active workforce and are taking steps to enable physical activity at work. We know why staff need to move more and GM Moving partners across the city-region have some great ideas and offers of support to help employers to achieve this.

Active Soles

Dr Sohail Munshi, Chief Medical Officer at Manchester Local Care Organisation explains why an active workplace is so important.

Active Soles is a movement which gives everyone the freedom to wear shoes that they're more able to move in.

Flat, comfortable shoes or trainers enable and encourage people to move more, and moving more has a positive impact on our work - as we have outlined above. We can all do great work in our active soles.

Active Soles is here to help you find your way to move more, every day - whether it is walking or wheeling. It is here to help everyone feel better and invite others to join our movement.

Read more about how Active Soles launched in Greater Manchester here.

Read Hayley Lever's blog on what we've learned about movement building through Active Soles.

Get Involved

Join GM Mayor Andy Burnham, NHS GM's Warren Heppolette, and many others within the #ActiveSoles movement by getting your active soles on and encouraging those around you to do the same. 

Whether it's adding a walking meeting to your diary or stretching your legs during a lunch break, all movement counts and it's so much easier with #ActiveSoles. 

Share your stories using the hashtag #ActiveSoles and tag in @GMMoving

Latest News

All News

GM Walking opens survey to hear views on future communications

By GM Walking | 23 October 2023

GM Walking want to hear from you as part of a broad review of their key communications channels.

Free workshops to support you, your colleagues and employees to move more during the working day

By GreaterSport | 23 August 2022

In September we will be launching a series of workshops which will explore key aspects of Active Workplaces and how we can all play are part in growing the movement whilst we work.

The importance of health & wellbeing

By GreaterSport | 25 July 2022

GreaterSport CEO, Hayley Lever, guested on a Good employment charter webinar last week focussed around the important of health and wellbeing.