Active Wellbeing: “It’s all about moving in a way that suits me.”

Returning this May, CSSC’s Active Wellbeing challenge will give civil servants and public sector workers the nudge to budge and encourage them to take control of their physical and mental wellbeing in a manner that works for them.

Dawn Lennie, a Wellbeing Consultant for the Government People Group, is an Active Wellbeing Champion who will be encouraging her colleagues and fellow civil servants to get their steps and spirits up this spring.

A life-long civil servant, Dawn started her career in the civil service at the age of 16 and has been an active CSSC member for the entirety of her career spanning 41 years. While enjoying the series of benefits, discounts and holiday bargains in her time as a member, she has also been an active and willing participant in sports and challenges throughout her time as a part of it.

She was a player for her local hockey team, sometimes playing Friday, Saturday and Sunday for them, revelling in the camaraderie of the team environment, sense of belonging and collective effort proving a huge boost to her wellbeing.

Unfortunately, a stretched ACL made a return to team sports a challenge for Dawn, but undeterred, she explored other passions as a regular participant in her local Zumba classes and more recently, in walking, pilates, and gardening.

Dawn places a huge value in activity around wellbeing, whatever it is that you’re choosing to do: “I think activities are really, really important and I would always encourage people to do something. Staying active improves my focus throughout the day which in turn contributes to both my happiness and productivity at work.  

You can have injuries, there can be things wrong, but there’s always something that you can do, and you can manage it yourself.

Walking was the one thing that I could do, and I could do at my pace.”

Along with thousands of other CSSC members, Dawn will be joining the Active Wellbeing challenge to celebrate National Walking Month. May sees the launch of Active Wellbeing’s Around the UK Step Challenge, running from 19 May to 31 May, as Teams of 10 from across the Civil Service will compete against each other to see how far they can travel around the UK by logging daily walking activity, with a sign-up deadline of 15 May.

Dawn is really excited about the walking challenge and has been actively recruiting her team; “Walking is more accessible for people, I’m very careful to tell people it’s about getting active. It’s not about playing loads of sports or running marathons, it’s about just being a little bit more active than you would normally be.

So for instance, if you try and aim for 10,000 steps a day aim for another 500 steps or 1000 steps a day, just aim for a little bit and just build it up slowly.”

Active Wellbeing, the UK’s largest physical activity campaign, aims to remove barriers and inspire members of the civil service and public sector to move more and be more active in a bid to improve their overall wellbeing.

While Dawn still dances when she can, her focus remains staying active:

“It’s about being active in a way that suits me and not feeling like I’m being forced into something. Running a marathon or being a gym bunny might work for some people and they should definitely pursue this, but the one thing I want to tell people about Active Wellbeing is that it should be something you get enjoyment from. By taking part in the challenge and moving a little more this will help you both physically and mentally. Dance like nobody’s watching, and see how it makes you feel.”

Active Wellbeing May is fully inclusive, encouraging everyone to increase their activity in whatever way they can. Not only is it fun but loads of prizes including free memberships, vouchers and top of the range technology can be won just for signing up and taking part.

You can sign up here and create or join a team before Thursday, 15 May.