Step into spring with Active Wellbeing

Active Wellbeing returns this May to give civil servants and public sector workers across the country a chance to take steps to improve their physical and mental wellbeing through a fun and inclusive activity challenge.

Marsha Kuye MBE, Head of Programme for the Cabinet Office and Active Wellbeing Champion, will be one of thousands tackling the Nudge to Budge and participating in CSSC’s physical activity and wellbeing campaign, Active Wellbeing, this spring.

In February, Marsha set herself a challenge: remain active by taking part in Cuban salsa lessons. This was something she was passionate about exploring and learning more about, however the classes proved a real test of her back and hips.

Throughout May, Marsha will be taking on a new challenge and joining thousands of others on a more relaxed and family-focused activity with the Around the UK Step Challenge.

Marsha explains; “We talked as a family about how we can get out there a bit more, so once a month we can find a park or open space with the two dogs, plan a walking route and get into nature as the weather gets a bit nicer.”

The challenge runs from 19 May to 31 May, as teams of 10 from across the civil service and public sector will compete against each other to see how far they can travel around the UK by logging daily walking activity. The deadline to sign-up is BEFORE 16 May.

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.

Marsha explained that she has been prioritising her wellbeing and ensuring that she is blocking out time in her diary for herself.

She added: “I think it’s important to take time out and recognise that it’s okay to do so, putting something in my diary that blocks my time out so that’s the time I’m going to do something, and it isn’t going to be overtaken, as my workday doesn’t always end at 5pm but maybe 6 or 7pm. That’s my wellbeing time, that’s when I look after myself.”

While Marsha is a CSSC member, the benefits extend to her family as well;

“While I am a member and will be taking part in the challenge, the benefits extend to my kids as well, as we’ll be enjoying nature and each other on our walks.”

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 logging activity.

Eighty nine percent of Active Wellbeing participants became more active during February, with over half of the participants staying active 5-7 times a week.

You can sign up here and create or join a team BEFORE Friday, 16 May.