Sport Whanganui: 9 to 5 Thrive focuses on workplace health and wellbeing

When we spend the majority of our days in the workplace during the course of our working lives, making wellbeing a priority alongside our work goals makes perfect sense.

Taking care of our wellbeing leads to improved focus, reduced stress, which impacts on the quality of work produced and the quality of the employee experience.

Sport Whanganui recognised the need to provide a wellbeing service to support employees to the benefit of everyone. 9 to 5 Thrive, led by Sport Whanganui, is our workplace health and wellbeing programme.

The programme is customisable to work with an organisation's work schedules. It aims to improve lifestyle choices and health and wellbeing. It benefits the whole team; managers to administrators, and everything in between.

John Unsworth takes a brief break from a busy schedule to have a bioscan with Sport Whanganui wellness coach Rachael Lynch. Photo / Supplied

Taking care of ourselves by eating a healthy well-balanced diet, getting enough movement in our day and making time for our mental health is important and helps us to be the best version of ourselves. It encourages healthier conversations and relationships with others, and we also manage stress better and feel motivated.

The programme is designed to be as accommodating as possible to the organisation and the individual. The health assessments can be offered onsite or at the Sport Whanganui office.

The format for 9 to 5 Thrive is based on a 12-week health and wellbeing programme that includes:
• Initial health consultation that includes an Inbody Bioscan, a non-invasive piece of equipment that breaks down scale weight into body fat, muscle mass and water weight and allows us to learn more about how lifestyle changes influence overall body composition.
• Health assessment also includes full medical history, blood pressure, SPO2, resting heart rate, nutritional advice, goal setting and the option to talk about the important part our mental health plays in our overall wellbeing.
• Requirement to attend a gym or physical activity of their choice three times per week.
• Weekly contact with Sport Whanganui wellness coach.
• Monthly health assessment to keep accountable to their wellbeing goals.
• Nutritional seminars or group interactive snack demonstrations.
• Group exercise activity (Boxfit or circuit style).

If you want to know more about Sport Whanganui's 9 to 5 Thrive programme, contact
wellness coach Rachael Lynch, email rachael.lynch@sportwhanganui.co.nz or phone (06) 349 2312.