Author Archives: Nicola Davenport

How to choose a workation apartment

Planning a workation away from your usual base? Choosing the right space for your remote office location is key to a successful stint working away. Once you’ve selected the city or region you’ll be working from, here’s what to look for in your workation apartment.

Connectivity

Reliable, high-speed wifi is no 1 on every digital nomad’s list for an effective digital workation. Connectivity is essential. Beware thick walls if your apartment is in a historic building, and make friends with the maintenance guys.

When the wifi went down during our first workation stint, it was only when we headed out to grab some lunch that we found a workman in the stairwell fiddling with the wires. Good timing – we were on the verge of losing the critical router on which our workation depended.

Added bonus: the building’s owner was on site at the same time, so we were invited to an impromptu full tour of the other (stunning) apartments in our block, an immaculately restored palace full of authentic architectural detail.

Workation tip: Ask the right questions about wifi before you book, and get chatty once you move in.

Workspace

If you’ve managed to negotiate a remote workation, odds are you rely on a laptop to keep your hustle on track. So choose a workation apartment that fits your personal working style. Unless you’re used to tapping away with a laptop on your knees in bed / on the sofa, scour photos of your accommodation for suitable workspace spots.

When we go on workation, my husband and I look for enough separate desk space within the apartment to accommodate a laptop, papers and privacy for when we are both on calls. You might appreciate a spare bedroom if your Zooms / Teams times clash.

Alternatively, is there a dining table and a breakfast bar? Or a dressing table that could double up as a desk, for at least some of the time? Imagine how you can make the space work for your needs.

working on the terrace — Work that deskspace

Check images of your rental apartment for socket locations, suitable seating and – critically – air conditioning units if you’re working away somewhere in the sun. Heating will be key for a winter workation.

Lighting too is important. Is there natural light? Will lamps or overhead lighting be enough to work by? Consider taking a small LED lamp with you – it will help open up your apartment and potentially make dark corners useable for work.

Workation tip: Take a multi-socket or power tower with a long lead. And pack plenty of socket converters.

Location

Where is your workation apartment located? I recommend a residential rather than a heavily touristed area: you’re more likely to find handy local shops like a bakery, corner shop, bar or cafe. A neighbourhood print shop and library are useful when you need to get stuff done or want a quiet change of scene.

Staying in a residential area will be more like ‘real life’ and you are less likely to suffer from street noise. Research your proposed workation apartment on Google maps. Do windows overlook a cobbled street or a shared communal area? Cobbles make a racket when tourists pass by pulling roll-on luggage. Is your apartment on a busy route for guided walking tours? A stream of passers-by can be seriously disruptive if you want to keep windows open while you work.

Cobbled street — Is your apartment on a tourist route?

Accommodation outside the main tourist drag is likely to come in cheaper than an apartment in the historic centre of whichever city you choose. You’re also contributing to the local economy if you buy from independent businesses in your temporary adopted neighbourhood.

Workation tip: Research how many other rental apartments in the block where you will be on workation. If others are on holiday while you are working, expect higher noise levels that could disturb your work vibe.

Long-term rentals

On the basis that you are renting your workation apartment for at least a month, you may find your landlord able to offer a discount on fees. Check whether there is a cap on power bills as the air con / heating can take a hammering if you’re in your apartment working for long hours. Consider skipping the weekly linen change / cleaning service and do it yourself instead. This will save your landlord costs, which they may be willing to reflect in the fees they charge you.

Check your apartment carefully for equipment and facilities. Many city centre rentals offer limited cooking equipment as they cater mainly for short-term stays – will you need an oven, hob or dishwasher?

Workation tip: Ask for a spare set of sheets / towels if you’re planning on going DIY – and only do so if there’s a washing machine AND drying space in your workation apartment.

Integrate

Common complaints from local residents about increasing numbers of properties being rented out, concern the thoughtlessness of short-term let neighbours.

Putting out the rubbish on the wrong days, leaving hire bikes in communal hallways, keeping unsociable hours – even drying laundry over public balconies, feature in lists of annoying renter behaviours cited by residents in Spain. Be considerate and make an effort to live like a local when on workation.

coffee in a neighbourhood cafe — Support your neighbourhood

Why not also research local clubs and pursue a new interest while you’re working away? Sports and crafts are a good place to start. Alternatively, volunteer with an eco group and join litter picks, gardening or neighbourhood clear-ups. Check social media for inspiration and get in touch.

It’s the perfect way to give back to the community you have joined temporarily, get to know some locals and maybe even forge lasting friendships.

Workation tip: Speaking the local language will help big time. Do some Duolingo before you go and consider classes while you are away.

Looking for a workation apartment in Spain? Try Genteel Home. We have used them several times – properties and service are excellent.

Oarsome Challenge rowing tips

Thinking of signing up to the Oarsome Challenge rowing event? Wondering what you’re letting yourself in for?

If sightseeing, with your butt on a hard bench while you manoeuvre a heavy oar through the rolling waters of central London appeals – you could be a candidate for the annual Oarsome Challenge.

I took part in this year’s event – read on for my first-timer Oarsome Challenge rowing tips.

What is the Oarsome Challenge?

The Oarsome Challenge is a charity team rowing event that rides the flood tide along the Thames right through the middle of historic London, starting in Greenwich and ending some 28km upstream at Chiswick Bridge.

You’ll be rowing sweep in a crew of eight, plus steering cox, using a single oar in a fixed-seat, broad-beamed, robust wooden vessel. Previous rowing experience is not necessary, although every crew is required to attend an organised training session before the day of the Oarsome Challenge.

The event raises money for London Youth Rowing (LYR) and the course consists of two parts. The Challenge kicks off with a rare chance to row safely through the Pool of London, where rowing is normally prohibited on safety grounds. The second stretch is a timed race from Putney Bridge to the finish line just short of Chiswick Bridge.

Racing is optional, but all boats need to complete the course.

How long will the Oarsome Challenge take?

The first 20km is rowed in a group, so you can only progress as fast as the slowest boat. The whole course, including the race section, will take between three and four hours.

The good news is it ends with refreshments (beers and pizza this year) and prizes on the foreshore just beyond Chiswick Bridge. It’s the same pretty spot – Quintin and MAABC boat houses – where crews land after the annual University Boat Race.

Be prepared for sore arms, knees, back and butt by the end of your Oarsome Challenge outing.

Disembarking from boat at MAABC foreshore at the end of the Challenge — Oarsome Challenge : end of the race at MAABC foreshore

What should I wear?

The event takes place on a summer evening, when the days are longer and the air is warmer. Row boats aren’t allowed under Tower Bridge until after 6pm, and organisers plan the start time so you’ll be riding with the tide all the way. So odds are you will be rowing from late afternoon until around 8pm. Dress accordingly.

There’s a prize for the best fancy dressed crew. However, make sure that your outfit can withstand three hours plus of rowing motion and non-stop exercise.

Top tip: Loose fitting clothing is at risk of getting caught on your oar, so the kind of fit kit you’d wear for cycling or running is a good choice. Padded cycling shorts are perfect.

Buoyancy aids are compulsory (and provided), so bear in mind that your chest and back will be covered – jackets also provide extra insulation so a thin sweat-wicking T-shirt will be enough for most rowers. Take a small waterproof bag in the boat with a thin, splash-proof jacket or cover-up. There will be time to pause and put it on if necessary. There is also plenty of space to stash bags under your seat.

A well-fitting hat is a good idea – something that won’t blow off – and a pair of padded cycling gloves will ease hand discomfort. Good quality sunglasses will protect your eyes from the potentially damaging glare of sun on water, even on an overcast day. And you must of course wear sun cream, even on a dull day.

Make sure you have a warm cover-up available after you finish – you will cool down quickly once you’ve stopped exercising. Stick a hoody or fleece in your transport bag.

Race section under way as Oarsome Challenge boat emerges from under Putney Bridge — Oarsome Challenge : coming through Putney Bridge

What should I take?

Oarsome Challenge organisers will transport your bags from the start to the finish point, but there are some essentials you will want to keep with you in the boat. Here’s what to take on board:

Footwear you don’t mind getting wet. Your feet will get wet climbing from shore into your boat and out again at the other end. Wear old, comfortable trainers – or wellies for embarkation, carrying your trainers to put on once you’re in your seat.
Top tip: A seat pad – use gaffer tape to attach it to the seat bench. You can get specific rowing seat pads, or use the kind of seat that goes on a garden bench, or a pad you might kneel on for gardening.
A waterproof pouch for your phone that you can wear round your neck / clip round your waist
A large sports water bottle to keep you hydrated en route
Energy snacks that are easy to grab on the move. Jelly beans, dried fruit, energy bars all fit the bill.
Lip balm

Will the Oarsome Challenge hurt?

The fitter you are, the less arduous you will find the event. On-water rowing is the best preparation you can do, with row machine training next best. Any cardio work like running or cycling will help build up your lung power and endurance. Focus on arms and legs if you’re in the gym.

And yes, it will hurt! Don’t underestimate the achievement of completing your Oarsome Challenge – 28km is a very long stretch even for an experienced, regular rower.

However, the picturesque river journey through iconic, historic London along with friendly competition from other boats and the motivation of raising money for charity should help keep your mind off the muscle strain.

Handing out prizes at the end of the Challenge — Oarsome Challenge : prize giving

Would I take part in the Oarsome Challenge again? Definitely. It was a privilege to row a route that few people get to experience and a team achievement to complete the course and finish in winning position. Thoroughly recommend.

Coping with a summer heatwave

I have spent more summers sweltering in a Seville heatwave than I can remember. Many of them as a student when air con was not an affordable option – and latterly, working through the baking heat of a southern Spanish summer. Thankfully with the benefit of in-house air conditioning.

Add to that a string of holiday trips to Ibiza staying when family lived on the island, and I feel well qualified to advise on coping with the most extreme summer conditions.

Andalucia – south west Spain – has long suffered summer heatwaves, but it is clear that climate change is magnifying the problem. Temperatures are rising earlier in the season and staying high for longer. Residents flee to the beach if they can. If you’re planning a summer trip to the heatwave zone, what coping measures can you take to beat the heat?

Read on for my tips on coping with a summer heatwave…

Tiles beat wood

When booking, if possible choose accommodation with chill ceramic tiled floors rather than wooden flooring, which retains and radiates heat. Spanish people traditionally use rugs rather than fitted carpets, rolling them out during the winter then stashing them away during the hotter summer months.

The temperature difference between one year when we rented an apartment in central Seville with tiled floors, and the following year when we had parquet underfoot, was immense.

Furnishings absorb heat, so think minimalistic if you are fitting out your own place.

Air con and ceiling fans

Air conditioning is a must-have. Temperatures regularly top 40 degC during the day in Seville in the summer, dropping to low to mid 20s at night – if you’re lucky. Without air con you will get nothing done and will find sleeping difficult.

Some rental agencies cap power costs, so in a seriously hot spell, be warned that you may be charged extra if you over-use the air conditioning. Always switch it off or turn it down low when you go out. See below for more tips on staying cool with minimal air con.

Ceiling fans in bedrooms are a genius way to reduce your reliance on the a/c unit. A sweep of moving air from a ceiling fan is surprisingly refreshing in a heatwave and will mean you can either turn the air con right down or switch it off completely at night. Good for your pocket and the environment.

Aim high

An apartment or room on a higher floor will catch more breeze, as will outside windows or balconies. In southern Spain, especially in cities like Seville, many properties are built to the traditional central patio layout. Access to external and internal airways gives access to a through breeze, helping suck cooler air into your living space at night when lower temperatures allow you to open windows. On which note…

Close and shutter windows during the day

Keep a close watch on the temperature and make sure you do not open windows until the heat drops outside (ie at night – and often not until very late at night). Equally, close all windows and shutters / curtains / blinds as soon as the sun comes round and it starts to feel warmer outside than in.

The aim is to keep the ambient interior temperature low. Hot sun shining on floors and furniture will turn your inside space into a radiator. Keep it out to prevent your living space from heating up and don’t open up until the external temperature feels equal to or cooler than the air indoors.

Swerve the stove

My Spanish friends use their ovens for storage rather than cooking during the summer months. Fancy a roast chicken? Buy it from the ‘asador’ rotisserie shop on the corner (very common in Spain).

Eat salads, buy ready cooked food rather than cooking it yourself. Even better, eat out. Away from tourist spots, bar food is pretty low-cost in Spain compared with the UK. Tapas and a cold beer or a glass of tinto de verano (chilled red wine with soda water and ice) are a wonderful way to cool down.

Live like a local

Get up early and do your exercise / chores / tourist stuff first thing. Retire to the shade during the hottest part of the day : from 1pm until late afternoon. Emerge once things start to cool down and, in the city, don’t even start start thinking about dinner until around 9.30pm. Spanish people tend to socialise until late and rest up during the heat of the afternoon when (almost) everything shuts down. It works!

get up early to avoid the heat — Getting up early to avoid the heat doesn’t always work: Seville, 8/9am.

Sleeping tips

Got a rooftop terrace in your property? Consider sleeping up there in the open air on the hottest nights, bugs and noise permitting. I have spent many nights sleeping al fresco during Seville’s summer season. Being so far south, the sun rises later than in the UK so daybreak does not come too soon.

If you have air con, switch it on before you go to bed to cool down the room before you enter, turn it up a couple of degrees once you’re in bed then set the timer for it to go off once you’re asleep. If you wake up hot, you can always re-set it then.

Take a cool shower before you go to bed and wet your hair. A cold, damp face cloth or hand towel on your tummy, chest or forehead is also extremely effective if you’re feeling hot and bothered in bed.

If you need a duvet, you’ve got the air con set too low.

Keep your cool

Slow down your pace, don’t over-face yourself with ambitious plans to get too much done and schedule in trips to air-conditioned locations like a department store, destination hotel, supermarket or museum. Pit-stops in the cool will help you cope with the heat.

Finally, however hot it gets, away from resorts, dress appropriately. Cool loose clothing will keep the sun off your skin and help air circulate around your body. In the summer months, you will not need a cardi / hoodie or jacket – save space in your luggage and don’t even bother packing one. Instead, take a light shawl or pashmina which packs away to almost nothing and is perfect to drape round your shoulders if you need to enter a church or fiercely air-conditioned environment.

Tomato glut salmorejo

Fresh back from a workation summer in southern Spain (more of that to come in a future blogpost), I am missing A LOT about being away – including salmorejo. Turns out it is super-easy to make at home. Perfect if you’ve got a glut of homegrown tomatoes, Here’s how.

This recipe is a translated (and very slightly amended) version of a salmorejo from an awesomely enthusiastic Spanish chef who runs an organisation called Gastronomia y Fitness (@gastronomiayfit on Twitter, where I discovered him). He is 100% committed to wellbeing through food, fitness and eating well.

Super-delicious recipe

His salmorejo recipe is here. It is super-easy and super-delicious. Much simpler than gazpacho, and used in Spain not just as a soup but also as a sauce. Numerous dishes came with either a small dipping bowl of salmorejo on the side, or a thick smear of this delicious tomato-based puree on the base of the plate, when we were in Sevilla this summer.

Perfect for hot weather, I made some tomato glut salmorejo for lunch today and it took less than 10 minutes. Here’s how (serves two):

Throw 500g of ripe tomatoes and 75g of stale bread cubes in a powerful blender along with a small clove of garlic, 75ml of good olive oil and a tablespoon of white wine vinegar. Blitz until smooth. Thin down with cold water to get the consistency you want (depends on whether you are eating as soup or using as a sauce / puree). Salt to taste (go easy!). Chill until needed.

Serve either as it comes, or throw on some healthy toppings such as hard boiled egg, herbs, or feta.

TIPS: I used the blender rather than the food processor for a more powerful chop, as I was using tomatoes from the freezer (from my homegrown glut) and tough sourdough bread cubes from the end of a stale homemade loaf. I didn’t bother peeling the tomatoes. It is easy to thin down further with ice cold water if it has thickened up in the fridge.

Thanks, Gastronomia y Fitness for your salmorejo inspo – keep up the good work!

Feliz cumpleaños, el Prado!

Glad I arrived in good time for yesterday’s Prado bicentenary event at the National Gallery: there was not a spare seat in the auditorium to hear the illuminating conversation between the directors of two of the world’s most famous art galleries.

On stage were Miguel Falomir of Madrid’s Prado, and Gabriele Finaldi of London’s National Gallery. Their conversation was a way for London to wish the Prado ‘Feliz cumpleaños’ – Happy Birthday!

READ THE REPORT: Prado bicentenary at National GalleryDownload

It was the start of a programme of events marking the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Museo del Prado. The museum opened back in 1819, set up by King Ferdinand VII of Spain to showcase the Royal Collection.

European masterpieces

And what a collection it is: in addition to the Spanish greats Velázquez, El Greco, Murillo and Goya, the Museo del Prado boasts vast numbers of works by Titian, Rubens, Rembrandt, Bosch and Botticelli. The condition of these masterpieces is immaculate, noted National Gallery Director Gabriele Finaldi, because they have not suffered the trauma of cleaning or reframing which occurs when works of art change hands.

They were largely commissioned by the Spanish monarchs of the Golden Age and installed in their palaces where they remained until the Prado opened in 1819.

“The worst treatment they have suffered is benign neglect,” said Mr Finaldi.

Those who arrived in time to grab a seat in the auditorium enjoyed almost an hour listening to the two gallery directors share their knowledge.

READ THE REPORT: Prado bicentenary at National GalleryDownload

The National Gallery runs an ongoing programme of talks and lectures, many of them free. Check out forthcoming events at their website: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/events

Find out more about cultural events organised by and with the support of the Instituto Cervantes in the UK here: https://londres.cervantes.es

Got an event or conference coming up? Want to ensure it is fully and accurately reported to maximise value for organisers and delegates? Get in touch for information about our event and conference reporting service.

Rowing : mindfulness on the river

It’s the killer all-body cardio workout: 60 minutes in the boat = 700 calories burned. Boom! But who knew that rowing would also be the ultimate in mindfulness practice?

I’ve been learning to row on the Thames at Putney with TopRow since the spring, and am loving it not just for the fitness boost but also for the mental benefits.

Rowing as part of a crew is the ultimate team effort. Full-focus on the mechanics is essential, and it’s that concentration that forces all other thoughts out of your mind.

Mindfulness with every stroke

Every stroke, I am aware of how my body is moving, whether I am in synch with the rower in front, how my weight is balanced and the rhythm of my breathing.

I am thinking about the positioning of my hands on the oars, keeping wrist twist to a minimum as my fingers swivel the oar to square the blade before it enters the water, engaging my quads and glutes throughout the stroke, making the optimum stretch forward through my arms and then back to ensure a smooth, effective movement through the water.

Stay relaxed, don’t tense shoulders, jaw or neck. Lean, heave, slide, stretch. Breathe steadily throughout the stroke to maintain tempo and concentration.

Utterly absorbing

Closing my eyes, I hear the creak of the boat, the slide of our seats, the clunk of the oars in the rowlocks as they switch from vertical to horizontal and back again, followed by the gentle splash as they drop in the water. I feel the smooth motion of the hull in the water or perhaps a slight jerking or wobble if we don’t get the timing quite right.

The epitome of mindfulness, blind rowing is an exercise that amplifies the feel of our movements on the motion of the boat and is just one of a number of exercises our TopRow coach has employed to help finetune our technique.

Let your mind wander and it can be just moments before you fall out of time with the rest of the crew, miss a catch or fail to square up the blade just early enough to make for an efficient stroke. Rowing is utterly absorbing.

When I signed up for my first TopRow course, I expected to spend time on the water enjoying the view, observing birdlife and maybe even chatting. But an hour on the Thames from Putney, upriver past Hammersmith Bridge and back is more often than not a prolonged period of physicality and silent concentration. Conversation can be a distraction, so we save it for rest/coaching periods, or when we are rigging/de-rigging the boat.

Striving for correct form on every stroke, requires utmost concentration. I love it.

Merton councillor in denial over air quality failings

“We are the experts in London” for air quality, councillor Nick Draper bragged today, despite an annual performance review for Merton showing the Council had failed to hit targets on NO2 compliance at all 44 of its air quality monitoring sites.

“We are the lead authority for London and in Britain”, Mr Draper told the Joint Regulatory Service Partnership (RSP) committee, praising “the excellent work that our team is doing”.

‘Failure to comply’

Members were shown a slide listing all three Key Performance Indicators for Merton on air quality as ‘red’, with the council failing to comply on: annual average amount of NO2 per m3; annual average amount of particulates per m3; and NO2 diffusion tube monitoring sites in the borough exceeding national levels.

Nevertheless, Mr Draper, who was attending the meeting as an observer, insisted, “What we have achieved is extremely successful.”

However, Cllr Martin Elengorn, of Richmond Council, was critical of “self-congratulation and back patting”.

“The public won’t be impressed, since we still have bad air quality,” he said. “They don’t want to know we are pleased with ourselves. They want to know what we are doing and how we respond. The public are not happy.”

Mr Elengorn is Richmond’s Cabinet member for the environment, leading on the fight against Heathrow expansion.

The Joint Regulatory Service Partnership (RSP) committee, is a money-saving collaboration between local authorities in Merton, Wandsworth and Richmond, covering areas including food safety, trading standards, pollution monitoring and trading standards. Nick Draper is not currently a member of the committee.

Staff: ‘passionate’ but inexperienced

Members heard that grants worth £1 million for work on air quality across the three boroughs had funded the appointment of nine extra members of staff, many of whom are graduates on short-term contracts and unqualified in air quality issues.

Merton Council’s Housing and Pollution Control Manager Ed Shayler explained that it was difficult to attract experienced environmental health officers to potentially temporary roles, but that the graduates employed were qualified in science subjects, keen to learn and “passionate” about air quality issues.

In response to a question from Wandsworth councillor Paula Walker, Mr Shayler said that the new staff were spending time on jobs including visiting construction sites to check for compliance, and taking air quality readings.

Merton councillor Caroline Cooper-Marbiah failed to attend the meeting but was elected chairman of the Joint RSP committee in her absence.

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Best buys at Singapore’s Changi Airport

Just enjoyed a wonderful few days in one of my favourite Far East cities, but with no plans to return any day soon, wanted to use up those excess Singapore dollars.

Yes, we could have blown our wad on a pre-journey meal. But I travel best on an empty stomach. Time to hit the shops.

And wow, what a phenomenal deal: a smidgeon over Sing$12 for a pack of 10 Tony Moly sheet face masks. That’s around 60p per mask for a burst of complexion-boosting vits from one of South Korea’s most popular facialist brands.

South Korean face mask sheets — Branded face mask sheets at incredible prices: thanks, Changi!

Look out too for the well-respected It’s Skin brand. There’s a wide range of moisture mask sheets available, including vitamin C and hyaluronic acid: perfect for mature skin.

I bought two packs, plus one for my daughter, and have briefed my husband on where to drop his spare currency next time he’s passing through Changi on business.

Gin’s cheap too: less than 10 quid for a bottle of Gordon’s. Changi: you can see why it’s the world’s favourite airport.

South Korean skincare mask sheets — Singapore skincare treats

Stand up for your workplace health

Whose job is it to improve the health credentials of our workplaces? The state, in a bid to ease the strain on our overstretched NHS? Employers, who reap the commercial benefits of healthier, more productive staff? Or should we the workers, for reasons of self-interest, stand up for our own workplace health?

Perhaps because no one can actually decide how to tackle the health time-bomb of sedentary working habits – or has the energy to do so? – we are sleep-sitting our way into a crisis of (literally) crippling proportions.

Inactivity: the cause of 20% of premature deaths

The extent of the problem was laid bare at this week’s Active Working Summit 2017. Expert speaker after speaker ran through the evidence:

nearly a fifth of premature deaths in the UK are due to physical inactivity;
more than 50% of staff working for the NHS (the nation’s biggest employer) are overweight;
the cost to the UK of poor workplace health is equal to the GDP of Portugal;
fewer than half of us are disability-free by age 50;
by spending seven hours plus a day seated we are suffering from muscle and joint issues that leave us frail and incapacitated.

The evidential case against workplace sedentary behaviour is clear. What researchers are focusing on too is how reducing those sedentary habits positively improves wellness and productivity. Early signs are good, and enlightened employers (and office design) encourage workers to stand up from their desks and get active around the office.

Move often, use mobile tech

The way to create active working is move often and carry mobile tech, ergonomics guru Prof Alan Hedge of Cornell University told the Active Working Summit. Younger workers get it, when their workplaces make it possible (take a walk through tech-co intensive Old Street and you’ll see this in action).

As Mayo Clinic Professor James Levine put it: “Active working is the coolest way to work. Barack Obama, the boss of Nike does it, Google, Facebook. These are cool places to work and they don’t want staff to be in their seats in one place all day long.”

‘We are being failed by the HSE’

So why aren’t corporate health and safety, occupational health departments in the vanguard of the active working movement? Gavin Bradley, the evangelical founding director of Active Working CIC, believes we are being failed by the HSE with its lack of recommendations for the use of adjustable desks. Workplace OH specialists generally only get involved once an employee has complained of a condition such as back or shoulder ache rather than taking the preventative approach.

We’ve got it the wrong way round, agreed Dr Nicola Eccles of Halifax-headquartered CP Active: “We shouldn’t be asking why aren’t you at your desk, but why are you always at your desk?”

So is it time for statutory guidance on active working? In Denmark, employers are legally obliged to provide sit-stand desks. It’s the law. The desks are there. Few workers use them. Gitte Toft, Danish inventor of the Steppie balance board blamed it on the lack of training, explanation and encouragement. Push rather than nudge just doesn’t seem to work.

Embed health in your business

Public Health England advisor Dame Carol Black agreed that legislation was not the answer, preferring options such as a voluntary register for employers. “Legislative policy follows the population,” she said. “Health and wellbeing at work cannot be an add-on: it needs to be embedded in a company.”

My take on this message – and one that I pass on to staff at companies I work with on healthy workplace practices: you work here, you deserve better, the ball is in your court. If you want a healthier working environment (and who wouldn’t?), you’ve got to demand it. Ask for the sit-stand desk riser, take regular breaks, become your department’s healthy workplace champion, put up posters, challenge your manager, stop eating lunch at your desk.

As Peter Brogan of the BIFM suggested at the Active Working Summit, the question that needs to get answered is: “Does your board even have a workplace strategy?”

Kickstart your healthy workplace campaign by signing up your team/department/company for On Your Feet Britain Day April 28, 2017: thousands are already signed up for a day of activity in the workplace in a bid to encourage the nation to #sitless #movemore, organised by Active Working CIC.

Join a running group to boost your training

I love running but when I go out on my own, I’m a plodder, grinding out the miles while listening to podcasts. Good for the mileage but does little to enhance my run performance.

Hill reps, intervals, power moves would all, I know, help build my speed and endurance, but they hurt. So if I’m going to incorporate them effectively into my running regime, I really need to have someone there making me do them – and making me do them properly. No cheating when it gets tough.

Run Together

The answer? Get a PT (costly solo solution) or join a running group (less expensive, more sociable). I opted for the latter, a new RunTogether group led by Wimbledon’s enthusiastic and inspirational health coach Anna Desogus, who I already know from my work on the @HealthyMerton healthy workplace programme. The group was set up in association with central Wimbledon yoga studio Jiva Health, so keep an eye out, as there may be some useful run + gait therapy + yoga sessions scheduled soon…

Find out more about Healthy Workplace services here

Runners' feet — Raring to RunTogether: high vis recommended on a frosty Wimbledon night

The first session took place last night. Anna kicked our training off with a 7pm safety briefing, then we took a slow jog to a safe cul de sac where we performed a series of power/strength moves: exactly the kind of thing I would never do when running alone. Duly warmed up, we head for a secluded residential area just off Wimbledon Hill for a hill reps session that challenged every one of us.

It was perfect: better runners could aim for more reps, while the less experienced/ambitious among us could go at our own pace, performing fewer circuits yet still pushing ourselves. No one was left behind, and Anna was super-effective in instruction and motivation. An hour later, we were all back in central Wimbledon for a final stretching session then home in time for supper. Brilliant.

Fancy joining Anna’s weekly Monday night RunTogether session? It caters for all levels of running (you must be able to run for at least 10 minutes), with a varied programme incorporating a dynamic workout as well as pure running, making it the perfect complement to your usual run sessions. Thoroughly recommend.

Find out more (and book your place): Anna’s Raramuri running group
Personalised nutrition, health, coaching services: Anna Desogus Health Coaching