Get active and ManUp

It’s a fact: Australian men have a lower life expectancy than women and it’s time to do something about it. Getting active has more health benefits than just losing weight. Getting physical also reduces the risk of developing chronic diseases that can lead to premature death and has been proven to boost mental health – after all, what’s better than a walk or some other activity to clear the head?

“Research shows that Australian men experience higher rates of certain chronic diseases and have a lower life expectancy than females,” says Emma George, a PhD candidate in the School of Science and Health. “Increasing physical activity is one way to reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases and improve overall health, although there aren’t a lot of physical activity programs tailored specifically for men.”

ManUp UWS is endorsed by the Office of People and Culture as an initiative of the Our People 2015 Staffing Strategy. The program, which will run for 12 weeks with male staff participants aged between 35 and 64 years, has been developed to implement and evaluate both an internet-based intervention and a print resources intervention designed to improve activity levels and reduce sedentary time for participants. ManUp UWS participants will be randomly allocated to either the ManUp UWS internet-based group or another group which receives a range of print-based material encouraging physical activity. Participants will have their physical activity, height, waist circumference, weight and blood pressure measured three times while undertaking the program.

ManUp UWS is flexible: you can work alone, tracking your progress as you go, or set up group challenges and compete with friends. There’s also no limit on how much time participants need to spend using the program — it’s entirely up to them.

“We have had a lot of interest in the program so far,” says Emma. “The initial response has been very positive and it’s great to see so many male staff members wanting to increase their physical activity. There are already many staff who have commenced in the program and we are still looking for other male staff who are ready to ManUp.”

Do you want to ManUp?
Emma George, a PhD candidate from the School of Science and Health, is still recruiting male UWS staff members who want to take the challenge. To find out more, email Emma.