Meet Ebony: Our Active April champion
by Clare O'Shea, Media and Communications Officer
- May 7, 2019
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LiveLighter is excited to introduce to you the winner of our Premier’s Active April competition – Ebony.
As part of Premier’s Active April we encouraged Victorians to join in the fun and tell us how they weaved physical activity into their working day.
Victorian 25-year-old Ebony wow-ed us with her response. Parking a little away from her work and walking the rest of the way, going for a walk at lunch or when taking a phone call and delivering messages in person to colleagues instead of sending an email are just some of the strategies she uses to hit the recommended 30 minutes of exercise a day!
We chatted with Ebony to find out other tricks she has to keep active.
What’s your favourite way to keep active?
There’s too many! For me I find it’s important to keep mixing things up and not rely on one type of activity as I get bored easily. If I had to choose one, it’d definitely be getting out for a hike somewhere with beautiful views and good company.
Have you always been active or have you recently found the motivation?
I’ve always been reasonably active but have definitely found more enjoyment in activity recently which I put down to exercising in the ways I enjoy most and when I feel like it as opposed to following a set routine. I’ve also found lots more motivation recently thanks to joining my local running club. This way I’m socialising and exercising so it doesn’t feel like hard work!
You mentioned you feel better after exercising, can you tell us a bit more about the benefits you experience?
I feel better in myself; physically and emotionally after being active, not just after participating in planned physical activity but also when I make the effort to move more throughout the day. Having an office job does expose you to lots of sedentary time and if I don’t make a conscious effort to get up and move throughout the day I don’t feel as good. If I spend too much time sitting down I feel lethargic and notice my productivity decreases. I’m lucky to have a very supportive, health-promoting workplace that encourages incidental movement as much as possible.
The team at LiveLighter are so impressed with Ebony as she sets a great example for the majority of Aussies who don’t meet the physical activity requirements. Shockingly, only 1 in 5 of us hit the minimum of 150 minutes of exercise a week.
Keen to get active but not sure where to begin?
Check out our tips on how to achieve this and you’ll see yourself moving more and feeling better in no time.
Want your workplace to be like Ebony’s and encourage you and your colleagues to get moving more? The Achievement Program is a state-wide program supported by the Victorian Government and delivered by Cancer Council Victoria. It provides support to early childhood services, schools and workplaces across Victoria focusing on healthy lifestyles and improving the places where we live, learn and work. For more tailored support and advice on implementing a health and wellbeing program in your workplace – get in contact here.
