JOIN SANTA DASH AND HELP SAVE LIVES

IT may seem like a while until Christmas, but plans are already well underway for this year’s Santa Dash 5k run in Liverpool and participants are being encouraged to sign up now to take part and support a leading charity.

On Sunday, 4 December 2011, in Liverpool City Centre, thousands of people will be taking part in the annual race all dressed in bright red Santa suits while raising money for good causes.

The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, the leading UK charity helping people with muscle wasting conditions, is appealing to Merseyside residents to take part in the run to raise money for people with devastating muscle-wasting diseases. Participants are asked to try to raise at least £100 in sponsorship and all those who register will receive a full sponsorship pack as well as their free Santa suit. In addition, whoever raises the most sponsorship for the charity from the run will receive a Christmas hamper, courtesy of the Park Foods Group.

Charles Horton, Volunteer Fundraising Manager for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign said:- "I hope the people of Merseyside take part in the Santa Dash this December and help us continue our work funding pioneering research to find a cure for muscle disease. The run promises to be a great event with everyone in the festive spirit and it should be a real sight as hundreds of Santa’s go jogging through the streets of Liverpool!"

For further details and an entry pack please email.

Approximately 8,000 children and adults in the North West are directly affected by muscle disease, a condition which causes muscles to progressively waste and weaken. Muscle disease can cause disability and an early death.  The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign is the leading UK charity focusing on muscle-wasting disease. It has pioneered the search for treatments and cures for more than 50 years, and is dedicated to improving the lives of all children and adults affected by muscle disease.

We fund world-class research to find effective treatments and cures; provide practical information, advice and emotional support for individuals, their families and carers; campaign to raise awareness and bring about change; award grants towards the cost of specialist equipment; and provide specialist education and development for health professionals.

More than 40% of North West residents left out of breath walking up stairs

42% of adults in the North West get out of breath walking up stairs, a survey for the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) has found. Nationally, 42% of people also found simple exercise left them out of puff.

The results have been released to coincide with the CSP’s Workout at Work Day initiative. A series of events are taking place across the UK to encourage people to increase levels of physical activity. 

More than 150 physiotherapists are going into a diverse range of work places, from offices and hospitals to a power station and a car plant, to show how people can adopt healthier habits and build more exercise into their daily working lives.  Among them will be chartered physiotherapist Numaan Kala, of RehabWorks Ltd, who will be checking the fitness and flexibility of workers at the Sainsbury’s Distribution Centre in St Helens.

The CSP believes the poll results underline the importance of the Workout at Work Day initiative.

Chartered physiotherapist Ann Green, chair of the CSP, said:- "Physiotherapists see the consequences of inactivity every day and it’s a real concern that so many people are left out of breath by relatively simple tasks. Time and financial pressures obviously prevent many people from taking exercise but Workout at Work Day is about showing people the cheap and easy ways that it can be built into your daily routine.  Adopting some of those healthy habits can help us tackle the obesity crisis facing the UK today."

Among the activities being led by physios on Workout at Work Day are Pilates classes, lunchtime walking clubs, cycling challenges and table tennis.  It is hoped both employees and their bosses will see the benefits of activities like these and make them a regular feature of the workplace.

A report produced by the CSP, called Sickness Costs, showed time taken off work with a musculoskeletal disorder costs society £7.4 billion a year.  Employers can greatly reduce these costs by encouraging better working habits, such as regular or flexible hours and a proper lunch break, and also by providing early access to services such as physiotherapy for people who do develop musculoskeletal conditions, like back pain.

Ben Willmott, head of public policy at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, said:- "Some employers might still question why they should play a role in supporting employee health and wellbeing however the business case is extremely clear in terms of reduced levels of employee ill health and absence. There is strong evidence showing that exercise can help to manage and prevent common mental health problems such as stress, anxiety and depression, reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and recent research by Macmillan highlights the benefits of exercise for people with cancer. There are plenty of low cost and no cost exercise at work initiatives which employers can support, for example, pedometer challenges, running groups or netball and football sides. This is not about employers driving this, it is simply about employers supporting their staff in making healthy choices about exercise and lifestyle."

For more information about Workout at Work Day or to access a range of free leaflets, including the Easy Exercise Guide, about building effective exercise into your daily routine, and Fitness Profits, with advice for employers on how to keep staff health and productive, visit:- csp.org.uk/moveforhealth.