Exploring Woman’s Health in the Workplace

Speaker 1

Welcome back to another episode of Zevo Talks. Today we are joined by Jackie Grant. Jackie is a UK leading hormone health and fitness specialist for female executives and business owners. Today we will look at women’s health, the effect exercise and physical health can have on motivation, and how this can have a positive influence on the workplace as well as the area of menopause and why we need to stop fighting away from it.

Speaker 1

Thank you very much for joining us today, Jackie. Thank you for having me, Michelle. Do you want to start off by telling us a bit about yourself and your own background?

Speaker 2

Yeah, so I’m a whole man health and fitness coach and I started probably, where is it now? 2007 in the fitness industry, and started off doing my own classes in the community, which were mainly Zumba classes and bodyweight exercise.

Speaker 2

So, and then pursued to move into personal training. And when I started doing personal training, I really felt that there was something missing in terms of hormone health. And because I’d been diagnosed, you know, at 32 with PCOS, polycystic ovary syndrome, better say that.

Speaker 2

And, and, you know, my doctor didn’t really tell me what I needed to do. So, you know, I kind of then started to try and find courses that I’d learn a bit more. And that’s how I kind of, you know, developed in hormone health.

Speaker 2

There was only things around menopause at the time, actually. So I did one and not even in the UK, it was actually in Australia, this training that I did, but, you know, I’ve kind of developed that and honed that in into working with women to, you know, balance their hormones and, you know, especially if they’re struggling with weight issues.

Speaker 1

It’s really interesting. It’s interesting that we always kind of in Ireland think that because obviously Ireland’s a much smaller market than the UK. We always think the UK must have everything. So it’s it’s mad that you had to go to look to Australia kind of thing to get the answers.

Speaker 1

Yeah exactly. Yeah obviously women’s health isn’t it you’re very passionate about. Unfortunately women are much more likely to basically to quit sports a lot younger and to very much take that step back a lot younger than males or men will be as well.

Speaker 1

Why do you why would you think that is?

Speaker 2

I think, you know, when we’re in our younger age, we, you know, we have to do your PE and whatever else. And, you know, some people struggle to find things that actually they like when they’re at school, you know, some of the things we did at school, like netball, not everyone’s interested in that, you know, maybe a bit of rounders, you know, and maybe they’re not finding the things that actually they really enjoy.

Speaker 2

And I mean, the thing is, is unless it’s something that you really enjoy, you’re not really going to continue with doing it. So I think that is, you know, definitely one of the reasons why that happens.

Speaker 1

In January of 2021, Ziva Health ran its first annual FIDUS Workplace Challenge. This is an initiative which will see different companies battle out to be named the FIDUS Workplace. After the success of 2021, we did a study and we looked at basically the effects that the challenge had on organizations and the people within the organizations.

Speaker 1

So one of the things that came back was that 63% said that both boosted morale and team cohesion. Obviously, over the last 18 plus months, this has been something that’s quite difficult to key out from within organizations.

Speaker 1

Obviously, a lot of us are still working remotely. I know within workplaces, people are starting to go back, probably more so in the UK than in Ireland already. But we’re still kind of getting used to the kind of keeping morale and keeping everything alive.

Speaker 1

Do you think it’s important to keep these things alive within an organization?

Speaker 2

It definitely is so important. I mean, the thing is here in the UK, most people are probably doing two or three days in the office and then at home. So it’s really important to keep that team cohesion because it means that there’s that community support.

Speaker 2

It means that people actually feel like there’s some kind of engagement with the company because you can kind of feel a bit lonely being at home, doing your work from home. It’s so totally different.

Speaker 2

We actually need oxytocin, which is like being connected with people. So it’s really important for these kinds of things to be happening and especially I can see that it can help with people’s mental health as well and their emotional health as well as their physical health.

Speaker 2

So it’s really important to get these kinds of challenges going and I love the fact that the challenge is as a company rather than an individual because I find that the individual ones kind of can create kind of conflict within the teams because even I had the client that was doing it and she was constantly looking at this other person that was doing so much.

Speaker 2

And if it’s as a team, you’re thinking about your other team members and working towards working with them more so than you as an individual working against each other.

Speaker 1

Yeah, we last year after the fitness workplace, the public one, we did our own one as teams within Zevo. And it was actually quite fun in a way because obviously when you’re working from home, when you are talking, you’re very much like discussing different work things and that sort of thing.

Speaker 1

Whereas we were now like on WhatsApp in the even time that everyone goes on a walk or like it’s raining this evening and you know, this sort of thing. It kind of, it brought back, you know, those kind of like, as I call them, the water cooler moment.

Speaker 1

The kind of like the nature of trying to share the day. And another thing we found from the study was that 89% reported that the challenge motivated them to move and really emphasize the positive influence that work can have on individuals habits.

Speaker 1

Yeah, as we’ve kind of moved forward, it’s kind of shown kind of the effect that workplaces can have on an individual. What role do you think employers play in keeping employees healthy and motivated?

Speaker 2

It’s so important because it’s really around job satisfaction, retaining your staff. Actually, their performance gets better in the workplace, whether that is with their memory, with their creativity, it actually improves by having this physical activity.

Speaker 2

And it also brings a good culture and image of the organization when you have those initiatives going on.

Speaker 1

We also just from, from the study, we also found that 78% reported that their challenge had a positive effect on their health, but mainly their mental health. Are you surprised that something kind of, some people would say what happens in work stays in work?

Speaker 1

Would you be surprised that this kind of stayed with them beyond turning off the laptop and logging out?

Speaker 2

I think it’s a really good thing because, you know, like you said, it helps with people’s mental health, and especially during those times, you know, we were going out for one hour, I think, you know, and, you know, actually having that interaction outside of work.

Speaker 2

Okay, you know, some people prefer to go, you know what, the work’s finished, and that’s it. But it’s actually a different element, isn’t it? It’s bringing a different element to your workplace. So I really think, you know, it’s really important initiative, and I really think, you know, a lot more organisations need to be taking that up.

Speaker 1

very much gets back to kind of like the black and white some people I think since moving and working from home which we obviously have been doing for a long time now it’s very much gone to instead of a work-life balance with more work-life integration.

Speaker 1

Yes. Which like for a lot of people it’s actually it does suit more so yeah yeah.

Speaker 2

Yeah.

Speaker 1

The biggest and most exciting workplace wellbeing competition is returning. The Fittest Workplace Challenge 2022. The Fittest Workplace Challenge 2022.

Speaker 2

It’s a company versus

Speaker 1

company well-being practice.

Speaker 2

Thank you for watching.

Speaker 1

that pushes organisations to measure up against themselves, to ensure they are not just improving the health and wellbeing of their employees, but also creating fantastic engagement and keeping spirits high within their organisation.

Speaker 1

Hosted through our Zevo Health technology, we keep your employees connected and engaged while promoting positive wellbeing, no matter where in the world they are. Do you think your company has what it takes to be titled a fittest workplace 2022?

Speaker 1

If so, contact us at www.zevohealth.com.

Speaker 2

Contact us today for more information.

Speaker 1

Can you explain what you think there is a strong link between physically, being physically active and mental health?

Speaker 2

endorphins that you get from doing exercises is one of the factors. Another one of the factor is generally like people, some people do these things, you know, exercise on their own. So it actually gives you a space, a time and a space for yourself, which, you know, a lot of the time we’re either working, we’re either cooking, cleaning, doing something for someone else.

Speaker 2

So actually having that little bit of space or time for yourself, whether that’s in nature, because you’re doing your walks, which, you know, we’re mammals and we need that kind of nature, being out in the, you know, getting our vitamin D.

Speaker 2

So yeah, it’s really important to actually for our mental health to be doing some kind of physical exercise. Not only that, it helps improve up so many other areas of our lives, you know, you know, depending on what exercise you’re doing, whether that’s, you know, it helps with your cardio output, it helps with your musculoskeletal, and we need all these things, improves your sleep, you know, which then,

Speaker 2

you know, completely helps with, you know, our mental health, because if we’re not getting enough sleep, you know, we can, you know, get low and, you know, get depressed. So all these things are really, really important.

Speaker 1

An area you’ve been very passionate about and you’ve spoken about publicly will be the area of menopause. So an area that previously a lot of people, never mind organisations, would have very much shied away from.

Speaker 1

I think in the last number of years, people and organisations have kind of started to discuss this. And have also seen how it’s something that women go through will obviously impact the organisation.

Speaker 1

How could it not? Yeah. Do you think this is a necessary step to take?

Speaker 2

it is a necessary step. It’s a step that should, all organizations should be at menopause and workplace policy that can support women. And let women feel like they’re being thought about and that if they are going through symptoms that they have the ability to go to their manager and speak to them about what’s going on for them.

Speaker 2

Because there are so many symptoms that manifest when you are going through menopause. Some people are lucky enough not to have any, but others struggle with so many different things. And having those and having workshops in the workplace, you know, supporting women and letting them understand a bit more because it’s not something, you know, we learn reproduction at school, we learn all about periods but we don’t learn about menopause.

Speaker 2

So it’s really important for, you know, employers to have a better understanding and also for their teams of women that they work with to actually know that they have that extra support.

Speaker 1

Dealing with your clients and just other women in your life, have you noticed or heard about many organisations that are starting to take this step and it is starting to become a part of the culture or is it still something that you think people are shying away from?

Speaker 2

I think there is a lot of organizations, you know, you know, I couldn’t name them all off the top of my head, but I know there are because I, you know, I collaborate with a lot of people that do menopause and workplace workshops.

Speaker 2

And they’re seeing so many more organizations, you know, connecting with them and actually starting to build these, whether that’s a policy, whether that’s having workshops to let women have a more of an understanding of what they may be going through, what they need to do.

Speaker 2

And, you know, it is definitely something that’s, you know, getting more widespread. And also, I think Davina did something on BBC recently that actually heightened it as well. So, you know, the the knowledge for people to actually have an understanding that, you know, this is something that we need to be having more of an understanding of and building in, you know, the right policies and procedures in our workplace.

Speaker 2

Yeah.

Speaker 1

Yeah, that Davina was Davina McCall, wasn’t it? Yeah. I read an article by her and she was talking about different things and whatever, and she was basically saying how she once said it to her, I think it was a relative that was, I don’t know, I can’t remember if it was her mother, but it was somebody else, I don’t know if she was related to, and they couldn’t get it over that she was talking about it publicly,

Speaker 1

like that she’ll be something that’s like, shush.

Speaker 2

Yes, it’s funny, isn’t it? Because I was running a menopause cafe just before the lockdown, I had two sessions, like January, no, when did we start? We started January, so we launched January, February, then the March one we couldn’t have.

Speaker 2

We tried to do it online, it didn’t work as well, but we had like 16 women at the first one, 21 at the second one, so you know that there’s a lot of women out there that need that support, but it was really funny, I was talking to someone because I’m just going to relaunch it again, and she was saying that she spoke to her mum, and this is a lady from Asian culture, and she said that her mum just said,

Speaker 2

said, yes, it’s that thing, and she started waving her sorry, going, you know, that’s, you know, like, where she was getting hot, she was just waving the sorry, she said that like, you know, her mother wasn’t really into talking about it, but it was really funny how, you know, different cultures have different ways of like, not talking about it, or just saying, it’s that thing.

Speaker 2

So yeah.

Speaker 1

Yeah, it’s funny the way we all kind of, in general, we approach a lot of stuff like that under the carpet, and we’re like, obviously, and how would it not have some way to come up in any part of your life, like, especially work, I think.

Speaker 2

Yeah, no, it’s funny. It is. And the thing is, it’s just like, you know, when I spoke to my arm, she says, Oh, no, nothing. I never had nothing. But you know, actually, when you start thinking about your thinking, yes, you did have a few mood swings, you know, she was back and start, you know, thinking, well, actually, some of the time you thought, Oh, that was a rational or do you know what I mean?

Speaker 2

So you’re thinking it’s something else when actually she maybe got been going through the mentors, but you didn’t actually know because you didn’t know what it was. So, yeah.

Speaker 1

You’re going to take a look back to different. Yeah, exactly. Sorry. I suppose just like when we’re doing our course and the different kind of areas, is there any way you think that we could kind of move the conversation along in normalizing this?

Speaker 2

Okay, moving the conversation and normalizing it. Well, you know, I think that it should be talked about with anyone. So like, you know, for instance, you know, just because it’s us as women going through it, it should be everyone that has an understanding, whether it’s male, female, young, old, having the understanding and being able to discuss, you know, the issues that might be, people might be going through,

Speaker 2

like, in general, conversations, do you know what I mean? Rather than it being something that is like, you know, hidden, it’s just like, you know, it’s almost like periods, isn’t it? No one wants to talk about periods, like, out.

Speaker 2

And it’s the same thing, isn’t it? But actually, it’s something that we naturally go through. So it should be commonplace to talk about these things. You know, and I’m sure there are women all over the world in their little hubs of friends talking about it, but actually not bringing it further than that.

Speaker 1

Probably group chats the world over talking about it. Yeah, exactly. What advice would you give in terms of showing support to employees in need if they’re going through that time themselves?

Speaker 2

What advice would I give to them? OK, so I would say to them, you know, think about what it is you’re going through, because there’s so many different symptoms that people could be going through, yeah?

Speaker 2

So, you know, the first advice I would give someone is around just making sure that they’re eating as healthy as they could be, do you know what I mean? Because these things impact on what you’re going through.

Speaker 2

So if you’re eating loads of processed food, sugar, you know, those kind of things, those can actually impact on your menopause symptoms, yeah? So, for instance, some people get a lot of problems where eating spicy food, drinking alcohol, processed foods and sugar.

Speaker 2

So those would be my first point of call. Obviously not get rid of them all straight away, because, you know, it’s all about small steps with anything. You know, what can you… What’s in your control that you know that may be impacting on you?

Speaker 2

Which is the first one do you think that you could, you know, manage to move out of your lifestyle?

Speaker 1

I saw an article from Vodafone and basically the different steps that they’ve taken within their organisation to kind of basically see more understanding for women that are going through it. Obviously Vodafone are a huge organisation so they would have the resources and the time and the money to be able to put towards this but it’s really good to see bigger organisations kind of taking that step.

Speaker 2

Mmm

Speaker 1

other kind of organizations and just people world around to be able to see that like they will have an effect on the workplace but also have effect on the individual and how can they approach their dates.

Speaker 2

Exactly, exactly. And it’s really important because, you know, for instance, you know, if someone, a female is front facing and they’re constantly going to meetings, and maybe they’re going through hot flashes, you know, the sweats that can, you know, manifest, and the more that you feel like everyone’s possibly looking at you, the more that the sweat would be going on, do you see what I’m saying?

Speaker 2

So if you feel more comfortable, then you’re less likely to have such a big experience around it.

Speaker 1

Jackie that brings us to the end of our conversation today. Thank you very much for joining us. Thank you for having me. It’s great to kind of look at a different area. You’ve never actually looked at menopause before so shame on us.

Speaker 1

So it was great to kind of discuss something else especially when an actor like yourself.

Speaker 2

Brilliant, thank you.

Speaker 1

Thank you very much for listening to another episode of See Those Dogs and we look forward to welcoming you back again.