Challenge accepted!

Cooney Lees Morgan's Jennifer Ross, Tanya Drummond and Duncan Wilsher. Photo: Tracy Hardy.

Think about it. If a businessperson spends 9am-5pm every working day at their desk, that's eight hours a day deskbound. Forty hours a week, or 160 hours a month parked on their backsides.

That's if they don't take their lunchbreaks. So Sport Bay of Plenty and Cooney Lees Morgan have a challenge for Tauranga businesspeople.

The city's businessmen and women are encouraged to take part in a fun, free workplace challenge where teams participate in three events on April 20, May 4 and May 18.

Corporates will go head-to-head in a series of hands-on activities that will test their mental and physical agility – all in just 45 minutes.

Cooney Lees Morgan training and marketing manager Kay George says the corporate challenge is an easy way to break up the working day and provides an antidote for our increasing sedentary lifestyles.

'We all know the importance of being active and how exercise can stimulate the brain. It's a matter of setting yourself up for the rest of the afternoon at work.”

Designed to get office workers active this autumn, the new lunchtime challenge tests corporates in games such as The Amazing Race, a Brain and Brawn Obstacle Course and the Clash of the Corporates finale, where one team will be crowned the 2017 champion. Following the ‘work hard, play hard' motto, Kay says there's some high-profile sporting people among their team, including a representative for New Zealand cricket and a female staff member involved in weight-lifting.

'We've got some really sporty people in our team and we support a whole lot of different sports around the Bay.”

Kay says most of their partners participate in some form of exercise after-hours, including gym work, running and walks up the Mount.

'They're great role models for the rest of our team. We try to encourage our team to have that break during the middle of the day, so the lunchbreak battle is a great idea to allow them to have that break, get outside, and come back feeling refreshed for the afternoon.”

The lunchtime challenge is also a great team-building and networking exercise for Tauranga businesses, says Kay.

'Being at the [Wharepai] domain it's nice and close to get everyone dressed and down there during their lunchbreaks.”

Kay says the challenge caters for all fitness abilities. 'Plus, there's a little bit of rivalry between businesses, which is a lot of fun.”

Sport BOP's Western Bay of Plenty recreation advisor Michelle Barns says there are a number of key health benefits associated with getting physical during the working day, as part of the Ministry of Health's Sit Less, Move More mantra.

'Just 30 minutes of physical activity is shown to have a hugely positive impact on your overall wellbeing, including improved concentration, mental agility and fitness levels; reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes, as well as decreased stress levels.

'The Lunchbreak Battle is designed to be challenging, interactive and above all else fun – so come down and give it a go!”

The Cooney Lees Morgan Lunchbreak Battle has been developed with Sport BOP's Play in The Bay initiative, which aims to connect the community with low-cost, accessible ways to explore the region and get involved in sports and recreation.

The battle commences at Wharepai Domain on Thursday, April 20, May 4 and May 18 starting at 12pm.

Teams of three must register for the Cooney Lees Morgan Lunchbreak Battle before Thursday, April 13, on the Sport BOP website.

For full details and to register, visit: www.sportbop.co.nz/get-active/play-in-the-bay/cooney-lees-morgan-lunchbreak-battle/

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