What a crazy year it’s been so far! We went into lockdown, made it out of lockdown, and unfortunately for us Victorians, we’re now back in lockdown. With many of us having an experience of isolation in recent months, we are quite aware of the negative impact that it can have on our overall health.
Many businesses have utilised the current situation to explore avenues to change the way we work. What’s even more exciting, from our perspective, is how businesses are looking towards maintaining and even improving, the overall health of their workforce. Sunshine Creek Winery, located in the Yarra Valley, is no exception to this.
In partnership with Employ Health, Sunshine Creek’s team took on an ‘Isolation Transformation’ challenge. This addressed health change during the return to ‘normal’ phase following the initial COVID-19 lockdown period. We caught up with Chris Lawrence, Sunshine Creek’s winemaker and Health Tribe Leader, for a reflection on the challenge.
How did the challenge get started onsite?
Given the fact that everyone is quite isolated during these times, the team at Sunshine Creek Winery thought it was an amazing program they could implement to help their workers improve or maintain their overall health
How was the challenge set up?
For this 8-week program, there was a weigh in initially, mid-way and at the end of the program. The Employ Health team ensured specific, yet achievable, goals were set up for all employees. At the start of the challenge, a Facebook messenger group was also created, which allowed for healthy banter during the challenge. There was also a ‘Winery vs. Vineyard’ group challenge set up.
As a side note, the weight scans are completed using Biometric Scales. These provide a comprehensive individual health metric scan, including data for BMI, body fat percentage, biological age, bony density, hydration levels, and more.
How did the team decide on how the winner would be crowned?
We made the base parameter for the competition as being a decrease in biological age. There was a little bit of controversy amongst the younger members of the group feeling that this parameter was more highly stacked towards improvements for older individuals, however we stuck to it!
Do you think using biological age as the winning goal was the best choice?
I think it was fine and fair in the end. I could see there was a tangible and liner relationship with my progress (between improvement in general measures and biological age). Using this measure, it lets us keep it light (competitiveness).
Was there a prize involved?
Pride more than anything. The ‘losing’ team (either vineyard or winery) would take the other team out for lunch. It’s a win-win for all. We would have a good opportunity for team building either way, and it mainly came down to pride, which is a reasonably big thing between people with competitive natures.
Did you set any personal goals before the challenge?
I had two main goals, I wanted to get my visceral fat levels and BMI into the healthy range. I achieved both! I wanted to be in better health and better shape, and have better longevity as a human. The 8-week challenge helped me achieve exactly what I wanted to.
Being able to run again during the challenge was also a massive achievement. I can run 5km pretty comfortably now.
Do you think the isolation transformation had an effect on the group?
I think it was really fantastic for the whole crew. Great for communication and relationship building for the group as a core. We are a small, tight-knit team. It was quite impressive how much we focussed on it, and how much our health behaviour positively changed over the 8 weeks.
I think everybody put in a really good effort. The hardest thing is now sticking to it, especially the diet.
Since the program has ended, has the progress been maintained?
Personally, I’ve been able to maintain the weight I achieved at the end of the program. I have definitely maintained my exercise habits.
I think everyone’s exercise regimes are holding up really well. I think there are long term benefits for all individuals in the program, even though it’s an 8-week challenge.
We have scheduled a weigh in for a couple of months’ time as a general health check.
So, now that you’ve taken on the challenge, would you run it again?
I think you need to have a decent break in between. I would look at doing it again in 12-months. The challenge was a huge success, as a professional unit, and really good for us all as individuals. We are all much healthier, and probably much happier. I know personally I’m much happier; mentally, emotionally, just from the reconnection with having regular exercise.
