The Fit for Office parliamentary challenge is taking place throughout June and has already attracted 262 entrants from 70 parliamentary offices. Last year’s competition involved 207 participants from 50 offices.

Hosted by ukactive and Technogym, the campaign is designed to encourage Parliamentarians and their staff to move more, while highlighting the importance of physical activity for the nation’s health, wellbeing and economic growth.

Participants track their activity through Technogym’s app, which awards ‘MOVES’ points based on the intensity and duration of exercise. The app can be synchronised with wearable fitness devices, with individual scores combined to create a league table for each parliamentary office.

The winning office will be named Westminster’s Physical Activity Champions. Last year, the office of Steve Witherden MP was crowned the overall winner, while Bob Blackman MP was the highest-scoring MP.

ukactive said the challenge comes at a time when poor physical and mental health is placing increasing pressure on individuals, employers and public services. Workplace sickness is estimated to cost £138bn, while poor mental health among employees costs businesses £51bn a year. Around 9.2 million people are currently classed as economically inactive.

The organisation said physical activity has a central role to play in tackling these challenges, with evidence showing it can help prevent 20 chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, several cancers, musculoskeletal conditions, depression, anxiety and dementia.

The physical activity sector is estimated to generate more than £10.5bn in savings each year by reducing cases of disease and easing pressure on health and social care services.

Cameron Saunders, CEO of ukactive, said: ‘This challenge is a great way to help show our politicians why physical activity is crucial for their health and productivity and for the nation’s too.

‘The competing demands of work and technology today force many people to sacrifice time for exercise, including those in Westminster.

‘This is a chance for our political leaders to go beyond a quick jog for the cameras and commit to getting fit.

‘Supported by Technogym and our nation’s gyms, pools and leisure centres, we want to see Parliamentarians celebrate the essential role of physical activity in the lives of their constituents.’

Ben Sandham, country manager of Technogym UK, said: ‘We believe movement is one of the most powerful drivers of health, performance and overall wellbeing, not only for individuals, but for society as a whole. In a world where time is increasingly compressed and sedentary behaviours are rising, it’s essential to re-engineer how and where people move.

‘At Technogym, our vision is to seamlessly integrate physical activity into everyday life, transforming environments into active, engaging ecosystems that support both body and mind.

‘Initiatives like Fit for Office perfectly illustrate this approach, demonstrating how intelligent technology, smart design and personalised experiences can bring movement into even the busiest working environments without disrupting productivity.

‘By embedding wellness into the daily routine, we don’t just encourage activity, we enable sustainable behavioural change, improve energy levels and enhance both individual performance and organisational outcomes. Because for us, movement is not an add-on, it’s an essential foundation for a better quality of life.’

The challenge has become a regular fixture in Westminster over the past three years and is intended to give policymakers direct experience of the benefits of regular movement, while reinforcing the role of gyms, pools and leisure centres in supporting healthier communities.

To find out more or join the challenge, email publicaffairs@ukactive.org.uk.