Faculty and staff participation in national βOn the Moveβ challenge earns university designation
ΒιΆΉΣ°ΤΊ has earned the designation of a Top 50 Most Active Company, beating out 27 organizations in the Large Business Category of the Wellness Council of Americaβs (WELCOA) national challenge to get employees across the country βOn the Moveβ in 2016.
The βOn the Moveβ competition is focused on fueling national corporate health initiatives to combat physical inactivity and initiate behavior change. Eighty-four companies representing almost 80,000 employees participated in this 12-week challenge spanning April, May and June. The challenge engaged employees with educational resources, behavior change incentives, social support and, of course, movement.
The goal for organizations that participated? A thriving place to work, more energy, more comradery and the designation as one of the Top Most Active Companies in the country. Employees tracked their activity types, duration and intensity to work toward 100 βMove pointsβ each day. Taking in metrics like intensity and activity type, the βOn the Moveβ algorithm allowed participating organizations to encourage employees to truly move when they wanted, how they wanted and how much they wanted to reap all of the rewards of an active lifestyle.
βParticipants truly learned that they have control over their movement; what kind, when, where and how much,β says Kim Hauge, manager for university wellness and healthy campus promotions at ΒιΆΉΣ°ΤΊ State.
Employees shared in a recent survey how the challenge had impacted them and what they learned that will help them live a healthier, more active lifestyle.
For instance, one employee wrote, βI learned new habits and how to move enough on a regular basis to avoid sitting disease. I think Iβm also ready to start a more rigorous exercise program and actually stick to it.β
Another employee wrote, βFitness affects all aspects of our lives.β And another indicated, βI really like that the challenge suggests and encourages ways to stay active during the workday. Thatβs a new concept to me β I always assumed Iβd have to make time for exercise after work, which is so hard to fit in.β
By participating in the βOn the Moveβ national challenge, organizations around the country took a stand for more movement and improved cultures of well-being for their employees. In fact, the challenge has been shown to cut sedentary behavior in half and revolutionize worksites for physical activity. More than 80 percent of employees who complete the challenge say they will continue to be active in the long term.
βWe knew that people sitting at their desks all day was killing them and that workplace cultures were suffering along with employees,β says Ryan Picarella, president of WELCOA, when asked about the main goal of the challenge. βTraditional wellness program challenges do not zero in on culture change or connect employees with βwhysβ for being active that matter to them, so we created something that did. βOn the Moveβ is designed to build a culture for more movement into an organization. We thought, why not start a movement where employees can move when they want, how they want and how much they want and get credit for all of it?β
Hauge says that she was very pleased with the holistic approach that WELCOA provided with this challenge.
βIt was very important for us to have a program that meets employees where theyβre at,β she says. βWe received great feedback from our employees that they enjoyed being a part of a team challenge, appreciated the educational, assessment and βboostβ components of the challenge, and that it also helped with camaraderie. We know that when we are more active, itβs good for the mind, body and soul.
βWe have learned a lot from engaging in this team challenge, and WELCOA has served as an invaluable partner supporting us all along the way,β Hauge adds. βMany employees expressed that they were sad to see it end as it really did build a sense of community with everyone working toward a common goal and encouraging one another along the way. Iβm confident that the lifestyle changes that were acquired during the 12-week challenge will continue. I know itβs made me very cognizant and changed my outlook on where and how I find opportunities to βsneak inβ those extra moves!β
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