Faculty & Staff Movement Break Challenge

Brought to you by UBC Okanagan Human Resources and Move UBC.

The Move UBC Movement Break Challenge is an engaging and inclusive way to break up stationary time for Faculty and Staff! Small changes can have a big impact when it comes to reducing sedentary (or stationary) behaviour and increasing physical activity. This challenge invites you to integrate more movement into your day, any way you can, to increase your faculty/department/unit’s total movement breaks and impact! The best part? There are some great prizes and its free to participate! Let’s get our campus community moving more.

Congratulations to all who participated in the 2024 Movement Break Challenge. Together, 920 movement breaks were reported by 31 individual’s from 17 different units/departments on campus, impacting 5311 people throughout the month of February.

Congratulations to this year’s overall winner, Rebecca McCullough, who reported 129 movement breaks, impacting 640 people.

Congratulations to Dr. Sally Stewart who impacted 1970 people with her movement breaks through the month of February.

 

 

How it works 

Open to all UBCO Staff and Faculty to participate from February 1 – 29. You just need to count the number of people (including yourself) that are impacted by the movement breaks that you initiate and report it using the link above!

  • Any movement breaks, solo or with other people = 1 entry
  • Request a live movement break with the Move U Crew = 5 bonus entries. Learn more

Enter your entries daily, weekly or at the end of the month. Choose the option that works for you. This Fillable Movement Tracker is available to make tracking easier! All entries must be submitted by March 1 at 12 pm PST. 

Prizes

  • Random prize draws for weekly participation (only one entry per person per week for the draw).
    • Weekly prize draws will be: February 9, 16, 23 & March 1
    • To be included in the draw, you must submit your numbers at least once to the Qualtrics link above before noon on Friday.

 

  • Top 3 individuals who report the most movement breaks will receive one of the following prizes (first place will pick their prize first, then second place):
    •  a Fitbit
    • a hydration pack
    • an air fryer

 

  • NEW THIS YEAR: There will be a Faculty and a Staff “Movement Break Champion” that will receive a Certificate and prize for the Faculty member and the Staff member that impact the most people during February!

2023 Leaderboard

Faculty/Unit/Department

Total people impacted
School of Health and Exercise Science 950
AVP Student Office 290
AVPS – Athletics and Recreation 92
Office of Infrastructure Development 61
Faculty of Management – Dean’s Office 54
Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies 16
AVPS – Academic & Career Advising 15
Library 7
Student Recruitment & Advising 3
Applied Science, Dean’s Office 2

 

Movement Break Ideas

Ergo Your Posture (Video) Random Acts of Exercise (Video) Movement Break (Video)
Ergo Your Posture (Poster) Stretching Guide (Poster) Take a Stand Policy (Poster)
Ergo Your Posture (Weekly Session Sign Up) Request a Movement Break with the Move U Crew

Other Resources:

Selected references and measures

Active Living Research. (2013). Research brief: Building evidence to prevent childhood obesity and support active communities. Retrieved from https://activelivingresearch.org/sites/activelivingresearch.sdsc.edu/files/ALR_Brief_ActivityBreaks_Feb2013.pdf

Gao W, Sanna M, Chen Y, Tsai M, Wen C. (2024).  Occupational Sitting Time, Leisure Physical Activity, and All-Cause and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality. JAMA Network Open, 7(1). DOI:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.50680

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010). The association between school-based physical activity, including physical education, and academic performance. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/health_and_academics/pdf/pa-pe_paper.pdf

Felez-Nobrega, M., Hillman, C. H., Dowd, K. P., Cirera, E., & Puig-Ribera. A. (2018). ActivPALTM determined sedentary behaviour, physical activity and academic achievement in college students. Journal of Sports Sciences, 36(20), 2311-2316, DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2018.1451212 .

Powell, K. E., Paluch, A. E., and Blair, S. N. (2011). Physical activity for health: What kind? How much? How intense? On top of what?. Public Health, 32(1), 349.

Taylor, W. C., King, K. E., Shegog, R., Paxton, R. J., Evans-Hudnall, G. L., Rempel, D. M., … & Yancey, A. K. (2013). Booster Breaks in the workplace: participants’ perspectives on health-promoting work breaks. Health Education Research, 28(3), 414-425.

 

For further information and questions please contact kara.crampton@ubc.ca