Faculty & Staff Movement Break Challenge

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

The Move UBC Movement Break Challenge is a fun and inclusive way to break up our sedentary time during our days for Staff and Faculty! Small changes can have a big impact when it comes to reducing sedentary behavior and increasing physical activity. This challenge invites you to plan for, implement and engage with movement during your day to increase your faculty, department or unit’s total movement breaks. The best part? It’s free, simple and you’ll have a chance to win great prizes! Let’s get our campus and the communities we impact moving! Congratulations for last year’s winner, Academic and Career Advising with a total of 2280 reported movement breaks!

Submit Movement Breaks

Leaderboard 2023

Faculty/Unit/Department

Total Movement Breaks
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

 

How it works 

Open to all UBCO Staff and Faculty, participate as an individual and/or as a team starting February 1st. Count the number of people (including yourself) that are impacted by the movement breaks that you initiate. 

  • Step away from your desk to go for a walk = 1 entry.
  • Take a walking meeting instead of zoom with one other person = 2 entries.
  • Implement a movement break in a lecture of 150 students = 150 entries.
  • Request a live movement break with the Move U Crew = 15 bonus entries. Learn more

Enter entries daily, weekly or at the end of the month. Choose the option that works for you. Fillable Movement Tracker is available. All entries must be submitted by February 28th 11:59pm PST. 

*Note that scheduled varsity HEAT practices will not be counted towards this challenge.

Prizes

  • Random Starbucks prize draws for participation
  • Top 3 individuals who impact the most people with movement breaks will receive:
    • 1st Place: a Fitbit
    • 2nd Place: a hydration pack
    • 3rd Place: a $50 Google gift card
  • Movement Break Champion Certificate and prize pack for the faculty/unit/department that implements the most movement breaks.

Movement Break Ideas

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

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 brianna.tsui@ubc.ca