Make Your Move at Work program supports workplace wellness
Modern workplaces demand much of our time and energy. But what they shouldn’t demand is hours upon hours spent being sedentary.
Even when there’s time carved out for breaks, many of us take them in front of the screen or quickly eat our lunch at our desk and get back to it. But our bodies are designed to move. In fact, according to the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines, adults aged 18 to 64 years should limit long periods of sedentary behaviours to eight hours or less over the course of a 24-hour period and should break up their sedentary time as much as possible.
We think it’s time to work smarter. The good news: The Doctors Nova Scotia Healthy Tomorrow Foundation is now offering a free program called Make Your Move at Work to all organizations in Nova Scotia. The program provides a comprehensive, evidence-based toolkit and wrap-around support to enable Nova Scotian organizations to integrate movement into their workplace culture.
The Healthy Tomorrow Foundation worked with several organizations to develop the program, including Lindsay Construction, an Atlantic Canadian–owned organization with 63 years of industry experience. We spoke with the company’s Health and Wellness Committee members, who shared their perspectives for other Nova Scotian organizations who are considering onboarding this program.
“The Lindsay Construction team would absolutely recommend that other organizations introduce the Make Your Move at Work program in their workplace,” said Allan MacKay, Human Resources Operations Manager. “It’s helpful to take some time upfront to plan a few initiatives to help energize your team and set them up for success.”
Lindsay Construction has long been committed to fostering a healthy workplace, but convincing the busy members of the Burnside-based firm to onboard the program took some work, including a reminder that when we are at our most busy, the healthy habits that we’ve built tend to be the first thing that gets cut from our to-do list.
Lindsay Construction leaned on their established Health and Wellness Committee to help introduce the program to staff. Having this group in place supported the success of the program there. “It’s important to have internal champions who are passionate about getting health and wellness initiatives going,” said Robyn Vogels, Human Resources Coordinator.
Laura Hynes, Marketing and Communications Specialist, said, “Having volunteers or designated staff to advance awareness of the benefits of movement at work helps to create an overall vision for customizing the program to your organization. It helps motivate people to take action and creates more opportunities for staff to shine.”
The committee also formed a Walking Wednesday Group. “Each Wednesday at noon, staff members are invited to get outside for team-building and movement,” says Kristina Caddick, Proposal Specialist. Everyone participates, providing a unique opportunity for junior and senior employees to network.
Onboarding the Make Your Move at Work program also helped foster a more supportive work environment. “It’s been great to see a culture shift. We’ve watched team members really encourage each other,” said Jeremy Tucker, Operations Superintendent. “We’ve also seen shifts in the way meetings are conducted. You now may walk by a meeting room that has a team member standing and moving, instead of sitting for the full meeting.”
Other activities the company has added include email reminders to encourage colleagues to make movement a part of their day, “movement bingo,” participating in The Great Nova Scotia Pick-Me-Up community clean-up program, and a gallery wall featuring Make Your Move at Work digital assets and photos of colleagues making their move. Adding standing desks to workstations was another easy win.
The company also used posters provided in the Make Your Move at Work toolkit, such as a “Congrats!” sign for people who choose to take the stairs over using an elevator, or posters about stretching to place in high-traffic areas like break rooms or near the photocopier. The toolkit also includes pro-movement policy templates and resources for remote workers.
Lindsay Construction staff are now working to ensure the program feels evergreen and sustainable – and that requires a team effort. Caitlyn Hamblin, Executive Assistant, said, “The best way to keep staff interested and engaged is to ensure our internal movement champions checking in with each other regularly. Each time we discuss the Make Your Move at Work program, a new idea is introduced. We also plan on a doing ongoing online surveys and requesting feedback at staff meetings to keep up the momentum.”
If you’re inspired to implement the Make Your Move at Work program at your workplace, please reach out to the Healthy Tomorrow Foundation to learn more about this free program. It works for organizations of any size. Take a step in the right direction today and find out what all the excitement is about!
You can find more information at www.makeyourmovens.ca or by emailing info@healthytomorrow.ca.
