Faculty and staff participation in national âOn the Moveâ challenge earns university designation
¶¶MÅ®ÆÍ 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 Americaâs (WELCOA) national challenge to get employees across the country âOn the Moveâ in 2016.
The âOn the Moveâ 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 âMove pointsâ each day. Taking in metrics like intensity and activity type, the âOn the Moveâ 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.
âParticipants truly learned that they have control over their movement; what kind, when, where and how much,â said Kim Hauge, manager for university wellness and healthy campus promotions at ¶¶MÅ®ÆÍ.
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, âI learned new habits and how to move enough on a regular basis to avoid sitting disease. I think Iâm also ready to start a more rigorous exercise program and actually stick to it.â
Another employee wrote, âFitness affects all aspects of our lives.â And another indicated, âI really like that the challenge suggests and encourages ways to stay active during the workday. Thatâs a new concept to me â I always assumed Iâd have to make time for exercise after work, which is so hard to fit in.â
By participating in the âOn the Moveâ 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.
âWe knew that people sitting at their desks all day was killing them and that workplace cultures were suffering along with employees,â said Ryan Picarella, president of WELCOA, when asked about the main goal of the challenge. âTraditional wellness program challenges do not zero in on culture change or connect employees with âwhysâ for being active that matter to them, so we created something that did. âOn the Moveâ 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?â
Hauge said that she was very pleased with the holistic approach that WELCOA provided with this challenge.
âIt was very important for us to have a program that meets employees where theyâre at,â she said. âWe received great feedback from our employees that they enjoyed being a part of a team challenge, appreciated the educational, assessment and âboostâ components of the challenge, and that it also helped with camaraderie. We know that when we are more active, itâs good for the mind, body and soul.
âWe have learned a lot from engaging in this team challenge, and WELCOA has served as an invaluable partner supporting us all along the way,â Hauge added. âMany 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. Iâm confident that the lifestyle changes that were acquired during the 12-week challenge will continue. I know itâs made me very cognizant and changed my outlook on where and how I find opportunities to âsneak inâ those extra moves!â
To see the full leaderboard, visit .
For more information about wellness at ¶¶MÅ®ÆÍ, visit www.kent.edu/hr/benefits/wellness.
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Media Contacts:
Kim Hauge, khauge@kent.edu, 330-672-7505
Emily Vincent, evincen2@kent.edu, 330-672-8595