Physical Activity

Add some movement to your day!

What's in it for my team?

With most waking hours spent in sedentary activities at work and home, it is crucial to make movement more of a priority throughout the day. Emerging evidence shows that regular, short active breaks are very valuable in helping with productivity, focus, mood, overall wellness, and can be part of creating a supportive work environment (1).

The Canadian 24- Hour movement guidelines recommend that adults should engage in 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week, and to spend less than 8h a day being sedentary. Although many CAF personnel are considered physically active, time spent in sedentary activities at work and at home has increased (2).

How to support physical activity in the workplace

Lead by example. As a leader you set the tone in your work environment.
Create a supportive environment for your unit members by taking active breaks yourself and encouraging others to join in or take their own!
Schedule regular physical training (PT) sessions and encourage members of your unit to do the same
Organize unit PT sessions on a monthly or weekly basis and team building events that include physical activity
Provide ideas to your team of what a quick active break could look like; see below for some ideas to get you started!
Join the Health Promotion TAKE 10 for 10 Challenge with your unit and be entered to win a prize.

What is an active break?

Active breaks are short breaks within the working day that include physical movement (3). Active breaks help break up sedentary activities, improve productivity, focus, mood, overall wellness, and can be part of creating a supportive work environment.

How much Activity is Enough?

Active breaks can be as little as 20 seconds to 15 minutes and can be done in your regular clothing, no PT gear required! (1) These have also been called " Exercise snacks". The key is to break up long periods of sitting or other sedentary activities as often as possible, and to get your heart rate up a little each time. (4). The goal for an adult is to accumulate 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a week to maintain or improve overall health.

Active Break Examples

"Take 10" for an Active Break
"TAKE 10 for an Active Break" is a call to action to prioritize taking breaks for mental and physical health. Daily short active breaks during the workday are also very valuable in helping with productivity, focus and mood.

The “10” can be:
- The number of repetitions of an activity like 10 squats, shoulder circles, deep breaths or desk pushups to break up long periods of sitting.
- The amount of time for a break activity like a 10-minute walking meeting or a 10-minute mindfulness meditation to improve your focus and decrease stress.
Group Walks
Organizing group walks with your team is another great way to promote a healthy lifestyle and to increase productivity in your workplace. These can be held as a weekly or monthly team activity, or as part of a lunchtime ritual.

How to start a group walk in your office:
- Decide where to meet for the walk, where to go and how long you will walk for. You may want to check the NCC trail maps before heading out.
- Look for safe locations outdoors that are quiet enough for people to hold a conversation. For example, suggested trails on NDHQ(Carling) map are focused on walking paths and limit walking on the road.
- Send a meeting invite, so people remember to bring their walking shoes. This can be a reoccurring weekly invite. Reschedule in case of poor weather.
- Group walks can also be hikes in more wooded/ hilly areas and may include a Picnic lunch to have a meeting there. This is an option for team building instead of going to a coffee shop, restaurant or mess.
Group walks can also be extended to more than just one department. Putting up posters around your office area can encourage members of other departments to join in as well. Keep the conversation going by ending the group walk with coffee or tea.
Stretching and Breathing
Stretching and breathing exercises can also be very beneficial for physical wellbeing and can be done on an individual basis. Providing tools to team members on how to practice deep breathing and stretches contributes to a supportive work environment and can also normalize these practices.

Pro-tip: use these practices to start your team meetings! Put up posters of desk stretching and guided deep breathing around your office.
Walking Meetings or Third Location Meetings
Walking meetings work best with smaller groups, one on one, or during audio calls. Walking meetings are good for brainstorming and problem-solving, however might not be the best option if there is a lot of note-taking involved. If you are on an audio call, be mindful of where you choose to walk, selecting areas with lower traffic, and look where you are going to avoid walking distracted.

Tips for holding walking meetings:
- Plan ahead, map out a route (indoors or out)
- Give prior notice, choosing best time to walk (time of day, weather, location)
- Prepare an agenda, send it to everyone ahead of time to reference
Third location meetings can be done with the whole team. Plan for an appropriate location (seating, sun/shade, noise, space), at a walking distance of 5-15 minutes away, and hold your meeting there. Not only do you get some extra steps in your day, it changes the scenery and the vibe of the group.

PSP Teams in the NCR

Get active with your local NCR PSP Teams

PSP Fitness
Contact the local NCR PSP Fitness team to request unit PT sessions, or join virtual classes on CAF Fitness, the place of choice for virtual fitness programming! Live class timings don't work with your schedule? No problem, pick your workout from the CAF Fitness Workout Playlist anytime!

For more information about our services, please send us an email at NCRFitness.CPRCN@forces.gc.ca.
PSP Health Promotion
Encourage your members to take a break, build their resilience and increase unit morale all at the same time by inviting PSP Health Promotion to your next PD session. Request a briefing on wellness topics such as stress management, mental fitness, nutritional wellness and more. Perhaps plan for a wellness briefing to be before or after a group walk, during a meeting, as a “Lunch and Learn”, or even before a unit PT.
PSP Hylands Golf Course
Did you know that the Hylands Golf Club not only has golf in the warmer months, but also provides a wide array of activities for CAF members and their families during the winter? Snow shoeing, fat biking, cross-country skiing and more are available! Plan for a fun filled active event at Hylands Golf Club by reserving ahead online or by calling.
Tips to Add an Extra Edge to Your Initiative
- Provide healthy snacks after the break. Find ideas here.
  - Canada’s Food Guide
  - Health Snack Ideas by the Dieticians of Canada
- Set a calendar reminder.
  - Schedule a calendar meeting every week or two to take a break
- Assign an active break leader in your unit to encourage people to move more
- Plan your active breaks around National Health Promotion Awareness days
- Get inspired and find more activity ideas with Canada Life Workplace Strategies for Mental Health

References

Ali, C. (2020, December 21). How to work ‘‘exercise snacks’’ into your day. The University of British Columbia. https://beyond.ubc.ca/exercise-snacks/
National Defense. (2016). Health and Lifestyle Information Survey of Canadian Forces Personnel 2013/2014. Health and Lifestyle Information Survey of Canadian Armed Forces Personnel: 2013/2014 (canada.ca)
Participaction. (2020, December 11). 5 Reasons Why Active Breaks Are Good For Business. https://www.participaction.com/blog/5-reasons-why-active-breaks-are-good-for-business/
The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. (2021). 24 Hour Movement Guidelines. https://csepguidelines.ca/guidelines/adults-18-64/3