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Recreation Nova Scotia Annual Conference

Make Your Move at Work

Kerry Copeland

Executive Director

Healthy Tomorrow Foundation

Natalie D’Entremont

Director of Recreation Services

Municipality of Argyle

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Inform
Inspire
Empower

Goals for session

Feel free to stand, stretch or move about during this presentation!

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Healthy Tomorrow Foundation

Created by Doctors

Charitable organization created by Doctors Nova Scotia
Established 2018
Creating a happy and healthy tomorrow for all Nova Scotians through movement.

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Vision

�All those living in Nova Scotia are inspired, informed and empowered to enhance their wellness through active and healthy living.

Helping to create a happy and healthy tomorrow for all those living in Nova Scotia (Mi’kma’ki) through movement.

Mission

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Kids Run Club

Our marquee program has helped kids and families move more since 2004.

Free, school-based running program
Province-wide reach
Recipient of two national health promotion awards
At its peak, reached 18,000 kids reached at 270 schools
Celebrating 20^th anniversary in 2024!

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Make Your Move & Recreation Nova Scotia

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“We want Nova Scotians to form new habits that make regular movement part of our daily lives.�

This goal encourages us to think about movement in a new way and motivates us to move in ways and at times that work for us.”

(Let’s Get Moving Nova Scotia Action Plan)

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Make Your Move

Thanks to a strategic partnership with the Dept. of CCTH, the HTF is currently preparing to launch the fourth iteration of Make Your Move - a public awareness and engagement initiative to encourage Nova Scotians to move more through unstructured physical activity. The goal of the campaign is to educate Nova Scotians that all movement counts and to appreciate the value of all movement, especially unstructured short bouts of movement that we can insert into our days in multiple ways. We want Nova Scotians to believe small changes in activity are easy and will make them feel good.

The campaign assists in achieving the first goal of the Let’s Get Moving Nova Scotia physical activity strategy to redefine movement and help create a shift in social norms where movement becomes part of our daily lives.

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Appropriate the concept of “exercise”, redefine and own it.��It no longer means something “other” that requires significant time, skill or resources to do.

The best piece of exercise equipment ever invented is you!

Currently, we are focusing in two distinct areas: 1) social marketing campaign targeting less-active women in NS, aged 40-60. This group was chosen as the initial target audience as they have lower rates of activity and have also been shown to be influencers who may inspire those around them to also be active. The provincial campaign includes various tactics including TV commercials, radio ads, social media and digital advertising, out of home signage (transit, billboards), and a digital marketing strategy, which leverages blogs and social media engagement to inform and inspire Nova Scotians.

The second area of focus is working with partners at the community level to engage Nova Scotians in MYM in a more intense way. We’ve partnered with CCTH to support the Communities on the Move initiative and will soon be launching a comprehensive toolkit with all MPALs and RPACs in the province to bring MYM to life at the local level. And through our MYMAW program, we’ve begun working with employers to integrate this concept to help create a culture of movement in the workplace.

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Movement in four domains

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While the social marketing campaign involves sharing MYM messaging on various social media platforms, TV networks and on transit shelters, there are a number of digital and print assets organizations and communities can us to promote this type of movement. Today I wanted to share some that might of be interest to those of you who are working in recreation or community centres.

While most users of recreation facilities are often active while there, spectators are mostly sedentary. Think about ice rinks. Hockey games can last as long as 3 hours. Most spectators spend that time sitting in the stands, yet many arenas have walking tracks surrounding the ice surface. Why not remind folks about the opportunities they have to move can use this signage to remind folks they have a perfect chance to get some movement in. You can provide announcers with messaging to remind folks of the same. Perhaps even run contests for fans who get the most laps in.

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Why Make Your Move at Work?

Because we need a culture shift

As Canadians, most of us spend half our waking life at work and for many, that means not moving.

We're offering a solution that's easy to implement.

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Physically active employees:

Are happier and healthier
Improve their performance
Are more productive
Are more resilient
Have lower risks for some workplace injuries

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How movement can help

Improved cognitive function: focus, memory, creativity and productivity
Better mood and reduced stress levels
Greater energy
Improved work/life balance
Provide an opportunity to connect with others

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Program is inclusive, accessible and welcoming – focus on small bouts of movement that you can easily incorporate throughout the day
Many of us spend majority of our days at work – this is an ideal place to shift our mindsets about movement
For employers, MYMAW helps increase productivity, energy and improves mood and perspective – all things that employees could benefit from these days
It can be fun! Our pilot organizations shared that MYMAW boosted morale and encouraged more social interaction

The appeal of Make Your Move at Work

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The time is right

COVID has amplified existing stressors in our lives – including within the workplace.

We know that COVID-19 has had a significant impact on Canadians' mental health and wellness.
Many Canadians (41%) report a decline in their mental health since the onset of the pandemic.
Physical activity levels continue to be very low for most of those living in Nova Scotia.

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Make Your Move at Work resources

Toolkit
Promotional video
Kickoff video
Action plan template
Employee assessment/impact tool
Step by step checklist for employers
Policy templates
Quick tip sheets for employers and employees
Stretching poster
Standing desk tips
Contests

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Make Your Move at Work promotional video

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info@healthytomorrow.ca

Thank you

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Let’s move!

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Make Your Move at Work: �Our journey

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Who Are We?

A small rural municipality in the southwestern tip of Nova Scotia.
We moved to a new administration building in June of 2020.
We have 21 staff members.
5 Departments.
A Council of 9 Councillors.

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The Beginning

Buy-in from Leadership Team

Presentation to all staff by Healthy Tomorrow Foundation staff

Workplace Wellness Team leading Make Your Move at Work

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Workplace Movement Action Plan

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What we did

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Policy

Part of the Leadership Team

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Council's Procedure Policy

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Front

Back

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Make Your Move at Work Argyle staff!

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Bingo Challenge

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Standing opportunities

“I feel tired. I should work standing to give me more energy”

Director of Finance

“I use my standing desk to help with my back issues. I have more energy when I work standing, even for a short period”

Deputy CAO

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Activity tracker sheets as a reminder to staff to incorporate movement in their workday.

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Evaluation sample

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Roll Out

New Administration Building. Wellness room with a stationary bike – Empty space, not inviting, and being used as a Covid testing area.
Active Communities Grant Application: $4600
Treadmill purchased
Rower purchased ( CAO approved)
Free weights and bench purchased
Large screen TV brought in
iPad purchased for zoom meetings/webinars while on the treadmill.
Standing/ Stretching Breaks introduce for meetings longer than one hour
Incentives for increasing any movement while at work

(gotcha cards, Bingo challenge)

Fun Fridays – music playing as you walk in to work that morning (turning into the everyday fun day)
Staff education – Emails on tips for stretching at your desk, using your standing desk etc.

Created a Wellness Room

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Thank you!

Natalie d’Entremont

Director of Recreation Services

ndentremont@munargyle.com

902-648-3379

Questions?