Brandon in Motion

Are you part of an active workplace?

We want to hear your success stories… Great stories like this:

Workplace wellness isn’t something Brandon’s Community Sportsplex takes lightly. After all, it is an integral part of what the organization stands for – helping our community to be physically active.
Sportsplex Manager, Perry Roque knows that a healthy active workplace leads to greater employee satisfaction, increased productivity, and provides a great forum for team building. Healthy Brandon in motion asked Perry to share his ideas, and a few success stories.

On Meetings ‘in motion’ - One of the most productive ways to encourage “in motion” staff is through meetings “in motion.” Walking meetings can provide a productive and non-threatening environment to discuss work concerns and issues. It will amaze you how productive this walk will be, and how good people feel after a bit of fresh air and physical activity (PA). Everyone will be surprised to learn that, during a brief 20 minute meeting, they’ve walked ONE MILE!

On Coffee Breaks ‘in motion’ - When the weather is warm, we usually take a 20 minute walk in place of an afternoon coffee break. “The boss” still allows for a 10 minute coffee break after the walk and staff often take coffee back to their desk.

On Achieving a Workplace ‘in motion’ - By building workplace wellness objectives into performance management, one of our staff has demonstrated success in reaching both personal and professional PA goals. She walks to and from work on most days and keeps up with the schedule on her days off, even in the winter. She always encourages friends and co-workers to join her. Additionally, she has taken the initiative to coordinate walking challenges for the workplace, incorporating varying distances three times a week over a 3 to 5 week stretch.

For the past two years, Brandon’s Community Sportsplex has participated in the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s Workplace PA Challenge. This year they were recipients of the Grand Prize Draw. “The workplace challenge has been interesting,” Perry comments. “Over the past two years, we have definitely noticed staff getting more involved and active.” It’s about ‘gives & gets…’ the employer benefits as well. “We’ve seen a reduction in staff absenteeism and notice that staff are making PA part of their daily routine - walking or riding bikes to work, joining a gym, or running club… The challenge has really increased our awareness of the benefits of physical activity.”

Sportsplex staff are continually encouraged to be physically active at work. Incorporating PA into the work day is great for morale and makes people feel appreciated. “The staff still continues to get their work done and to willingly take on new responsibilities. Work performance definitely seems to improve while getting ‘in motion.’”