Making workdays healthier in New Glasgow
Many Nova Scotians have heard about the danger of being sedentary all day at work. It can feel challenging, however, for people to find ways to move about during a busy workday.
Investing in workspace-specific exercise equipment, such as walking pads, desk risers and pedal exercisers, is one way to encourage small movement breaks.
Some Nova Scotians can now try before they buy such equipment. As part of its Healthy Tomorrow Foundation–supported Make Your Move initiative, the town of New Glasgow recently added these three items to the Pictou County Go Play Equipment Loan Program. Anyone in the community can borrow them for free to try at their workspace, including remote and home offices, for one week.
“The walking pad is essentially a treadmill but it’s thinner, smaller and fits better in an office setting,” said Veronica Deno, the town’s active living manager. “The desk riser is a tabletop addition that can be raised to turn any desk or table into a standing desk, then lowered again for sitting. It comes with an anti-fatigue mat to make standing more comfortable. The pedal exerciser is a compact set of bike pedals that can fit under a desk to allow the user to pedal while seated.”
The response has been positive, says Veronica. At least one item has been borrowed every week since February.
People often ask Veronica how long or how often they should use these items.
“My answer is always whatever feels good to you. The idea is that if you’re typically sitting for your entire workday, any breaking up of that sedentary time is awesome.”
Some people use the walking pad when they’re in a virtual meeting, Veronica says. Others set a timer for every hour and then they’ll stand for 10 minutes.
“Both are good strategies. The goal really is just to not be sedentary all day.”
That was why Susan Hughes borrowed all three items for her four-person team to try. She is the director at the John Howard Society of Nova Scotia’s northeastern regional office.
“I’m always trying to improve staff wellness,” Susan says, “and we sit all day, so I was trying to promote people standing.”
She personally found it helpful to use the desk riser to intentionally create standing breaks throughout the day. One team member enjoyed using the pedal exerciser at his desk while another quickly adapted to typing while she was using the walking pad.
The John Howard Society is a non-profit organization, another reason why a trial loan worked well for that office. “We’re limited in our budget. If I’m going to buy something, I can’t just do it without having a really good idea if it’s good for our office.”
After the loan period, Susan invested in two desk risers and a walking pad for her team, using purchasing information and links provided by the town.
The office-based equipment loan program in New Glasgow is a great example of how local leadership and provincial support can work together to promote healthier workdays. The Foundation’s Make Your Move at Work program provides free resources to workplaces across Nova Scotia, helping them integrate simple movement opportunities into the day.
To learn more about how you can set up a similar workspace equipment loan in your community, contact Veronica at veronica.deno@newglasgow.ca or 902-755-8363.
