A multidisciplinary team from the Master of Public Health program set out to improve the well-being of University employees by implementing a two-week wellness initiative. Associate Professor of Practice and Director of the Health Professions Education Program Dolores Wolongevicz, MPH student Kathleen Flynn ’26MPH, and Associate Professor of Practice and Director of the Master of Public Health Program Leigh Haynes share the impact of building five-minute “movement snacks” into your daily routine.
Small Actions Yield Big Results
An NPR-Columbia study, reported through the Body Electric podcast with Manoush Zamorodi, encouraged people in the US to take brief movement breaks throughout the day. Inspired by the concept, Associate Professor of Practice and Director of the Health Professions Education Program, Dolores Wolongevicz, and Associate Professor of Practice and Director of the Master of Public Health Program, Leigh Haynes, proposed sharing the concept with the Simmons community as a two-week wellness initiative.
Haynes also approached Flynn to join the team, whose medical expertise added a unique perspective. “Professionally, academically, and personally, I was excited to join the Body Electric initiative because achieving a healthy lifestyle can be difficult for everyone. If you struggle a little bit yourself, you can empathize with other people,” says Flynn.
The “Simmons Body Electric” initiative asked University employees to incorporate and track movement breaks throughout their workday. Participants were also asked to rate their mood, energy, and focus daily. To gain insight into the work environment, participants shared perceptions of their workplaces and what helped or hindered them from taking movement breaks.
The ‘Simmons Body Electric’ Initiative
The project results were encouraging. Participants reported more positive moods, better focus, increased energy, and less tension and anxiety by the end of the two-week period. When asked what they liked most about taking movement breaks, participants noted relief from muscle soreness, increased energy, and improved focus.
The biggest things that helped participants take movement breaks were bodily cues (feeling stiff, achy, or tired), electronic reminders, and scheduled breaks. Although many wanted to incorporate movement breaks throughout their workday, they reported being too busy with work, tied up in meetings, or not wanting to lose focus in the middle of a task.
Work Culture, Health, And Institutional Change
Though research demonstrates that movement throughout the day decreases blood sugar and blood pressure, it remains a struggle to counteract the effects of a sedentary lifestyle.
“The expectations of work culture these days put a significant amount of pressure on us to make choices that prioritize our jobs and work output over our long-term health outcomes and goals,” says Haynes. Through feedback from participants, Wolongevicz, Flynn, and Haynes gained insights into how some of the challenges can be addressed. They suggested:
- Companies and organizations should implement policies that require buffer time between meetings
- Leadership and management should improve office culture by encouraging employees to take consistent movement breaks
From a public health standpoint, the team agrees that advocating for and increasing awareness of these policies and practices is essential. Their implementation can contribute to structural change that counteracts the health-harming elements of “work culture” and ultimately improves workplace conditions so people can prioritize their own health.