Abstract
The “6+1” standards of a healthy work environment in an academic setting, are described by Saunders et al. (2021) and include skilled communication, true collaboration, effective decision-making, appropriate staffing, meaningful recognition, authentic leadership, and self-care (the “plus one” standard). However, achieving work-life balance for faculty and staff at the school of nursing, who work long hours, can be challenging, often leading to the neglect of regular exercise, a crucial element of personal health and wellness. To address this issue, a staff member initiated the “Moving for Minutes" program (M4M) in 2009, aimed at encouraging weekly physical activities such as walking, jogging, biking, and swimming among the faculty and staff.
The M4M program operates on a quarterly basis, with participants grouped into teams and asked to track their weekly physical activity minutes. At the end of each quarter, a brief celebration takes place, where healthy snacks are served, and prizes from the dollar store are awarded to individuals and teams with the most logged minutes. With minimal costs incurred, the dean’s office provides support to facilitate the program.
Since its inception fifteen years ago, the program has seen a total of 128 faculty and staff members participating, with an average of 18 participants per quarter, representing about 20% of the school of nursing workforce. Individual quarterly participation ranged from 1 to 42 quarters, with an average of five quarters per person. Participants’ mean engagement was 273 minutes of physical activity per person per week of the program. The overall range of minutes per person per week ran from a low of 0-20 minutes to as high as 7494 minutes per person per week (there were four consistent “super performers”).
Feedback from participants revealed several positive impacts of the program. Firstly, participants reported experiencing improved physical and emotional health, leading to greater productivity. Secondly, the program fostered a sense of community among participants, with the end-of-the-quarter gathering becoming an event to look forward to. Thirdly, many participants admitted they would have exercised less or lacked motivation if it were not for joining a M4M team. Additionally, M4M instilled a sense of personal accountability, encouraging individuals to stay consistent in their physical activity efforts. Although never pressed to join, some participants expressed feeling a bit of guilt if their weekly minutes were low or if they did not participate regularly.
Overall, the Moving for Minutes program has proven to be highly beneficial by promoting a healthy work environment, encouraging self-care, boosting morale, and fostering camaraderie among faculty and staff at the school of nursing.
Notes
Reference list included in attached slide deck.
Sigma Membership
Gamma Alpha
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Self-Care, Motivation, Health Promotion, Work Environment, Organizational Culture, Academic Workplace, Colleges and Universities
Recommended Citation
Michaelis, Jan and D'Errico, Ellen, "Moving for Minutes! A Sustainable Self-Care Strategy in an Academic Workplace" (2026). Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE). 51.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/chwe/2024/presentations_2024/51
Conference Name
Creating Healthy Work Environments
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Washington, DC, USA
Conference Year
2024
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-02-18
Moving for Minutes! A Sustainable Self-Care Strategy in an Academic Workplace
Washington, DC, USA
The “6+1” standards of a healthy work environment in an academic setting, are described by Saunders et al. (2021) and include skilled communication, true collaboration, effective decision-making, appropriate staffing, meaningful recognition, authentic leadership, and self-care (the “plus one” standard). However, achieving work-life balance for faculty and staff at the school of nursing, who work long hours, can be challenging, often leading to the neglect of regular exercise, a crucial element of personal health and wellness. To address this issue, a staff member initiated the “Moving for Minutes" program (M4M) in 2009, aimed at encouraging weekly physical activities such as walking, jogging, biking, and swimming among the faculty and staff.
The M4M program operates on a quarterly basis, with participants grouped into teams and asked to track their weekly physical activity minutes. At the end of each quarter, a brief celebration takes place, where healthy snacks are served, and prizes from the dollar store are awarded to individuals and teams with the most logged minutes. With minimal costs incurred, the dean’s office provides support to facilitate the program.
Since its inception fifteen years ago, the program has seen a total of 128 faculty and staff members participating, with an average of 18 participants per quarter, representing about 20% of the school of nursing workforce. Individual quarterly participation ranged from 1 to 42 quarters, with an average of five quarters per person. Participants’ mean engagement was 273 minutes of physical activity per person per week of the program. The overall range of minutes per person per week ran from a low of 0-20 minutes to as high as 7494 minutes per person per week (there were four consistent “super performers”).
Feedback from participants revealed several positive impacts of the program. Firstly, participants reported experiencing improved physical and emotional health, leading to greater productivity. Secondly, the program fostered a sense of community among participants, with the end-of-the-quarter gathering becoming an event to look forward to. Thirdly, many participants admitted they would have exercised less or lacked motivation if it were not for joining a M4M team. Additionally, M4M instilled a sense of personal accountability, encouraging individuals to stay consistent in their physical activity efforts. Although never pressed to join, some participants expressed feeling a bit of guilt if their weekly minutes were low or if they did not participate regularly.
Overall, the Moving for Minutes program has proven to be highly beneficial by promoting a healthy work environment, encouraging self-care, boosting morale, and fostering camaraderie among faculty and staff at the school of nursing.
Description
Exercise motivation is challenging in busy, intense, academic environments. The "Moving for Minutes" program was inaugurated 15 years ago to promote self-care and camaraderie amongst faculty and staff. Participants join teams and log their weekly exercise in a friendly, "no-pressure" competition that has contributed to a healthy work environment.