12 Days of Sit Less daily challenges
Are you ready to move more and sit less?
- If you haven't already done so, sign your workplace up for the 12 Days of Sit Less Challenge.
- The challenge runs from November 30 to December 15, 2023
Follow-along on X and complete the daily challenges with us. Cheer each other on by sharing pictures of your progress to your own X, using #12DaysofSitLessKFLA2023. Every post you share will enter your workplace into a raffle to win additional gift cards throughout the campaign. Don't have social media? Send your pics and videos to WorkWell@kflaph.ca instead!
Daily challenge calendar and BINGO card
Daily challenge calendar
Challenge calendar contents |
Thursday, November 30: Walk or wheel at lunch or break Friday, December 1: Wall sit challenge Monday, December 4: Desk yoga Tuesday, December 5: Show us your best Rocky Wednesday, December 6: Balance challenge Thursday, December 7: Active meeting or break Friday, December 8: Aerobic activity challenge Monday, December 11: Workplace scavenger hunt Tuesday, December 12: Push-up or plank challenge Wednesday, December 13: Go to their work station Thursday, December 14: Tricep dips challenge Friday, December 15: Show us what you've got! |
Bingo card
Bingo card contents |
1. Pick a new activity to do each workday between November 30 to December 15. |
Adapted with permission from Thunder Bay District Health Unit
Daily challenges
Participants are encouraged to enjoy activities safely. To reduce the risk of injury, consider completing the Pre-screening self-assessment for physical activity from CSEP.
Walk or wheel at lunch or break
Getting outside can help us move more and sit less throughout the day, while also benefitting our mental health. This challenge involves getting outside for an active break. Walking, cycling, skating, etc. are all great ways to get moving. To get even more out of this challenge, consider getting together as a group. Moving with friends is a great way to keep each other motivated and build social connection!
Tip: Remind staff to come dressed for the weather this day.
Wall sit challenge
Take a microbreak to add movement to your day or have a friendly competition to get together with coworkers and see who can last the longest!
How to do a wall sit
- Place your back against a flat wall with your feet shoulder width apart.
- Lower yourself down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. You should look like you are sitting on an invisible chair.
Desk yoga
Take a microbreak (one to two minutes) to stretch your muscles and incorporate yoga into the workday. Regularly incorporating light physical activity such as yoga into the workday can help reduce fatigue and stress while improving balance and energy!
Examples of yoga poses
- Reverse prayer pose (this is an especially good pose for those who spend hours typing on a computer): raise your arms behind your back. Join your palms together with fingers points downwards. Now rotate hands so that palms are together, and fingers are pointing up towards the sky.
- Eagle arm pose: cross your left elbow over your right arm. Bring the hands together in front of your face, with fingers pointing up towards the ceiling. Touching the back of the hands together will be the easiest stretch, while placing palms together will be the hardest.
Tip: Remind staff that stretches should be held for approximately 10 to 20 seconds and should not be painful.
Shadow boxing - show us your best Rocky
Non-contact boxing is a great way to reduce stress while improving confidence and concentration. Not to mention that it can be just as good for your heart as running! For this activity, we want you to show us your best Rocky Balboa training montage and relieve workplace stress with a fun, high energy break. These can be done seated or standing.
Tip: remember to keep elbows soft and shoulders relaxed when punching. Alternate throwing punches as quickly as comfortable. To add in a balance challenge if standing, stand on one foot with legs slightly bent and punch across your body for 10 to 20 seconds before switching to your other foot.
Balance challenge
Take a microbreak to incorporate balance exercises or host a friendly competition to see who can stay balanced for the longest.
Examples of balance exercises include:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and take turns raising one leg off the floor in front of you for 20 seconds before switching sides. You can also use the back of a chair for support if needed.
- Pick a line on the floor or make one with duct tape. Try walking along the line as if you are on a tightrope, without stepping off to the side.
- Core stability exercises can improve balance. For those with limited mobility, try seated bicycle crunches. Sit with your back straight and palms together in front of your chest, with your arms parallel to the floor. Twist your body so that your right elbow touches your left knee. Straighten up to the starting position and then repeat, touching your left elbow to your right knee.
Active meeting or break
This challenge involves adding activity to meetings or breaks whether indoors or outdoors. This could include a standing, walking, or wheeling meeting or break. You can also make it fun with a team dance break!
Tip: For longer meetings, try encouraging employees to stand when needed or build a movement break into the meeting time.
Aerobic activity challenge
Take a microbreak to get your heart pumping or have a friendly competition with coworkers to see who can do a moderate intensity aerobic activity for the longest! These can be any activities that make you sweat and breathe a bit harder. Examples include:
- High knees: stand with your feet about hip distance apart. Engage your core muscles while you bring one knee toward your chest and your opposite arm up in a pumping motion. Quickly lower your leg and hand and repeat on the other side. Alternate between your right and left leg for your desired time.
- Tip: for a lower impact option, try seated knee lifts! While sitting in a chair with feet flat on ground, alternate lifting your right and left knee up towards your chest. To make it more difficult, try holding your leg up in the air for a few seconds before lowering it back to the floor.
- Lunging race: stand with your feet about hip distance apart. Step forward with one foot, putting weight into your heel. Lower your body into a lunge by bending the forward knee until your thigh is parallel to the floor. Make sure your forward knee does not go past your toes. Pause. Drive through your front heel to return to standing and repeat on the opposite leg.
- Tip: if you have employees with knee pain, an alternative aerobic activity should be considered.
- Skipping: if you have the resources and space to do so, jump rope is a great way to get people moving. Just make sure people are able to spread out!
Workplace scavenger hunt
Get the week started on the right foot with a fun workplace scavenger hunt! Print and distribute or email the workplace or remote work scavenger hunt sheets to your employees to complete. You can ask them to snap photos or write in the names of the items and people they find. This can be a great team building opportunity, or a friendly individual competition! You can also choose to make this a one-day or multi-day event. No matter how you decide to run it, it’s sure to get people sitting less and moving more throughout the day or week!
Push-up or plank challenge
Take a microbreak to add movement to your day or get together for a friendly competition with coworkers to see who can do the most push ups or hold a plank for the longest!
There are many different types of push ups, all of which are great options to sit less and move more! To do a regular push up: hands should be slightly farther than shoulder width apart and feet should be hip-width apart and facing forward. The back should be flat, and head positioned with eyes towards the floor (this is also your plank position!). To do a modified push up: simply lower your knees to the ground from a plank position before beginning. You can also do seated push-ups in a chair by pushing away from a wall.
Go to their work station
This challenge is about engaging in face-to-face communication where possible as opposed to email or phone calls. Have a follow-up question to an email? Instead of hitting reply, take the opportunity to stretch your legs and ask them in person. Even small actions like this help us move more and sit less throughout the day, and you might just get to know your coworkers a little bit better too! Building connections with peers is a great way to lower stress and take care of your mental well-being.
Tricep dips challenge
Take a microbreak to add movement to your day or have a friendly competition to get together with coworkers and see who can do the most dips!
How to do tricep dips
- Sit on the edge of a stable chair and place your hands behind you with your fingers facing forward.
- Extend legs in front of you.
- Bend at the elbows, lowering your body until your arms form a right angle. Lift your body back up until your arms are straight but NOT locked. Repeat.
For workers who use wheelchairs
- Lock the wheels of your wheelchair before beginning.
- Place hands firmly on the locked wheels or armrests of your chair with your feet flat on the ground.
- Push with your arms to lift your body up off the chair.
- Hold the position for about two seconds and then slowly lower yourself back down to your wheelchair, bending at the elbows. Repeat.
Show us what you've got!
This challenge is your chance to share the way(s) your workplace is planning on moving more and sitting less in the future. It could be a challenge already completed in this campaign, or a completely new activity you want to try out in the new year. Let us know by sharing a post with the campaign hashtag (#12DaysofSitLessKFLA2023)
Tip: Remember, sitting less at work can be as simple as having active meetings, taking the stairs more, or getting outside on your lunch or breaks. Activities don’t have to be big to be beneficial. They can also be a great way to have fun and build connections with coworkers! Small changes to sedentary behaviour today can help you:
- Lower cholesterol and blood pressure
- Lower your risk of developing chronic diseases
- Lower your risk of developing certain types of cancer
- Improve your mood
- And decrease feelings of stress and anxiety