Steps > Planning Workplace Physical Activity > Step 3: Finding out What’s Possible in Your Workplace

Before making plans to encourage physical activity during the workday, it’s important to find out what is “doable” in your workplace.

You don’t want to raise employee expectations by offering something that’s impossible due to funding or space limits. For example, it’s not realistic to suggest putting in a fitness facility if there’s no room for it. Be open, however, to creative ways around limitations.

For instance, find out what types of walking trails or routes may be handy to your workplace. Check with municipal departments, recreation services or local fitness facilities. Determine if there are local trails, safe walking routes, nearby malls or pedways, or other suitable locations for walking, such as nearby parks or grounds. 

Below are some questions to help you assess your workplace:

• What facilities or opportunities does your work space offer that makes it easier to be physically active during the workday? For example, do you have stairs, bike racks, showers, space for a fitness facility, or on-site walking lanes?

• What nearby facilities or opportunities could employees use to be more physically active during the workday? Are you close to sidewalks, walking trails, community or fitness centres, bike lanes for active commuting and/or exercise facilities?

• Can the initiative access funds, personnel, space, equipment and facilities?

• What is the structure of your organization? For example, consider staff size, working hours, number of sites, unusual shifts, length of lunch breaks and ability to use flex time.

• What policies support or hinder physical activity in your workplace (e.g., dress code, flex time, etc.)?

Find out More

Making it Work with Active Living in the Workplace: Published by the Canadian Council for Health and Active Living at Work. Refer to page 5 for examples of changes that could be made in your workplace to support employees being physically active.

Workplace Physical Activity Framework Audit Tool: A resource from the Alberta Centre for Active Living. This tool can be used as a baseline measuring tool and for continual evaluation.

Catalogue of Situational Assessment Tools (Comprehensive Workplace Health Promotion): A resource from the Health Communication Unit at the Centre for Health Promotion, University of Toronto. At this link, you can learn more about assessment tools that have been reviewed.

Recommended and Promising Practices for Situational Assessment Tools (Comprehensive Workplace Health Promotion): A resource from the Health Communication Unit at the Centre for Health Promotion, University of Toronto. Refer to page 10 to learn more about conducting an assessment of your workplace.