Success Stories > Alberta Centre for Active Living: Practising What We Preach

It’s no surprise that the Alberta Centre for Active Living supports physical activity during the workday. In fact, Judith Down, the centre’s Director, sees promoting workplace physical activity as part of the centre’s mandate.

This kind of management support is key to promoting physical activity at work.

Although there can be a cost in offering people time to be active during the workday, Judith feels that “you regain any cost through happier, more productive people.”

Judith has found that employees “work better and concentrate better if they’ve taken a break and done something active.” If people are a few minutes late after being active at lunch, they simply make it up at the end of the day.

Another way for management to support physical activity is to participate in workplace activities. Judith “walks the talk” by taking a lunch-time yoga class offered in the centre’s building on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On the other days of the week, she walks with the centre’s lunch-time walking group.

The centre’s staff works in a building that offers a range of other active opportunities. Bike racks and showers in the basement promote active commuting to work. A small fitness facility on the second floor offers a treadmill, elliptical trainer and weights for those who want a workout at lunch.

The centre’s policies also promote physical activity during the workday. Four times a year, Judith encourages all staff members to participate in half-day “active breaks.”

Staff members decide on the activity they’d like to try. Past activities have included line dancing, five-pin bowling, lawn bowling, working on a Habitat for Humanity project, volunteering at Edmonton’s Food Bank and walking our dogs in Edmonton’s river valley. The active breaks are a healthy way for employees to have fun and socialize together.

Centre employee Angela Torry thinks the active breaks are great. “It surprises me that more businesses don’t do this. The active breaks really boost morale.”

The workplace culture supports all staff members being active. As Judith says, “It's no good if some people are able to participate and not others. But it’s a choice — people can’t be forced to participate.” Judith feels it’s important to offer people a variety of attractive opportunities.

Angela also takes yoga classes in the building twice a week. She enjoys the classes and the fact that it’s a chance to do something social with other staff members.

She also appreciates that the centre encourages staff to take an hour-long lunch break. “Having an hour for lunch allows me to go and do something active such as yoga class or jogging through the neighbourhood. A half hour just gives you enough time to eat.”

At the Alberta Centre for Active Living, staff can do fitness training, join a walking club, take walking meetings or do yoga — all during the workday.

“We’ve been doing this for a long time,” says Judith. “It’s obviously something the staff values. Like other organizations, people at the centre face deadlines and pressure, but we’ve also made physical activity a priority.”

Staying Well at the Alberta Centre for Active Living: A Summary of Initiatives

• The centre allows people to use flex time to be active. Staff can take a fitness class before work or during the workday and make up the time later in the day.
• Staff is encouraged to take a full hour for lunch.
• Team-building includes four half-day active breaks a year.
• The centre’s building includes a fitness facility, outdoor basketball hoop, bike racks and showers in the building.
• A yoga instructor offers lunch-time classes twice a week for centre staff and others in the same building.
• Staff walking meetings are encouraged. Healthy snacks are served at sit-down meetings. Longer meetings include stretch breaks.
• Casual Fridays are a centre tradition.
• The centre participates in Active Alberta Challenge Days (part of the SummerActive and WinterActive campaigns).
• The workplace culture encourages taking a stretching break at your desk. For example, the culture encourages staff to do the Yoga @ Your Desk, Stretching @ Your Desk and Exercising Your Hands and Wrists @ Your Desk videos.
• Most staff members sit on exercise balls for at least part of the workday.
• Through the University of Alberta, staff can access the services of an ergonomics specialist who can make their workspace ergonomically friendly.
• Staff can access a wellness fund through the University of Alberta to pay for a variety of active classes.