CONGRATULATIONS TO

PICKLE LAKE

One of two grand prize winners

for the Northwestern Health

Unit’s (NWHU) 4th Annual

Workplace Wellness Challenge.

Over 700 employees from

approximately 90 workplaces

across the region participated.

Pickle Lake staff were presented

with this lovely Golden Banana!

WAY TO GO!

What better time than January to recharge and refocus on our own KPDSB’s Daily Physical Activity Pilot!! Did the Christmas holidays “weight” you down a little? Did the busyness of holidays and change in routine interfere with your 30 minutes of DPA? Or did you stay right on track and keep going? Anyone make some New Years resolutions related to DPA, or maybe for some of you the start of a fitness routine? Some questions to ask yourself as you jump into the New Year. January is a perfect time of year to focus on exercise, eating healthy and spending time outdoors. The physical, mental and academic benefits of physical activity are hard to ignore. If you are having a hard time sticking with regular physical activity, don’t fret, you’re not alone. The great news is that a little physical activity is better than none, and, yes, a little more of the heart pumping stuff is even better. We can all benefit by moving just a little more every day. The key is to find the right fit for you. It might be a little movement or activity throughout the day or it may be a heart-pumping workout 3 times a week; find what works best for you. In September 2016, 673 KPDSB staff signed on to the DPA Pilot! And in November 2016, 486 staff responded to the DPA Initiative Baseline Survey with TEN staff winning a FitBit Surge!! The survey results indicated that only 16.9% of respondents reported that before the DPA initiative began they spent at least 30 minutes a day in moderate-vigorous activity more than 5 times a week. This is a percentage that we hope to see increase over the course of the school year and reflected in the post measure provided by the NWHU in May. This newsletter was co-created by your KPDSB Mental Health Leader and the Northwestern Health Unit. We have added some information related to physical activity, and ideas and tools that might be helpful to help incorporate a little more physical activity into your work and/or personal life.

All stakeholders create a culture of learning so that students come first.

DPA: DAILY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

JANUARY 2017 Created in Partnership with Northwestern Health Unit and KPDSB Mental Health Leader

Some Challenge Ideas from your fellow KPDSB Co-workers

Drop Your Pants Challenge Walk to Winnipeg Challenge 21 Day Fix Challenge Squat Challenge PINTEREST LINK 30 minute daily walks Stretching, yoga, Pilates Swim classes Ninja Training Boot Camp / CrossFit Classes

50 Bodyweight Exercises you can do anywhere

We’d love to work with your school. If there’s a program or activity that the Northwestern Health Unit can help with, contact us: efischer@nwhu.on.ca.

Daily Physical Activity Tips Ideas and Teaching Tools

No time? No energy? If you’re crunched for time, add activity in smaller doses a few

times per day. Bouts of 10 minutes carry health benefits too. Light, moderate, vigorous- it all counts.

One single session can impact energy level, mood and sleep. Schedule activity into your planner and keep the appointment.

Health Benefits Tweak Your Week Barriers and Solutions Use your calendar and

reminders to schedule daily appointments for activity

Pair up or use the power of social media and technology. Staff who pledged to participate in DPA said peer and social

support would be a great support. Find a colleague or enlist a friend with similar activity preferences and get moving togeth-er. This is one of the most powerful indicators of adherence.

Start a staff walk, or run, ski club/challenge at the school. Use your activity tracker (FitBit, Vivo, JawBone) to connect

and get fit with friends and co-workers.

HealtheSteps <30 Days APPS for Health Health eTools Connect and Compete

Take the challenge! A fun, friendly challenge with teachers and/or students and a

chance to win prizes can be a great motivator for many people.

We can also help set up a staff or school challenges.

Activity Challenge Canada's 150 Play List Log your steps– NWHU

has pedometers!!

Wake Up. Work and Move. Have Fun. Repeat. Get the endorphins flowing with brain and body breaks. Involve teachers and students to get the masses moving. Find over 1000 heart-pumping activities for the classroom and

the gym to keep H&PE and DPA fun for all.

BOKS Brain Breaks GoNoodle OPHEA Run Club CIRA Games Galore PlaySport 1000 Activities Playworks

Find your fit, set a goal and make a plan. Writing down goals and plans can make it more realistic and

doable. Keep it where you can see it every day. Walk, dance, play a sport, take the stairs- pick one thing that

moves you more!

Deciding to be Active Making a Plan Setting Goals Move It Monday

Workouts

General Tidbits We’re all different when it comes to interests, needs and fit-

ness levels. Find an activity you like and want to stick with. Use our community pages to find out where you can get ac-

tive and what’s available in your community. Track your activity on paper, in a journal or on your phone or

with an APP. It’s a great way to monitor and watch progress.

Community pages Tracking calendar The Importance of

Intensity in Physical Activity

Dr. Mike Evans- Health Lab

JANUARY 2017 Created in Partnership with Northwestern Health Unit and KPDSB Mental Health Leader

We’d love to work with your school. If there’s a program or activity that the Northwestern Health Unit can help with, contact us: efischer@nwhu.on.ca.