“Stay fit, don’t sit” in Movement Science Class

John Kilbourne, a movement science professor, gives his students the opportunity to stay fit and more alert in his classes by offering alternatives to a traditional desk. His classroom has large exercise balls for students to sit on, and he was able to add 10 stand-up desks after getting a $2,000 grant from the Robert and Mary Pew Faculty Teaching and Learning Center for the research of the educational and physical benefits of seating alternatives.

Students in Kilbourne’s Movement 101 class select whatever form of seating makes them most comfortable. Research shows that sitting all day increases the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other health issues. Kilbourne says students seem to be more focused, and even though they’re constantly moving — bouncing on the ball or shifting their weight around while standing at their desks — he doesn’t find it distracting. 

Know Your Numbers This free and confidential Clinical Health Risk Assessment (CHRA) for all benefit-eligible faculty and staff members provides a single quantitative measure of overall health.

Exercise release time policy Employees at Grand Valley are permitted an extra half hour for lunch twice per week to participate in a group fitness class over the lunch hour.

Fitness challenges A variety of fitness challenges are offered for faculty and staff throughout the year, such as Summertime Steps and Battle of the Valleys pedometer challenge. Faculty and staff can participate in individual and/or team activities, with great prizes and incentives to motivate them.

Flexible work arrangements Grand Valley recognizes the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance, and strives to provide flexible work arrangements that mutually benefit students, the individual, departments, campus, and society.

Fitness and wellness services Campus Recreation offers personal training and exercise programs, fitness consultation and testing, body composition testing, massage, health screenings, wellness coaching, and more.

Intramural sports program More than 20 intramural sport and leisure activities for men’s, women’s, and co-recreational divisions of play are offered.

For a full list of offerings, visit gvsu.edu/healthwellness and gvsu.edu/rec/. 

Be active Building activity into the day is an important way to keep our bodies healthy and active. We can build routine exercise into
our schedules or just take small actions each day like getting off the bus a stop or two early to walk further, parking at the far end of the parking lot, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or standing up to stretch. Hobbies such as gardening, biking, and even household chores like sweeping or mowing the lawn are also ways to stay active.

Eat well Choose local, organic, whole foods rather than foods with processed ingredients. Remember, our bodies are literally made up of the food we eat, so choose wisely what you put in your body. 

Manage stress Balancing responsibilities from school, work, and home can often overwhelm us. The resulting stress is taxing on our bodies and can lead to negative health consequences. Remember to take time for yourself, get enough sleep, spend time doing things you enjoy, and focus on the positives to keep the stress from becoming too much to manage.

Visit gvsu.edu/healthwellness for more information.