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RUNNING HEAD: THE ACTIVE AND HEALTHY PROGRAM

The Active and Healthy Program


Jane Barnes and Gabbie Alvarado
Arizona State University
PPE 310
Dr. Hesse
November 30, 2016

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Introduction

Over 100 million Americans work desk jobs, often working more than 40 hours per week.
Staring at a computer for such an extended period of time can cause problems ranging from
minor to severe. The cost of living is continually on the rise adding to the financial stress levels
many Americans already face. These types of stressors all weigh heavily on the body, causing
tension, knots, carpal tunnel, back and shoulder pain, and much more. Physical activity consists
of being active and finding a way not to sit idly. Being physical can involve many things whether
it be going outside for a walk, a hike or even a bike ride. It can be very difficult for busy
individuals to find the motivation to be active and exercise when they have a full schedule. One
potential solution for these busy individuals would be if there was a program at their workplace
to promote health and fitness along with other like-minded coworkers. This paper explores
different methods of how to achieve physical activity throughout the day while at work. It also
explores ways to incorporate families, friends, and colleagues along with other solutions to
reduce fatigue.
To visit Janes E-portfolio, click here.
To visit Gabbies E-Portfolio, click here.
Review of Current Literature
The purpose of this literature review is to explore the evidence supporting and opposing
the use of integrating academic concepts and physical activity in the workplace. Through
research, it has been discovered that the average desk job requires employees to sit for longer
periods of time than they do sleeping (Pearce, K. 2016). This can be detrimental to ones overall
health. Solutions to sitting idly at a desk for extended periods of time are explored in the
following articles.

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of the data presented, it was discovered that no in-depth research has been
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conducted regarding the use of Tai Chi in the workplace. Tai Chi is an excellent way to promote
musculoskeletal health while at work because it is quick, easy, and does not increase perspiration
and thus, does not require showering afterwards. The purpose of this study was to explore the
effects of workplace Tai Chi within a computer-oriented office. The study was conducted at a
university and consisted of 52 female participants. 50-minute Tai Chi classes were available
twice a week for three months over summer. The classes were taught during the lunch hour.
Demographics were recorded for each participant and pre and post statistics were recorded.
These statistics were resting heart rate, resting blood pressure, anthropometric measures,
musculoskeletal fitness, and back fitness. In addition, psychological well-being was assessed pre
and post-study. The mean age was 46 years old and about half (42%) of individuals had never
taken a Tai Chi class before. The results from this study were overall very positive.
Improvements were seen in resting heart rate, waist circumference, flexibility, and hand grip
strength. Overall, this Tai Chi program proved that it was effective in improving musculoskeletal
fitness and psychological well-being. In addition, the women enjoyed the company of one
another and felt more comfortable participating in exercise among other women. This improved
confidence and overall mood.
The inspiration behind this study was the realization that most individuals do not
participate in enough exercise throughout the day. According to this study, the main reasons as to
why individuals are not meeting the minimum exercise requirement is due to lack of time and
lack of access to quality programming such as gyms, classes, and trainers. The lack of regular
physical activity can create health problems which can lead to disease and lower quality of life.

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PageThe
| 4 purpose of this study was to implement an effective exercise program to county
government employees to improve their overall health and exercise regimen. The study consisted
of a mix of men and women totaling 50 individuals with a mean age of 53 years old. A program
was created called Stay Strong Stay Healthy (SSSH) and was available once a week for 10
weeks. Each week the program focused on different aspects of the body through strengthening
exercises. Then, 20 minutes of light cardiovascular exercise was included. Participants
completed five fitness tests before and after the study to determine their fitness and health levels.
There were 74% of individuals had significant improvements. All participants reported
that their health had improved and that they felt physically stronger and were more flexible.
Based off of this study, it can be concluded that implementing workplace fitness programs can
help bridge the gap between work, time management, and exercise and can lead to individuals
reaching their daily exercise requirements. This leads to healthier employees and can reduce
health care costs.
The purpose of this study is how people self-assessment with implications for health,
education, and the workplace affect their behavior or their performance. Research states that selfassessments of skill and character are often flawed in substantive and systematic ways. People
are unrealistically optimistic about their own health risks unlike those who are concerned.
Research in education find that students assessments of their own performance like to agree more
with the people who mentor them. Workplace employees tend to overestimate their skills at their
workplace, which when someone gives them feedback they take it more the hard way. In the
article they review data showing that peoples perceptions of their skills, knowledge, personality,
and character often do mix in with reality. They then examined how health, education and work
okay out for people who take on tasks to their everyday lives. In the monograph they review

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basic
research
on accuracy of self-assessment. Self-assessments of skill and character are much
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more imperfect than people realize. Overall it researchers found that mistaken self-judgment not
only in the laboratory experiments but also in the real world setting. People may think this does
not get in the way of their everyday lives but it most definitely does.
The purpose of this article is to explore the impacts of the WFCs in an Oil and gas
company in Houston, Texas and simply ask if people who use the fitness center have
demonstrated healthier behavior throughout the workday than people who dont use the fitness
center. The second question that is being asked is do the employees find nutrition and other
fitness exercises in the workplace beyond using the fitness center make a difference in their
health. Last question that is being researched is so these employees get their colleagues to join
along by their behaviors of their thoughts on nutrition and fitness. They did online surveys and
individual interviews. There were 47 participants who completed the survey and 11 who were
interviewed, which all were involved are a major gas and oil company. The survey gathered data
about the WFC and how they like using it along with what were other fitness and nutrition
behaviors were used throughout the workday. The interviewed focused on how people got their
colleagues involved and how they were able to keep each other on task with their nutrition and
fitness behaviors.
After giving the survey to 47 employees over half of those 57.6% reported to use the
WFC. Females tend to use it the most at 78.7%. %6.8% if the respondents were under the age of
35 and over half 57.4% worked at the location A. Generally, there were no notable differences
were found. All people acted upon it differently and have their own way of using fitness whether
it be using the WFC or by doing what they have been doing. People who did use the WFC said
they have better workout per week than those who didnt use it.

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Synthesis of Current Literature

Of the four articles, it was determined that as a society, we are not getting enough
physical exercise. Lack of physical exercise leads to poor health and low self-esteem. One reason
why we are not meeting physical activity requirements is because many of us spend more time
sitting at desk jobs than we do much of anything else. The studies explored the benefits of
exercise being conducting at the workplace and all concluded that implementing workplace
exercise programs greatly benefit employees in several aspects. These aspects include
cardiovascular health, weight management, self-esteem, mental health, and more.
Out of two of the articles there were similarities and there were a few differences.
Although both of them were focusing a lot on health which made me be able to relate them
together. In the article Flawed self-assessment: Implications for health, education and workplace
of them was relating on self-assessment and how we self-judge ourselves without even fully
knowing. In the article it says, most of the time we self-judge ourselves too much to where it
tends to affect the way we focus on our health, education and also our workplace. In the article
The effect of using workplace fitness center on employees nutrition and fitness behaviors talks
about how other people's behaviors can feed onto yours. There was a study asking workers if
their colleagues behaviors with nutrition and fitness changed the way they wanted to do things
and most of them declined.
The goal of our healthy and active community plan is to integrate academic concepts and
physical activity in the workplace. Through the data collected from these studies and articles, it
can be determined that our plan will benefit engagement as well as overall workplace success.
Physical activity benefits both mind and body and can create an overall more confident and

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happier
When creating an environment that supports this and offers outlets to channel
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positive energy, stress and tension can be alleviated, all while creating an environment that
fosters a sense of community and belonging.
Practical Implications
The average American working at a desk job sits for about 10 hours a day (Schulte,
2015). This is attributed to both sitting at the office and during lunch breaks along with the hours
sitting at home. Jane Barnes and I created a program that can help break the cycle of constantly
sitting down at work and after hours. This program is called the Active and Healthy Program and
we plan to implement it into the workplace. It can be modified for nearly any other environment
including the classroom and companies or organizations on a larger scale.
Administration:
Through several studies, it has been discovered that sitting for extended periods of time
can lead to several health issues. These health issues include increased diagnoses of cancer,
diabetes, and heart attacks. A sedentary lifestyle can also lead to muscle and bone loss,
depression, and weight gain (NCHPAD, n.d.). In order to combat these illnesses, we would like
to propose the implementation of the Active and Healthy Program (AHP). The AHP targets one
of the main issues and also one of the easiest issues to resolve- the extended periods of sitting.
This program can be catered to the needs of the individuals or the office or organization as a
whole. The AHP visits offices physically and virtually to demonstrate and facilitate exercises that
can be done during office hours, mostly while at a desk. Another great benefit of the AHP is that
it offers an exercise program that meets before work, during lunch, after work, and on weekends.
This can be adjusted to the needs and interests of the office. Another wonderful benefit is the
flexibility of the program in terms of modifying exercises to accommodate any impairments. The

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AHP
has| 8a low-cost monthly fee, depending on the programs chosen to implement. We make the
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fee low-cost in hopes of the company or organization to pay for it to allow the program to be free
of charge to their employees. While there is a small fee, the physical, emotional, and social
rewards are well worth it.
Marketing:
We have supplied a few examples of materials we can provide to engage employees,
students, staff, or community. To interest individuals, we can put together flyers with details on
when and where we will be hosting an informational meeting on the AHP. During the
informational meeting, we have a PowerPoint presentation that shows the health risks of a
sedentary lifestyle and how if they chose to participate in the AHP, the many benefits that they
would reap. Once a group decides on the program that will work for them, we will compile a
flexible schedule that will be available to everybody.
A.

To view our informational flyer, click here.


Barnes, J., & Alvarado, G. (2016, November 23). Active and Healthy Program

Informational Flyer. Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/a/asu.edu/file/d/0B5vNqToiV85RUNvQmgtNjZFMHc/view?usp=sharing


B.

To view our PowerPoint presentation regarding the Active and Healthy

program, click here.


Barnes, J., & Alvarado, G. (2016, November 23). Active and Healthy Program
PowerPoint. Retrieved from
https://docs.google.com/a/asu.edu/presentation/d/1LgFebia5sswK1Xm40c_BvbBmatB6u0j6ihU
EPLPHMvw/edit?usp=sharing
C.

To view our daily schedule and schedule of events, click here.

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J., & Alvarado, G. (2016, November 23). Active and Healthy Program Calendar
PageBarnes,
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of Events. Retrieved from
https://docs.google.com/a/asu.edu/spreadsheets/d/1oaIn1tTyVd8VkKLyqAihpdnmZKNXRAaDl
I3Rl8csmhE/edit?usp=sharing
Committee:
One of the goals of the AHP is to help motivate individuals to be active on their own
time. One key to the success of this program and to reach individual goals is through the
collaboration of a community of individuals. Fostering interpersonal relationships through
gathering together to exercise promotes positivity and health. Having a community of likeminded individuals also provides a constant source of support and helps prevent personal and
group failures. We will assign one leader to take over the committee and be responsible for
handling what everyone needs and what we can do to improve.
Engagement:
The AHP is an excellent program to implement in an office or school because it brings
individuals together in ways they would not normally interact. By meeting before, during, or
after work to engage in a fun and relaxing activity, this can help develop new friendships and
create a happier and healthier environment to be a part of.
Scheduling:
We at AHP want to make the program as accessible and manageable as possible which is
why we have an online calendar that is accessible to all members. The calendar lists every
activity available month-to-month. It can also be adjusted to make it editable by group members
so they can add their own workouts that they would like to encourage others to attend. For those

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who
have
a different schedule but would still like to be part of the program, we will offer online
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services for when they cannot make it and for days when they can join along.
Educational Components:
Not many know of the direct relationship of extended sitting and health risks. Through
our educational program, we hope to spread a wealth of knowledge that can be shared with
friends, families, and colleagues. We offer weekend activities that are welcome to friends and
family because we at AHP want everyone to live a happy and healthy lifestyle.
Conclusion
Our Active and Healthy Program can transform the lives of individuals both inside and
outside of the workplace. This is achieved by transforming bad habits into good habits through
education, demonstration, resources, events, and team efforts. We provide knowledge and tools
to help one achieve their goals, all while building a stronger sense of community through shared
experiences and interpersonal connections. Positively changing a persons life at work can have a
direct effect on their life at home and within their community. For the workplaces to provide
more opportunities for their employees to become more active and healthy. By providing an
opportunity like the Active and Healthy Program, employees can improve their quality of life
which can also help improve morale and quality of work inside of the workplace. By making it
free or affordable, it also can improve participation and helps promote a stronger sense of
dedication to the company. This program can be modified and can be effective for years to come.
In one year, the Active and Healthy Program will hopefully be in effect at a handful of offices or
companies. By starting small, we will be able to troubleshoot any issues and will see what really
interests individuals and what does not. We will also be able to collect qualitative and
quantitative data and use that for research and can document successes and failures. Hopefully

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thePage
data |will
11 be overwhelmingly positive so we can use that to support our thesis and the need for
this program. Then, we will be able to promote the results to companies and gain momentum that
way, in three years, our program will have expanded on a more statewide level. By this point, we
will have expanded our own company and will have hired and trained other outreach
professionals. We will continue to collect data and use it to promote our company and will
continue to see what works best for individuals. In five years, our company will be fully
established, possibly with other investors or partnerships so we can work on a national level. Our
marketing will have expanded and will be trying to make every company in our nation support
their employees by providing the resources for them to live a healthy and active lifestyle both
inside and outside of the office.

References
Tamima, H., Castel, E. S., Jamnik, V., Keir, P. J., Grace, S. L., Gledhill, N., &
Macpherson, A. K. (2009). Tai Chi workplace program for improving musculoskeletal fitness
among female computer users. Work, 34(3), 331-338. doi:10.3233/WOR-2009-0931

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D. (2015). Employer Sponsored Fitness Programs in the Workplace Improve
PageKaranja,
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Employee Health. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 47(4).
doi:10.1016/j.jneb.2015.04.073
Dunning, D., Heath, C., & Suls, J. (2004). Flawed Self-Assessment: Implications for
Health, Education, and the Workplace. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 5(3), 69106. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/stable/40062350
Bartelme, V. (2014). The effect of using a workplace fitness center on employees'
nutrition and fitness behaviors (Order No. 1561111). Available from ProQuest Dissertations &
Theses Global. (1561341835). Retrieved from http://login.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/login?
url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1561341835?accountid=4485
Schulte, B. (2015, June 2). Health experts have figured out how much time you should sit
each day. Retrieved November 16, 2016, from
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/06/02/medical-researchers-have-figuredout-how-much-time-is-okay-to-spend-sitting-each-day/
Sedentary Lifestyle is Dangerous to Your Health : NCHPAD - Building Inclusive
Communities. (n.d.). Retrieved November 16, 2016, from
http://www.nchpad.org/403/2216/Sedentary~Lifestyle~is~Dangerous~to~Your~Health
Barnes, J., & Alvarado, G. (2016, November 23). Active and Healthy Program
Informational Flyer. Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/a/asu.edu/file/d/0B5vNqToiV85RUNvQmgtNjZFMHc/view?usp=sharing
Barnes, J., & Alvarado, G. (2016, November 23). Active and Healthy Program Calendar
of Events. Retrieved from

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https://docs.google.com/a/asu.edu/spreadsheets/d/1oaIn1tTyVd8VkKLyqAihpdnmZKNXRAaDl
Page | 13
I3Rl8csmhE/edit?usp=sharing
Barnes, J., & Alvarado, G. (2016, November 23). Active and Healthy Program
PowerPoint. Retrieved from
https://docs.google.com/a/asu.edu/presentation/d/1LgFebia5sswK1Xm40c_BvbBmatB6u0j6ihU
EPLPHMvw/edit?usp=sharing

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