the people
The City of Presque Isle is a rural municipality located in Northern Maine. The City has a diversified group of employees ranging from police, fire, and public works, to recreation and leisure, office personnel, airport, landfill, and recycling. On average, there are 107 full-time employees. The City’s Wellness Committee is made up of representatives from the police and fire departments, public works, and City Hall, which represent the majority of City employees.
the need
Whether at the desk, driving, or in meetings, many City employees sit for long periods of time, contributing to circulatory problems, stiffness, and muscle aches that negatively affect health and productivity. The City wanted to remind people not to sit too long without stretching and moving around, as well as to support employees to increase their activity levels throughout the day.
the idea
A policy and poster were created to promote “Sit for 60, Move for 3” (60 and 3 referring to minutes). The idea is that once anyone has been sitting for 60 minutes, they are encouraged to get up and move for 3 minutes.
the idea at work
The City adapted an existing “Sit for 60, Move for 3” concept from the Maine Cardiovascular Health Program, taking it from an idea to a policy. A poster was created to announce the new policy, as well as to suggest examples of how employees might use their 3 minutes per hour effectively. The poster encourages people to get out of the vehicle, off the chair, use stairs, and stretch and move. One section of the poster provides the following tips: “In the Office: Get up from your desk and walk around…Go to the photocopier— walk up and down some steps—or do the exercises below. In a Vehicle: Get out and move around—do some simple stretches.”
the costs
The monetary cost was minimal. Money was spent on paper to print the poster. Little staff time was needed to create either the policy or the poster.
the results
The poster reminds people to move around throughout the day. Approximately 29% of employees report using the “Sit for 60, Move for 3” policy. The policy gives the employees the OK to get away from their work station without feeling guilty about moving around the building or taking a brief walk. This is largely due to the fact that the City created an actual policy, with management encouraging employees to take advantage of it. This policy turned out to be an excellent way for the City Manager to support employees in being physically active, without any monetary costs or negative effects on productivity. Tom Stevens, City Manager, comments, “Our lifestyles have become more sedentary with modern conveniences and technology. A policy such as “Sit for 60, Move for 3,” encourages employees to be more physically active throughout the workday. It is a wonderful policy to help break up the monotony of sitting in meetings that last for long periods of time.”
contact(s)
LaNiece Winslow, Director of Human Resources, 207-764-2522,
[email protected]
Thomas Stevens, City Manager, 207-764-4485, [email protected]
Posters “Sit for 60, Move for 3”
