Abstract:

In this paper, we propose a three-step conceptual framework for including movement snacks into the lives of university educators and students. The increasing presence of online teaching and learning affords numerous benefits, such as the hours we save commuting to the institution, between classes, offices, and gathering areas. However, it has also increased the potential for sedentary behaviours, which can extensively impact long-term wellness. Moving, even at a leisurely effort, for 5-10% of your waking day can improve and extend our and our students’ lives. The ‘sitting disease’ has been associated with scholarly pursuits for ages. Still, over the past century, it has spread rapidly and had notable implications on mortality rates and quality of life. To construct the framework, we first explore the typical level of physical activity in higher education from eight studies outlining employees’ active or sedentary states and two systematic reviews focusing on students. Additionally, we used an integrated mixed research design to qualitatively assimilate the outcomes from 21 systematic reviews, focusing on three primary themes, including the implications of prolonged sedentary states, movement snacks or sedentary interruptions, and demographic variation in adult populations. The three-step framework provides an easy-to-follow process for improving diverse aspects of wellness for higher education employees and students with limited friction.

Keywords:

Higher education, university, college, movement, health, online learning.