About Us Youth Do It Adults Do It Older Adults Do It Do It at Work Doctors Do It Do It for Chronic Disease Research
benefits news facts where merchandise signup workout contact sitemap faqs links
  Text Size: 
Our Mission

All citizens of Saskatoon Health Region will integrate regular physical activity into the various facets of their daily lives.

Our Vision

Saskatoon Health Region will lead the collective action of community partners in making Saskatoon and region the healthiest community in Canada through physical activity. This will serve as a model for provincial, national, and international initiatives.

Operating Principles

Physical activity will be the key component to the “whole body” wellness strategy; Initiatives will be achieved through a collaborative approach with private, public, and volunteer sectors in the community; Focus will be on a proactive approach to health versus a reactive (health promotion and illness prevention versus treatment); Equitable choices and opportunities will be available, initially through a targeted approach moving towards inclusiveness; and Priority will be given to sustainable initiatives and programs.

Background:

Saskatoon Health Region (SHR) has a legislated mandate to improve health as well as to deliver treatment.

In 1999, SHR declared in motion a priority in its planning strategy to improve health through health promotion and illness prevention.

SHR developed a comprehensive, community-wide active living strategy with a focus on physical activity - this is in motion.

Physical activity is an integral aspect and cornerstone to health.

Physical activity can significantly reduce health system costs.

Reducing the number of inactive Canadians by 10% could result in annual health savings of $5 billion(Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute, 1999).

Why in motion?

Due to the increase in chronic diseases and the role that physical activity can play in improving health, initiatives addressing physical activity are urgently needed. Therefore, Saskatoon Health Region, University of Saskatchewan (College of Kinesiology), City of Saskatoon (Community Services), and ParticipACTION Canada partnered together to develop the innovative health promotion strategy in motion. The founding partners knew that in order to be successful, in motion had to be a comprehensive health promotion strategy with the four key components - building partnerships, targeted community strategies, measuring success, and building community awareness.

1) Build Partnerships:

Non-traditional partnerships offer a broad perspective on the health of our community.  Through these strategic alliances, a critical mass of public opinion, money, and other resources is created to accomplish goals that any one organization could not achieve.  In addition to the founding partners, collaboration and communication with many other partners contributes to the success of in motion, some examples include: Public, Catholic and Rural School Divisions; business community; local media; YWCA; YMCA; non-profit organizations; Saskatoon Tribal Council; Saskatoon Community Clinic, neighborhood community associations; older adult housing complexes; Heart and Stroke Foundation of Saskatchewan; and the Diabetes Foundation.

2) Target Community Strategies:

The target areas include Children and Youth, Inactive Adults, Workplace Wellness, Older Adults, Primary Prevention of Diabetes and Healthcare Professional Referral. These target areas were chosen for one or a combination of the following reasons: strong evidence supports the need to address inactivity in these populations; strategic alliances were already present and opportunities available to build upon current structures and venues in these areas; stakeholder organizations involved with these areas/populations also identified physical inactivity as a problem in their areas and were supportive of an initiative to promote physical activity. Collectively, the target areas encompass a wide-cross section of the population.

3) Measuring Sucess:

Evaluation of in motion is an ongoing and critical process to the initiative. Also, of fundamental importance is the strategy's built-in program review and University of Saskatchewan led research. In motion provides a unique opportunity to study the determinants of physical activity, evaluate community-based interventions, and assess their impact on health service utilization. In the summer of 2001, the in motion partnership received a $2,000,000 federal research grant (over five years) to study the effectiveness of in motion in these areas - - improving physical activity and building community capacity. This is the largest research grant ever awarded in Canada to the field of physical activity.

In May 2003, the Honourable Dr. Carolyn Bennett, Minister of State (Public Health), commented that in motion was, “a refreshingly original example of university-community research collaborations.” The project’s success can be attributed to this unique and non-traditional research model. Furthermore, a learning environment has been developed that has been extraordinarily successful at nurturing creative approaches to health research and practice. In motion enjoys multidisciplinary support by drawing faculty and graduate students from diverse academic units (e.g. Kinesiology, Physical Therapy, Medicine, Psychology, Community Health and Epidemiology, Education, Nursing, Geography).

At the beginning of the research program, the community partners funded a city-wide survey to determine baseline physical activity levels and thereafter launched a communications and marketing strategy to promote physical activity. In the baseline survey, only 36% of Saskatoon residents reported sufficient physical activity to achieve health benefits. This has risen and been maintained at 50%. Concurrent with that increase, 76% of residents stated they recalled seeing, hearing or reading advertisements about in motion. 

4) Building Community Awareness:

An essential element of the in motion strategy is the marketing and communications component.  Although the in motion initiative is more than just a community awareness campaign, the communication, marketing and branding of in motion is a key element to the success.  The strategy is structured around promoting the "product" of physical activity for health benefits to the target audiences so that it is viewed as being accessible, fun, easy and part of the cultural norm.  Many media and venues are used to promote in motion and to raise awareness of the importance of regular physical activity. 
 
Although these four components may not be in themselves new ideas, the way that in motion has brought them together has provided an original and successful delivery of health promotion. Those who have had the smallest to the most in depth exposure to in motion would agree. There has been tremendous support received for the initiative that has crossed boundaries of professional organizations and individuals, to schools, media, community organizations, businesses and citizens of Saskatoon and region. 

In motion and its champions are successfully creating opportunities for physical activity in six targeted community areas:

Children and Youth – 124 schools have declared themselves in motion (approx. 40,000 students). Each school has a goal to improve physical activity levels by having 30 minutes of activity every day for every child. In motion was so well received that the Catholic School Division made it a goal in their long-range plan to make all of their schools in motion.  At present, 100% of Saskatoon elementary schools have already been declared in motion.

“Atmosphere and morale of the school was noticeably improved.”

“Seeing less discipline problems and a readiness to learn.”

“My blood pressure has fallen to a safe level and I am off medication. I cannot believe that all it took was a walk a day.”  -Teachers at in motion schools

Inactive Adults (City of Saskatoon Community Services initiative, Smart Start) – the ultimate goal is to increase the level of physical activity to 3 to 5 days per week among adults who are not physically active on a regular basis.

Workplace Wellness – 160 in motion worksites, approx. 35,000 employees. The goal is a supportive environment for employees to become more physically active and achieve health benefits.

“I have more energy and feel stronger. I am more alert and don’t feel the need to have a nap after work.” – Secretary at an in motion worksite

“I have noticed significant changes in the staff. Employees who are physically active are less fatigued, happier, and able to handle stress better.” – Manager at an in motion worksite

Older Adults - The goals of the in motion older adult initiative are: to improve the health of the older adult community; to facilitate and coordinate the support required for the implementation of physical activity initiatives; to ensure sustainability of the initiative; and to increase the awareness of the benefits of physical activity.  Forty-one Forever...in motion exercise programs (land and water) for older adults, led by older adults, are being offered at congregate housing facilities and community settings. With the success and interest that has been generated, the Bishop in Saskatoon has implemented a physical activity program within the Catholic churches.

“Now that I am walking, it is amazing how much better I feel. It has proven to me how important walking is to my health.”

"When I exercise, I know I am making my body strong, but it has also made my mind strong.”
- Older Adult Participants

Primary Prevention of Diabetes – the goal of this initiative is to facilitate and coordinate the support required for the primary prevention of diabetes with a focus on physical activity and healthy eating. Through a community partnership, community diabetes screenings are held which target ethno-cultural groups at high risk for diabetes (e.g. Filipino, Aboriginal, East Indian populations). These screenings have been successful in educating these at risk populations on healthy lifestyles and detecting individuals who are pre-diabetic and possibly diabetic.
 
Healthcare Professional Referral - 40 physicians have been trained in PACE Canada (Physician-based Assessment and Counseling for Exercise).  Over 350 patients have been counseled with respect to physical activity behavior change and this number continues to increase as physicians are continually prescribing physical activity to selected patients. This strategy will now be expanded to other Healthcare Professionals such as Dietitians, physiotherapists etc.

“As a physician, I find in motion and the PACE Canada program to be a valuable asset to both myself and my patients.”  – Saskatoon Physician trained in PACE

“Since I saw my doctor, I started to increase my physical activity…I feel better and have more energy.” – Physician Referral Patient

In motion is a ‘natural experiment’ in dynamic community change. It is truly an innovative initiative since no province in our country has yet adopted public policy changes or found mechanisms to make significant changes in the public’s behaviour around physical activity. 
 
Accomplishments, Awards & Acknowledgements

In motion has received national and international recognition for its success in mobilizing large segments of the population. Some examples of this recognition follow.

In motion has received numerous awards:

Governments at all levels and their agencies have recognized and encouraged in motion’s achievements to date:

Media and communications recognition has come in the form of:

Interest from healthcare professionals and researchers, as well as the general public, further demonstrates support for in motion:

 

This initiative is a winning one for everyone involved!

If you would like more information on in motion, please contact us.