"Sitting too much harms our bodies and minds, and we may not even be aware of it because we’ve been used to it since childhood, being seated and confined in a room,” explains Angélique Baldin-Perletti.
The two friends, who have worked in human resources and management, have come to the grim realization of the physical and mental consequences of a sedentary lifestyle on the employees of their respective companies over the years. This is how they decided to tackle the problem head-on by implementing solutions within the companies themselves, creating En Moov'ement.
"We primarily focus on raising awareness through a game we call the Moov game,” shares Claire Hebrard. “It’s a fun and team-building workshop. The idea is to help people understand the importance of moving more for physical and mental health, before co-creating tailored solutions.”
Thus, the key is not to engage in sports, which requires time and organization, but to practice physical activity. The WHO recommends moving for 1 to 2 minutes every 30 minutes. “The idea is to work differently, for example, standing up, moving around, and sometimes being in nature, just taking an active break, doing a strengthening exercise or a stretch, or going to get your coffee,” suggests Angélique Baldin-Perletti. “The sooner we become aware of this, the sooner we will incorporate movement into our daily lives, and the better we will feel, both in our bodies and in our minds.”
En Moov'ement also supports managers in conducting their individual meetings or goal-setting sessions while walking, and in holding team meetings in motion, either indoors or outdoors when the weather permits.
“Employees are standing, they are active, they work much better, they retain more information. The learning experience is completely different. Plus, they are especially happy to attend training because it also fosters team cohesion,” emphasizes Claire Hebrard. “Social security and others see that there are numerous issues related to sedentary lifestyles, such as musculoskeletal disorders, back pain, or even mental health problems. So much so that subsidies are being directed towards companies to combat this phenomenon.”
“We do this for ourselves, we instill it in our children, just as we instill it in our employees,” concludes Claire Hebrard.
