VU in Motion

Who doesn't want to be healthy while working or studying at VU?

The VU is proud of the contribution it makes to education, research and valorisation in the field of health. Moreover, the largest teaching hospital in the Netherlands is affiliated to the VU.

VU in Motion, movement in lifestyle is there to contribute in practice to the health and well-being of VU's own population, students and staff. Movement is a powerful tool to make your day more energetic and productive. Getting up on time, getting your heart rate and breathing up, taking a short walk, stretching, playing sports, it is a prerequisite for physical and mental well-being. But a healthy lifestyle includes more than just exercise. For instance, nutrition and relaxation are also important elements that can not only strengthen your health, but also enhance your performance and enjoyment in work or study.

To strengthen the other pillars of a healthy lifestyle in addition to exercise, VU in Beweging has partnered with NewU and is making this health app available to all staff and students!

NewU is a user-friendly Healthy Habits app in which you work on your own lifestyle, build healthy habits and participate in fun challenges together with colleagues and students.

Android: search "NewU" in the Playstore
Apple: go to www.newu.app
Create an account with your VU-mail + code: UniversiteitFit

VU in Beweging supports you to get the best out of yourself and keep balance. Together, we make vitality a natural part of your day.

VU Lifestyle Counter

Do you want to get the best out of yourself?

Visit the VU Lifestyle counter!

All VU in Motion activities are aimed at achieving the Health Council's exercise guidelines, with an emphasis on the first two:

Avoid sitting still a lot! Moving all major muscle groups every 30 minutes has very positive effects on your well-being!
Exercise is good, more exercise is better. Preferably do 30 or more minutes of moderately intensive exercise every day. This not only prevents illness, but also contributes to more energy and better focus and mood!
If you want to enjoy all the benefits of a healthy exercise pattern, there is a third exercise guideline: do intensive(er) training of 30-60 minutes 2-3 times a week, focusing on strength and condition, combined with balance exercises for older people. Are you already provided for this through sports activities in your own living environment? Great! If not, there is a one-year subscription for €27.50 per year for all employees. And subscriptions at a reduced student rate are available for students. See the VU Sports Centre website for more information!

_{VU in Beweging is co-sponsored by the CvB and is a collaboration of}_{Sportcentrum VU}_{with all parties at VU that value exercise, lifestyle and health.}_{VU Griffioen}_,_{HRM, Occupational Health & Environment}_,_FCO_{(Facility Campus Organisation (FCO) - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam ),}_C&M_{(Handbook C&M - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) and Erik Scherder.
With thanks to our sponsor}_{VU Association}

Regular exercise not only makes you feel good and have a healthy body, but also increases your ability to concentrate. Moreover, it can offer a nice moment of joint relaxation. With this in mind, neuropsychologist Erik Scherder came up with the ‘Scherdertje’: a squat pose involving a movement with the arms that offers a moment of exercise every 30 minutes during a lecture.

Movement on the Campus Square
Tuesday and Thursday
- 12.30-12.45 pm Tai Chi
- 13.00-13.15 pm Salsa
Wednesday
- 12.15-12.30 pm Standing Yoga led by Sports Centre VU Yoga instructor and Personal Trainer Mickey Richards.
All activities are open to all without registration, No Sweat, No changing, just move😊
Walking trails

Theme routes
The buildings route
Find out the story behind the VU buildings by walking. Click here for the route.
The Bustling Campus route
Learn what's on offer on campus. Click here for the route.
Lunch-, bila- and meeting routes
Movement is an essential part of a healthy and effective working and studying day. VU in Motion therefore encourages the VU community to take enough steps per 24-hour period. The routes below leave from Campus Square and return here as well. Ideal for during a study break or walking consultation!
The office break (20 min)
A perfect route to walk when you need a break from desk. Click here for the route.
The meeting walk (45 min)
Why sit down for every meeting? Rather walk this route!
Your thoughts in green (+60 min)
Thinking time also counts as working time. And as the German philosopher Nietzsche said: "All really great thoughts are thought of while walking". So visit the Amsterdamse Bos.
Also fun to do
Besides VU Amsterdam, there are other initiators of walking on the Zuidas. Take a look at the following routes, for example:
Ommetjes Zuidas
Three themed routes varying in duration from one to two hours. For the routs, go to: https://zuidas.nl/ommetje/ (in Dutch)
Walking route Zuidas
A three-hour walking route that leads from the Amstelpark to the Amsterdamse Bos. Visit: https://www.bestemmingbuitenlucht.nl/wandelroute-zuidas/ (in Dutch)
Take the stairs

Take the stairs
Taking the stairs regularly can very effectively interrupt sitting still and bring appropriate moderate-intensity movement into your work and study day. Moreover, research shows that by regularly taking the stairs - both up and down! - strengthens leg muscles, lowers resting heart rate and lowers systolic blood pressure and LDL (bad cholesterol). All very positive effects on health.
VU in Beweging, together with the VU Dreamteam VU-Vital (led by Prof. Dr. Hein Daanen) and FCO, is committed to encouraging the VU population to use the stairs more instead of the elevator.
Beware of the chair

The risk of disease and death from prolonged sitting is independent of leisure-time exercise. Only daily intensive exercise works preventively, but is not feasible for most. Therefore, it is important to reduce sitting itself.
Therefore, ‘Beware of the chair’ and make exercise part of your working day. Don't sit for too long at a time, but alternate regularly with standing or walking so that at least the upper legs are active, as this reduces the risk of health problems. Stand up briefly every half hour (or at least every hour for 5 min), then walk through your home, workspace or outside, preferably moving your arms briefly as well.
Include movement moments in presentations, lectures or meetings to give colleagues or listeners a chance to move around a bit.
Walk to talk

'Towards a feet-on mentality'
Like students, VU employees also deserve a separate project to allow them to exercise more in a day. Therefore, the plan is to bring about a culture change in the workplace through small interventions: instead of standing as the exception, to sitting as the exception. This can be done by doing consultations and meetings (partly) standing or by interrupting them with a ‘Scherdertje’. And by conducting bilateral or annual meetings together while walking. Desks at which you can stand can contribute as well. VU in Motion furthermore advocates that exercise during working hours simply counts as active work.
Interested? Also take a look at: Sustainable employability – Work on yourself - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (vu.nl).

Mariëlle Spekreijse (Project manager VU in Motion)

m.spekreijse@vu.nl

06-11363101

VU in Motion

Do the ‘Scherdertje’

The projects

Movement on the Campus Square

Walking trails

Theme routes

Lunch-, bila- and meeting routes

Also fun to do

Take the stairs

Beware of the chair

Walk to talk

Do you have any questions? Do not hesitate to contact us.

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