Thanks to a range of great ideas from staff and students, Warwick is now more active than ever!

In the past six months, we've seen a range of great new initiatives introduced around campus to support our aim of becoming the UK's most active campus by 2020. These include:

Treadmill and standing desks

The treadmill desk is a moving walkway attached to a large table top, allowing you to walk and work at the same time. The idea originally came out of a wellbeing committee and now any department can borrow a treadmill desk from Warwick Sport on a month long trial basis, before deciding whether to invest in one.

A number of standing desks have also been introduced across campus, which are of particular benefit to people suffering from back pain.

Lisa Dodd-Mayne, Director for Sport and Active Communities, said:

We're encouraging people to be as active as they can be, ideally on a daily basis. People are time poor, and this is a way of us taking the activity to them. Research suggests that ten minutes of exercise, three times-a-day, can be just as beneficial as exercising for 30 continuous minutes.

Not everyone enjoys the same form of exercise, but the treadmill desk is also helping to get people talking about being active. We can use the treadmill as a part of work place challenges. It’s all part of being an active campus."

Interested? Email warwickactive at warwick dot ac dot uk with your details and potential location.

Claycroft activity zone

Last month, SU Sports Officer Ellie Martin officially opened the new Claycroft Activity Zone - an outdoor sports facility that features exercise and climbing equipment, trampolines, swings and more.

Our Parks initiative

Later this month the new Our Parks initiative comes to campus, offering free weekly outdoor group exercise classes, led by experienced, fully qualified instructors. Find out more about this and other new and enhanced sports facilities.

Tracking progress

Another great idea that's been developed is for a regular repeat poll to help track activity levels across the University as we introduce more schemes to help us reach our Active Campus goals. The first polls will go out to registered participants later this month.

Whatever next?

There's been a wealth of great ideas around the Active Campus theme, and the ideas just keep on coming. Current Ideas Space ideas being investigated are suggestions for a campus Cycle Hub, and a scheme to earn extra annual leave through exercising. Watch this space to see if they progress further!

Innovation at Warwick