Cecil J. Wright, Christopher J. Coady, Krista J. Munroe-Chandler, Todd M. Loughead

For many working adults, sedentary behaviours consume a significant portion of their day. However, sedentary behaviour is associated with adverse physical health effects including elevated risk for diabetes, heart disease, and cancer (Bailey, 2021). In addition, the mental health consequences of excessive sedentary behaviour have become increasingly documented, as higher levels of sedentary behaviour are associated with increased risk of depression and anxiety among working adults (Teychenne et al., 2015; Zhai et al., 2015). Despite workplace physical activity interventions being a feasible approach for combating the negative health outcomes linked to sedentary behaviour (Emerson et al., 2017; Marin-Farrona et al., 2023), working adults often face challenges that make exercise difficult to maintain (e.g., lack of time and limited exercise self-efficacy; Hunter et al., 2018). The purpose of this pilot study was to explore university staff and faculty members’ perceptions of the Thrive@Work program, a workplace wellness intervention designed to enhance motivation for exercise, and to better understand perceived barriers, facilitators, and overall program experiences. Using a six-week pilot intervention adapted from the successful UWorkItOut UWin program, Thrive@Work participants completed weekly personal training and exercise counselling sessions (e.g., goal setting, barrier planning). Qualitative data were collected through weekly audio diaries assessing participant perceptions of the intervention, as well as a final interview upon program completion. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s (2019) reflexive thematic analysis, with this presentation highlighting preliminary findings from the Thrive@Work pilot program.