Make use of activity boxes and “Hittaut” challenge to get moving
There are now four activity boxes in Uppsala. The activity boxes are large crates filled with various outdoor and sports equipment that you can borrow for a small fee. Photo: Anders Berndt.
Surely no one has missed the fact that exercise is good for you. A new way could be to make use of the activity boxes that have been laid out on several campuses across Uppsala. Meanwhile, this year’s “Hittaut” campaign has got under way for those who prefer orienteering.
The activity boxes are boxes filled with various outdoor and sports equipment. You can rent the equipment via an app that unlocks the equipment of your choice for a small fee.
Select equipment from the activity box
Each activity box has a number of locked compartments with a variety of equipment for you to choose from. This gives you the chance to access equipment you might not own yourself. Furthermore, you can get going with an activity without having to plan and bring equipment from home.
The equipment available in each box depends on the options in that area. Once you have used the equipment, simply return it to the box.
Activity boxes are located in different places in Sweden. There are currently four activity boxes in Uppsala in a collaboration between Akademiska Hus and the company Piffl.
Piffl is a start-up company with roots in Gothenburg and support from Founders Loft, a business incubator backed by the University of Gothenburg and Vinnova, among others.
The activity boxes in Uppsala are located at:
- Campus 1477 Blåsenhus
- Uppsala Biomedical Centre (BMC)
- Ekonomikum
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)
At the time of writing, there are no activity boxes on Gotland. The plan is for the box at Campus 1477 Blåsenhus to be free of charge until Midsummer 2024 as part of the “Studentidrottslyftet” sports project.
In 2023–24, this project is being implemented by Uppsala University together with the Curators Committee and the student nations, Campus 1477 and the Swedish University Sports Federation, as an initiative to promote student sport.
Staff at Uppsala University can take part in various initiatives through Studentidrottslyftet.
You can locate the boxes and unlock them using an app – read more on Piffl’s website.
The “Hittaut” programme consists of orientation checkpoints that you have to find using a map. Photo: Anders Berndt.
Discover your surroundings through “Hittaut”
Another way to get out and about and explore nature is through the “Hittaut” campaign.
“Hittaut” is a national wellness programme that involves exercise, discovering new places and getting out into nature. The programme consists of orientation checkpoints that you have to find using a map. “Hittaut” is available both as a paper map and mobile app.
The intranet has previously reported on research clearly demonstrating that people feel good when they spend time in nature; see, for example, the article “Don’t forget your wellness hour” from 14 April 2023.
“Hittaut” is available in a number of locations in Sweden, including Visby and Uppsala. If working for a few days on a campus you don’t usually visit, you could take the opportunity to download the app and take a walk to discover your surroundings.
As a member of staff at Uppsala University, you can also opt to join the University’s team to compete in “Hittaut”. To join that team, select Uppsala as the “Hittaut” location when you log in to the app and then select “Uppsala University – employees” under the “Friskvårdsutmaningen” (Wellness Challenge) heading.
You can read more about “Hittaut” on the Campus 1477 website
Don’t forget microbreaks
Aside from the fact that we humans feel good when in nature and need to exercise, it’s also important to get the body moving regularly, preferably every half an hour.
These microbreaks cannot be replaced by a longer walk or exercise session later on. To put it simply, we need to move consistently throughout the waking hours of the day.
Anders Berndt