OpenPlay launches Moves+ to get students moving and improve mental health
With growing concern around the rise in mental health issues amongst the student population, universities are increasingly focused on the positive link between exercise and wellbeing.
OpenPlay has formed a unique partnership with eight UK universities to design and launch a new mobile app that could help over 400,000 students across the country to enjoy the benefits of getting active. OpenPlay’s ‘MOVES+’ app aims to improve levels of physical health and wellbeing across the university population, using digital technology to encourage a healthy, active lifestyle.
Research shows that exercise can not only improve mood in young people, but aid social inclusion, along with having a positive benefit on perceived academic attainment and employability. Moves+ incentivises exercise by enabling students to track and earn activity points for daily steps, walking, running, cycling and swimming which can then be redeemed for campus rewards. The technology integrates with personal fitness trackers and has a strong social element, encouraging students to connect with their peers by participating in activity challenges and groups to earn virtual awards.
Our Moves+ clients include:
Moves+ is a great example of how technology can help lots of people to get active. We specifically designed it to engage the most inactive members of the university community, as well as those who don’t participate in traditional campus sport, like joining the gym or a team. Most students have a smart phone and are on a budget, so activity rewards like free coffees will undoubtedly appeal and incentivise them! Moves+ also fosters a strong digital community that can make getting more active fun and support them to challenge themselves and connect with peers, whatever their level of ability.”
King’s College London, University of East Anglia, Nottingham Trent University and University of Derby have all recently gone live with Moves+ on their campuses, while Royal Holloway University, University of Edinburgh, University of Surrey and Manchester Metropolitan University will be launching the technology in the summer.
"Moves+ has been a breakthrough project for our sports department. It engages more students and staff than any other participation programme that we deliver, and the platform provides us with more data on the users than we have ever had before. Academics are already planning research papers! Most importantly, it is motivating users to become active in their own way at their own pace!!"
Moves+ will also be available to the wider higher education sector from September 2020. It can be purchased through an annual software licence – get in touch to organise a demo.
