Students in high schools and vocational schools sit long periods of time during the day, and over 1/5 of young people have reported back or neck pain that impedes their functioning. It’s beneficial to intervene the young people with back or neck pain as early as possible. Educational establishments provide easy access to reach secondary students. Through this connection, it’s possible to pay attention to those structures that enhance or impedes eg. students wellbeing in educational facilities, such as excessive sitting, unability to take breaks during classes and on the other hand to move more freely during the day. By affecting the students wellbeing now it’s possible to affect their future wellbeing in working life.

At the start of the project Back to move! will focus on collecting information from high schools and vocational schools about teachers and students’ perceptions of back health and factors associated with it. Based on this information, trainings for teachers and school healt care providers will be carried out. Through the analysis of gathered information it’s possible to develop trainings that are well suited for the specific target groups.

Trainings will provide tools for teachers to allow students to take breaks during classes, notice the (un)beneficial working positions and add restorative movent in studying days. Health care providers in schools will be trained separately so that the school staff has sufficient knowledge and readiness to intervene possible back and neck problems among students.

Back to move! is part of Liikkuva opiskelu network that is a program facilitated and funded by Ministry of Culture and Education.

Back and neck health of young people is a resource for the now studying – thrifty – people but also an investment for our future generation and healthy employees. Healthy back carries us forward in to the sustainable future!

Watch the Back to Move! video
What’s your next move?