KOTA KINABALU: Students at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) are stepping up their health game with a new challenge encouraging at least 150 minutes of exercise a week and five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
The six-month programme dubbed FSSK x ANMS #Move Munch Balance, is aimed at shifting health behaviours and improving productivity at the university.
UMS vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Kasim Mansor, who launched the campaign, said a study in March showed that while many students understand the importance of eating a balanced meal and staying active, they are not putting that knowledge into practice.
"A healthy lifestyle is important in reducing absenteeism among staff and students, and in keeping productivity levels up," he said, while commending the Sabah Health Department's health promotion branch for partnering on the campaign.
Kasim added that the initiative could pave the way for a broader rollout across the campus, including branches in Labuan and Sandakan.
“The Higher Education Ministry encourages walking 10,000 steps a day. Here, we have a weekly walk and talk session every Wednesday evening where lecturers, staff and students can discuss matters while getting their steps in,” he said.
Kasim also pointed out that UMS has plenty of walking trails—one just opened recently—and shared that he personally climbs six floors to his office to stay fit.
To help curb escalating medical costs at UMS, he encouraged staff and students to practice a healthy lifestyle — aiming for at least one hour of physical activity a day.
The campaign, which champions the Health Ministry’s Agenda Nasional Malaysia Sihat, is a collaboration between UMS-Unicef’s Communication for Development (C4D) Research Unit and the health promotion branch of the Sabah Health Department.
UMS-Unicef C4D Research Unit head Dr Latif Lai explained that "Move" means getting at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week.
"Munch" stands for eating five servings of fruits and vegetables daily and making it a lifelong habit, and "Balance" refers to the Malaysian Healthy Plate model—half the plate should be fruits and vegetables, with the other half split between protein and carbohydrates
Around 200 students joined the launch on Wednesday (April 30), which also saw the vice-chancellor joining them in an exercise routine, before flagging off a 10,000-step walk.
