UNAM Faculty of Medicine Launches “5 Minutes for Your Health” Program for Staff Wellness
The Department of Public Health at the Faculty of Medicine of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) has launched a new initiative aimed at promoting musculoskeletal health, reducing fatigue, and fostering a culture of self-care among its desk-based staff. The program, titled “5 minutes for your health: breathe, stretch and continue…”, began with its first session on March 12, 2026, held at the department’s facilities.
Active Breaks for Improved Well-being
The program, spearheaded by Dr. Alejandra Silva García and Dr. Clara Bellamy Ortiz, academics within the Department of Public Health, involves twice-weekly active breaks of five minutes each, scheduled for Tuesdays and Thursdays. These breaks focus on relaxing muscles, improving posture, and activating the body through simple stretching exercises. The exercises are specifically designed to target areas prone to tension during the workday, including the neck, back, shoulders, and wrists.
Voluntary Participation and Recognition
Participation in the “5 minutes for your health” program is entirely voluntary. To encourage engagement, participants receive a stamp for each session attended. These stamps accumulate throughout the month, with recognition awarded to the individual demonstrating the greatest perseverance at the complete of each monthly period.
Evaluating Program Impact with the Nordic Questionnaire
To assess the effectiveness of the active breaks, the Nordic Questionnaire will be utilized. This instrument explores the presence of muscle discomfort or injuries in various body parts over the past 12 months. The questionnaire will serve as a baseline measurement, with subsequent administrations used to track changes and evaluate the program’s impact.
Positive Initial Response
Dr. Bellamy Ortiz and Dr. Silva García, who led the inaugural session, reported a extremely positive response from participants. Attendees expressed feeling less tense and reported both physical and social benefits from participating in the group activity. “The comments we received were very good, they were very animated at the time of participation. When they finished they told us that they felt less tense and tense, and that the fact that everyone was together in one place doing this activity not only benefited physically, but similarly socially,” they shared.
Future Expansion of the Initiative
The long-term goal is to expand the program beyond the Department of Public Health. The organizers aim to gather data demonstrating the program’s effectiveness and replicate it in other departments within the Faculty of Medicine. “We wanted to take this initiative from the Department of Public Health to begin to observe the benefits in our academic and administrative staff and, later, with statistics, show the effectiveness of the program and be able to replicate it in other departments,” they explained.
About the Program Leaders
Dr. Clara Bellamy Ortiz is a Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, UNAM, specializing in Public Health. She holds a Doctor of Public Health degree and has been cited in 38 publications (ResearchGate, ORCID, Google Scholar). She also serves as the Head of the Academic Section of Research within the Department of Public Health (UNAM Faculty of Medicine).
Dr. Alejandra Silva García is the Head of the Academic Section of Linkage and Community Perform within the Department of Public Health (UNAM Faculty of Medicine).