Just Move

Just Move is a supported activities and digital challenges program offering you alternative ways to start or continue an active lifestyle. Providing a variety of different opportunities, Just Move can help you move from 'sofa-loafer' to 'get-up-and-goer'.

Getting active is an important part of living a happy, healthy life - so if you're looking for something different to help you get active, the Just Move program aims to support you to start your journey to fitness.

Simply sign-up for one of our small group-based activities or digital app-based activity challenges to help get you moving whatever your ability level or motivation.

Just Move activities could help you to 'get event ready', supporting you to take part in activities and events such as a local Park Run 5k or motivate and encourage you to try something different and get you moving more in the company of other like-minded people.

Just Move challenges are digital and integrated with your smartphone, wearable or fitness app allowing you to undertake basic step, walk, jog, time or distance-based activity challenges as part of your daily routine at home or onsite.

Not got a wearable? No problem. We also offer a few evidence-based challenges that require a simple result entry and upload of a supporting photo as proof of taking part. Normally these challenges will run alongside one of our Get Active Events.

We can also create bespoke activities and challenges (for your course group, Uni department, or staff/student groups, societies and clubs). See below for more information. 

Just Move is completely free – simply go to Google Play or Apple App Store and search for the UoD Active app and join our Just Move community to get started. 

Here are some of the ways Just Move can help you get active

Join one of our weekly small group activities where you can meet like-minded individuals to take part in things like walking and jogging to help improve your fitness and well-being. Perfect for people who want to get active for the first time, or those who want to exercise in a sociable, supportive environment. 

Get event ready by taking on an activity or challenge to develop your jogging/running fitness before participating in your first Park Run or our festive 'Get Active' Santa Run or Walk even in December!

Take part in one of our University Get Active Events digitally. If you’re on placement, studying online, commuting, or working from home, you can still take part in our Get Active events through Just Move. Simply sign-up to one of the Get Active digital challenges on our App. 

Make it Yours - Why not something new with a group of friends, course mates, or colleagues and set-up a personalized Just Move activity or challenge for your group? We can create the ideal opportunity here on site or digitally on our app.

In a US Society or Club? Why not pep-up your social events or RAG fundraisers? We can set up a digital Just Move Group challenge for you and your members on Just Move.

If you'd like to speak to one of the team, or have any questions about Just Move or the UoD Active app, please email us at teamderby@derby.ac.uk.

two female students in jogging kit doing a double high five celebration
2 male uod student participants standing together with other runners at the start of Markeaton Park Race for Life

Frequently asked questions

We’ve put together the following questions and answers to provide you with additional information on our Just Move digital challenges

No - the UoD Active app is completely free for students and staff at the university. Download the UoD Active app from the App Store or Google Play and join the Just Move community to get started and to sign up for one of the digital challenges.

Most of our Just Move challenges require the use of a wearable device or tracker (e.g. Apple Health, Garmin, Fitbit) to collect - or "track" - your activity data.

We also offer a few evidence-based challenges that only require a simple result entry and upload of a supporting photo or video as proof of taking part and don't require a wearable. Evidence-based challenges tend to run alongside one of our Get Active Events only.  

The tracker-based challenges integrate with a range of popular smartphones, fitness apps, and wearables so everyone can get involved in different types of challenges:

  • Smartphones – Apple (iOS) and Google (Android)
  • Fitness apps and wearables – Apple Health, Fitbit, Garmin, and Strava

When you join a tracker-based challenge you’ll need to connect a suitable tracker device to record your activity. Once connected your activity data will automatically be collected and loaded into your challenges.

(You'll need to check you are recording the correct data so that it will be synced to the challenge - e.g. If you are recording walking distance, the data won't sync in a step-count challenge) 

Find out about how your tracker works.

Follow these simple steps to link your fitness app to the challenge you want to participate in.

  1. Select your Challenge
  2. Enter any information requested
  3. Select a compatible tracker from the list and 'Connect' 
  4. Sign in to your fitness app to link and grant access
  5. Set your data collection to ‘Workout’ if required (e.g. for running or walking distance challenges). You can see what data collection applies to the fitness tracker you are using
  6. Take part and check your progress

Yes you can, but we suggest that you enter and complete one challenge at a time rather than setting yourself too many targets all at once.

You can browse all live and upcoming challenges on the app. On your device, tap the Just Move tab to see what's available.
We also post notifications on the app news feed and Twitter when there are new UoD Active challenges, events, competitions and activities available.

There is lots of helpful information on the Playwaze app Knowledge Base.

The app will only sync relevant activity data when you join a tracker based challenge and connect your tracker or wearable for that challenge. Just Move doesn't sync activity data on a continual basis.

Activity data is collected in 2 ways:

  • Daily: where activities are recorded daily. The data sync runs overnight and collects daily totals for the previous day
  • Workouts: where activities have a specific start and end time. Data either syncs overnight or automatically as you finish the workout

Please ensure you are recording the correct data for each challenge you enter, and that you "start" your workout on your device if required. E.g. If you are using Garmin, Fitbit, Apple Health and Strava to take part in a running challenge, you will need to 'start' your workout on the device for data to sync.

And remember - the app only syncs your activity data for live Challenges.

Here's how the app works with trackers:

Apple Health – Opening your Playwaze app triggers data synchronisation.
Daily: Steps, Floors, Activity Time, Wheelchair distance
Workouts: Cycling, Running, Walking, Swimming

Garmin - Workout data is automatically synced when you submit your workout on your device.
Daily: Steps, Floors, Activity Time
Workouts: Cycling, Running, Walking, Swimming

Fitbit - Workout data is collected daily.
Daily: Steps, Floors, Activity Time
Workouts: Cycling, Running, Walking, Swimming

Strava - Workout data syncs automatically when you submit your workout on your device. Does not sync daily activity.
Workouts: Cycling, Running, Walking, Swimming

Google Fit - Workout data is collected daily.
Daily: Steps, Floors, Activity Time
Workouts: Cycling, Running, Walking, Swimming, Wheelchair distance

Firstly, please check out these knowledge-base articles which may help you identify the problem; 


Fitness Tracker Support 

How your tracker works

If your data is still missing when you take part in a challenge, please complete the Tracker Issue Submission Form so the Playwaze support team can investigate why your data isn't pulling through.

Where possible please provide as much detail as possible - e.g. screenshots from your phone, the type of device you are using to track data (e.g. Apple Health app; Fitbit Sense 2), your phone model (e.g. iPhone 9) and the date(s) when the problem occurred.

For help connecting Google Fit so you can collect the relevant activity data for your Challenge please visit Playwaze.

If you have any further questions about the UoD Active app or Just Move activities and challenges, please contact us by email at teamderby@derby.ac.uk.