In todayâs sedentary work culture, prolonged sitting has become an invisible threat to physical and mental well-being. Traditional health interventions such as gyms or sports, often feel inaccessible, especially during busy office hours. We explored how micro-activitiesâshort, non-exercise movementsâcan be meaningfully integrated into everyday routines. Inspired by Chinese wellness practices and designed with a playful, interactive approach, the âAwakening Hammerâ offers a culturally rooted, tech-supported way to promote vitality in work-life settings. It addresses the gap between health theory and lived experience through embodied, low-barrier rituals.
After hours of sitting still, what is your body asking for?
âAwakening Hammerâ is a culturally inspired game prototype that blends traditional Chinese wellness tools with interactive technology. This smart handheld device uses lights and rhythmic cues to guide users through gentle tapping and breathing exercises based on the âPai Ba Xuâ qigong method. Designed for sedentary office contexts, it includes a screen-based coach and sensory feedback to support rhythm, focus, and bodily awareness. Embedded in the Context for Change (C4C) framework, the project follows a research-through-design approach, combining contextual exploration with co-creative participation. After the session, participants use generative cards to reflect on their sitting habits, ideal micro-breaks, and wellness ideas. These reflections help inform the iterative design of more personalised, sustainable interventions. The project shows how playful, embodied rituals rooted in cultural traditions can promote everyday wellbeing and offer new directions for inclusive, design-led health innovation.
Awakening Hammer contributes to more inclusive and sustainable wellbeing by offering accessible micro-activity rituals that fit into real-life sedentary routines. It bridges traditional cultural knowledge with speculative design and embodied technology, encouraging people to reconnect with their bodies in meaningful, playful ways. As a co-creative prototype, it supports future scenario building and empowers users to become active contributors to their own wellbeing journeys. While the intervention is currently small-scale, its adaptable framework allows for contextual scaling and integration into different workplace cultures. Challenges remain in maintaining long-term engagement and ensuring cultural sensitivity across diverse settings. Still, âAwakening Hammerâ demonstrates how playful health tools can go beyond hopeâprompting action through shared imagination and inclusive design.
