Worktime Walking

The DAC team take their lunchtime walks seriously and here's the reasons why:

To combat afternoon slumps in enthusiasm and focus, take a walk during the lunch hour.

This is something that the WRI DAC team have long since known and look forward to as lunchtime approaches. As a group we always try and take time out of our lunch break to stretch our legs and get some fresh air.

A new study finds that even gentle lunchtime strolls can perceptibly — and immediately — buoy people’s moods and ability to handle stress at work.

The responses, as it turned out, were substantially different when people had walked. On the afternoons after a lunchtime stroll, walkers said they felt considerably more enthusiastic, less tense, and generally more relaxed and able to cope than on afternoons when they hadn’t walked and even compared with their own moods from a morning before a walk.

Given the amount of time people spend at work it makes sense to think about the opportunities for increasing physical activity in and around the workplace. A more active workforce brings lots of benefits to both staff and your business. 

 

Walking is a cheap and effective way to gain better health and wellbeing. A short lunchtime walk is the ideal ‘stressbusting’ activity and has many benefits:

 

• Your health. If you can’t seem to fit exercise in before or after work, walking at lunch is a no-brainer. The health benefits of a simple, brisk walking routine are well-established. Incorporating a once-a-day walk can help you lose or manage weight, prevent conditions such as high blood pressure, strengthen your bones, and improve balance and coordination.
• Sitting all day is deadly. Even if you do get a workout in during your day, the eight-plus hours you spend sitting at your desk isn’t good for your body and may even counteract that effort at the gym. We’re designed to move! Small bursts of activity during the day go a long way toward improving your health. Step away from your desk. It’ll be there when you get back.
• Nature! While moving at lunch is good for your body, getting out in nature on your break could be good for your soul. Many studies point to a positive relationship between time spent outdoors and mental well-being.
• It’s social. Grab your work friends or meet up with others who work close to you to make your walk fun. Regularly meeting up with friends can boost happiness, reduce stress, and improve self-confidence and self-worth.
• Your brain. Taking a walking break can actually help improve your focus once you get back to your desk. When you exercise, your body pumps more blood everywhere, including your brain. The extra blood and oxygen you get from exercising can actually help you perform better mentally.

Digital Asset Creation Team, Infrastructure, @one Alliance