THE BENEFITS OF WALKING DURING THE WORKDAY
I am a student seeking a graduate certificate in the Hinkle Academy for Wellness and Sport Leadership and am currently working on my final capstone project. As a Butler University alumni and current staff member, I have identified a key area where our organization can make impactful strides. I recognize a need for greater focus on wellness during the workday and hope that my initiative will inspire others to leave their desks during a break to feed their mind, body and spirit.
I came across a study early in the year that alarmed me – in a positive way. Did you know that workers who exercised at least 30 minutes throughout the work day reported an average performance boost of 15%? This study, performed by the American College of Sports Medicine, found that of those employees, 60% said when they exercised they felt their time management skills, mental performance and ability to meet deadlines improved (Stenson, 2005). Plus, the employees who participated in the study also said they were less likely to succumb to post-lunch energy dips if they exercised earlier in the day.
My idea was to focus on one form of exercise that I already see staff and faculty doing on campus. I recently completed a survey to learn more about our community’s walking habits. Here were my survey results at-a-glance:
- We had 115 participants
- 83 of the 115 participants walk during the workday
- Of those 83 participants, 66% do not know the exact distance that they walk
- The most common reason why participants walk during the workday is for more energy
- Of the 115 participants, 20% walk only outdoors and 80% walk indoors and outdoors
- 0% walk only indoors
- The most common reason why participants do not walk during the workdays is because they do not have time to get away from their desk
- Of the 115 participants, 78% did not know that Butler has a walking group
You can find more details and project notes here.
What was concerning was that 20% walk only outdoors. What do they do when the weather does not cooperate? Do they still get their daily exercise in?
As a result of my project, I created indoor walking maps that can be found at this link. These maps were designed to fit your needs as an employee and are each inspired by each pillar of the Butler Way.
So let me ask you a few questions. What do you do during the workday to stay focused and to help you gain more energy? While we all love a quick caffeine fix, I urge you to consider getting at least one short walk in during the workday. Not only can this support healthy work habits, it can increase your endurance and help you build relationships at work – this is the cornerstone of the Butler Way.
Molly Martz – Guest Contributor
Stenson, J. (2005, November 12). Exercise May Make You a Better Worker. Retrieved May 13, 2016, from http://www.nbcnews.com/id/8160459/ns/health-fitness/t/exercise-may-make-you-better-worker/#.V4YsC9IrKCh