To follow up on
yesterday's post about how sitting at work all day can greatly affect your
health in a negative way, I thought I'd post about how taking a walk on your
lunch break could benefit your health!
I love that I
have coworkers who walk with me. It's fun, relaxing, and the fresh air is
amazing! My friend Steph is always good at taking selfies and keeping
track of our distance. :) See how happy we are? It really
helps us mentally to go back to work and finish the afternoon because we
have that break from our desks. We come back refreshed, energized and in
a good mood! In fact, a new study finds that even gentle lunchtime
strolls can perceptibly — and immediately — buoy people’s moods and ability to
handle stress at work.
It's also shown
that regular movement throughout the day will keep your mind and body limber
and help avoid fatigue.
If you don't
have enough time on your lunch break to regularly walk, try to think of ways
you can add movement or at least decrease the amount of time you are sedentary.
Try getting out of your chair more, standing during your calls, taking more
frequent bathroom breaks/filling your water bottle more often or alternating
your chair with a yoga ball. And if you have to drive to work, try parking at
the far end of the lot, taking the stairs, and going the long way to the
bathroom and break room. Why Walk for 30 Minutes?
Health authorities including the USDA and CDC recommend at least 150 minutes
per week of moderate-intensity exercise such as brisk walking, so
during a 5 day work week, that's 30 minutes a day. If you enjoy a brisk
walk during your lunch break most days of the week, you will have achieved the
minimum requirement to help combat the health risks of inactivity and obesity.
In 30 minutes you can cover between 1.5
to 2 miles. You can burn as many as 200
calories, depending on distance and your weight. If you want to know how
many calories your walk just burned.... check this out! Walking
Calorie Calculator.
Here are tips to make the most of 30 minutes of walking
*Where
can you walk so you have minimal interruptions? You can use a treadmill,
walk indoors, or walk outdoors. Select a route that has fewer street crossings
and stops for traffic. If you know how much distance you can walk in 30
minutes, you can map out a circular route. If not, you may want a shorter route
that you can repeat multiple times.
*Change
into athletic shoes: You could walk in whatever footwear you happen to wear to
work or school. But to get a good brisk walking stride, it's best to change
into athletic shoes. Depending on the weather, you may also need an appropriate
coat, hat, or to change into shorts and a t-shirt.
*Eat
before or after? Most people prefer to exercise first and have the meal after
they finish. If you are very hungry by lunch, quiet your hunger by drinking a
glass of water, or have a light snack of a piece of fruit. A light lunch after your walk will nourish
your muscles so they can recover and grow stronger. My coworkers and I like to walk first because
if our walk goes longer than planned we cut into our time to eat (which we can
always eat our lunch at our desks if we run out of time) instead of getting
back to the office late. Plus, we’re
afraid some days if we eat first, we’ll never want to get up from our meals and
spend the rest of the time in the cafeteria socializing.
*Warm-Up: Begin with an easy walking pace for one to three minutes. Use this time to
shake out the kinks if you have been sitting or standing for long periods.
*Good walking
posture: Energize your walking by relaxing and loosening your shoulders and
standing upright, with stomach sucked in and pelvis tilted slightly forward.
You want your chin up and eyes forward. What about
stretching? You can go through a short
stretching routine after a couple of minutes of walking. But you can
also save the stretching to do after your walk or as its own exercise activity
at another time.
*Vary Your
Lunchtime Walking Workouts. Change it up from day to day to prevent boredom and to keep challenging your
body in different ways. Alternate steady
state days with interval days. If you
always use a treadmill, mix it up with walking the corridors or walking
outside. Take a different path and see
where it leads you.
* Invite Others to
Join You. Solo walking is great, but you may be more consistent in walking if you have a
lunchtime walking buddy. You won't find as many excuses to skip your walk if
your friend is ready to get going.
