The sit-and-eat lunch is losing ground to a better habit: taking that mid-day meal on-the-go. This extends beyond just encouraging fresh air in new ways, with progressive businesses actively telling workers to go outside during their break.
The Science Behind the Walk
The science is clear: Taking a midday break to move will increase your performance after lunch. Contrary to what we tend to think, a 20-minute walk increases blood flow but the brain is how creativity/new insights and problem-solving capacities are amped! You can feel them coming away energised instead of lethargic.
Mental Health Matters
It helps to mentally break from the stress of… work. Lunch walks are a must! Natural light exposure fights SAD, and moving around helps reduce anxiety and improve mood. Its workday integrated mental health prevention. After, why not treat staff to healthy Office Lunches from crumbsdelivered.co.uk/shop/office-lunch-delivery
The Productivity Paradox
As counterproductive as it may seem, persuading the employees to leave their desk brings increased productivity. Walking=creativity; refreshes the brain to avoid 3pm shutdown. The smartest businesses realise that a continuously desk-bound workforce wanes returns.
Building Team Connections
Work relationships strengthen – Lunch walks as a group lead to better relations between all staff members naturally. Sometimes the best conversations are had outdoors, as it makes those relationships more natural and stem from a place of trust which breaks down hierarchical barriers.
How to Encourage Walking
Keep it simple – publish some local routes, set up some informal walk groups and lead by example. A few businesses make it possible to walk during a meeting or have flexible lunch hours in case this means taking the least direct path.
The Cost-Benefit Reality
Well the answer is simple, lunch walks are completely free to implement but provide an easy well being win across your organisation — reduced sickness days; improved morale and increased productivity.
