Have you done a set of pushups at your desk yet? Or maybe taken a longer route to the coffee truck?
A recent survey commissioned by ParticipACTION has revealed that employees are fine with physical activity in the workplace. While only 11% of Canadians participate in desk-side exercise, 64% said they see it as an acceptable workplace habit.
ParticipACTION’s second annual Sneak It In Week—which started yesterday—encourages Canadian adults to “sneak in” 10-minute increments of exercise throughout their workday.
“Given how much time we spend at work, it is great to see that attitudes towards workplace exercise are changing,” says Kelly Murumets, president and CEO of ParticipACTION. “Now we need to transform those attitudes into actions. By sneaking in short activity breaks during their workday, Canadians will move more and get closer to reaching the recommended physical activity guidelines.”
Research supports 10-minute bouts of physical activity as an effective way to increase fitness and meet the recommended 150 minutes of heart-pumping activity per week, as stated in the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines.
“For those of us who work an eight-hour day, 10 minutes represent only 2% of our total time spent at work,” says Murumets. “Adding in a 10-minute activity break is not only good for our physical health but it also helps heighten mental alertness and productivity—both helpful in the workplace.”
Canadians know physical activity leads to a healthier lifestyle—98% reported believing so in the survey—and can decrease risk of disease, but only 15% of Canadian adults are getting enough physical activity.
Fitting 10 minutes of physical activity into the workday can be easier than you think and can include activities such as the following:
- starting a lunchtime walking group;
- taking the stairs instead of the elevator;
- getting off public transit a few stops early or parking further from the office;
- walking over to speak to co-workers rather than phoning, emailing or messaging them;
- booking a conference room for a power yoga session;
- getting coffee or lunch a few extra blocks away;
- starting a friendly competition with co-workers to see who can sneak in the most 10-minute exercise breaks this week;
- having a walking meeting with colleagues;
- going “power shopping” to get active while running errands; and
- doing pushups or jumping jacks at your desk.
Canadians are invited to share how they are sneaking it in this week on Facebook at facebook.com/ParticipACTION or via Twitter at #sneakitin.