Benefits of Workplace Walking

The secret to better work relationships, sunnier attitudes, and reduced company health care costs is (literally) right at your feet.

The simple act of walking for 30 minutes a day can help boost employee morale by increasing endorphins (the feel good chemicals in the brain) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says companies with physical activity programs—like a walking program—have reduced health care costs by almost 55%, and increased productivity by 52%.

And even better news: People actually like to walk. According to the National Sporting Goods Association, 96.9 million people said exercise walking is their favorite activity, making it the most popular fitness regime ahead of swimming or training with exercise equipment.

Perhaps the best things about walking are that almost everyone can participate because it’s low-impact which means employees of varying fitness levels can exercise together (or solo), and it’s free!

Here, are ways to encourage walking in the workplace:

Check out how “walk-friendly” your city/neighborhood is. It’s not always easy to find a park, trail, or track close to work, but a little research can go a long way. Walk Score will give your address a walkability score, and options for nearby fitness facilities, and parks employees can take advantage of.

Make work walk friendly. To see how many calories are burned just sitting at work per hour, check out this calculator from FitDay. Encourage your employees to get up once an hour to talk to co-workers instead of writing an email, or take the stairs to a meeting. According to endocrinologist James Levine, a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic and author of Move a Little, Lose a Lot, small changes can help burn an extra 500 to 1,000 calories a day.

Write it down. Studies support that jotting down diet and fitness information helps with successful weight loss. Provide employees with a journal where they can track their progress and aspirations. Check out our Walk A Day™ Journal as an easy and helpful way to encourage your employees to keep moving.