Workday Exercise Snacks: Walk and Talk Meetings

Turn Your Next Phone Call or Brainstorming Session Into a Walk and Talk

At Complete Staff Solutions, we know that office-based work often means long hours at a desk. Between emails, meetings, admin, and back-to-back calls, it is easy to spend most of the day sitting down without even realising it.

For many professionals, phone calls are a constant part of the day. Quick client updates, internal check-ins, supplier conversations, interviews, and team discussions all add up. The challenge is that most of these calls happen while we stay glued to our desks.

And when we are sitting in front of a screen, it is easy to become distracted. We might be replying to emails, scrolling through messages, checking notifications, or trying to tackle another task while someone is speaking. We tell ourselves we are multitasking, but in reality, we are often only half listening.

That is where the walk and talk comes in.

Instead of taking every call from your desk, consider using some of your phone conversations as an opportunity to move. Take your phone, pop in your ear plugs, and head outside for a short walk.

It does not have to be a long walk or a major workout. A lap around the office, a walk to grab a coffee, or ten minutes around the block can be enough. These short bursts of movement are sometimes called “exercise snacks” — small amounts of activity spread throughout the day that can have a positive impact on your physical and mental wellbeing.

A walk and talk can help you:

• Break up long periods of sitting
• Improve concentration and focus
• Stay more engaged in conversations
• Reduce the temptation to multitask
• Boost energy and mood
• Get some fresh air and reset mentally
• Add more movement into your day without needing extra gym time

There is strong research behind the benefits of getting up and moving throughout the workday. Studies have shown that spending time outdoors and in natural environments can improve wellbeing, reduce stress, and help people recover from mental fatigue. Even short outdoor breaks of 10 to 15 minutes have been linked to better concentration and attention. Walking has also been shown to improve mood, reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety, and support clearer thinking.

At the same time, long periods of sitting are linked to increased risks of heart disease, cancer, poor circulation, back pain, and other health concerns. Even if you exercise before or after work, sitting for extended periods throughout the day can still have a negative impact.

The good news is that small changes make a difference.

The next time your phone rings, resist the urge to stay in your chair. Step outside, move your body, and turn your next call into a walk and talk.

Sometimes the best productivity boost is simply getting away from your desk for a few minutes.

The Numbers Behind It

• Desk-based workers can spend up to 82% of their working hours sitting.
• Australian office workers have been found to spend an average of 11.5 hours a day being sedentary on work days.
• Research shows office workers spend between 65% and 75% of their working hours sitting.
• One study found office workers sit for around 66% of their working day, but only 8% regularly interrupt their sitting time.
• Workers say they would prefer to spend less time sitting and more time walking. In one study, desk-based workers wanted to spend an extra 46 minutes of their workday walking.
• Research into office distractions found that knowledge workers switch tasks roughly every three minutes, and once distracted it can take close to 30 minutes to fully refocus.
• Studies on workplace noise and multitasking found that multiple conversations and competing distractions reduce concentration and task performance.

Sources

• Healthy Workplaces SA reports that desk-based workers can spend up to 82% of their working hours sitting and that even 10 minutes of light activity can be beneficial.
• Safe Work Australia found Australian office workers average 11.5 sedentary hours on work days, with more than 7 hours of that occurring at work.
• Research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found office workers spend 65% to 75% of their working hours sitting.
• A study on desk-dominated work environments found office workers spend around 66% of their working day sitting, but only 8% regularly break up that sitting time.
• German research involving 614 desk-based workers found employees wanted to spend 46 more minutes per day walking during work.
• Research from Gloria Mark found the average knowledge worker switches tasks every three minutes and can take almost 30 minutes to return to the original task after an interruption.
• Studies into open-plan offices found that multiple conversations happening at once can reduce concentration and increase distraction.