7 Reasons To Power Walk

Healthy Habits
By Nneka Kelly

When I was in college my roommate and I would take a 30 minute power nap every afternoon. One week her mother was visiting and was outraged that this was a regular occurrence. By the third day she joined us in our afternoon siesta, but warned that this would not go over well when we hit the “real” world.

Boy was she right! Sometimes I wish I could go back to those days. Recently, I discovered something even more invigorating than the power nap. I noticed a co-worker would be away from her desk everyday at 10 am and 3 pm like clockwork. When I worked up the nerve to ask, she told me she went out for a walk.

I decided I would adopt the habit. If only to break up the monotony of the day. I’ve discovered the power walk. Here are some of the benefits I am experiencing.

Energy Boost

In addition to being refreshing, the power walk is also invigorating and energizing. It gets your heart pumping, the blood flowing, and those synapses firing. Today, office workers spend most of their day sitting. Between the office commute, the hours spent in front of the computer, and sitting in front of the television for entertainment, your body does not get many opportunities to move around. The power walk is the perfect antidote for this. It gets your body moving, your brain thinking, and the blood flowing.

Breaks the Day Up

As I mentioned, my power walks are helping to break the monotony of the day. Rather than take on your work day in 4 hour increments, a 15 minute power walk in the morning and one in the afternoon will break your day into 2 hour increments. You can return to your desk, or meeting, alert and ready to take on the next chunk of work.

Mental Clarity

Sometimes my power walk is timed just when I’m banging my head against the wall trying to solve a difficult problem. Stepping away from the computer for a while helps. Your head will clear when you go for a walk. New solutions will become apparent to you. You will return to your desk with the perfect solution and the energy to execute it.

Calorie Burn

It’s no longer a secret that I am getting healthier everyday. Part of that is increasing the number of calories I burn. While a power nap might prove energizing, a power walk certainly burns more calories. You can get an extra hour of walking into your day with power walks. A 15 minute walk for a morning break, one for the afternoon, and a 30 minute lunch walk, gives you an hour of movement easily spaced throughout the day. It certainly beats staring into space while marching on the treadmill.

Socially Acceptable

My roommate’s mom was right. Dozing off at your desk while staring at the screen isn’t the best office etiquette. Worse than that, nodding off in the meeting while your boss is giving a very important (cough, cough) presentation. No one can fault the power walk though. Better than that, it gives the impression that you care about your health and you’re industrious.

Stress Relief

Ever feel like telling a co-worker, “Let’s take this outside.” Now you can, with just 2 more words. “Let’s take a walk outside. Or you can go by yourself. A short walk will help to diffuse the situation and loosen you up. It also beats a smoke break.

Fresh Air

Finally, it’s just good to get out and be around nature for a bit. Even if it’s the one tree in the parking lot. On a rainy day you could take a walk along the perimeter of your floor so that you can at least see the outside. You can find out first hand what the weather is like.

Try it this week. Instead of taking a break at the snack machine, take a 15 minute power walk outside with a co-worker. Build your work relationships, and do something healthy for yourself. Best of all feel energized and have fun.