Friday Fitness Tip on the Fly - walking work meetings

Recent research has suggested that "sitting is killing you", even if you exercise.  And many medical practitioners would say that our bodies weren't designed to sit all day, which most of us do in our cubicles and offices.  This does hold some merit as you are in a rested state when sitting, burning very little active calories aside from your basal metabolic rate, which is defined as is the number of calories required to keep your body functioning at rest.  As a result, standing desks have become more popular of late, but the added benefits of standing over sitting is still speculative at best.  However, there is no denying that walking, even for short periods or distances, carries a range of health benefits, including burning extra calories and mindfulness.  But you need to be at your computer in front of your desk to get work done, right??

Meet the walking work meeting.  You're bound to have at least several meetings a week or even meetings all day on those wonderful Mondays.  With walking meetings, you aren't boxed into a conference room, and studies have suggested that walking even leads to increases in creative thinking and productivity.  So now, you can get even more work done while "unplugging" your mind and burning extra calories, killing not 2, but 3 birds with one stone.

Even former President Obama and current German Chancellor Angela Merkel went for walking meetings

To be fair, not all meetings are suitable to be walking meetings, particularly with larger groups or presentations.  But if you are inspired to give walking meetings a try, consider these tips:

• Be sure meeting attendees are down and comfortable for it.  In other words, no surprises
• Choose a creative route or destination, which would provide more incentive for your colleagues to go for a walk
• Avoid the destinations that add on extra unneeded calories, such as food food restaurants or even Starbucks if you're going to fall to that 450-calorie Venti white mocha drink
• Have fun and get a breath of fresh air.  Everyone's mind and bodies will thank you for it

So how about going for a nice stroll for your next work meeting?  That'll be 100 calories per mile, which is better than earning 1 mile for every 1 mile flown.