Get Moving: 33 Active Break Strategies to Revitalise Your Workday
Introduction
In today’s fast-paced and digitally-driven world, many of us find ourselves tethered to our desks for hours on end. The modern work environment has increasingly pushed us into a sedentary lifestyle, which research has shown to be detrimental to our health, productivity, and overall wellbeing.
Active breaks are short periods of physical activity during the workday which are designed disrupt sedentary behaviour and improve wellbeing.
Integrating short active breaks regularly throughout your day can help reduce the health risks associated with prolonged sitting, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and musculoskeletal disorders, boost mental health and cognitive function, leading to enhanced job performance and satisfaction.
Understanding the need for regular breaks is one thing, but putting it into practice is another.
The purpose of this blog post is not just to highlight the importance of breaking up long periods of sedentary behaviour but to empower you with a variety of practical strategies to make it happen.
Whether you have just five minutes to spare or can dedicate a longer period for a walk, there are a variety of active break strategies for everyone to experiment with.
By incorporating these active breaks into your workday, you can create a more dynamic and fulfilling work life and ultimately improve both your physical and mental health.
Understanding Active Breaks
Active breaks are planned, intervals of physical activity scheduled into your workday routine to break up long periods of sitting and disrupt sedentary habits.
These physical activity breaks could include anything that gets your body moving, from stretches to a brisk walk and anything in between.
Unlike passive breaks that might involve scrolling on your phone, active breaks are a time to move your whole body.
There are a lot of benefits of regular movement throughout the workday, not least it can help improve heart health, reduce stress, boost your mood and reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases.
Scheduled movement breaks can also fend off the afternoon energy slump and keep your energy levels steady throughout the day. Employees who incorporate movement breaks into their day tend to be more productive and engaged than those who stay sedentary. This productivity boost stems from better physical health, sharper mental function, allowing for more engagement with work tasks.
This makes active break a powerful tool for enhancing overall workplace wellbeing and performance. Providing a counterbalance to the sedentary nature of modern office jobs, fostering a healthier, more vibrant, and more productive work environment.
33 Active Break Strategies
Understanding the importance of active breaks is one thing, but knowing how to implement them can be a challenge. To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of 33 strategies you can experiment with to incorporate movement into your workday.
Whether you’re looking for quick desk exercises or longer, more engaging activities, these suggestions will help you find what works best for your routine and keep you feeling energized and productive throughout the day.
Here are 33 active break strategies that you can experiment with to see what works best for your routine:
1. Cycle to Work: Start your day with invigoration by cycling to work, boosting your energy levels right from the morning.
2. Walk Up the Escalators: Instead of standing still, walk up the escalators to keep the blood flowing.
3. Use the Stairs Instead of the Lift: Opt for the stairs to increase your heart rate and strengthen your leg muscles.
4. Get Off Early: Exit the train, bus, or tube one station early to add a brisk walk to your commute.
5. Park Further Away: Choose a parking spot further from the entrance to incorporate a walk into your journey.
6. Stand During Your Commute: If you travel by public transport, try standing instead of sitting to break up your sitting time.
7. Take Opportunities to Use the Stairs: Always opt for the stairs during your commute whenever possible.
8. Include a Walk in Your Commute: Integrate a short walk as part of your journey to or from work.
9. Aim to Stand During Your Commute: Challenge yourself to stand during all or part of your commute.
10. Stand When Colleagues Approach: Whenever a colleague comes to talk, stand up during the conversation.
11. Walk to a Colleague: Instead of sending an email, walk over to your colleague’s desk.
12. Stand After Completing a Task: Make it a habit to stand up and stretch every time you finish a task.
13. Stand to Read: Stand up when you need to read or review documents.
14. Stand During Phone Calls: Use phone calls as an opportunity to stand up, especially during long calls.
15. Schedule Stand-Up Meetings: Organize meetings where everyone stands, which can lead to shorter and more focused discussions.
16. Organise Walk-Talk Meetings: Replace sit-down meetings with walking meetings to discuss ideas on the go.
17. Schedule Meetings Away From Your Desk: Have meetings in a location that requires you to walk a bit.
18. Avoid Back-to-Back Meetings: Try to space out meetings to allow time to stand and move.
19. Finish Meetings Early: End meetings five minutes early to give everyone time to stand up and stretch.
20. Have Coffee Meetings: Organize meetings in a café away from your desk, combining a walk with your coffee.
21. Use a Glass for Water: Use a small glass and refill it regularly to increase your opportunities for movement.
22. Stand When Tired: When you feel tired or uncomfortable, stand up to reenergize.
23. Drink More Water: Drinking more water not only keeps you hydrated but also increases trips to refill your glass.
24. Schedule Coffee Breaks: Plan coffee breaks with colleagues that involve walking to a nearby café.
25. Eat Lunch Away From Your Desk: Have lunch outside the office or in a different area to break up your screen time.
26. Include a Walk in Your Lunch Break: Use part of your lunch break to go for a short walk.
27. Set an Alarm: Remind yourself to take breaks by setting an alarm.
28. Schedule Breaks in Your Calendar: Block out times in your calendar specifically for taking breaks.
29. Use a Distant Toilet: Choose a restroom that’s further away from your desk to get more steps in.
30. Frequent Stair Use: Make a habit of using the stairs multiple times throughout the day.
31. Use a Remote Printer: Send your print jobs to a printer further from your desk to encourage walking.
These strategies are gathered from published research to showcase the variety of options available for adding more movement into your day. They are designed to inspire you to find active break options that seamlessly fit into your daily routine, boosting both your health and productivity.
How to Evaluate and Select Strategies To Use
Finding the right activities for your active breaks is a process that requires some experimentation and reflection. The goal is to identify strategies that are effective, enjoyable, and easy to integrate into your daily routine.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you evaluate and select the best activities for your active breaks:
Try Out Different Strategies: Start by experimenting with a variety of activities from the list provided. The aim is to figure out if you enjoy this strategy, if it can be realistically incorporated into your workday, how you feel after you’ve completed it and if you want to repeat it.
Keep a Record: To effectively evaluate the strategies you’ve tested you will need a record of your activities. It’s useful to keep a simple log or journal which you use to document your experiments and testing. This will let you reflect on the strategies objectively and shortlist you’ve favourite ones.
Evaluate the Strategies: You can use these criteria to help you assess each strategy, feel free to add to this list:
Achievability: Did the activity fit well within the time you had available?
Feasibility: Was it easy to perform the activity in your workspace?
Safety: Did the activity feel safe and comfortable to perform?
Enjoyment: Did you look forward to doing the activity?
Create a Shortlist: Once you’ve tested the strategies listed above, you can start to narrow down the option. Based on your experiences and evaluation which strategies met most or all of your criteria. This refined shortlist can be your starting list for your regular active breaks that are both effective and enjoyable.
Plan Your Active Breaks: With your shortlist, you can start planning your active breaks. Deciding when you will take your breaks and what activities you will do during each break. This detailed planning will help ensure you follow through and maintain your commitment to staying active.
Summary
Understanding the importance of regular breaks is one part of the process towards making a change and incorporating regular breaks into the workday. But you also need to figure out what activities you can complete in 5-minute and will fit into the workday routine.
We’ve shared some of the common strategies tried and tested in the research studies on this subject. Whether you have just five minutes to spare or can dedicate a longer period for a walk, there’s an active break strategy for everyone. We hope that this gives you a foundation to start experimenting with active breaks that work for your day.
By experimenting with the 33 strategies provided, you can discover what works best for you, keeping you energised and productive throughout the day. From desk exercises to walking meetings, these small changes can make a big difference.
Remember, the key is to start small and build gradually. Schedule your breaks, use reminders, choose enjoyable activities, and track your progress. These steps will help you overcome common obstacles like lack of time and motivation, making active breaks a sustainable part of your daily routine.
