Series 1 (6/24) - "Get Moving"

After highlighting a simple mental change last week on the power of gratitude here we look at one of the most basic physical changes – integrating more movement in your daily life. Welcome to episode 6/24 of our Series 1.

We were born to move. Scientists say our ancestors moved up to 12 miles, almost 20 km, every day, to hunt or escape danger. Yet one of the biggest dangers to our health today is the sedentary existence that represents most of our professional day. Look, we’re not asking you to turn into marathon runners or gym-addicts! maybe just think about sitting down less at work. Indeed, this may be the most powerful change.

Research shows that even if you exercise every day you may still suffer from this so called “sitting disease” if the rest of your day is highly sedentary. Management as well as the medical profession have picked up on this in recent years, including “Sitting is the Smoking of our Generation” published by HBR online in 2013.

So don’t just look for time separate from work to move, rather think how to integrate more dynamism within typical work practices that will improve both health and performance. When we move we energize ourselves, through increased blood flow to the body and brain, and an increase in metabolism. It is important to remember: movement creates energy, not, as we tend to believe, spends our energy.

There are significant business benefits of more mindful movement. Standing meetings, as practiced by many in the Agile programming field over the years, are much leaner and cut down the wasted time of poorly focused, overlong meetings that characterize much of the working week. A standing desk, used by Ernest Hemingway when writing all his books, may help contribute to the three-to-four hours’ daily standing time at work which gives the equivalent calorie burn of running ten marathons a year.

Changing the design of a chair has been shown to improve brainstorming, with a more upright posture resulting in less criticism of the wild ideas necessary for innovation. Also in the creativity domain, a recent Stanford study found that walking improved creativity by an average of 60% compared to sitting – so take that walking meeting. They are useful to build relationships, cover sensitive subjects, and drill down on a tough problem. Research has also shown that eliminating the chair altogether improves collaborative outcomes, with individuals less likely to defend their own territory. The conclusion was that when people had their own chair, it was a physical representation of defending their own point of view. 

A set of other, very simple practices, helps both of us to “get moving” on a daily basis – think of it as our personal menu of “Deskersizes” – easy, fun and with a bigger impact than you might think.

• Make it a rule (not the exception) to take the stairs instead of the elevator
• Conduct at least 1 “walking meeting” per day. Productivity will rise immediately (while you get some meters on your account).
• Put a reminder in your phone for every 90 minutes to stand up for 1-2 minutes (easy to do with great impact on how you perceive the next block of your busy agenda)
• Volunteer for the next “coffee run” – getting away from the desk has long been shown to result in more accidental encounters which drive innovation – a fact that is being reflected in the design of new office spaces by companies including Apple and Google.
• Park farther away by design or add in a walk around the block (it rapidly becomes a habit)
• Swap your office chair for a stability ball
• Make a “wall sit” for 30 seconds next time you check your WhatsApp messages
• Make it a habit to put your calls on speaker phone and stand up (instead of sitting behind your desk). Immediately, around 1/3 more calories burnt 
• Put some fitness equipment on your desk (even a small stress ball works wonders)
• Turn “waiting time” into “moving time” the next time you wait in front of a meeting room.

Try incorporating some of the above into your personal operating model. See what works best for you. 

All of these, and more, are part of the movement imperative for business performance, and have represented the rituals of our daily working practices for several years. It’s not always easy, especially in a long week when fatigue sets in. Yet the clearer thinking and closer relationships that always result is a powerful incentive.

A final reflection: what about another meaning of the word? How about creating a movement? A positive culture where work, and especially quality work, doesn’t mean sedentary office time where everyone complains about how busy they are. Set an example that others find inspiring and easy to follow.

Enjoy the ride to “get moving”.