Walking Meetings Could Boost Health

Transforming a seated meeting once a week into a walking one could boost worker’s health and even help them live longer, a new study finds.

A walking meeting is simply that: a meeting that takes place during a walk instead of in an office, boardroom, or coffee shop where meetings are commonly held.

Researchers at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine recruited white-collar workers from the university and had them wear accelerometers to measure physical activity levels during the workday over a three-week period. They also followed a “walking meeting protocol” that included guidance for leading meetings and taking notes while walking.

Changing just the one seated meeting to a walking meeting increased the work-related physical activity levels of white-collar workers by 10 minutes, suggesting a possible new health promotion approach to improving the health of millions of white-collar workers who spend most of their workdays sitting in chairs.

Previous studies have proven that engaging in moderate exercise, which includes brisk walking, for as little as 15 minutes per day can add up to three years of life expectancy.

“There are limited opportunities for physical activity at work. This walking meeting pilot study provides early evidence that white-collar workers find it feasible and acceptable to convert a traditional seated meeting into a walking meeting,” says Dr. Alberto J. Caban-Martinez, the study’s principal activity. 

“Physical activity interventions such as the walking meeting protocol that encourage walking and raise levels of physical activity in the workplace are needed to counter the negative health effects of sedentary behavior,” he adds of the study, which appears in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease.