Why
Today’s work environment is increasingly sedentary. The average Canadian spends 9.5 hours a day sitting. This sedentary behaviour is deteriorating your health.
People do not always have the time to be physically active but by introducing walking meetings students and staff can increase their daily activity without investing any additional time.
Benefits
- more creative
- better for your health
- flatten the hierarchy of the relationship
- improve energy and engagement
- better communication
- develop stronger personal connections
When
When walking meetings make sense:
- Walking is good for creativity but not the best for making decisions, so use walking meetings to generate ideas and then have a short standard meeting to make decisions.
- Walking meetings are good for groups of 2 to 5. Any larger and it is difficult to communicate with everyone.
- If you have a conference call or other phone meeting, go on a walking meeting for 1.
When a walking meeting is not practical try a standing meeting, encourage participants to stand and stretch as they need to.
Planning
- inform the meeting participants in advance that the meeting will be active
- check the weather forecast, and plan accordingly
- the best time for a walking meeting is right before lunch to address the mid-morning slump, or late afternoon to increase energy to finish off the day
- provide healthy snacks and water
- be mindful of the seasonal needs (sunscreen, warm clothes)
If the weather is not appropriate for walking outdoors, take advantage of the connected tunnels throughout the university campus.
Find more ways to be active.