Walking Meetings

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Zuurbiero

Let your feet do the talking in a walking meeting.

Meetings are a fact of business life. We meet to discuss new initiatives, brainstorm, get feedback on an idea, or solve a problem. Face-to-face contact is important for forming good relationships with colleagues, and for gathering input from a variety of sources. There are just two problems.

Firstly, traditional meetings are not good for our health. Think about it for a minute – they invariably involve sitting around a table, indoors and under artificial lights, often adding to the time that we already spend sitting at our desks, scrolling through emails, answering calls, and writing reports.

A 2016 report from health organization the American Heart Association suggested that sedentary behavior can raise the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and can also contribute to higher-than-average rates of mortality. Meanwhile, a 2015 global meta-analysis of 47 articles and reports indicated a link between sedentary time and poor health.

Secondly, traditional boardroom-style meetings   may not always be the most effective way of discussing an issue or looking for a solution. This is because attendees can become tired if they go on too long, can easily disengage from what's being said, or leave, thinking that very little has been decided or achieved.

Organizations are now using standing meetings and standing desks to get people on their feet, but some are now taking the idea a step further and holding meetings on the move.

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