…or so the saying goes. So why is it that when the pressure is on and time outside of the office becomes precious do we find exercise is the first thing to go??
We are becoming a nation of workers who eat breakfast, lunch and almost dinner (in most cases) at our desks, but would we not be better off just finding 30 minutes to walk, run, skip somewhere outside? Although the sun may not always be shining in central London, or the air feeling particularly fresh, it is important to make the time to clear the head outside of the office and step away from work issues temporarily.
In the current economic climate those of us in employment are extremely grateful to be so but when stress and tiredness kick in, due to pressure at work, we often run to the pub for a large glass of something, at the end of a long day, rather than wanting to contemplate heading to the gym! With modern technology forcing us to find it difficult to switch off our blackberry or find time to reflect on our day, we really should find the time to de-stress and unwind. With stress being one of the highest causes for employee absence and exercise being one of the best ways to relieve stress, perhaps it would be useful to have a greater focus on this during the work day and to go some way to alleviating the guilt we may feel for taking a full lunch break once a week to pop to the gym!
With the summer upon us we all (men and women alike) have found a new found love, although often hate, for the treadmill: likely to last only through to September until the membership card becomes lost at the bottom of the gym bag – but surely we must look at the non-superficial benefits of exercise to understand its importance to our ability to work and function efficiently.
So now as I search for my latest quick fix (a scary personal trainer), I consider how much more productive I will be in the office after 10 laps of the park!
I sooooo agree Siani!