How to Boost Productivity Through Movement
Physical activity does good things for the brain. That part is familiar. Research on schoolchildren has tied recess and PE to stronger learning, and regular exercise seems to offer some protection against conditions like anxiety and depression. Less familiar is what happens when you stay in motion during the workday itself. A growing body of research keeps turning up reasons to move while you work, and the payoffs stack up across several areas at once: sharper thinking, higher output, better physical health, steadier moods. Employees keep inventing arguments to talk their managers (and students their teachers) into letting them move on the clock, and the outcomes have mostly backed them up.
Rather than cut PE and recess to free up more time for core subjects, a number of school districts have gone the other direction and written movement into the school day. One elementary school in Winston-Salem, North Carolina gave students the choice of a stationary bike in place of a desk, and reading proficiency climbed. The relationship was close to linear: kids who logged the most time on the bikes posted the highest standardized test scores, and the least time tracked with the lowest. Behavior improved too. Anxiety and hyperactivity eased off. Winston-Salem is one case among many showing up in different countries.
Equipment has followed the idea. At Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport and at rail stations around France, the WeBike is a combined stationary bike and desk that seats three people pedaling and working side by side. A University of Chicago student scaled the concept down with the Cubii, a compact pedal set you tuck under a desk. Treadmills, standing desks, and a long list of other rigs round out the options for anyone who wants the benefits of moving while they work.
The legs keep going on their own while you cycle or walk, but the mental effects are easy to notice. Exercise reshapes the brain in a handful of ways. It supports neuroplasticity, the capacity to pick up new things. It helps regulate the chemicals that lift mood and bring stress down. It encourages neurogenesis, the growth of new brain cells. Memory, attention, and judgment all get a lift. Social skills and relationships tend to improve. Focus sharpens, and impulses become easier to rein in.
That list runs longer still. Study after study finds that moving while you learn improves retention and decision-making, and exercise during the workday also makes people more creative and better at budgeting their time.
There is a side benefit too: a little movement can put some life into a boring job or a dull room. Whether your day is spent at a desk, behind the wheel, or on your feet lecturing, working some motion in can lift both your professional output and your own sense of growth. A few ways to do it:
Try a standing desk. People who stand to work or study burn more calories and tend to concentrate better, which makes this especially useful for anyone who struggles with attention. While you are up, you can slip in calf raises or a few squats.
Use an exercise ball. Sitting on an inflatable ball works your core and challenges your balance, and it doubles as a little workout station for all sorts of movements.
Walk. It is simple because it is simple. Walk when you get the chance, take the stairs when you can. For more, add lunges or walk on your heels and toes. You might look ridiculous, but people laugh less once you start outperforming them.
Stretch. Run through some yoga poses, with attention to the breathing. Bring your hands up from your sides until they meet overhead, then lower them slowly back to your hips, repeating a few times in time with your breath. You can also stand, fold at the waist, and hug your knees (carefully).
Get a little wild. Shadow box, do fast toe taps like football drills, or knock out some jumping jacks. Jump rope if you have one, and mime it if you don't.
Bring in a machine. If the job permits, set up a treadmill or stationary bike in your workspace; putting it in a shared open area may be an easier sell. Otherwise, keep one at home.
Bookend the day. If none of this fits into working hours, exercise a bit before or after work or study. Burning calories and taking in more oxygen gets the brain moving.
Melissa Lavery, M.S.
References: Bikes instead of desks? (2015, March). Parents, 56-56. Blaydes, J., & Mitchell, D. (n.d.). Learning Through Movement and Music: How Exercise Benefits the Brain. Bram, T. (n.d.). 29 Exercises You Can Do At (Or Near) Your Desk. McDill, K. (2014, October 15). Exercising While Working at Your Desk.