THE LAB

… Or at least it should be. Because as thrilling as it may be to reside in a chair for a whole 9-5 workday in the office, it actually helps increase productivity and focus to get up and move around more often than we do.

Why?

A study by Jim McKenna from the University of Bristol showed that after exercising, participants returned to work with increased mental sharpness and better time management.

Developmental Molecular Biologist and author John Medina, who also teaches at the University of Washington Medical School, writes in his 2008 book Brain Rules that a steady increase in oxygen level to the brain greatly aids cognitive function. And this is not to mention the potential for an overall increase in employee health.

Medina writes that if school children were given a 20-30 minute recess twice in the school day–doing aerobic exercise in the morning and strengthening in the afternoon–studies show their classroom performance would improve if this was done only two or three times per week.

Furthermore, a steady increase in oxygen to the brain during school lessons gives a similar cognitive improvement. With that in mind, Medina proposes that if employees had a treadmill in their office to walk on while working, or even if some meetings were held in a room in which all participants could be actively walking on treadmills, their ability to absorb and process ideas might actually increase substantially.

Of course most obviously, cardiovascular activity also releases endorphins that lower stress levels and boost happiness. What could be a better way to deal with workplace stress than to go outside and play some hardcore dodgeball? Or just go for a jog around the block or play some Frisbee. Or hop on your “tread-desk” and crank that baby up for a few quick intervals.

But we pretty much already know this stuff.

So why aren’t we using it? In spite of the best of intentions, more than they’d care to admit it, many office workers probably reach for a cup of coffee to give them an added boost of energy when a lap around the block could have the same energizing effect without the inevitable caffeine-slump.

When “recess” is included as an office activity, it’s often reserved for weekends or “after-school activities.” And that’s wonderful. More power to a company that encourages active play before or after work, or tries to better accommodate workers who bike or walk to work, or leave them enough time after work to hit the gym.

Maybe the most beneficial way to treat this information is to treat exercise as an integral part of the working process instead of something only done during your free time. What if everybody kept a change of clothes in the office and we all got together for some aerobics just before lunch?

As much as PE class was sometimes frustrating in middle school, I don’t think there was a day I didn’t come back refreshed and more focused than before. In the workplace and beyond, it seems like we all have more than enough reason to start treating exercise as a necessity instead of an option.

And we could all use a little bit more recess.

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