5 Science-Backed Reasons You Should Get Walking At Work

Science is cool. No, wait; science is AWESOME. My favourite subject at school was science. I wasn’t great at it, and I nearly burned down the lab when my teacher gave me a bunsen burner, but I always had fun (besides the burning-down-the-school part).

One thing I took away from science is that when science says you should do something, you SHOULD do it– because, it’s science! Take walking for example. We all know walking is good for us, it helps our heart health, releases endorphins blah blah blah. But walking has many additional benefits that you probably didn’t know. Here are five science-backed reasons you should take a walk from your office desk: 

1. It gets you outside. 

Sitting at your desk for 8 hours straight is not ideal– and we don’t need science to tell us that. You can get agitated, especially when Greg decides he doesn’t want to chew with his mouth closed. WHY GREG, WHYYYY. Instead of storing that rage in your mind, opt for a walk outside in nature. It improves your ability to focus, with one study highlighting how taking a walk outside restored focus in participants and boosted cognitive performance. And no, office plants do not count as going outside in nature. 

2. It sparks creativity. 

Let’s face it, staring at a computer screen does not spark creativity. You can put a picture of Gandhi as your backdrop– but that’s as far as the inspiration will travel. A Stanford University study showed that walking participants compared to sitting participants scored a higher level of creativity by 60%! *starts walking immediately*.

3. It boosts immune function.

WINTER IS COMING YA’LL (and on a side note: Game of Thrones final season is airing soon, and I know where all my spare time is going). But for those of us who are aiming to avoid colds, tissues, phlegm and all the other nasty signs of sickness, walking helps to boost the immune system. 

Research from Japan (Japan is just as awesome as science, so this is a double-whammy of awesomeness) concluded that plants emit a chemical called phytoncides, and when people breathe them in, they increase “natural killer” cells, which have shown to assist a person’s immune response, especially to cancer.

4. It get’s the good vibes going. 

Being sedentary sucks. Your legs feel heavy, your ankles swell up and don’t even get me started on the back pain. While being seated for hours on end takes a physical toll, this can also place immense stress on you emotionally. Psychologists Miller & Krizan found in their 2016 study, that walking promotes “positive affect” on our mood and can even override the feelings of “boredom and dread”. AKA you’ll feel ahhhhmaaazing– and who doesn’t want that? 

5. Here comes the sun.

Dooo doo dooo doo, and I say… it’s allllrightttt. Sorry, I got lost in the song there. You know that feeling you get when sun rays hit your body (sorry Londoner’s, you probs wouldn’t understand), it’s like an inner glowing goddess comes out and you’re finally a force to be reckoned with. Yep, that’s Vitamin D for you. Vitamin D is a crucial vitamin that those fluorescent office lights won’t provide; unfortunately, only the sun will. And according to research Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of depression and obesity, just to name a few. So instead of getting Uber Eats delivered to your desk (you know who you are), GET OUT THERE!

If we haven’t won you over with why you need to get outside and go for a walk during the day, THEN MAYBE WE CAN ENTICE YOU WITH THIS…Sorry, that was a lie, I have nothing else to offer. But you know what isn’t a lie? SCIENCE! Get out and walk peeps, it’ll do you a world of good. 

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