Perfect Excuse for a Midday Workout: Run at Work Day Is Next Week

There’s no doubt about it: Staying active can be difficult when your job requires staring at a computer screen for nine hours straight. And, no, swiveling around in your desk chair does not count as exercise.

According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, adults and children should be getting at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. But with the lures of post-work Law and Order marathons (I mean, who can resist?) and after-school video games beating out after-school sports, many adults and kids are slacking off in the exercise department.

The Road Runners Club of America is encouraging us to fight the laziness-epidemic with its eighth annual RUN@WORK Day on September 20th. Why? Because, according to its website, “If adults can lead by example, if companies can encourage healthy living through physical activity promotion, then together we can combat the national inactivity crisis gripping our nation and our children.”

To be clear, just because it’s called “RUN@WORK Day” doesn’t mean you have to actually run at work. Any kind of physical activity will do: a few yoga poses, a walk around the block, a lunchtime bike ride. So mark your calendars for a week from Friday and pick a time to ditch the desk, dust off those running shoes and gather your coworkers for a fun mid-work exercise jolt. Who knows? You might even make a habit of it.

Photo: Shutterstock