I used to think of my calendar as a series of times that I would sit down and do something every day. Recently, however, I've changed the way I think about calendars and changed how I approach my time as well, due in large part to the pacing meeting. If I'm on a call that doesn't involve screen sharing and going deep into spreadsheets, I'm on my feet! Walking is actually a more efficient way for me to process complex engineering trade-offs and develop business strategy. Being in a sedentary position, like sitting in a high-back chair, is less efficient. I'm not alone in this; research from Stanford University confirms that people are more creative when they're walking and that walking results in an average increase of about 60% in creativity compared to being seated. With the constant pressures we face when working on scaling businesses and creating operational efficiencies in our daily work-life, having a clear mental picture of how to create those efficiencies and solve for them will have just as much impact on your business as actually doing the physical activity of walking. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking about exercise as a separate break in their busy day. When you start to incorporate movement into your normal workflow and use it to perform your duties (like taking a call while walking around the office), it becomes less of a burden and more of a performance enhancer. It's really important to create an environment that allows for the most amount of movement while still being productive. When we're trying to fit both being a successful professional and maintaining our health into our lives, many of us feel as though either we have to be one or the other. However, once you start incorporating movement into your existing work schedule and include it in the small gaps of your day (like taking calls while walking), you'll see that the two are completely compatible and mutually beneficial and support each other. Once you begin to do that, it'll only take a very minimal amount of time. You don't need any extra time to improve your health over the long term, but you do have to make the small changes to create those additional opportunities.
I do everything in two's.... If I have to take the steps, I will go up and down and then do the second time to get to my destination. If I have to get the mail, I walk to the mailbox, turn around, go back, and then go a second time. I follow this pattern throughout the day just to keep my blood circulating and get a few extra steps in each day.
It doesn't have to feel like exercise for it to be a win! Let it feel like life. Being a DC resident has really changed how I see my everyday activities. Instead of driving to a local Vons and parking as close as possible. I now walk to the corner market for groceries. When I went back home to California for Christmas, I found myself craving a little "movement snack" while heading out for last-minute ingredients for a family dinner. Instead of circling for the closest spot, I pulled into the first open stall at the far end of the parking lot. The truth is, when I'm home for just a few short days, I pack in all the homemade and local-only restaurants food I can. And when visiting family, we're mostly sitting, eating, and chatting. It is definitely not a recipe for health and wellness. So taking a short wlak felt like a welcomed break from that temporary routine and helped me feel like my DC self again. It made me think, 'what if I just framed my days around doing a little bit more movement whenever I can?' I realized this partly becuase of my work as a physical therapist. Many of the people I work with are career-oriented parents with very little time for themselves, which means they often need the most support when it comes to caring for their bodies. One simple idea I often share is getting down on the floor to play with their kids. It's an easy way to sneak in some gentle mobility after a long day at a desk. It's a reminder that small things, done consistently, can add up in a big way over time. I'm not a parent or dog owner just yet, but my schedule still fills up fast with patient care, work responsibilities, volunteering, social events, and travel. When life feels this full, time for health can shrink quickly! I've found that the best way to cover the basics, like: strength, cardio, balance, flexibility, etc., is to weave movement into my day whenever I can. That way, when I do make it to the gym, my time there is focused, efficient, and intentional. So if I asked you, "what's one small way you could sneak a healthy habit into your daily routine?" what would come to mind? or how might you start to audit your day and get a little more creative about your health?
At Bell Fire and Security, we started doing our site assessment meetings on foot. It wasn't life-changing, but getting out of the office gave us more energy and broke up the day of staring at screens. If you're stuck at a desk, try talking and walking. Even a simple call makes a difference. You just feel better.
I use my watch to track my activity. I've found that taking longer routes through the office or setting hourly reminders to stretch, especially when my data shows I've been sitting too long, actually works. This is my go-to method because my work schedule is always a mess, but this way I still get some movement in every single day.
I take all my work calls walking now. My remote team does it for standups too, and it's been a good move. It gets me away from my desk and my head is clearer. I even pace when brainstorming for clients, which brings better ideas. Don't just think of movement as fitness, it's a tool that helps you work better.
Here's my trick, I turn chores into a personal game. Can I vacuum the entire living room in 10 minutes? What about clearing the garden weeds in 15? My family was in a rut for a while, but treating these jobs like a game got us moving again. Honestly, exercise doesn't have to be a big deal. Just find a way to make it fun and you'll move more.
I try to walk or bike for any errand instead of driving. It helps me clear my head after long meetings and keeps my energy up. I always tell the team to try this because it's so much easier than scheduling gym time. It just becomes part of your day, like grabbing coffee, not another big task you have to get done.
There's a saying in meditation and internal practices: don't try to fit the practice into your life, try to fit your life into the practice. That basically sums up my philosophy. My background may be different than most. I've been training in wushu (Chinese martial arts) since I was 13. I've kept doing this every day (with reasonable exceptions) for 37 years now. I'm not trying to fit my training into my schedule. It's the other way around. I've always tried to flex my schedule so that it leaves enough space for training. I train every morning - it's the first thing I do when I wake up. I train again in the afternoon or evening. I walk a lot. I take the bus instead of my car, walk a few extra stops, take the stairs. But I don't force this. It's not a hard "should." And I think that's the key. I do it because I enjoy it. If one day I'm too tired or I'm traveling and it's too complicated, I skip the training. And it's okay. This is what I tell all my students: try to do something you like. Don't force a routine just because you think you "should". Obligation creates resistance. And that makes it even harder to sustain a healthy habit long term when you're fighting against it internally.
I pace around the office during calls or while answering emails. It keeps me from getting sluggish. My days at Acquire.com are packed, so I'm usually standing and walking during longer meetings anyway. When I hit a wall with a problem, I'll just do a couple laps. That's usually when the solution pops into my head. It's a simple trick, but it works for me.
Working out is easier to maintain once it ceases to be an independent task. The least effort victories are the folding movements to things that are already required to be done. One of them is walking phone calls. Calling ten minutes becomes a thousand steps with no consideration of it. Errands help too. Driving further, making two trips to grocery store or using stairs as opposed to waiting on an elevator all add by the day. Another silent exercise is housework. Vacuuming, mopping, yard work, even running around after kids in the yard, will get the heart rate higher than one may think. Other parents make jokes about the laundry days being considered leg days after squatting does not require bending over any more. It is more of consistency rather than intensity in these habits. RGV Direct Care clinicians have a tendency of reminding the patients that movement does not necessarily need to appear like a gym session to be counted. The short and repeated activities throughout the day maintain joint wellness, circulation and energy especially among individuals with a hectic schedule. When daily activities are turned into an opportunity to move, exercise ceases to be an option and is perceived as a norm, so it is easier to maintain it over the long term.
Commuting daily has become my "fiscal fitness" plan by doing things like parking at the furthest point away from work or getting off the bus one stop prior to my actual stop (or taking the subway). This allows me to create a "casual" form of exercising while incorporating aerobic fitness into my day without spending money on gym memberships and taking time out of my routine. I maintain discipline with my budget by factoring in these additional steps as non-negotiable in my daily plan for maintaining my current health levels, as well as providing long-term aerobic health through consistent, low-impact exercise.
"Movement without contact," or "asynchronous motion," has been a large part of my workout schedule since the day I started using video calling as part of my digital workflow. By performing calf raises or isometric holds during video calls or while waiting for code to deploy, I am able to keep my body in motion, increase my metabolic rate, and keep my focus fixed on resolving issues quickly. Using the "dead time" that is associated with working in a technology-driven industry to create "active minutes" in a week allows me to maximize my technical agility during work hours.
My priority for building mutual trust and developing psychological safety in my peers is through "walking meetings." These meetings are done outdoors, as moving together in a shared environment lessens the formality and stifling nature of the conference room, allowing for more creative and empathetic ideas to emerge. The walking meeting structure also converts a regular professional meeting into a collaboration with the team as a whole and thus builds relationships throughout the team. Using this human factor approach allows for continued connection and resiliency while achieving shared success for all.
To promote operational excellence, I apply a "standing only" policy for all my administrative work and email communications. This change has created a very positive governance culture that ensures that all employees will have postural well-being as part of their regular daily schedule, thus removing the common stagnation found in most management positions. Alternating between standing and sitting creates an environment where employees are more physically alert and have improved long-term vitality. Frequent micro-movement consistency is the foundation for maintaining a productive, high-performance workforce and a focused mind.
My learning method is kinesthetic. I can walk about while I review written materials (like complicated data) or listen to educational podcasts because this kinetic movement helps me to develop an adaptability quotient by combining physical exertion with cognitive processing, thereby providing a simultaneous means of developing both my body and my mind. Furthermore, by combining exercise with educational activities, I can enhance my overall physical fitness while at the same time achieve new heights of professional mastery and personal empowerment.
I practice "mindful stretching" in the little times in my day that occur between tasks, like when I boil water or restart my computer. Those very brief moments are a "safe haven" from my day-to-day stress and allow me to reflect on my physical state and relax. By using a sympathetic approach to fitness, I can strengthen my body while still allowing it to recover at its pace and with no added pressure of an intense workout. This practice is a gradual, intentional, and consistent way to show my body respect and give it time to recover from the stresses of my professional obligations.
Every day, I see activity as part of my mission (i.e., mobility and fitness). Therefore, I like to use the stairs instead of elevators whenever possible because it is a "little victory" that I can celebrate concerning my health. I also try to use "functional fitness." Functional fitness includes lunging or squatting down while putting groceries or items away to make my everyday tasks more beneficial and also help me meet my overall recovery/wellness goals in the long run. By being purposeful with every movement that I make, I can sustain or build upon my physical excellence and gain the strength necessary to serve my community.
Using "floor-plan optimization" allows me to maximize the number of steps that I take over the course of a given day while remaining compliant with data-driven best practices. By strategically placing my printer or water source in an alternate room from my desk, I can create a work setting where I am required to get up and move throughout my workday. Using this structured approach allows for me to easily achieve my physical activity goals without needing a separate scheduled workout. I am effectively embedding physical activity into my daily routine by using this method, and I am doing so transparently and accountably.
To demonstrate respect for the dignity of my coworkers and remain humble throughout the day, I have chosen to deliver documents/messages to employees in the building by way of "active service." By serving others in this way, I am able to transform a mundane logistical task into an opportunity for me to connect with other people and to demonstrate servant-leadership. By leading with wisdom and action, I am able to create a respectful and sustainable work environment for all employees in the building.