Recess For Everyone

As children, we longed for recess -- that precious half hour where we could run around the playground with a friend or two, completely unconcerned with anything other than moving our bodies.

Fast forward a few decades, and we have even more reasons to need a mid-day break. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 67 percent of American adults are overweight or obese.

It doesn't have to be that way.

Doctors say that 30 minutes of exercise, five days a week will give adults the health benefits they need. More importantly, those minutes don't have to be in one sitting. Taking a brief 10-minute "recess" from work in both the morning and afternoon, and adding an additional 10-minute burst of exercise at home would be enough to satisfy many doctors.

Various groups, like the American Heart Association, believe that instituting wellness programs at businesses across the country can counter the increasing health care costs and rising obesity rates. Obesity-related conditions cost the U.S. $150 billion a year, a number that is anticipated to almost double over the next decade and account for one-fifth of overall health care spending, according to Reuters. These organizations argue that employer spending on health promotion will achieve a high return -- up to $15 on each dollar investment -- within 12 to 18 months.

Employees show better performance, increased productivity and boosted moral. Fit employees have positive attitudes, are committed to their jobs, have better relationships with those in supervisory roles, feel more secure in their roles and have more job confidence.

"It's not a secret that fit employees are more productive employees," said Joe Quatrochi, a professor of Human Performance and Sport at the Metropolitan State College of Denver. "Bodies were made to move. Fit employees are happier, more mentally and emotionally stable who find it easier to focus."

Dietary changes that can be implemented immediately, like ordering healthy fare from catering companies when having breakfast or lunch meetings or stocking vending machines with various options that are both healthy and tasty.

Fitness improvements can take a little more planning, especially for those who are tethered to their computers, but are just as necessary.

"Here we are in a recession and everyone is terrified to say that they want a few minutes during lunch, because if you don't work during lunch you're terrified you're going to lose your jobs," said Dr. Pam Peeke, the spokesperson for the American College of Sports Medicine's Exercise IS Medicine global campaign and author of "Fight Fat after Forty."

"If you have a supervisor who is already in great shape, tell her that you're inspired by her and want to be more like her. See if she'll help you implement a wellness program."

Companies can offer programs and group activities like walking programs, challenges or group fitness classes. Personal trainers and nutritionists will often travel to offices to help employees modify their lifestyles and can check in several times a year. Adding bike racks as well as shower and gym facilities help employees stick to their fitness goals. If it's not possible to add a gym at the office, employers should consider reimbursing employees for their gym memberships, class registrations and equipment purchases.

If resources for large-scale programs are not available, employees can post sign-up sheets for activities or requests for workout buddies in communal areas. Monthly company picnics filled with softball, baseball, frisbee, potato sack races and other activities can get employees moving in a fun, care-free environment, Peeke said.

At AOL, we're lucky enough to have a small gym with cardio equipment, free weights, resistance bands and a Wii Fit on one of our floors. Yoga classes are also offered.

To try to build a workout-friendly workplace, Quatrochi said employees should suggest ways that they can sneak exercise into their days without interrupting their workflow. Two options that Quatrochi has found to be successful include working flexible hours that accommodate your exercise schedule, or leaving the office for a walk but then eating lunch at your desk to catch up on e-mails. Isometric and stretching exercises can be performed at a desk and will relieve repetitive use injuries.

"Employees have to look for ways to spend their calories, but those are reasonable requests because you'll be healthier, fitter, more productive and you won't work less," Quatrochi said.

Adults aren't the only one who have trouble exercising enough throughout the day. Children whose recess and physical education classes are being cut to spend more time drilling for mandatory tests -- despite research which shows that physical activity is crucial for academic performance -- are suffering as well.

"Children spend a large majority of their day in school, during which recess and physical education provide the opportunity for physical activity," said Romina Barros, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and pediatrician at Montefiore Children's Hospital in Bronx, N.Y. "Physical education will teach children to be active, which is important to become an active adult. Recess is a break during the school day that allows children the time for free play, which is essential for helping children reach important social skills."

During free play, she said, children increase their imagination and creativity by organizing their own games and developing their own rules. They also learn problem-solving skills and practice leadership. Parents who are concerned that their children are missing out should try to let their kids have simple free playtime. Give them cardboard boxes, old blankets or other props and let them use their imaginations to create their own games. Parents should also encourage them to spend as much time as possible outdoors.

At That's Fit, we know that workplace wellness also involves your mental health. Check out our tips to stress less at the office.