I Would Walk 500 Miles

“The Way We’ve Always Done Things” is not a good enough reason, for me, to mindlessly continue to do something a certain way.  Call me radical, but I think innovation can be a good thing.  Take, for example, healthcare.  There are any number of ways for an employer to lower their healthcare costs.  They can pass more of the cost onto their employees, or perhaps offer less coverage.  Or, they can innovate.  They can try various ways to encourage their employees to adopt healthier tendencies and consume less healthcare.  I used to work at a place that had a gym in the basement, and employees were encouraged to use it, at no cost to them, during lunch or before/after work.  It wasn’t fancy, but it was free and easily accessible, and as a result it was always packed.  There were locker rooms with cubbies and showers and an area for getting ready, and many people commuted on their bikes and then used the locker room to get dressed for work.  Healthcare costs went down, and transportation and parking headaches were alleviated as well.

I recently read this WSJ article about an executive at Pandora who makes it a point to work fitness into his daily routine in the office.  I really admire that, and the realization that not everyone does their best work trapped at a desk in an office building all day.   I know that’s been the model for the last 50 years or so, but I feel/hope that times are changing.  Meeting in a conference room may not foster as much creativity as talking at a coffee shop or in the park.  I think walking meetings and standing desks shouldn’t be the outlier, something that one random fit guy does, but rather something that’s an option to everyone, without making them feel weird for asking.

I know there are a lot of people for whom the traditional model really works, and I say more power to them. I also know that for me, getting outside and walking around during my lunch hour really clears my head.  It makes me feel much more energetic and ready to tackle the second part of my day.  I’m usually super productive in the afternoon because of this break.  I feel kinda weird, though, walking back into work a little sweaty or out of breath, and sometimes I forgo that walk so that I’m not the fit weirdo.  I wish it wasn’t that way, and I know that I’m probably internalizing this too much and responding to reactions that aren’t there. Still, I wish everyone knew what it was like to get an incredible high from a workout, or from spending some time outdoors, and even more I wish I had a way to make that happen, not just on the weekend but every single day.