The Benefits of a Lunch Hour Walk • Hacker News Board

Re: The Benefits of a Lunch Hour Walk

#21

Post by megablast » Thu, Jan 22, 2015, 4:39 AM UTC

walkamages wrote: post #7

I was just remarking to a colleague today how beneficial a lunchtime walk really is. The walk provided: 1. Fresh air 2. Exercise 3. A chance for the eyes to change focal range from the fixed distance of the shitty monitors work provides. 4. A chance to take a brief phone call from a recruitment agent to discuss a better job 5. A chance meeting of an old colleague I had not seen for nearly twenty years as he also took…

Depends where you are. If you are outside a big city in the US, then you can't even walk anywhere unless you like walking on roads and highways.

Re: The Benefits of a Lunch Hour Walk

#22

Post by noahdesu » Thu, Jan 22, 2015, 5:04 AM UTC

At IBM Almaden in San Jose it seems like just about everyone walks all the way around the campus (~20 minutes) everyday after lunch. Apparently that is a thing that's been going on there for a very long time. After I left Almaden I went to HGST and they did the same thing. It turns out the HGST group I was in sprung out in some way from Almaden :)

Re: The Benefits of a Lunch Hour Walk

#23

Post by mr_weissbacher » Thu, Jan 22, 2015, 5:24 AM UTC

That moment when your brief jaunt outside the office becomes a one hour walk :)

Re: The Benefits of a Lunch Hour Walk

#24

Post by vishnugupta » Thu, Jan 22, 2015, 7:52 AM UTC

I purposefully go out for lunch, despite office providing for lunch, exactly for this. I have to walk and catch a breath of fresh air around lunch time :-). Speaking of which I'm heading out for lunch!

Re: The Benefits of a Lunch Hour Walk

#25

Post by japhyr » Thu, Jan 22, 2015, 8:22 AM UTC

grecy wrote: post #18

I live fairly far North (above 60deg.) so getting outside while the sun is up during the winter is hugely important. I take a walk at lunch every day, even when it's -40. Getting sun on your face changes everything.

Where are you? I'm at 57deg north, and I totally agree that getting outside is important when you go to work in the dark and come home in the dark.

Re: The Benefits of a Lunch Hour Walk

#26

Post by brianmcc » Thu, Jan 22, 2015, 9:23 AM UTC

megablast wrote: post #21

walkamages wrote: post #7

I was just remarking to a colleague today how beneficial a lunchtime walk really is. The walk provided: 1. Fresh air 2. Exercise 3. A chance for the eyes to change focal range from the fixed distance of the shitty monitors work provides. 4. A chance to take a brief phone call from a recruitment agent to discuss a better job 5. A chance meeting of an old colleague I had not seen for nearly twenty years as he also took…

Depends where you are. If you are outside a big city in the US, then you can't even walk anywhere unless you like walking on roads and highways.

Seems more a downside of some locations, than of lunchtime walking per se?

Re: The Benefits of a Lunch Hour Walk

#27

Post by paulojreis » Thu, Jan 22, 2015, 9:23 AM UTC

Gustomaximus wrote: post #3

Shifting the topic slightly, but I've trying to encourage colleges to do walk-and-talk meetings when your not really going to be using a computer/AV equipment (and it's only one or 2 of you). I cant seem to get traction. It seems people are just so used to going to a room and sitting there it seems to foreign to do otherwise but I think it would be a good culture shift if we could do this more.

Well, I can't even encourage people on my team to simply take the stairs for meetings in other floors. Go figure. :) I'm under the impression that this is something very hard to evangelize at work; many people don't care or don't want to think about sedentarism.

Re: The Benefits of a Lunch Hour Walk

#28

Post by walterbell » Thu, Jan 22, 2015, 9:34 AM UTC

tomsthumb wrote: post #5

Gustomaximus wrote: post #3

Shifting the topic slightly, but I've trying to encourage colleges to do walk-and-talk meetings when your not really going to be using a computer/AV equipment (and it's only one or 2 of you). I cant seem to get traction. It seems people are just so used to going to a room and sitting there it seems to foreign to do otherwise but I think it would be a good culture shift if we could do this more.

Walking and talking is nice because it actually seems like the conversation moves figuratively to match the literal movement of the walk. My conversations are less likely to get stuck at an impasse or wallow in minutiae. While walking and talking on the street or sidewalk conversational "goals" or "points" seem to be met or solidify at major landmarks. This is in no way quantified, but just something that seems to ha…

Do the walks/talks always follow the same route and physical milestones?

Re: The Benefits of a Lunch Hour Walk

#29

Post by reitanqild » Thu, Jan 22, 2015, 9:38 AM UTC

mathattack wrote: post #4

Gustomaximus wrote: post #3

Shifting the topic slightly, but I've trying to encourage colleges to do walk-and-talk meetings when your not really going to be using a computer/AV equipment (and it's only one or 2 of you). I cant seem to get traction. It seems people are just so used to going to a room and sitting there it seems to foreign to do otherwise but I think it would be a good culture shift if we could do this more.

I like these when there aren't To Dos to write down. :-)

And the purpose of the downvotes were?

Correction for using a smiley? (I wouldn't used one here but come on, this isn't stackoverflow.)

Misunderstanding the post like I did on first reading? (try: "I like these as long as there aren't To Dos to write down." which is a relevant point where the parent just mentioned the lack of A/V equipment.)

Re: The Benefits of a Lunch Hour Walk

#30

Post by awjr » Thu, Jan 22, 2015, 10:55 AM UTC

I think a lot of this comes down to where a business is located. I've worked on Business parks where the developers of the park have included ponds/lakes and footpaths to enable good circular routes and great places to get out and just sit and talk. The culture at that place was going for a walk at lunchtime. Almost too insistent that you went.

Others business parks have maximised commercial space and people pretty much sit at their desks eating at lunchtime as there is a feeling of nowhere nice to walk to.