Recess at Work

This past week, a remarkable man was sworn in as Surgeon General of the United States: Dr. Vivek Murthy.  Vivek was a year ahead of me during my Internal Medicine residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and I remember him as an intelligent and accessible doctor, generous with his compassion and intellect.  With his assumption of his new role, the country gains an exemplary healthcare leader, one who has a chance of effectively promoting the prioritization of physical activity and its re-weaving into the essential fabric of our culture. 

Vivek knows first-hand the power of physical activity to effect change in people’s lives.  In his remarks, he cites participation in sports as the vehicle through which he “came out of his shell,” and connected with others as a shy, awkward child.  Clearly, this early positive influence of physical activity carried forward to his platform.  Active Living is one of his priorities, which he hopes to achieve through his initiative, Every Body Walk!

In his remarks on Wednesday detailing his vision for America, he stated:

“In the great American community, every man, woman and child can go for a walk, ride a bike, play sports and move in spaces that are safe. Later this year, I will issue a Surgeon General’s Call to Action laying out how city planners, employers and community leaders can ensure that the places where we live and work promote walking and physical activity while also leveling the playing field so that no one is left behind.

“The great American community is one in which our institutions of higher education are models for healthy living. I will join with students and college administrators to make sure that our campuses support healthy food options and physical activity.”

He went on to say:

“Combating misinformation, shifting to a culture of prevention and changing behaviors that are keeping us from our best health – these are the challenges that I want us to tackle.”

I want to tackle these challenges too, Vivek!  But our current culture is not a culture of prevention; it is a culture of reaction.  In spite of study after study touting the myriad benefits of as little as 30 minutes daily of moderate exercise, we have no provision in our work day for making sure people can fit this in.  Most of us have a lunch break, but where in the workday is a mandatory walk break or a run break, something I would argue is as essential to our health and well-being as our midday meal?  And how many times have many of us said, “I wanted to exercise, but I just didn’t have the time”?

What if we were to hearken back to our elementary school days, and implement Recess at Work?  What if we had 30-45 minutes every day, during peak daylight hours, mandated for physical activity?  We could troop outside, except in the most extreme of weather, swing on bars, run after and tag our colleagues, climb rocks and throw balls.  Free from the confines of the bland four walls and mechanized equipment of the gym, we wouldn’t be exercising to be “good,” we’d be blowing off steam, refreshing our minds and our bodies, and achieving that all-important calorie burn and unfettered movement that are so key to our health and well-being – and having fun, to boot! 

Returning to our workday (yes, with windblown hair and a little sweaty – but everyone would be in the same boat), we’d be ready to refocus and attend to the tasks at hand.  And who knows, we might even find ourselves spontaneously breaking into a run down the hall to the office copier...a culture of free movement reborn.