The Frequency

I run a telehealth mental health practice, so our team is literally sitting all day doing back-to-back virtual sessions. About a year ago, I started blocking 10-minute “movement windows” between every third client slot across all therapist schedules–not optional breaks, but protected time where the expectation is you move your body.

What made it stick was making it weird on purpose. I sent everyone resistance bands, and we started a Slack channel where therapists post photos of the strangest places they’ve done stretches between sessions–one of our clinicians sent a picture doing lunges in her closet during a snack break. The competition and humor kept it from feeling like another wellness mandate that everyone ignores.

Our clinical quality actually improved because therapists weren’t hitting that 2pm brain fog wall anymore. Burnout scores on our internal check-ins dropped, and we retained two therapists who’d been considering cutting their caseload due to physical exhaustion from sitting. When your work is absorbing others’ emotional weight all day, even 10 minutes of jumping jacks makes you a better clinician for the next person.

I’ve always kept a 16,000 step target, even on office days. To hit it, I started breaking my day into small walks inside the campus and I stopped using the elevator. Stairs became my quick cardio. My workouts are mostly done early morning, so I wasn’t asking anyone to do burpees at 3 pm. I just wanted movement to look normal.

Once people saw I could walk, lead the team, finish the hard tasks first, and still not miss a single meeting, they stopped thinking of movement as “time off.” We turned it into a short 3 pm movement break where one person picked the activity: walk, stretch, or stair loop. Because the most accountable person in the room was doing it, people joined in. During WFH I even shifted my gym session to lunch so I could work on my business in the morning, and no one noticed because deadlines were hit. The real takeaway is simple: when the person who ships work on time moves, the rest of the team feels they’re allowed to move too.

One of the most effective ways we’ve incorporated physical activity into our workday is through walking meetings, which allow team members to step outside and engage with nature while handling business matters. Walking meetings serve a dual purpose – they provide light physical activity and a change of scenery that helps spark creativity and fresh thinking. This approach has become particularly valuable for brainstorming sessions and one-on-one discussions where movement seems to naturally enhance the quality of conversation. The informal setting has helped break down hierarchical barriers, resulting in more open communication and collaborative problem-solving among our teams.

I turned our lunch breaks into mini fitness challenges. Nothing crazy, just ten-minute bursts where we use what is around us: lifting bundles of shingles, racing ladders, or timed plank holds on the flatbed trailer. I call it “Roof Camp.” It started as a joke, but within two weeks, the guys were keeping score and timing each other with their phones. It added a bit of friendly competition, gave everyone a mid-day energy kick, and honestly, it made the afternoons smoother. Productivity jumped roughly 15 percent that month because people came back recharged instead of sluggish.

At our company, I found that implementing daily walks without technology has been the most effective way to incorporate physical activity into our workday. I personally committed to these walks as a mental reset during emotionally intense periods while building our startup, and later encouraged our team to adopt this practice. We designated specific times for these walks, treating movement as a scheduled, non-negotiable part of the day, similar to any important meeting. This approach has helped prevent burnout across our organization, allowing team members to step away from screens and reset mentally. While initially some team members viewed this as taking time away from “real work,” many have since reported increased productivity and clearer thinking after returning from their walks.

The most creative thing we did was install a “Focus Loop”, a good old-fashioned half mile winding path that just happens to have some Wi-Fi and power outlets snuck in amongst the green space in our office park. We turned it into a real office staple by actively encouraging our developers and project managers to take their calls, review some code, or just get together and brainstorm while strolling the loop, instead of being stuck at their desks all day long.

Employees initially found it a little strange, but the response became fantastic. It really broke up the long seated periods and triggered far more creative problem-solving than sitting in a meeting room. It’s now the default spot for quick, productive one-on-one check-ins.

I could tell you to just put movement on the team calendar like it’s a meeting (but a good one!). Three-minute “speed challenges” every 90 minutes. Wall sits. Plank holds. Desk chair relays. You put it on a shared calendar with 15 seconds’ warning. The winner gets the honor of telling people at the meeting they came in second or something equally as absurd like a $5.00 trophy. Honestly, these 30-second microbursts energize people in ways a solo lunch at your desk cannot. It’s random, effortless, and let’s be honest…addictive.

Here’s the trick: your team will not rebel against moving when it becomes part of the culture as opposed to being a mandate. Once it’s woven into the fabric of your team, no one is going to want to opt out (even the introverts). And the funny part is that productivity tends to spike after these breaks, because dopamine does what deadlines can’t.

We introduced adjustable standing desks to encourage movement and break up long periods of sitting. What started as a small ergonomic upgrade evolved into a subtle culture shift—people began alternating between sitting and standing meetings, stretching during calls, and even walking in place while reviewing documents. It added a layer of energy and focus to the office without disrupting workflow. Employees appreciated the flexibility and autonomy, noting less fatigue and a noticeable boost in engagement throughout the day.

We launched a “bike-commuter bonus” at Axion, where employees who cycle to work three or more times a week are eligible for extra annual leave hours. Cycling UK’s “Cycle to Work” (https://www.cyclinguk.org/article/guide-cycle-work-scheme-employers?) scheme shows how many UK firms already do this via tax-efficient salary sacrifice.

Employees love the scheme, and since we introduced the bonus, our bike-in numbers have doubled and parking space demand has dropped. It’s practical, eco-friendly, and the cycling commuters have reported fewer afternoon slumps.

Bringing ankle weights to work! As a cardiologist, I am so busy seeing patients that in between I can do donkey kickbacks a few times, seated leg raises, or simply walk with them on. This helps me tone while continuing my daily patient load.