If everyone isn’t yoga-ing or hiking, you’re doing meetings wrong

More active meetings could help make employees happier and more creative. Meet the startups that are making running meetings look sedentary.

the Ancient Romans believed that a healthy mind depended on a healthy body. Fast forward 2 000 years, and science supports this wisdom. Exercise helps us be more productive and make better decisions because it boosts our memory, focus and mood. Even walking can be effective – recent research by Stanford University suggests that we’re 60% more creative when we’re on the move.

Entrepreneurs now hope that these findings can help to bootstrap their fledgling businesses. An approach that was immortalised by Michael J Fox’s 1987 film The Secret of My Success, it’s becoming a trend at small and large companies alike. Google’s new London headquarters is set to have a rooftop running track and 25m swimming pool, and Reebok’s office in Boston has a boxing ring and a spin studio. Adobe Systems runs a whole series of networking events anchored around cycle rides. And at dog food startup Pooch & Mutt, the team takes regular screen breaks to do as many star jumps, planks or tricep dips as they can in a minute. Increasingly, stand-up meetings are out, in favour of walking or running appointments.

‘A sudden rush of endorphins [released during exercise] is going to make your stress threshold higher,’ says business psychologist Rob

Stewart. The reason humans get stressed is because the front part of the brain (the prefrontal cortex) becomes hyperactive, generating multiple possible scenarios, which cause more tension. When we exercise, that part of the brain calms down because its attention is elsewhere. ‘You’re going to be more aware of your muscles moving, you’re much more in touch with your senses, the smells, sights around you and what you hear.

‘If we want people to be happy and engaged and work hard, be focused, creative and innovative, we actually have to provide them with the means to do that,’ Stewart says.

Peter Brown, chief executive of advertising agency Prophecy

Unlimited, started running with clients in Bristol a year ago. ‘It’s not for every client,’ he says. ‘But when we run, we’ll talk about things we wouldn’t talk about face to face. It’s a different dynamic … there’s less pressure.’

At the fintech company Oradian in Zagreb, Croatia, all one-to-one reviews happen while walking through the city. Management meetings take place while hiking in nearby Mount Medvednica, and team members often arrange to walk, bike or run together at lunchtime or over the weekend. Mihaela Smadilo, head of talent and culture, says taking work discussions outside of the boardroom has really helped. ‘You’re more direct, more genuine, more human almost,’ she says. ‘Three hours walking in a forest on a brainstorming session really changes your perspective and brings more passion. That’s how people feel more engaged and happy in a job, even if it’s a tough day.’ She recommends others give it a try.

‘Just start and do it when it seems appropriate. You’ll find more and more occasions when it is.’

Paying for personal trainer sessions during the work day for each employee may not be in every entrepreneur’s budget. But Tim Fung, the co-founder and chief executive of the Australian outsourcing marketplace startup Airtasker, says it’s brought the team at the company’s Sydney headquarters closer together.

‘We have seen more team spirit and energy, and the scheme has had a tangible effect on morale,’ he says. ‘My employees return from a session refreshed and better focused on their job. I’m a firm believer time lost on exercise is made back and more in terms of improved productivity.’