One in 13 office staff in the UK are using their lunch breaks to fit in exercise and go for a run, it has emerged.
The average lunch time jogger undertakes the practice three times a week and will travel a distance of 468 miles in a year, reports the Daily Mail.
Further to this, many staff head to the gym for an hour with a total of one in five employees doing so to improve their health and fitness levels, a survey by Helly Hansen found.
Another popular activity to schedule into the working day is swimming, which helps to maintain a healthy lifestyle in what can often be sedentary jobs.
The findings are welcome since recent studies have suggested many office staff turn to snacking on chocolate and crisps in order to overcome boredom at work.
On top of this there has been evidence showing that many staff simply forget to stand up from their desks and walk around, meaning exercise during lunch breaks should be encouraged.
A spokesperson for Helly Hansen told the news provider: “Hectic lifestyles or feeling too worn out at the end of an arduous day in the office means the only real option is to incorporate exercise into the day.”
Those who exercise in the middle of the day often come back to work with added enthusiasm the study also found, with staff more invigorated after a workout.
Healthier staff is good for battling illness and for better morale so workplaces should encourage anyone wishing to use their lunch break in this way.
Offices which make provision for healthy employees, such as showers, should be commended as being hot and sweaty at work can be the difference between going for a run and not.
The spokesperson said: “In the current economic client, we have seen a trend of people swapping their expensive gym memberships in favour of outdoor activity, so it’s great to see that so many people are still determined to dedicate time to their physical wellbeing.”
