The Lunchtime Walk: What Does The Science Say?

Harrison Armitage
May 6
5 min read

In a world of continuous hustle and business, workdays can easily blur into evenings, and movement often takes a backseat. The humble lunchtime walk has emerged as a deceptively powerful antidote. It’s simple, accessible, and refreshingly low-tech; walking during your lunch break offers more than a break from your desk, it offers real, measurable benefits for the body and mind. But what does the science say?

Midday Movement: Why the Timing Matters

The midday window, often perceived as a productivity dip, is an ideal moment to recalibrate your energy and focus. Studies have shown that walking in the middle of the day, especially outdoors, can significantly enhance mood and reduce fatigue.

A randomised controlled trial by Thøgersen-Ntoumani et al. (2015) found that participants who engaged in lunchtime walks reported notable improvements in enthusiasm, relaxation, and nervousness across a ten-week intervention. Importantly, these effects were observed even with relatively short bouts of walking.

Lunchtime walks also provide a critical break in sedentary behaviour, which, according to epidemiological data, is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and premature mortality (Biswas et al., 2015). Breaking up extended periods of sitting with a 20 to 30 minute walk can positively impact metabolic markers such as blood glucose regulation and lipid profiles (Dempsey et al., 2016).

Walking and Cognitive Function

Walking, particularly when done at a moderate intensity, has been found to enhance cognitive flexibility, working memory, and executive function. A study by Oppezzo and Schwartz (2014) demonstrated that participants who walked, whether indoors on a treadmill or outdoors, produced significantly more creative responses in problem-solving tasks than those who remained seated.

This finding has profound implications for workplace productivity. By walking during a lunch break, individuals may return to their desks not just refreshed, but mentally sharper and more capable of innovative thinking.

Walking and Cardiovascular Health

From a sports science and physiology standpoint, walking is an aerobic activity that stimulates the cardiovascular system. Regular walking improves VO₂ max (a measure of cardiorespiratory fitness), lowers resting heart rate, and reduces systolic blood pressure (Murtagh et al., 2015). Though not as intense as running or cycling, consistent walking elicits adaptations in the cardiovascular system, particularly when performed regularly and briskly.

Furthermore, walking improves endothelial function, the capacity of blood vessels to dilate. which is a key early marker of cardiovascular health. A 2010 study in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology showed that short bouts of walking after prolonged sitting restored endothelial function in the legs (Restaino et al., 2015).

Musculoskeletal Benefits

Walking also plays a protective role in musculoskeletal health. Weight-bearing, rhythmic movements stimulate bone remodelling and strengthen connective tissue, particularly in the hips, knees, and spine (Martyn-St James & Carroll, 2008).

\For individuals who may not have the capacity or interest to engage in more intense exercise, walking offers a low-barrier entry into joint-friendly movement that still yields structural benefits.

From a neuromuscular perspective, walking also helps to maintain a stable posture and coordination, particularly when navigating uneven surfaces. This functional resilience is crucial across our lives, especially beneficial to older populations where the risk of falls and sarcopenia increases.

Mental Health Connection

The mental health benefits of walking are increasingly well-documented. Regular walking has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, likely through the modulation of stress hormones and increased endorphin production (Robertson et al., 2012). Lunchtime walking may serve as a powerful behavioural intervention to counteract workplace stress and boost mental resilience.

Furthermore, walking in green spaces, even briefly, has been linked with reduced rumination and improved mental well-being. Bratman et al. (2015) found that participants who walked for 90 minutes in nature had reduced neural activity in areas associated with mental illness compared to those who walked in urban settings.

Walking: A Daily Prescription

For those in the workplace or working from home, integrating a 20 to 30 minute walk into the middle of the day can serve as a powerful, multidimensional intervention. It promotes cardiovascular health, strengthens muscles and bones, supports mental clarity, and lifts mood, all without the need for special equipment or gym memberships.

Walking may be underestimated, but it is not underpowered. As a form of accessible, evidence-based movement, the lunchtime walk deserves a place not only in your schedule but in your self-care toolkit.

What do we do at Five?

"Walking has become a non-negotiable for me. I find a notable improvement in focus and alertness compared to when I do not walk in the middle of the day. I specifically prioritise walking to alleviate tightness in my knees from extended periods of being seated. I feel much looser come the end of the day if I have completed a walk at lunch" - Harrison.

References

Biswas, A., Oh, P. I., Faulkner, G. E., Bajaj, R. R., Silver, M. A., Mitchell, M. S., & Alter, D. A. (2015). Sedentary time and its association with risk for disease incidence, mortality, and hospitalization in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Annals of Internal Medicine, 162(2), 123–132. https://doi.org/10.7326/M14-1651
Bratman, G. N., Hamilton, J. P., Hahn, K. S., Daily, G. C., & Gross, J. J. (2015). Nature experience reduces rumination and subgenual prefrontal cortex activation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(28), 8567–8572. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1510459112
Dempsey, P. C., Larsen, R. N., Sethi, P., Sacre, J. W., Straznicky, N. E., Cohen, N. D., ... & Dunstan, D. W. (2016). Benefits for type 2 diabetes of interrupting prolonged sitting with brief bouts of light walking or simple resistance activities. Diabetes Care, 39(6), 964–972. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc15-2346
Martyn-St James, M., & Carroll, S. (2008). Meta-analysis of walking for preservation of bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. Bone, 43(3), 521–531. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bone.2008.05.012
Murtagh, E. M., Nichols, L., Mohammed, M. A., Holder, R., Nevill, A. M., & Murphy, M. H. (2015). The effect of walking on risk factors for cardiovascular disease: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized control trials. Preventive Medicine, 72, 34–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.12.041
Oppezzo, M., & Schwartz, D. L. (2014). Give your ideas some legs: The positive effect of walking on creative thinking. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 40(4), 1142–1152. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0036577
Restaino, R. M., Holwerda, S. W., Credeur, D. P., Fadel, P. J., & Padilla, J. (2015). Impact of prolonged sitting on lower and upper limb micro- and macrovascular dilator function. American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology, 310(5), H648–H656. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00978.2015
Robertson, R., Robertson, A., Jepson, R., & Maxwell, M. (2012). Walking for depression or depressive symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 5(1), 66–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhpa.2012.03.002
Thøgersen-Ntoumani, C., Loughren, E. A., Duda, J. L., & Chatzisarantis, N. L. (2015). A diary study of the effects of physical activity on mental health during lunch breaks. British Journal of Health Psychology, 20(3), 764–781. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjhp.12129