Promote Walking Meetings and Active Breaks

What’s involved?

1. Make walking meetings routine
   • Encourage small groups to try walking meetings when it feels appropriate.
   • Make it easy by sharing a few indoor or outdoor walking route options.
   • Keep pace and distance comfortable so everyone can participate with ease.
   • For virtual teams, encourage walk-and-talk meetings.
2. Build short active breaks into the day
   • Add brief stretch or mobility breaks to meetings or work periods longer than 60 minutes.
   • Encourage quick one-to two-minute movement breaks between tasks.
   • Include gentle movement prompts in meeting agendas or shared calendars.
   • Help normalize standing or stretching during meetings. Invite people to stand, include short stretch breaks or model it.
3. Create a supportive culture
   • Encourage leaders and supervisors to model walking meetings and movement breaks.
   • Help make movement a normal and supported part of the day.
   • Talk about the benefits of short movement breaks in team meetings or communications. Share simple messages showing how brief movement can improve focus and productivity.
4. Ensure inclusivity and choice
   • Offer both seated and standing options for team meetings.
   • Let employees choose whether to participate in walking meetings based on comfort, mobility or weather.
   • Emphasize that movement choices are flexible and personal, there is no one “right” way to be active.
5. Provide simple and helpful tools
   • Share easy to follow stretch cards, short videos or one-minute movement break ideas.
   • Add reminders in calendars, meeting agendas or common areas to encourage movement.
   • Offer key messages with the benefits of moving more and sitting less for leaders to promote walking meetings or active breaks.
   • Share route maps or visual prompts in common areas to inspire movement throughout the day.

Spread the word

• Share national guidance: Reinforce that the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines recommend breaking up long periods of sitting.
• Explain the workplace benefits: Share simple messages about how short movement breaks can improve focus, energy and comfort during the workday.
• Celebrate participation: Highlight stories or photos (with permission) of teams incorporating walking meetings or regular stretch breaks.

Amplify your impact

Pair this action with Create a Workplace Commitment to Movement to ensure walking meetings and active breaks are supported by clear organizational messaging.

Track progress

Use the questions and indicators below to see how your efforts are working and identify opportunities to improve.

*For additional support tracking your progress, refer to the Healthier Together Workplaces Action and Evaluation Planning Facilitator’s Guide.