Nilofer Merchant: Got a meeting? Take a walk

Summary

The speaker warns about the health risks of excessive sitting, likening it to the smoking of our generation. With prolonged sitting linked to various cancers, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes, the speaker shares a personal anecdote of how 'walking meetings' transformed their life, promoting physical activity and creative thinking. They advocate for reframing problems to see health and obligations as compatible, not opposing, and encourage adopting 'walk and talk' as a means to fresh thinking and sustainable living.

Takeaways

• 💺 Prolonged sitting is a modern health hazard, with people spending more time sitting than sleeping each day.
• 🚬 Sitting is likened to the 'smoking of our generation', highlighting its potential health risks.
• 🏃‍♂️ The speaker was motivated to change their lifestyle by a social interaction that involved walking.
• 📈 Sedentary behavior is linked to increased risks of various health issues, including cancers and type 2 diabetes.
• 🤝 The concept of 'walking meetings' was introduced as an alternative to traditional, sedentary meetings.
• 🚶‍♀️ The speaker adopted the idea of walking meetings and now walks 20 to 30 miles a week.
• 💡 Walking meetings can lead to 'out-of-the-box thinking', possibly due to the change of environment and physical activity.
• 🤔 The speaker reflects on the common belief that health and obligations are at odds, but finds a way to combine them.
• 🔄 The idea of reframing problems to see them as opportunities for both health and obligation fulfillment is presented.
• 🌿 Fresh air and physical activity can drive fresh thinking and lead to innovative ideas.
• 👣 The speaker encourages the audience to 'walk and talk', suggesting it as a sustainable and viable approach to problem-solving and life.

Q & A

What is the average daily sitting time mentioned in the script?

The script states that people nowadays sit for an average of 9.3 hours a day.

How does the sitting time compare to the average sleeping time?

The average sitting time of 9.3 hours a day is more than the average sleeping time, which is 7.7 hours.

Why is sitting referred to as 'the smoking of our generation' in the script?

Sitting is called 'the smoking of our generation' because it is incredibly prevalent and has significant health consequences, similar to how smoking was a widespread habit with severe health risks.

What are some health consequences mentioned in the script that are tied to a lack of physical activity?

Health consequences mentioned include a 10% increase in the risk of breast and colon cancer, a 6% increase in heart disease, and a 7% increase in type 2 diabetes.

What personal event in the speaker's life led to a change in their behavior regarding physical activity?

The speaker was invited to a meeting while the host was walking their dogs, which seemed odd at first but eventually led the speaker to adopt the idea of walking meetings.

How many miles does the speaker walk per week as part of their 'walking meetings'?

The speaker walks approximately 20 to 30 miles a week during their walking meetings.

What is the first benefit of walking meetings mentioned by the speaker?

The first benefit mentioned is that getting out of the traditional meeting environment leads to out-of-the-box thinking, possibly due to the influence of nature or the exercise itself.

What reflective insight does the speaker gain from their experience with walking meetings?

The speaker reflects on how problems are often held in opposition when they don't have to be, and suggests reframing problems to see both sides as true, which can lead to more effective solutions.

How does the speaker suggest we approach problem-solving in various fields such as governance, business, or environmental issues?

The speaker suggests reframing problems to consider both aspects as true, allowing for fresh thinking and sustainable solutions in areas like governance, business, environmental issues, and job creation.

What is the speaker's final recommendation based on their experience with walking meetings?

The speaker recommends walking and talking as a way to drive fresh thinking, suggesting that this approach can bring an entirely new set of ideas into one's life.

What does the phrase 'walk the talk' imply in the context of the speaker's message?

The phrase 'walk the talk' implies that taking action in line with one's beliefs or ideas, such as incorporating physical activity into daily life and meetings, can lead to positive changes and innovative thinking.

Outlines

00:00

💺 The Perils of Sedentary Lifestyle

The speaker, Joseph Geni, opens the talk by highlighting the dangers of excessive sitting, which is now more prevalent than sleeping, averaging 9.3 hours a day. He likens sitting to the new smoking, drawing attention to its health risks, including an increased likelihood of breast cancer, colon cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. The speaker's personal story of being invited to a 'walking meeting' serves as a catalyst for change, leading to a weekly routine of 20 to 30 miles of walking meetings. This experience has not only improved his health but also his approach to problem-solving, suggesting that combining physical activity with professional obligations can lead to innovative thinking and sustainable solutions.

Keywords

💡Sitting

Sitting is the act of resting one's weight on one's buttocks, typically while on a chair or similar seat. In the video, it is highlighted as a modern health hazard, with people spending more time sitting than sleeping. The script emphasizes the negative health consequences of excessive sitting, likening it to the smoking of previous generations.

💡Health consequences

Health consequences refer to the outcomes or effects on one's well-being that result from certain behaviors or conditions. The video discusses the serious health risks associated with prolonged sitting, such as increased chances of breast cancer, colon cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes, which are all linked to a lack of physical activity.

💡Physical activity

Physical activity is any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure. The script points out that a sedentary lifestyle, characterized by a lack of physical activity, contributes to various health issues, advocating for more movement as a solution.

💡Smoking

In the context of the video, smoking is used metaphorically to represent a widespread habit with severe health implications. The speaker compares the act of sitting to smoking, suggesting that it is as detrimental to health as smoking was in the past.

💡Social interaction

Social interaction refers to the process of communication between people, which can influence behavior and emotions. The video's speaker was motivated to change their habits by a social interaction where a meeting was held while walking dogs, which led to the adoption of walking meetings as a healthier alternative.

💡Walking meetings

Walking meetings are a form of meeting conducted while participants walk and talk, combining business discussions with physical exercise. The script describes the speaker's personal adoption of walking meetings as a way to integrate health and work, covering 20 to 30 miles a week.

💡Out-of-the-box thinking

Out-of-the-box thinking is a phrase used to describe creative or unconventional ideas that go beyond traditional ways of thinking. The video suggests that physical activity, such as walking, can stimulate such thinking, leading to innovative solutions in various fields.

💡Problem-solving

Problem-solving is the process of finding solutions to difficulties or challenges. The script implies that by reframing problems and considering multiple perspectives, individuals can more effectively address complex issues, such as governance, business, and environmental concerns.

💡Reframing

Reframing is the act of changing the conceptual or visual form of something. In the video, the speaker talks about reframing problems to see them as having both health and obligation aspects being true, which allows for more sustainable and viable solutions.

💡Fresh air

Fresh air refers to air that is clean, unpolluted, and often found in outdoor environments. The video suggests that being in an outdoor setting with fresh air can drive fresh thinking, leading to new ideas and perspectives.

💡Sustainability

Sustainability, in the context of the video, refers to the ability to maintain a practice or behavior over the long term without negative consequences. The speaker found that incorporating walking into their professional life made it a sustainable habit, improving both health and work productivity.

Highlights

Sitting is killing us more than cars or the Internet, with people sitting 9.3 hours a day compared to 7.7 hours of sleep.

Sitting has become the new smoking, with health consequences that are often overlooked.

Lack of physical activity is directly linked to an increased risk of breast cancer and colon cancer by 10% each.

Heart disease risk increases by 6% and type 2 diabetes risk by 7% due to prolonged sitting.

The speaker's father died of type 2 diabetes, a condition exacerbated by sitting.

A social interaction, a walk with a colleague, was the catalyst for the speaker to start moving more.

The concept of 'walking meetings' was introduced as an alternative to traditional, sedentary meetings.

The speaker now conducts 20 to 30 miles of walking meetings per week.

Walking meetings have led to out-of-the-box thinking and problem-solving.

The speaker discovered that health and obligations are not mutually exclusive but can coexist.

Reframing problems to include both health and obligations can lead to sustainable solutions.

The 'walk-and-talk' idea has made health and work obligations doable, sustainable, and viable.

Fresh air from walking meetings drives fresh thinking and brings new ideas into one's life.

The speaker concludes with the powerful message of 'walk and talk' as a means to improve health and innovation.

The applause signifies the audience's appreciation for the innovative approach to tackling the sedentary lifestyle.

Transcripts

Transcriber: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Morton Bast

What you're doing,

right now, at this very moment,

is killing you.

More than cars or the Internet

or even that little mobile device we keep talking about,

the technology you're using the most almost every day

is this, your tush.

Nowadays people are sitting 9.3 hours a day,

which is more than we're sleeping, at 7.7 hours.

Sitting is so incredibly prevalent,

we don't even question how much we're doing it,

and because everyone else is doing it,

it doesn't even occur to us that it's not okay.

In that way, sitting has become

the smoking of our generation.

Of course there's health consequences to this,

scary ones, besides the waist.

Things like breast cancer and colon cancer

are directly tied to our lack of physical [activity],

Ten percent in fact, on both of those.

Six percent for heart disease,

seven percent for type 2 diabetes,

which is what my father died of.

Now, any of those stats should convince each of us

to get off our duff more,

but if you're anything like me, it won't.

What did get me moving was a social interaction.

Someone invited me to a meeting,

but couldn't manage to fit me in

to a regular sort of conference room meeting, and said,

"I have to walk my dogs tomorrow. Could you come then?"

It seemed kind of odd to do,

and actually, that first meeting, I remember thinking,

"I have to be the one to ask the next question,"

because I knew I was going to huff and puff

during this conversation.

And yet, I've taken that idea and made it my own.

So instead of going to coffee meetings

or fluorescent-lit conference room meetings,

I ask people to go on a walking meeting,

to the tune of 20 to 30 miles a week.

It's changed my life.

But before that, what actually happened was,

I used to think about it as,

you could take care of your health,

or you could take care of obligations,

and one always came at the cost of the other.

So now, several hundred of these walking meetings later,

I've learned a few things.

First, there's this amazing thing

about actually getting out of the box

that leads to out-of-the-box thinking.

Whether it's nature or the exercise itself, it certainly works.

And second, and probably the more reflective one,

is just about how much each of us

can hold problems in opposition

when they're really not that way.

And if we're going to solve problems

and look at the world really differently,

whether it's in governance or business

or environmental issues, job creation,

maybe we can think about how to reframe those problems

as having both things be true.

Because it was when that happened

with this walk-and-talk idea

that things became doable and sustainable and viable.

So I started this talk talking about the tush,

so I'll end with the bottom line, which is,

walk and talk.

Walk the talk.

You'll be surprised at how fresh air drives fresh thinking,

and in the way that you do,

you'll bring into your life an entirely new set of ideas.

Thank you.

(Applause)