When someone asked me recently how I run 50 miles in the mountains, I gave them a straight answer.  I don’t.  Well, not exactly. The reality is I don’t run 50 miles straight.  I have to take breaks.

Talk to most Ultra Marathoners (runners going beyond the 26.2 miles of a marathon), and they’ll tell you the same thing – even the elite ultra-runners  walk a little, drink some water, change shoes, use the facilities, even nap, and their day is often 15-30 hours!

The point is you have to take a break.  When training for a race, which can take months, I take breaks - allowing my mind and body to take a rest.

The same goes for my work schedule.   Here are a few activities I do when needing to take a break during the workday:

• Take a walk
• Read a good article
• Stretch
• Eat a healthy lunch away from my desk

The bottom line is we are not built to do continuous activity without hitting the reset button.

This blog by Ron Friedman at the Harvard Business Review provides some good insight into the importance of integrating 15-Minute breaks into your work day.

http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/08/schedule-a-15-minute-break-before-you-burn-out/