When we heard a staggering one in five of us never takes a lunch break and over a quarter of workers feel their employer actively discourages them from leaving their desk at lunch, we knew something needed to be done.
Why? Because eating al desko, never getting outside and sitting in the same position for hours on end raises our risk of back pain, weight gain, heart disease, stroke, depression and denies us the essential vitamin D we need to be healthy! Not to mention the wellbeing benefits - a lunch break gives you and your coworkers an opportunity to connect away from work and vent office frustrations, plus it gives you extra time in the day to take care of personal errands or try new things, like that Zumba class you've been eyeing.
We think that's more than enough reasons to ditch your desk, and that's why we launched our Reclaim your lunch break campaign. We want you to do something healthier and more inspiring for an hour in the middle of the day... you deserve it!
So, what can you do?
If you want to burn a few calories, go for a runch (that's a run at lunch) with our motivating tips, try a gym class or the latest fitness trend, Lunch beat, where you dance for an hour, hit the gym with our ultimate lunchtime workout, or even just go for a walk!
And if you're worried you'll get back to your desk looking like a red, sweaty mess, read our tips for how to look good after your workout
If you're a foodie, you can learn to cook, cook up a storm on an express cookery course, or enjoy the trendiest vegetarian eatery in London like we did here at Zest HQ, try a different or be inspired to try new nosh by our editor Mandie's lunches.
You can even feed your mind on a lunctime lecture or one of our weekly expert clinics
The possibilities are endless!
Need help convincing your boss? Read our tips from Zest's resident psychologist Emma Kenny for managing office politics so you can take your well-deserved break, hassle-free.
And when you do ditch your desk, tweet at us (@ZESTmagazine) to tell us what you're doing using the hash tag #reclaimyourlunchbreak!
