For too long, we have been taught a false myth: that the more time we spend glued to the computer, the more our output increases, and that leaving our workstation, even briefly, is an irresponsible act.
In 2025, we are witnessing a deep cultural revolution, and the Outdoor Active Break is part of this revolution. Workers’ health and well-being are finally at the center, thanks to advances in neuroscience that dismantle the myth of constant productivity.
What is an active break?
An active break is a dynamic break where physical activity is included in the work routine, bringing multiple benefits. According to a study, 15 minutes of physical activity a day are enough to positively impact workers’ mental well-being, productivity, and concentration.
This is not a waste of time, but an investment in personal well-being that expands to benefit the entire team and the company.
In WildSteps’ vision, an active break is also outdoor! Leaving the workplace helps you fully disconnect. A new surrounding environment, besides helping you switch off, becomes a stimulus and a resource for creativity.
The essential data that push us to act
For us at WildSteps, the outdoor active break is a strategy to bring well-being and creativity to the team. This choice is based on studies that aim to identify and address the needs and challenges of today’s workers.
Stress and mental health emergency: according to Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workplace report, employee stress has reached very high levels: 44% of global employees are stressed, and in Italy the percentage rises to 46%. Scientific evidence leads us to conclude that daily exposure to nature is not just a relief, but a form of therapy that reduces cortisol levels, the biomarker of stress. At the same time, 15–20 minutes of sun exposure a day are enough to help the body produce the vitamin D needed to strengthen bones.
- Engagement and productivity crisis: Italy ranks last in Europe for engagement, with only 5% (4.79%, to be exact)of employees engaged. (4.79%, to be exact) of employees engaged. Disengagement, or “quiet quitting,” reaches 95% in Italy. We recognize that engagement affects employee stress 3.8 times more than the workplace itself. Going outside and moving is an action that reconnects and motivates, and this is also reflected in productivity: studies show that creativity improves by 60% when walking outdoors compared to remaining seated.
Investing in the Outdoor Active Break is not just a benefit; it is the necessary action to transform these statistics.
Our approach: acting to transform
The Active Break is not a theory to preach, but a lived truth.
It is an integral part of our work routine as a team, and we experience its regenerative benefits firsthand every day. Regeneration begins one step at a time, and the best thing is to start from your own routine.
In our experience, active breaks are often collective: transforming your lifestyle through movement is easier when you do it together.
In our daily work, we encourage each other to go outside and stay in motion, for example by walking a few minutes to have lunch outdoors, and by promoting walking meetings whenever possible.
Two examples taken directly from our team experience:
Team swim: in September, part of the team joined this internal initiative, taking advantage of our office’s proximity to the sea. Throughout the month, during lunch breaks, we swam: a motivating experience that strengthened team spirit and recharged our energy through mutual support.
Outdoor meeting: another activity we care deeply about, which goes beyond 15 minutes, is our monthly meeting in nature. Every month, we choose an outdoor location for our meeting. Nature releases tension, generates fresh ideas, and brings mental clarity. Often, personal needs, when brought into a collective and planned group dynamic, find an even more powerful response.
Your daily revolution, one small step at a time
Often, personal needs, when brought into a collective and planned group dynamic, find an even more powerful response. Start with your team by simply stepping outside your office door, whether it is near a small park, a sidewalk, or the sea.
Transform your break and involve your team with these three active break ideas:
Walking Break: Take a brisk 15-minute walk outside the office with a colleague. This practice can also be used to turn meetings into walking meetings, a new way to discuss and stimulate creativity.
Outdoor stretching: Find a sunny spot or a tree and spend 15 minutes stretching the parts of the body that feel stiff — neck, shoulders, back — to break unhealthy postural patterns.
Wild detail hunt: Spend 10 minutes on a slow, silent walk, challenging yourselves to find three natural elements you had not noticed before, such as a particular flower, an insect, or the color of a leaf. This exercise activates attention and the ability to feel wonder and discover new things.
Would you like to discover how to help your team regain well-being by connecting with nature?
Discover our programs, designed to last over time and guide you step by step.