Event Energy Boosters
Fitness Breaks Recharge the Body and Mind
By Kim Bercovitz, Ph.D.
Attendees at learning events commonly experience sitting fatigue and learning fatigue.
Inactivity at a typical conference or full-day meeting puts brains and bodies in a state of
sluggishness. Muscles stiffen, posture becomes slouched, and energy and alertness
levels plummet as the day wears on. Energy boosters that re-charge the body and mind
as well as enhance concentration and information retention are needed.
Traditionally, many meeting professionals use coffee breaks as “energy boosters” that
break up the event day. Coffee and soft drinks are often accompanied by high
carbohydrate and sugary snacks such as cookies and pastries. They don’t offer the lasting
“pick-me-up” needed mid-morning and mid-afternoon. While coffee and snacks may be
energizing for a short while, people end up feeling more fatigued once the caffeine and
sugar high wear off. Coffee break induced fatigue can be counterproductive to learning.
Light exercise, on the other hand, increases blood flow, pumping oxygen to the brain,
which keeps attendees awake and alert for extended periods of time. Fitness breaks
(delivered in-person or by video) at conferences are a novel concept. While initially met
with intrigue and surprise, they are very well received, particularly when they are brief,
sweat-free and able to be done in business attire and at participants’ seats. A room full of
people talking, laughing, smiling, building camaraderie, stretching together, and
applauding at the end of the breaks are typical responses. Participants espouse fitness
breaks as a “needed break” and social icebreaker, and they feel great afterwards.
Here are some tips for successfully integrating fitness breaks in your meetings and
conferences:
Introduce exercising with enthusiasm
Moderators or session chairs need to introduce the fitness break enthusiastically to put
participants in the right frame of mind to exercise. The energy exhibited by the session
chair when introducing the fitness break will motivate the attendees to stand up and
participate (and not leave the room). We recommend that session chairs be briefed in
advance of the conference about how to introduce the fitness breaks to session attendees.
A good practice is to send copies of an introductory preamble in advance of the
conference to the session chair.
Become a Conference “Coach”
Behind every successful program is a coach to support, encourage and cheer people on.
Conference coaches can be moderators, session chairs, panelists or conference speakers,
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conference planners, volunteers, students or attendees who have a visible presence in the
main room where the fitness breaks are done or in each of the concurrent session rooms.
Some fun things that coaches can do are to stretch and exercise with event participants
and cheer them along.
Best fitness break times and locations
The best times to schedule fitness breaks are as follows:

Mid-morning and mid-afternoon when people become naturally sleepy as the day
wears on. After lunch is especially tiresome for participants whose energy drops after
a big meal

Before or after the keynote/plenary and in large rooms when all participants are
present and feeding off the group energy in the room

Before sessions, when attendees are in their seats waiting for the speaker to begin the
session. Speakers often need to “buy” time as they are busy arranging their slides and
fine-tuning technical/AV details pertaining to their presentation.

Mid-Session as a spontaneous energy booster to surprise participants when their
energy and alertness levels are low
The most inopportune times for fitness breaks are early morning or at the end of the
conference day.
While fitness energy boosters can be easily included as part of a refreshment break or in a
breakout room, it’s primary and most successful use is in the conference meeting room at
participants’ seats. When done during refreshment breaks, participants are more
interested in checking their smartphones, going to the restroom, grabbing a coffee or
networking. Fitness breaks that get everyone up and moving at their seats - before,
during or immediately after the sessions – provide a healthy and memorable conference
experience for all attendees.
Yes But ….. Overcoming Roadblocks
Here are some ways to help planners overcome anticipated roadblocks and re-energize
attendees with fitness as energy boosters.
“I have no time for fitness breaks. My event is jam-packed with sessions.”
Tightly scheduled learning events can actually be counterproductive to learning.
Attendees are at risk for experiencing “information overload.” Brief fitness breaks
provide a needed energy booster that can be easily inserted into the program to keep
participants entertained and to re-charge their bodies and minds.
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“There’s no space for a fitness break.”
Fitness breaks can be done at participants’ seats in the meeting room. In settings
where space between or in front of the chairs is tight, participants naturally adapt by
not lifting their arms or legs as high, turning their bodies, or shifting their chairs.
“We’re Planners. We shouldn’t need to fill program gaps with fitness breaks.”
Let’s face it. Things don’t always go as planned with even the best-planned events.
Presentations start late or end early. Speakers don’t always show up. What do you
do with a room full of attendees waiting for the session to start? Get participants up
and moving to fill unexpected program gaps.
“People don’t want to sweat.”
The purposes of fitness breaks at conferences are to get the blood flowing to the
muscles and oxygen to the brain. Fitness breaks can be sweat-free static and dynamic
stretches, appropriately tailored for business attire.
“We don’t need energy boosters. We have coffee breaks.”
Coffee breaks are a meeting planner’s comfort food that fuels attendees in the hopes
of keeping them awake during their long learning days. Simple carbs (sugars, sodas,
white flours, snack foods) that accompany coffee are absorbed into the bloodstream
very quickly causing blood sugars to spike and then drop. The result: mental fatigue
and brain fogginess. Exercise, on the other hand, increases blood flow, pumping
oxygen to the brain, which keeps attendees awake and alert.
“People may feel awkward exercising in a group setting.”
Yes, some people may initially feel awkward exercising. But fitness breaks are a
social icebreaker that build camaraderie, help attendees relax, and make them laugh
and smile. Attendees embrace the initial awkwardness of “having to get up and
exercise” together as a team effort. There is an infectious group energy that provides
“peer pressure” for contemplators to conform and exercise along!
“We already offer fitness breaks.”
Some conferences include fitness activities such as group walks or yoga breaks.
These activities are typically held early in the morning or at the end of the day, and
attract few attendees. What are needed are active breaks throughout the event day to
combat sitting fatigue and learning fatigue. Fitness breaks that get all attendees up
and moving at their seats can take your conference fitness and learning to a new level.
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“Fitness breaks would not appeal to our conservative male audience.”
Fitness breaks appeal to a range of audiences and demographics. Regardless of age,
gender, profession or occupation, fitness breaks are not just about exercise – it’s
about building camaraderie and taking participants outside of their comfort zones to
laugh, smile and move together.
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