With the clocks springing forward and the days getting longer, it can only signal two things – the start of British Summer Time and Walk to Work Day!

Ok, officially Walk to Work Day is tomorrow (Good Friday), when the last thing most of us will be thinking about is work. So, why not use the Bank Holiday weekend to put a spring in your step and make Tuesday your Walk to Work Day?

After all, it is a great opportunity to switch up your routine to appreciate a rather different, dare we say far more relaxed, journey to work.

Taking the extra time to walk to work can be incredibly liberating, giving you much needed time to clear your head and greet your day in less of a rush.

 

Where does Walk to Work come from?

Well, Walk to Work Day is a US tradition that has fast become popular with UK workers. The day was originally coined in 2004 by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson. It is traditionally held on the first Friday in April, which is why it falls on Good Friday this year!

That’s great though because it gives us all an extra excuse to walk to work on a day of our choosing.

Now, we don’t know about you, but we were quite surprised that just 11% of people in the UK normally walk to work (in non-Covid times). Yet, regular brisk walking is better for our physical and mental health than running.

Sustained walking for between 30-60 minutes each day, five times a week, can vastly reduce type 2 diabetes, heart disease, anxiety and depression, and lessen the risk of certain cancers.

 

Being Active at Home

2021 is, of course, a rather different year to walk to work. If you are working from home, you may only have a few steps to your desk or, if you’re lucky, your home garden office.

A home garden office is not quite as sedentary as you may think though. By choosing to work from home, the average commuter saves almost an hour a day. That’s 59 minutes you can spend power-walking, getting the heart pumping with a workout, hitting the treadmill or walking the kids to school.

Yes, you hardly need to walk to work when you have a home garden office, but with more time comes more opportunity to lead the life you want.

Quite simply, those who work from home exercise more. Much of what the home worker does is not confined to the hours of 9-5. You can go to the gym in the middle of the day (especially if it is in your home garden office), do the chores and escape for a run.

Employers are even beginning to embrace the concept and recognise the health benefits of allowing their employees to work from home.

Having a garden office is a real advantage, and here’s why:

 

It’s easier to have a consistent exercise routine.

By placing your favourite gym equipment in your garden office, you leave yourself very little room to avoid going. Your workouts suddenly become convenient when you remove all the usual barriers that come with going to a traditional gym. Plus, you can forgo the monthly gym membership entirely.

You can workout in your garden

Weather permitting, there’s nothing more soothing to the soul than stepping from your garden office onto the soft grass for a yoga or pilates session. Or, if you want to get those steps in for walk to work, you can do a few laps of the garden.

Total privacy

If you choose to use your garden office as a gym, you don’t have to worry about prying eyes or competing for that same piece of equipment. You can just be you and go at your own pace.

You make your own exercise rules.

You’ll be able to walk to work every day. Best of all, you can enjoy a 24/7 gym membership for free (excluding the cost of your equipment of course!). Remember, the more regularly you work out, the quicker you will realise the physical and well-being benefits.

You can involve your children.

One of the biggest motivations for purchasing a garden office is to spend more time with family. With less time commuting, there’s time to walk the kids to school rather than jumping in the car. You may even choose to work out together of any evening – whether that’s in your garden room or taking up a new sport.

 

Some of our Favourite Garden Offices

There are two things we’re passionate about here at SMART Garden Offices, and these are making people’s lives better, and SMART sustainable design.

We’ve been handcrafting home garden offices for well over a decade and have created 1000s in that time.

One thing that never gets lost on us though is that each home garden office has its own charm and purpose.

Whatever your profession, we have a garden room to meet your specific requirements. All seven of our stunning ranges make for an excellent garden office, but we recommend starting by looking at our Ultra and Evolve ranges.

 

Ultra Range

The Ultra Range home garden office is a modern, powerful, yet beautifully balanced design that compliments any garden.

The floating cedar panels are a real contemporary design statement, offering an inviting and modern workspace. At 135mm thick, the Ultra’s walls are deceptively thick and fully insulated with solid substrate, making it a comfortable space to work from all year round.

The Ultra is all about the detail and is designed with absolutely minimal maintenance in mind.

Floor-to-ceiling windows, double doors and hidden roofs allow you to work in natural light for as long as the day will allow. When the evening draws in, ambient puddle and contemporary column lighting delicately lights your space.

 

Evolve Range

The Evolve range is our youngest home garden office. Replacing our classic range, Evolve is a strong, handsome, affordable and versatile garden office.

Its architectural design is based on the virtues of the traditional British home with its robust, contemporary build inviting the outside in.

As with all our garden offices, Evolve is built using our TuSC® construction for unparalleled rigidity, solidity and security. The integrated MDF cladding proudly sits within a 4-inch chassis and is complemented with 40mm thick polyisocyanurate insulation.

A substantial insulated floor sits on 6-inch joists, suspended from the ground to ensure you remain warm and dry.

Built to our consistently high specification, a SMART® home garden office can be designed to include all your workplace essentials. This includes our own range of free-standing desks and shelving options.

Order Your Brochure Now

With clients typically located in Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex and London, we have a lot of experience in creating stunning garden rooms for all manner of homes. From beachfront properties in Aldeburgh to the bustling streets of London, we know how exactly how to make each home garden office as unique as the lives it benefits!

To get a better feel for our 7 garden room ranges, available in over 60 sizes, starting at just £9,115, please download a copy of our brochure.

When you’re ready, one of our expert designers will happily visit your home for a complimentary, no-obligation consultation. A fully immersive experience, you’ll always want to walk to work, and never commute again!