You’ve heard, hundreds of times, that exercise is good for your health to the point where it all starts to sound like a cliché. Still, that doesn’t take away the fact that not many of us are willing to squeeze in 10,000 steps during a typical workday. Between emails, meetings, and back-to-back deadlines, fitness often falls to the bottom of to-do lists.
At first, you may not see any problem with this, but here’s the thing: fitness at work is no longer just a “nice-to-have” addition. It’s a game-changer for productivity, morale, and company culture. Wondering why fitness would be crucial in workplaces? Here are a few reasons.
1. Healthier Employees = Lower Healthcare Costs
We’ll start with the practical stuff. Whether you’ve been fortunate enough to experience it or not, the reality is that physically active employees are less likely to suffer from chronic illnesses like hypertension, diabetes, and others. This means fewer sick days, reduced downtime, and lower health insurance claims.
In truth, different studies indicate that workplace wellness programs can yield an average return of between $1.50 and $3.27 for every dollar spent on healthcare savings. This should be a good enough ROI for you to encourage a lunchtime walk or sponsor yoga classes. Even better, you can team up with fitness center design consultants like Plus One to create a customised workplace fitness or wellness centre.
2. Boosted Energy and Focus
Ever notice how a quick workout increases your alertness and makes you more clear-headed? Almost like magic! And the best part is that it’s not just in your imagination. Regular movement typically enhances blood flow to the brain, sharpens your concentration, and generally improves your mood. All these are important assets in workplaces.
Surprisingly, even light activity like a 10-minute stretching break or standing desk time can give your employees the energy boost they need to beat the afternoon slump. In addition to the improved concentration and clarity, fitness in the workplace is also linked to enhanced memory and creativity.
3. Improved Morale and Team Bonding
Workplace fitness doesn’t necessarily mean solo treadmill time. Wellness challenges, team sports, and group classes all work great, especially when it comes to bringing coworkers closer. All these are great ways to build camaraderie outside of Slack threads and random meetings.
What’s more, the morale of your employees skyrockets when they feel that their employer cares genuinely about their wellbeing. Some of the best ideas in that regard are:
- Offering gym membership discounts or stipends
- Step challenges with fun incentives
- Establishing on-site or virtual fitness classes (think yoga, strength, and cardio sessions)
- Weekly lunchtime walk groups
Of course, you aren’t limited to the above ideas, so feel free to explore as much as you can.
4. Reduces Stress – A Lot
Work is usually stressful, no matter the industry, but the good thing is that we have natural stress-busters all around us, exercise being one of the most effective. Physical activity reduces the levels of cortisol (the body’s main stress hormone) and stimulates the release of endorphin, which is a “feel-good” chemical.
It’s no wonder there’s an increase in the number of workplaces that are encouraging fitness, not just for physical health but to enhance mental resilience too. Remember, less-stressed employees will be more creative, highly engaged, and better at managing conflict.
Get Help Promoting Fitness in Your Company
There’s no doubt that fitness presents tens of benefits in workplaces, but you have to do it right to boost employee uptake. This is where service providers like Plus One come in.
With top-notch workplace fitness and wellness solutions meant to boost the performance of your business, you no longer have to worry about finding the perfect solution. So, head over to plusoneworkplacewellbeing.com today to start your journey towards perfect workplace wellbeing.
