Are you wondering how to improve the
health and happiness of your workers? Did you know that obesity in the U.S. alone is 42.4%?
Are you looking for ways to get your workers to have more fun and maintain their health by doing fitness at work? In this article, explore why it's vital to encourage fitness for your employees. Read on to discover how you can ensure that your workers are exercising regularly, and why it's so vital to the productivity and health of your workers.
1. Reduce Call-Ins
Whether you're noticing a lack of
productivity at work or an increase in call-ins and workers not showing up,
fitness can improve this. Every day millions of employees are lost due to lower
back problems.
Whether you're considering building
workplace gyms or starting fitness programs, a program with weight loss and
muscle building can help. When you strengthen the core muscles you're helping
to improve your back muscles. When your workers are healthy and not calling in
as much, that can mean a reduction in disability and other conditions.
2. Motivated Employees
Employees will feel more motivated
when they notice that their company cares about their health and well-being.
This is also due to workers having more energy when they stay active throughout
the day instead of just sitting at a desk without moving.
3. Decreased Healthcare Costs
Proper exercise and nutrition equate
to more productive days and fewer visits to the doctor. Even if it's just 20
minutes a day it can help reduce the chances of developing heart disease and
diabetes.
4. Decreased Stress
Stressed-out employees who don't
have time for exercise can have stress build up fast. They might wind up with
more visits to the doctor, skip meals, or feeling down overall.
Exercise helps improve mental health
to deal with stress better. This is due to exercise reducing the cortisol
levels in the body. Cortisol is a stress hormone.
The reduction in cortisol means
you'll release endorphins that help you relax. Get your team members moving and
you might notice a more productive day.
5. Employee Retention
Companies that offer fitness
programs are more likely to retain their employees. This is due to many
employees seeing the value in different wellness programs and appreciating it.
For example, employees enjoy fitness programs that have exercise classes they
can enroll in.
6. Forming Bonds
Having fitness programs at work such
as a gym encourages workers to connect outside of work as well. A private gym
will help foster these bonds and can lead to working together on a professional
level.
Fitness Can Be Fun
Whether you offer discounts at gyms
or have a facility right at your office, there are plenty of ways to encourage
fitness. When you're looking into a Business Insurance
Broker for
healthcare services, if you decide you don't have enough leftover for fitness
at work, consider a walking club at lunchtime.
Or, you can start a sport's activity
either during work or right after. For example, it can be soccer or baseball.
This is a great way to increase bonds in the workplace as well as employee
health.
In addition to fitness, you can
consider adding an option to quit smoking and offering incentives for weight
loss. If you offer restaurant gift cards, make sure that it's to a location
with plenty of healthy options.
Stretches at the Desk
Encourage your employees to do
stretches right at their desk when they're busy working. For example, they can
do wrist rolls to keep them functioning properly.
Wrist Rolls
To do this, roll your wrist about
every hour. Do 10 times clockwise and 10 times anticlockwise. It'll help with
preventing carpal tunnel syndrome.
Lower Back Stretch
First, you'll want to sit forward in
your chair and have one knee move toward your chest. Grab the back of your
thigh and pull it toward you.
While doing this, keep your back
straight and don't lean forward. Hold this position for 30 seconds. Once you're
done on one side, relax, and then repeat on the opposite side.
Reach
To do a reach ensure that you sit up
straight and have your arms stretch up with your fingers together. Have your
palms face the ceiling as your chin lifts up, and tilt your head back.
While doing this, inhale, exhale,
and then relax. You'll want to extend the left hand higher and then the right.
Make Your Office Fun
Instead of having desks, why not
consider standing desks so that your workers aren't sitting all day? At desks,
consider ergonomic keyboards and desks with exercise balls. You can even have
step counters to encourage your workers to walk more.
Go Digital
To get your workers in on staying
healthy, you can go healthy with both exercise and health measures. Whether you
use step challenges with prizes, or workout sessions is up to you. For example,
you can hold different events where workers try to see who can do the most
pushups, situps, or walk the furthest each day.
Educate
Another way to get your workers on
board with exercise is to educate them on the benefits of health and nutrition.
When people are aware of the numerous health benefits of a healthy diet and
exercise, they're more likely to stick to it.
The Importance of Encouraging
Fitness at Work
Now that you've explored the importance of encouraging fitness at work and how to do so, you should have a better idea of why it's so vital. Would you like to read more health content? For everything from health to fitness, check out our other articles today.
