Fitness First: How Active Lifestyles Create More Engaged Employees
HR leaders design attractive perks and benefits to attract and keep employees engaged. From flexible leave plans to work-from-home options to bonuses, they try to find interesting perks to keep their employees engaged.
But did you know that a study by Bristol University found that workplace engagement and productivity are strongly connected with exercise and fitness?
In the survey, 79% of the participants mentioned feeling energized at work on the days they exercised, while 74% said that exercise helped them manage their workload better.
So, if you’re an HR leader looking for ways to create more engaged employees at work, consider a fitness-first approach!
Impact of exercise on productivity
Stay more alert and receptive: When we exercise, blood flows to the brain, which helps us stay alert and focus better at work.
Reduce fatigue: Sitting long hours at a work desk just makes the brain fatigued. Maybe you just lean on a higher dose of caffeine to make it through the rest of the day. You should be surprised to know that scientists say that instead of caffeine, a 30-minute outdoor workout or gym workout can help you fight chronic fatigue.
Better mental health: Many studies advocate the positive benefits of exercise on mental health. Regular exercise can positively impact moods, self-esteem, stress, and anxiety.
Best way to unplug: An active lifestyle not only makes you fit, but it's also the best way to unplug from the daily mundane. While many people are tempted to scroll social media in their free time, remember that an active lifestyle can help you connect with nature, which can bring positivity, improve creativity, and help you connect with people around you. Engaging in physical activity is thus a great way to detox from digital media.
8 Strategies for a healthier workplace
Offer gym subscriptions
You can consider partnering with local gyms or fitness centers to provide employees with subsidized gym subscriptions. Select gyms that offer multiple fitness programs and offer flexibility with the timing. That way, you can expect to see more participation from the employees.
Conduct outdoor activities
Encourage employees to spend time in outdoor activities. You can conduct outdoor soccer tournaments during the weekends, where employees can team up and play against each other. This not only allows employees to spend outdoor time, but it's a great way for team members to bond with each other and get to know each other well. To make things more interesting, you can also add some rewards for the winning team as well as all the participating members.
Partner with health experts
Bring in health experts from time to time to conduct fitness consultations at the workplace. Conducting seminars and events around the importance of fitness and an active lifestyle at the workplace is a great way to spread awareness about its importance among employees.
Host wellness challenges
Conduct team-based wellness challenges and incentivize employees to participate in them. For example, encourage every team/department to challenge for a month in a step count challenge. At the end of the month, whoever team wins gets attractive prizes and goodies. Similarly, you can conduct walkathons and similar wellness challenges. You can also run polls among your employees to suggest ideas! That way, it will create more fun and engagement among employees.
Promote healthy eating
Encourage employees to choose healthy snacking options by stocking your break room with fresh fruits, juice, smoothies, protein bars, etc. Conduct healthy cooking competitions that are not just fun but also spread awareness among employees.
Provide ergonomic workspace
Think of ergonomic desks and chairs so employees can feel comfortable at their workplaces and reduce physical health discomfort.
Encourage breaks
Break times are immensely important for getting away from screens. Encourage employees to take outdoor walks and do stretches during break time to avoid the risks of prolonged sitting.
Recognize participation
Finally, take time to applaud employees who participate in the different fitness programs to encourage them to continue. This will motivate others to join the bandwagon.
Are you ready for a fitter workplace?
Undoubtedly, active workers are better engaged at the workplace, feel more energized, and come every day to work with renewed zeal and motivation. Maintaining an active lifestyle keeps your employees physically and mentally stronger and builds a positive workplace culture where everyone is invested in health and wellness. And when you can achieve that, rest assured, you’ll see higher productivity, happy clients, and an uptick in overall company growth.
So, are you ready for it?
FAQs
How does exercise impact workplace productivity?
Exercise helps employees stay more alert, reduce fatigue, and improve mental health, leading to better engagement and performance at work.
What are some practical ways to introduce fitness in the workplace?
To encourage an active lifestyle among employees, companies can offer gym subscriptions, conduct outdoor activities, host wellness challenges, and promote healthy eating.
