Fitness First: How Active Lifestyles Create More Engaged Employees

What does fitness mean to you? What comes to your mind when you think of the word ‘fitness’? 

It is important to ask yourself these questions to get a sense of its value in your life. An active lifestyle is not only beneficial for your longevity but for the overall quality of your life as well. 

Several researches have shown a positive link between physical activity and work engagement. Studies also showcase vigorous physical activity resulting in better work focus among employees with an intrinsic motivation for exercise.

Harvard Business Review found out that daily physical activities generated a resource package for the next day which they called ‘resource caravan’. 

How to inculcate an active lifestyle?

1. Mindful eating: It is important to focus on introducing foods that are rich in iron, calcium, and protein in your diet. But it is equally important to pay attention to your plate and each food item that you are having when you sit down for a meal. Most people prefer watching something on Television or using their phones while eating. However mindful eating can make you aware of each ingredient you are consuming. It can help you connect with the food better and also build a healthy relationship that tells you about portion control and dietary requirements better. Eating is a very sensory experience. It activates all your senses- touch, taste, smell, hearing, and seeing. Therefore the first step towards your healthy and active lifestyle can start with mindful eating.
2. ‘Move’ through your day: It is crucial to incorporate any form of physical exercise into your daily routine. Physical exercise ensures that your body stays active, boosts energy, and builds immunity. With multiple organizations introducing a hybrid/work-from-home profile, it is even more important to stay physically active to achieve a good quality of life.

Exercise also helps overcome digital burnout, better manage emotions, and channel anger, stress, and anxiety more flexibly.

3. Look after your Mental Health: Mental Health Check-ins are as important as physical ones. Pay attention to your emotional needs. If challenges hamper your growth or peace of mind, consider looking for resources that can help you navigate better. These resources could include, practising self-care, talking to your loved ones, taking some time off from work, and seeking social support from your friends and family. Feel free to reach out to a Mental Health Professional to seek professional help if emotions become unable to handle. It is okay to ask for help. Asking for help is the first step towards bringing any kind of change in the current environment. You can also check with your organization for EAP support programs. These programs are provided free of cost for the employees and sometimes their families too. Talking to a therapist/ Psychologist can help you find a safe space for venting out, reflecting, and learning better coping mechanisms. 
4. Build a Growth Mindset: A growth mindset is a constructive approach that allows individuals to learn from their mistakes, be more solution-oriented, and manage emotions related to the consequences more effectively. It allows you to step outside of your comfort zone, seek new challenges, develop new skills, unlearn patterns, and helps in improving your interpersonal relationships as well. Building a growth mindset is a process. It requires you to reflect on your thought patterns, seek feedback from others, learn to accept your shortcomings and work on them. 

This can be done alone or with the help of a professional.

How to make space for an active lifestyle at your workplace?

Now that we have established what an active lifestyle looks like, it would be easier to analyze and gauge how you can make it a part of your work life.

1. Organize sports day, walkathon, or marathon on occasions such as Independence Day, Republic Day, etc., and encourage employees to partake in that. This serves as a great team-building exercise and employees can also start exercising to prepare for these competitions. 
2. Simply celebrating World Mental Health Day for one day is not enough. Create safe spaces that can offer emotional support and empowerment to the employees. You can make small groups and introduce monthly group therapy sessions. Make sure to collaborate with a Mental Health service provider/ practitioner to offer employees individual counseling sessions as well. 
3. Create spaces in your workplace that can be used as activity rooms during the break. Several organizations install indoor badminton courts, indoor gym equipment, or structures that facilitate physical movement. Tata Mikado in Gurugram has incorporated football and tennis turfs to keep its employees fit and motivated. A company called Timken in Jamshedpur has also built a hockey ground. These structures are also great for relieving stress, unwinding, and bonding with colleagues. 

FAQ:

How to measure whether employees benefit from an active lifestyle?

You can circulate an anonymous feedback form to get honest reviews and reactions from them. The individual and collective performance of a team can also provide evidence about the same. Along with that, you can conduct surveys before and after implementing these changes to understand in what way the transition has benefitted your workforce.