Good employers encourage employee fitness

Corporate fitness is nothing new. Organisations have been supporting employees in their efforts to stay healthy for years but some employers still hesitate to get behind these efforts. 

This always surprises me as the benefits seem to dramatically outweigh the setbacks. 

Here are just a few of those benefits.

A healthier workforce

This one is probably the most obvious of all the benefits of supporting employees who want to get fit. Healthier staff means less sick days. Less sick days mean more productivity for the employer which is beneficial to the bottom line as well as the staff member. A healthier workforce can also mean reduced insurance premiums if this is a benefit that you as an employer provide. This again will help with the bottom line.

Encourages people to take breaks

While this may initially seem like it is detrimental to an employer it is, in fact, the opposite. We are turning into a deskbound species. We sit for very long periods of time both at work and at home. This is cited as one of the reasons for the current obesity epidemic that is engulfing the western world. 

By encouraging staff members to get out and exercise companies can do their part to prevent their staff members exacerbating this issue. It also forces staff members away from their desks which can help in the prevention of RSI (repetitive strain injury) caused by repeated movements such as the use of a computer keyboard or mouse.

Happier staff members:

This one is a little anecdotal I have to admit. But when people leave our corporate group fitness sessions they seem to go back to work happier than when they arrived. There is no way that this can be a bad thing as far as I am concerned. Happier staff means that they will be friendlier to customers (both internal and external), be more motivated to work, and more productive. A triple threat of employer benefits. 

There is also a teambuilding aspect if employees are exercising together that comes about as a result of overcoming challenges. They also tend to keep each other accountable to boot which is vitally important if weight loss is a goal for employees.

Fitness is cost effective

This one will be greatly appreciated by the accounts departments. While some employers choose to subsidise employee health/exercise programs many do not. There are other ways in which employers can promote healthy employees. Firstly they can be a little more flexible with their lunch hours. By allowing staff members to have slightly longer lunch breaks (an hour and a quarter for example) it allows staff to get a workout in during their lunch hour, shower, eat and get back to work happier and healthier. 

I am not suggesting that you give them the quarter of an hour as paid time, just ask them to make it up later or come in earlier. But often organisations are too inflexible to make this simple adjustment in order to provide a massive benefit to their staff. There are many others to promote healthy lifestyles as well, all it takes is a little thought.

As you can see, by making employee health and fitness a priority the organisation can reap many rewards. I encourage you as an employer to look at ways in which you can help your staff to remain healthy while at work. This does not have to be in a “group fitness” environment. Indoor sports such as football and netball are also great for injecting exercise into otherwise sedentary working hours. As with all exercise, there is injury risk which is something that employers need to take into account. But again I believe that the benefits outweigh those risks.

How we can help

If you would like any information about our corporate group fitness sessions please just get in touch or visit our website. 

Email david@360degreefitness.co.nz or call us on 021 257 9963. 

I can also direct you to some great indoor sports facilities in the Wellington area and help you with other ideas surrounding employee health and fitness. 

As always I am happy to answer any questions and would love to hear from you, especially what you are already doing to keep your workforce fit and healthy!
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