Importance of Physical Activity at Work
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults between the ages of 18 and 64 engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. As an employer of choice, you may not have a responsibility to ensure your employees stick to this guideline, but there are business advantages you can look forward to when you encourage at least 30 minutes of physical activity in your employee’s work day.
Physical and mental benefits for your employees
When we consider the value of exercise, we usually focus on its physical benefits but rarely connect it to overall wellbeing. Over the last decade, social scientists have accumulated compelling evidence suggesting that regular exercise also greatly affects the way we think. Some of these include:
Improved thinking, learning, and decision-making abilities
Healthy growth and development in younger people
Increased concentration
Lowered stress levels
What a healthy body and mind can do for your business
While the immediate benefits may look small, their overall impact can make a difference in your bottom line. After encouraging physical activities in the workplace, you may notice that your employees are:
Less likely to miss work due to illness, lowering the cost of absenteeism for your company
More motivated to contribute as part of a productive team
Inspired to build healthy working relationships with coworkers, especially if the way you implement physical activity in the workplace involves team-building exercises
How can you promote physical activity at work?
Here are some strategies you can implement to ensure that your team meets their daily movement targets and gets some exercise during the day.
Organize and encourage team bonding activities (eg. National Steps Coporate Challenge)
Offer regular team fitness workshops (eg. Group Pilates)
Include office gym facilities as an employee benefits
Whatever you choose, framing it as part of their job makes it much easier to find time for it. If you’re still unsure what’s the right solution for your business, we can help! SImply fill in the form below and we’ll reach out to help you implement physical activity in your workplace.