Does the majority of your workforce sit at a desk or computer station throughout the day and get little exercise outside of an occasional trip to the vending machines? Have you noticed that by mid-afternoon everyone looks sleepy and sounds cranky? Is overweight a concern at your place of business? If any of these conditions describes your workplace it might be wise to consider sponsoring a variety of lunchtime exercises to stimulate a heightened level of fitness and alertness in your organisation.
First, discover what sort of exercise routines might interest your workers the most. Allow them to choose from activities such as yoga, Pilates, weight-lifting, walking, jogging,
dance aerobics, water aerobics, lap swimming, step aerobics, spinning, Tae Bo, kick boxing, Tai Chi,
or Salsa dancing.
Once the top 3-5 activities have been selected, the organisation will arrange for classes to be held before or after work,
or at lunch.
Exercise experts can be brought in to instruct employees onsite, or at a nearby exercise facility if the organisation doesn't have a gym of its own. Reduced cost or free gym or pool memberships can be provided as an employee benefit.
The benefits enjoyed by the organisation from having fit employees include reduced time off for illness, reduced healthcare costs, reduced employee tension and stress, more alert and active workers, a trimmer, more attractive workforce, and a sense of team camaraderie born of team workouts. Workers who compete against one another to attain ever higher levels of fitness will bond in their common goal to live long and healthy lives.
Employees who are struggling to break bad habits such as smoking will also benefit from engaging in a healthy pursuit while being away from their work station. Augmenting a workout regiment with healthy snack choices in the vending machines, healthy eating choices in the company cafeteria, and nutritional guidance for employees will cultivate a healthy and happy workforce.
