Whether working from home, stuck in the office, always on the road, or managing a business at all hours, staying fit and eating well aren’t easy. But they are perhaps easier than you think. You can improve your workplace, turning a once lackadaisical environment into a healthy office. Changes to the work schedule, layout, equipment, and attitude will reshape the productivity of your business and make employees more alert, more energized, and less prone to illness.
Hibernation is over. Spring is here, and summer is right around the corner! It’s time to spend some of that energy, get the ants out of your pants, and get in shape with these five surprisingly easy steps.
Some naysayers also argue that standing all day is not healthy without the accompaniment of exercise. Luckily, that can be easily arranged. You can maximize your employees’ time by encouraging the use of analog treadmills and mini exercise bikes. These can be easily stored under desks at the end of the day and used periodically. This equipment will give workers with restless leg syndrome an outlet and open up the window of possibilities during office hours.
Corporate Gym Discounts
Fit employees tend to be healthy. Going to the gym at least a few times a week goes hand-in-hand with less frequent doctor visits. Which saves the company money – a day without an employee means you not only pay their time off but lose the work they had planned. Even if your PTO plans pay out annually, it’s better to mitigate sick days and opt for scheduled, predictable vacation time. To avoid epidemics around the office and encourage fitness, offer a company discount at certain gyms.
Many nation-wide fitness centers partner with local businesses and corporate entities regularly, so it shouldn’t be hard to find a plan that works for your organization. Some companies simply offer to expense or subsidize employee gym memberships no matter which gym they go to. The latter is ideal when your employees are commuting from all over town and have different levels of access to different gym chains.
Healthy Contests
Weight loss bonuses are usually seen as unethical in any workplace: these contests don’t take into account employees who are already at a healthy weight for their body type or who have preexisting conditions. Healthier, more inclusive alternatives are fun runs or walk-a-thons. These events encourage exercise and get employees out of the office. Everyone can find a way to participate and set their own pace to match their ability. It’s not a race – it’s a team event, and everyone is on the same team!
Also remember that a healthy group event can be anything from mental exercise to team building to good old fresh air. When the weather permits, bring your employees outside of the cramped, dimly lit office. Go for a walk or a hike. You could set up a corporate retreat at a camp ground or state park, including grilled fish, chicken, and veggies, as well as some inclusive contests and team building exercises. For mental exercise, some companies spoil their employees by syncing this up with a physical activity like paintball or scavenger hunts. If your office doesn’t have this kind of event budget, consider opening weekly meetings with math puzzles or logic problems, perhaps over a bowl of fresh fruit.
Catered Lunches and Potlucks
Even though weight loss is a mistaken meter for healthy living, nutritional diet is not. And anyone can modify their own unique eating habits or restrictions to become healthier. If money is tight for certain employees, consider bringing in fruit and vegetables for the whole office. A raw veggie platter with some hummus can be a real treat! Or host a potluck and encourage nutritious dishes that your team can feast on without worrying about calories or cholesterol.
If you have a little extra money for corporate events, consider a catered lunch from a restaurant known for their organic ingredients and wholesome meals. Contrariwise, some organizations take their employees to lunch at locations with a balanced, nutritious salad bar. Combining our idea for an outdoor activity, a catered or potluck picnic is an option worth exploring.
Fitness Seminars and Wellness Speakers
As a manager, director, or executive, you want your employees to respect you and your administrative decisions. However, even if your subordinates work well with you and follow directions, they may be uninterested in following advice that is not work-related. In this case, there are many experts available to impart health education. Consider contacting a local clinic or specialist. They can send a representative to go over nutrition, fitness habits that can be followed in the workplace, and other tips and instructions. You could even make a deal with a local gym – if they send a trainer to give some workout and stretching demonstrations, they can plug their gym at your office and leave behind information pamphlets.
Staying Healthy in Any Environment
Your workplace doesn’t have to be sedentary and mindless. Encouraging your employees to get outside, try new and healthier foods, enjoy the occasional meal out, run for a good cause, and explore new activities will transform any stuffy row of cubicles into a fun place to spend forty-plus hours per week. Start with these five solutions for increasing the wellness of your office. Then try adding some of your own ideas. All of this fitness and exercise will get the juices flowing!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Steve Harnden, Marketing Manager, Computhink 630.705.9050 x221, sharnden@computhink Lombard, IL, January 3, 2013 – Computhink, Inc., a leading provider of Electronic Document and Content Management Solutions to the small to mid-sizedRead more
Office space is shrinking. Companies have gone from the generous 500-700 square feet per employee in the 70-s to around 200 square feet today. Zappos allocates as little as 120 square feet to each employee.Read more
To keep your business running smoothly, you have to pay attention to how its underlying processes are being managed. How do you accomplish this? Through business process automation (BPA). I’m not just talking about theRead more
Regulatory compliance, whether governmental or a self-regulating body, has always been a primary concern of business. In recent years, a number of comprehensive regulations have come into effect due to financial scandals involving several financialRead more
Having access to your documents from anywhere is more than just a convenience. Content and document management software enables relationships with clients and co-workers to be more seamless and integrative, with assigned tasks and documentRead more
Microsoft’s SharePoint remains a great app for collaboration and file sharing, but when trying to expand capabilities users quickly find the ubiquitous biz application inflexible without a load of add-ons – add-ons that make theRead more
For most people, at least 1/4th of their time each week is spent in the office. As a result, it’s prudent to treat your office space like a second home. Clutter is a major distractionRead more
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Steve Harnden, Marketing Manager, Computhink 630.705.9050 x221, sharnden@computhink CHICAGO, IL, July 24, 2013 – Computhink, a global provider of document and content management software, has rebranded their flagship product to Contentverse.Read more
Leave a Comment