How many times did you work out last week?
When was the last time you participated in a cricket or football tournament?
Did you calculate your BMI in the last 15 days? And so on…
I am sure these questions must be eye-openers for most of us.
Well, being desk workers we are bound to spend 8-9 hours sitting in front of screens. This not only results in exhaustion and stress but also tends to impact our physical fitness which is a crucial aspect of employee wellness.
Poor physical fitness is the root cause of many health problems. Not only it wreaks havoc on your physical and mental well-being, but also affects your performance at work. Here comes the importance of recognizing the need for physical fitness in the workplace.
Let’s get into it and find out why it is necessary to have a fitness culture in the workplace!
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Fitness Culture at Workplace – Why is It Important?
If you are also looking for more reasons to focus on physical fitness at work, then here are some of the recognized benefits of staying physically active with your desk job.
1- It Lowers Healthcare Cost
Sickness doesn’t cost your health and peace alone but it also adds a significant burden on your pocket.
Medicines, laboratory testing, treatment therapies, and so on.
These expenses are often covered as employee benefits which cost the business a lot.
But the good part is that we can lower the healthcare cost by focusing on physical fitness and in the case of employers, by promoting a fitness culture at the workplace. The reason is quite clear; physical inactivity is a leading cause of many health problems, especially obesity.
Being obese increases your risk of suffering from several chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart problems, reproductive health problems, etc.
So, if you want to avoid this extra burden, then the focus should be on promoting a workplace fitness culture.
2- Overcomes Absenteeism
Workplace absenteeism is a common problem for both employees and employers.
Absenteeism affects the routine workflow as well as affects an individual or team’s productivity.
One of the easiest ways to overcome absenteeism is by printing a fitness culture at the workplace. This will result in better employee health and reduce lost work days because healthier workers are less likely to stay absent from the office.
3- Better Performance at Work
Work performance is dependent upon many factors and employees’ health is surely one among these. Healthy employees are more likely to perform better at work. There are many proven benefits of physical activity on work performance, including:
- It boosts your energy levels
- Physical activity improves your mental performance
- Makes you more disciplined and results in better time management
- Lastly, you feel happier and motivated which results in improved productivity at work.
For all these reasons, a fitness culture at work can result in better work performance as revealed by a top general physician from Bahria International Hospital Lahore while addressing a webinar on relationship between work performance and general wellbeing.
4- Creates a Positive Work Environment
Next on the list of benefits of promoting a fitness culture is the creation of a positive work environment. It enhances a sense of workplace teamwork as a result of participation in employee fitness and wellness programs.
People come out of their comfort zone and spend time with each other which results in better understanding and enhances social support. Even as an employee, when you participate in such activities, you will find an opportunity to connect to like-minded people having similar interests and can even get or offer social support.
You can even join a gym together or maybe participate in a yoga session, boosting each other’s efforts and keeping a check on each other.
5- Better Stress Management
Next on the list of benefits of fitness culture at the workplace is better stress management.
Yes, because there is scientific evidence on how physical activity can help with stress management.
Fitness tends to alter the hormonal levels in your body as well as regulate neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin that affect your mood and behavior. However, promoting a fitness culture at the workplace can help employees to feel better at work, catering to both physical and mental work stress.
When it comes to physical stress, eye strain, back pain, and neck pain are considered some of the major problems desk workers deal with in routine. According to a renowned physiotherapist Prof. Dr. Hafiz Muahmmad Asim from MD Hospital Lahore, sitting for prolonged hours is one of the leading causes of back and neck pain in current times.
But thankfully, a fitness program at work can educate your employees to break the monotonous activity patterns and add some stress-relieving activities during work hours.
Suggested Read: Stress Management Tips.
What does Healthwire’s Corporate Wellness Program Offer to You?
After knowing about the many benefits of promoting a fitness culture at the workplace, now we know why the demand for workplace wellness programs is growing more than ever.
When it comes to choosing the best corporate wellness program, the decision can be a tough one. But Healthwire’s corporate wellness program has got you covered!
Yes, one of the key features of our wellness programs promoting health and fitness education for employees. As a part of the chain, our corporate wellness program has organized a lot of educational and informative sessions highlighting the importance of physical activity in the workplace. Here are a few highlights:
1- Yoga Session Organized By Healthwire Corporate Wellness Program
This yoga session was organized for the employees of Odyssey Solutions
2- Physiotherapy Session Organized By Healthwire Corporate Wellness Program
This yoga session was organized for the employees of Automation – Process Automation.
3- Diet Awareness Session Organized By Healthwire Corporate Wellness Program
This educational session was conducted for the employees of Vertex.
4- Health Risk Assessment Camp Organized By Healthwire Corporate Wellness Program
This health risk assessment session was organized for the employees of MITM.
5- Breast Cancer Awareness Session Organized By Healthwire Corporate Wellness Program
This breast cancer session was organized for the employees of Sika.
Read More About Healthwire’s Corporate Wellness Program
These are some of the milestones achieved by Healthwire’s Corporate Wellness Program. Every day, we are striving and try to bring the best for our valuable clients fulfilling our promise of,
APKI SEHAT, HUMARI TARJEEH!
