Career Woman

Exercising during work boosts productivity

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The generation of Millennials makes up around a third of today’s workforce. Since Millennials have joined the workforce they have brought numerous changes to the work environment. Many offices have shed dress-codes, focusing on making employees more comfortable at work. Today, companies generally have a decentralized approach with open offices becoming more and more common. These changes are enforced to empower employees and make them more productive. Another big change that is being introduced to workplaces is in-office workouts.

To previous generations the idea of losing time to exercising in the office will sound absolutely absurd but Millennials have always emphasized the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle. Numerous studies have revealed the harmful effects of spending long-hours in an office chair. Despite being seated in an ergonomic chair, your health is constantly at risk if you’re spend too much time sitting down with limited movement during the day.

Sitting for long hours leads to weakness in your glutes and your legs. Your body relies on your glutes and legs to hold up your torso but if you spend most of your time seated, these major muscles become weak (muscle atrophy). Your glutes are responsible for pelvic rotation, pelvic stability and hip movement – it really isn’t doing them any good if they are kept squished into a seat all day!

Other than causing weakness in major muscles of the body, sitting for long hours leads to bad posture which causes unnecessary pain in the shoulders, neck and back. To combat the negative effects of bad posture on their physical health, people are turning to posture-braces and waist-trainers to fix their posture in hopes of realigning their spine. Although these make sufficient solutions for backaches and other risks associated with posture, core muscles of the body will continue to decline due to prolonged sitting.

Making a note of the negative the effects of sitting in one place too long, many companies have successfully incorporated exercise into the daily routines of their employees. Work places that emphasized the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle by insisting that employees walk/bicycle to work and eat healthy have always been around; actually taking the time to exercise during workhours was unheard of.

Today, allowing employees to workout during office-hours has become a popular way of ensuring the well-being of employees while improving their efficiency. In an article published in Fast Company, the CEO of Overit Media explained how she implemented an exercise plan in the company called OverFit when she struggled to find the time to workout. Overfit involves the company’s employees to take the first 2 minutes of every hour to engage in a fun exercise. At 9am the team begins their day by stretching, at 10am they do crunches, followed by leg lifts at 11am. At noon, they go for a quick power-walk, they do lunges at 1pm, pushups or planks at 2pm and triceps dips at 4pm. When the clock strikes, they finish with freestyle dance to a classic tune from previous decades – who could resist that?

The program isn’t forced on anyone but the majority of employees choose to participate themselves. If they miss their workout minutes because of a meeting or some urgent work, they are allowed to take a few minutes and head to a quiet spot to workout. Since the program has been implemented, the management has noticed that employees are happier and more alert which leads to them being more productive. Sitting in one place for too long and staring into a screen causes energy levels to dip. A quick workout acts as a refresher and gives you an energy boost without feeling fatigued. The workouts gets everyone’s blood circulating and their creative juices pumping.

Overit Media isn’t the only company reaping the benefits of in-office workouts. Other companies have a dedicated a small room in the office to exercise. Yoga appears to be the most popular form of exercise to do at work because it relieves you of stress and provides you with the clarity you need to get through a busy work day. Employees choose to begin their day with some yoga and then take the lunch hour for a full body workout. They then have their lunch at their desk as they work. Companies who do let their employees exercise during work hours have found that it boosts productivity by 15%. Employees tend to be happier about the times spend at work, have more energy and avoid ‘lunch dips’ by fitting in some time to loosen up their bodies.

This new generation has continuously challenged traditional methods and has brought new ideas that seek to enhance their own lives and of those around them. Exercise should be an integral part of our lives. It’s not a surprise that sitting in one place for too long does cause us to tire and impacts productivity in the workplace.

Companies have benefitted from letting their employees exercise during office hours – it’s time you give it shot. You won’t be disappointed!

About Zyana Morris

Zyana Morris is a passionate Health and Lifestyle blogger who is most interested in writing topics related to wellness and Lifestyle.

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