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Why Work Place Exercise Is a Necessity

Much like when we had play times at school, adults need a mid-day boost too.

By Linzi AgnewPublished 5 years ago 4 min read
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It's no secret that we should be exercising regularly to keep ourselves in good (or better) shape, but is the workplace a place for it?

In a word, yes. There are a magnitude of benefits that come from exercising at work, for both employer and employee. It's not just good for your health, but can propel your career too.

We are leading increasingly more sedentary lifestyles, while our minds are still Olympic Calibre. This is due to our ancestors walking 12 miles a day, and a lack of evolution. (Though, why would you want to evolve into laziness)

  1. Increase your productivity: Dr John Medina claimed exercise to be "cognitive candy" with further research studies later backing up his claims. All coming to the conclusion that physical activity leads to increased productivity and performance in the workplace.
  2. Increase workplace networking: It's estimated that one in seven of us are members of a gym. A thing called "sweat-working" exists now, where you network at the gym. Exercising together gives a sense of camaraderie. This isn't the only way though, many workplaces share office space, that comes with a gym. What's the point of networking events no one really wants to go to if you don't even know your neighbours?
  3. Boost creativity: Exercise combats stress in a variety of ways. Firstly it causes increases in neurotransmitters; like serotonin. Which can be depleted by anxiety and depression. Stimulating new growth cells in the hippocampus is trigged by physical activity, and will increase your memory. Lastly, it can help improve your ability to shift your focus, thus giving a project 100 percent. Active employees are able to think more creatively, as well as quickly than sedentary employees.
  4. More convenient for you and employer, in addition to saving you money: Working out at work will save you money on a gym membership, which will also reduce money stress, the constant internal battle of going or not going after work and increase your productivity while you're actually at work. It's more convenient for you, but also for employer. If you are needed while you've used your lunch break to go the gym, hard luck. If you're needed while downstairs on the treadmill, a quick five minute chat can solve that. This also improves work place relationships.

Hootsuite are doing it right in my opinion. They've got a small on site gym, however, CEO Ryan Holmes told the BBC, "Yoga classes are packed before work, at lunch and after work. In the gym, volunteers from our company lead sweaty bootcamps and cross-training classes. Groups set out from our office for lunchtime runs and evening hikes. We have a hockey team and a road biking team and even a Quidditch team that does battle on broomsticks in the park."

What can you do at work without a gym though?

  • Make your commute a work out. Walk, run, cycle. Swim if needs must (I live in a seaside town, it's an option)
  • Bring dumbbells to work. Or resistance bands, ankle weights etc. Choose your vice.
  • Run laps of the building. Or just walk. Whatever suits
  • Get a stability ball, even just sitting on it uses your core for balance. (This is not enough by itself but a good starting point) if you sit on it all day you're getting a low intensity ab work out all the time. Hours add up!
  • Small breaks for activity. I personally take my toilet breaks a bit too seriously, if I have to go upstairs I'll run up them, do a few squats along a long hallway, briskly walk there and back. However, taking a few minutes just to walk around can be a big help. Especially if you're a non smoker, take the same amount of time someone is out smoking to keep walking. I like to walk around for half of my lunch break as well.
  • Active calls. Walk and talk on the phone. Go to your computer when you actually need it
  • Speed walk your errands, or everywhere
  • Take the stairs. Walk the long way round if you can. Even if you are on the 17th floor, stairs twice a day won't kill you, it'll improve your health and work product
  • Start a sport or fitness club with colleagues
  • Stretches! Easy to do anywhere
  • Desk workouts. One minute spurts of exercise can prove beneficial, just not if you only do one. I did a quick Google search and found that there are hundreds of things you can do at your desk so I'll leave that up to you to decide what's for you.

Combining a few of these is my best approach. Take your steps, use the stairs, hopefully you have an at work gym but if not you can go before (getting up early is more productive than working out later) and do a few spurts in the day. But different things work for different people, so see what goes well for you. :)

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About the Creator

Linzi Agnew

Digital Marketer with a lot of other stuff to say. Perhaps too much.

Tweet me on @aggneww with your articles, stories, or just to say hi

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