Powering Productivity: the Fitness Factor

Having a well-motivated and productive workforce will significantly transform a business’s efficiency and profitability. There are plenty of ways you can enhance productivity levels, from team incentives to reviewing business process efficiency – but have you considered the relationship between fitness and productivity? Well, perhaps it’s time you did. Studies have identified a direct correlation between improved productivity levels and people who lead a more active and healthy lifestyle. Most of us know the key health benefits that regular exercise can bring, such as weight loss, increased energy levels and a reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer. But not everyone understands the effect that increased fitness can have on office performance.   Naturally, you can’t hand out free gym memberships and frog march your staff down there to use them, but it doesn’t hurt to promote healthy habits in the workplace and create a culture that’s focused on leading a healthy lifestyle and maximising personal and company productivity. With everyone leading such busy lives, it can seem impossible to fit exercise in – and it isn’t surprising that, after a long hard day at the office, your first thought isn’t to go for a run! However, by making some small changes in the workplace, exercise will become second nature for both you and your employees, and productivity across the office will improve organically.  

Take a Stand

Being sat at a desk all day is a sure-fire way to decrease your productivity levels. It’s been scientifically proven that the simple act of standing up increases your metabolic rate and produces more fat-burning enzymes. Why not create a communal standing work station in the office that can be used for hot-desk working or informal meetings? With people up on their feet, the productivity levels will be on the up too.  

Activity Trackers

Activity trackers now come in all shapes and sizes, with numerous capabilities from pedometers to calorie counters to sophisticated heart rate monitors. Activity trackers are a great way to keep a tab on fitness levels and keeping motivation levels up too – especially for those who are new to exercising, as they easily monitor how they’re doing. Investing in activity trackers for the workplace could be an effective way of boosting both team morale and fitness, helping with productivity levels in the process.  

Workplace Fitness

Another great way to integrate fitness into the workplace for increased productivity is to have organised fitness classes or clubs during lunch breaks. Contact a local gym or fitness instructor to see if they can supply you with in-house or external fitness classes and clubs that are free or discounted for staff members. This makes exercising a lot more accessible and the initial outlay of classes should offer a great return on investment in the long run. If you’re investing in fitness for the workplace, make sure you keep your staff healthy, happy and hydrated by purchasing an office coffee machines or water cooler. Starting by improving the health of your staff guarantees the future health of your business as a whole.