How To Keep Your Employees Active At Work
The American Heart Foundation estimates that sedentary jobs have increased by 83% since 1950. Most office jobs require sitting for long periods, and this inactivity is detrimental to overall health. A sedentary lifestyle can increase your risk of obesity, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and other conditions. Therefore, keeping your employees active at work is necessary to keep them in optimum health. If you wish to know more about creating a more active workplace, consider the points below.
1. Have standing or walking meetings
Many offices have meetings that stretch for hours, keeping workers seated for long. Therefore, consider conducting standing meetings to make your workers active during such periods. Besides keeping your workers on their feet, studies show that standing during meetings increases the efficiency of these gatherings, ensuring that they do not drag on for longer than necessary. Similarly, consider conducting walking meetings for one-on-one talks or small group interactions. These meetings are a great way to get things done while exercising. What’s more, getting out of the office for walking meetings can be a perfect opportunity to enjoy fresh air, reduce tension, promote creativity, and encourage free-flowing conversations.
2. Start an office fitness challenge
There is no denying that getting your employees and co-workers involved in being more active can make the entire process more fun and manageable. It is always easier to make healthier choices as a group and with a great support network that constantly motivates and encourages you. Thankfully, there are numerous ways to make exercise social and fun at your workplace. For instance, you can start a friendly competition to track steps and see which employee walks the most in a day. Similarly, you can organize lunchtime group walks or make it mandatory for the entire office to stand up and do ten squats every other hour.
3. Provide standing desk options
Since numerous studies tout the benefits of standing over sitting all day, consider giving your staff the option of standing at their desk for a few hours by providing standing desks. The omnidesk is a great standing desk option to consider because it is height-adjustable, allowing workers to be on their feet while performing essential duties. A 2014 study by Texas A & M University revealed that workers at standing desks were 45% more productive than their seated counterparts. As such, these desk options are undoubtedly worth investing in to keep your staff active and effective simultaneously.
4. Put together a wellness committee
Wellness is becoming increasingly essential in the modern office, so it is no surprise that many employees are forming wellness committees to stay on top of workplace health and safety. Consequently, appoint a few workers to form a task force solely dedicated to boosting the health of their team members. This committee will be responsible for generating plans and activities to keep everyone active in the workplace regularly. You can encourage your wellness committee to begin their work by assessing the current activity levels in the office and discussing the fitness needs of the staff to come up with viable solutions. Also, ensure that the committee frequently meets to discuss new ideas and determine if progress is made.
