5 Benefits of Exercise in the Workplace

truppr
truppr
Nov 5 · 2 min read

The human body is designed to move. In the primitive days, humans moved to gather food, escape predators, and migrate.

Today, we jump out of bed, sit in the car during traffic for 45 minutes or more. When we arrive at work, sit at the desk, check emails and do some work. Then, we eat at our desk while browsing the Internet.

Technology is the main contributing factor to our sedentary lifestyle at work. It has brought about more inactive modes of transit, caused an increase in sedentary jobs and has developed more activities done in sitting positions (i.e. Skype calls, surfing the web, etc.)

Research recommends that you move at least once per hour and a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day, but that’s becoming difficult because of the sedentary nature of workplaces.

Organisations need to tap into the benefits of exercise by incorporating it as a culture in their workplaces. Here are 5 benefits of workplace exercise:

  1. Fit employees are less likely to get sick: Regular exercise in the workplace would keep employees healthy. This reduces absenteeism and healthcare expenditure.
  2. Fit employees are less stressed: today’s workplace comes with lots of demands which cause stress for employees. Employees who exercise have a lower stress level than those who don’t.
  3. Fit employees are more motivated and productive: when employees are healthy, they are more likely to perform better and this would improve the productivity of the workforce.
  4. Exercise improves mental health: Employees have to be mentally alert to be productive. Exercise releases happy chemicals (endorphins) that create a sense of happiness. This reduces the risk of depression and boosts mood and mental alertness.
  5. Encouraging fitness shows a concern for employees’ wellbeing: employees notice when employers show concern about their health and this can make them more loyal to the organization.

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truppr

A community-driven platform focused on offering fitness and wellness through easy, fun and structured activities for people to live active lifestyles

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