Why physical exercise is great for your company
From the point of view of a sports person, being competitive means that you want to perform at the highest level possible and in the most challenging environment. Pressure, endurance, calculated risks… all these characteristics can also define the performance of an employee within a company. But what if we can take advantage of the personal requirements that sports and physical exercise demand to help people be more effective at their jobs?
People can be happier at work (and in their personal lives) if they engage in some sort of physical exercise with their colleagues. They feel better. Therefore the work they do is better. In fact, they often believe that their time at work is more productive which can be a result of the many positive ways that exercise affects the brain. Studies have shown that exercising in the morning before work can help prepare you for mentally stressful situations, better reactions to complex problems for the rest of the day, and increased retention of new information.
Physical exercise is also proved to be good for your brain. The reason is endorphins released during physical activity can help you feel happy and relaxed, but also with more focus and concentration at work. Team sport activities can help employees stimulate their brains and develop multiple skills that can be applied to their work environments.
One clear example from a recent study shows that the antidepressant effects of running were also associated with an increase in cell growth in the hippocampus, an area of the brain responsible for learning and memory.
So what are some of the key benefits of physical exercise?
- Build engagement and motivation
- Boost physical and emotional well being
- Work-life balance
- Team building among co-workers
- Improved concentration levels
- Increased morale within the team
- Friendly competitiveness
- Create potential leadership situations
- Unwinding and relieving stress
- Make a fun work environment
- Encourage people to get away from the desk
What we do at MOBGEN | Accenture Interactive?
MOBGEN | Accenture Interactive is a company that believes in teamwork and collaboration, but this can mean that our projects are run by more than one team in more than one location. At the end of the day the communication between all the teams, and all the people in all those teams, must be as good as possible. If our people (who have really diverse backgrounds and cultures) can participate in team sport activities together, then all the trust, confidence, passion and camaraderie that they generate has a positive effect. This is why we encourage various forms of physical exercise.
- Padel: The second most popular sport in Spain after football is played in doubles, so your success depends on a great rapport with your partner. There is an ongoing league in the MOBGEN A Coruña office that also involves occasional day-long tournaments.
- Football: Our Amsterdam office has an official football team enrolled in “The Footy Swift Woensdag”, a football competition between a number of Amsterdam-based companies. The games take place every week, and the MOBGEN team is currently performing pretty well within the “Division 3 League”.
- Running: Quite popular at the moment amongst “MOBGENNERs” is the sport of running, and we have our own personal trainer to help get the most out of it. Our people have participated in many competitions, from 5 km runs up to half marathons. Some of them are even taking part in Obstacle courses where they also climb over walls, carry heavy objects or jump through fire.
- Table soccer: Although not considered a sport in the traditional sense, as such it does encourage mental exercise, a high dose of concentration and some healthy competition. The rivalry and the passion for this game is so huge that we are working on developing an inter-office foosball table in the upcoming future.
- Winter sports: Our last Christmas party event was a weekend of skiing and snowboarding for the entire company. What better way to increase the bond between people?
So if you are thinking it would be good idea to buy a table soccer or ping pong table in your company, or encourage your workmates to do some team physical exercise, the answer is definitely yes!
