How to Improve Well-being at Work by Designing for Movement?
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), an average employed Indian spends 47.7 hours a week working, seventh on the list of countries that work the most globally. With people spending much of their time working from their respective offices on weekdays (and sometimes, on Saturdays too), workspaces should start considering ways to enhance employee wellness.
This is where the WELL Building Standard comes in. It creates workplace environments that improve its inhabitants’ nutrition, fitness, mood, sleep patterns, and performance.
It is a performance-based system for measuring, certifying, and monitoring the built environment’s features that impact human health and well-being through the air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind (MOBIUS).
The WELL Building Standard for Movement at Work aims to shake up this sedentary routine. It’s all about facilitating more movement in an employee’s daily work life, which can directly affect their overall health positively.
Moving More At Work with WELL
According to a study published by WHO in 2018, approximately 34% of adults in India were not meeting the recommended levels of physical activity, which includes at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week.
WELL ensures you are not one of them. No conversations around employee productivity can start if employees are not happy and healthy in an environment where they spend maximum time in their lives.
The International WELL Building Institute, a group of talented visionaries who noticed the urgency of the matter, developed the WELL Building Standard after 6 years of research and hard work. The criteria to be WELL certified are based on the following seven concepts-
- Air: Breathe easy with air quality that’s as pure as nature intended.
- Water: Hydrate with water that’s clean and refreshing.
- Nourishment: Savour nutrition with food options that fuel both body and mind.
- Light: Enjoy lighting that harmonizes with your circadian rhythms for optimal well-being.
- Fitness: Move freely with spaces designed to encourage physical activity and wellness.
- Comfort: Relax in environments that prioritize your comfort and sensory delight.
- Mind: Cultivate mental clarity and peace with thoughtfully designed, stress-reducing spaces.
The WELL Building Standard for Movement identifies creative strategies to ideate an innovative workplace design that can inspire more physical activity and reduce inactivity, thus helping in combating obesity and other chronic diseases.
4 Reasons Movement is Good at Work
Enhanced Employee Productivity :
Believe it or not! The more an employee moves, the more productive they get.
Moving during short breaks releases endorphins that help in boosting mood and lowering stress significantly. It helps increase blood flow and oxygen to the brain, leading to higher energy levels and reduced feelings of fatigue. Happier employees are more productive. It also facilitates casual interactions among colleagues, creating moments of sudden creativity and effective collaboration.
Cost-Effective Healthcare and Reduced Absenteeism :
Your time within the four walls of the corporate wall is like an intricate game of Jenga. Sitting too long is equal to pulling out a block from the tower’s healthy foundation.
Regular movement helps prevent health issues like back pain, obesity, and cardiovascular problems, which can reduce absenteeism and improve overall well-being.
Increased Employee Engagement and Satisfaction
Workspaces designed to facilitate free and easy movement break the monotony of a busy workweek, turning everyday tasks into grand opportunities for collaboration and creativity.
This thoughtful design isn’t just about facilitating movement; it’s a testament to the company’s commitment to its employee’s well-being, which in turn directly affects employee engagement and satisfaction. This leads to improved employee retention and a reduction in recruitment and training costs.
Attracting and Retaining Top Talent
The youth today seek companies that genuinely care about their well-being. Thus, Businesses that prioritize employee well-being with spaces designed for active movement become magnets for top talent. A WELL-certified workspace not only attracts the best talents but also helps in building a company’s reputation.
Designing for Active Movement
ABW-based planning :
Activity-Based Working (ABW) aligns perfectly with the WELL Building Standard for promoting movement at work. Imagine a workspace designed for versatility — ergonomic furniture, collaborative zones, and open floor plans all contribute to a lively and adaptable environment.
With options like walking meetings and flexible settings, employees can choose the workspace that best suits their needs, enhancing productivity and engagement. ABW transforms the traditional office into a dynamic and inspiring place, seamlessly encouraging movement and boosting overall well-being.
Walking Paths
Placing walking paths in between workstations is a great way to motivate employees to take short breaks and add some steps to their smartwatches. These paths can connect workstations, communal spaces and wellness zone, and can be featured with motivational quotes and aesthetic artworks to make, transforming mundane strolls into mini-adventures around the workspace!
Visual Cues for Movement
“Enter”, “Go Left”, “Go Right”, “Take the staircase”, and all their friends can keep employees up and about. Visual cues in the workplace — think of them as your office’s secret weapon for a healthier, more active team- vibrant floor markings that guide employees down the path to better health.
These elements create a playful yet effective visual language, making it impossible not to make those health-conscious choices. By subtly encouraging movement, these cues not only boost overall well-being but also spark a culture of energy and productivity.
Staircase Integration
Why wait for the elevator when the stairs are a free daily workout with a view? A little workplace staircase makeover could work wonders!! Place them strategically, light them up, place some aesthetic artwork or quotes; and employees might just put using staircases on their priority list.
Encouraging use of staircases in your office helps boost physical activity, leading to better health and higher energy levels while cutting down on all that sitting around. By integrating staircases into the daily routine, you create a workplace culture that values well-being and movement, benefiting both employees and the organization as a whole.
Active Workstations
Active workstations are like a fitness revolution for your office- treadmill desks where you can walk or jog while going about your daily professional routine, stationary bikes that let you pedal work-stress away, and balance boards that turn your workday into a core-strengthening challenge.
These clever setups break the monotony of endless sitting, infusing your workday with movement. Perfect for desk-bound roles, these innovative design solutions make staying active a seamless part of the corporate grind!
Are you ready to keep moving?
A happy and healthy workplace can take things to the next level when it comes to employee satisfaction and reduction in employee turnover. The WELL Building Standard for Movement, through its innovative policies, strategies, and ideation, helps in creating a workspace in which movement is encouraged.
Boost your work culture with movement-friendly workspaces, Contact Zyeta’s WELL APs today.
We promise to keep your employees moving!!
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