One of the most common reasons I hear not to exercise is lack of time due to work. People are always saying “I work too much, I can’t find time for a work out” when I tell them how I work out during the day. Even when I explain to them the benefits of working out and how it can actually increase productivity, they still don’t think their boss would ever agree. So here are a few things to consider.
The Rising Cost of Healthcare
Health care is one of the fastest growing expenses we have. Each year we pay more for our health treatment and our health insurance. Our employers here in the US bear much of that expense. A small investment in employee fitness and health can result in major savings for a company. The Boston Globe recently ran a piece about employers who provide health incentives and it found an amazing return on investment, in some cases as high as 10 to 1.
Team Building
How many times has your company tried various team building exercises and how many times have you thought they were pretty damn stupid? Well, fitness can be an excellent team building exercise. The weekly office soccer match, the afternoon group jog or the morning workout with coworkers are all group activities that build personal relationships while increasing fitness.
Productivity
One of the worst productivity breakers is stress, the feeling that we’re not getting enough done and never getting it done on time. It’s a vicious cycle that feeds on itself as the stress causes us to complete even less thereby causing even more stress. Regular breaks, even shorts one, tend to break down stress and make us more productive. Short walks during which we don’t think about work help us refocus on our minds and make us more productive when we do come back to work.
Fear Is The Only Thing Stopping You
Yep, you’re afraid. Afraid that your boss will think you’re lazy and just want to get out of work. You’re afraid that your coworkers will think your ideas are stupid. You might even fear losing your last remaining excuse not to exercise. I suppose all of these issues could be true, I know some were for me. Just remind yourself that your boss and your coworkers are in the exact same situation as you. Some of them have found a solutions for their health, some of them are just as desperate for one as you are. Even your boss might be wondering how to best shed those few last pounds he put on over the holidays last year.
So come up with a few ideas and pitch them to your boss and then to your HR department. It doesn’t have to be something revolutionary like building an endless wave pool in the company lobby. It doesn’t even have to cost the company much money. Just make sure to show them what the benefits are and how this could help the company be more efficient and productive.
So How Can Employers Help?
Some ideas to suggest:
- Subsidizing gym memberships for employees – The company pays out a relatively minor amount of money for a potentially significant return in lower health care costs. Find a local gym, ask them about membership prices and whether or not they have package deals. You’ll usually find a great bargain for groups or companies.
- Subsidizing public transportation tickets – Encourage people to walk or bike more. The cost is extremely low and your company could use the environmentally friendly PR.
- A weekly office sport – Perhaps a soccer or basketball game you play once a week at a regular time. Those are easy to arrange, don’t require much equipment and almost anyone can play. Just find a local park or field and choose a time. These activities require a very low level of effort to set up.
- A company hired personal trainer – No, I’m not saying the company should hire a trainer just for you. Make it a team activity. Company pays for a trainer and then sends multiple people to work out with that trainer once or twice a week. It’s a great team building activity.
- Company fitness challenges – Get a group together and set up some kind of fitness challenge. Maybe an interdepartmental competition of some kind. Another great team builder with very low costs for the company.
Whatever it takes, find a way to make your employer see that employee health and fitness is something they should worry about. It’s in their best interest to have healthy employees and if you can find ways to accomplish that for a relatively low resources investment, you’re likely to have a pretty happy employer.
at the hospital i worked they had a very inexpensive gym membership, facilities right on campus. another job i had had a gym a couple of blocks away so me and a coworker joined up together and we would go during lunch break. great energy boost.
Great post (again!). In Sweden we are seeing more and more incntives from the government for employers to take responsibility for employee health. There are both incentives in the form of tax breaks for health and fitness programs (with rules that state that all employees must be offered the same benefits), as well as sticks in the form of making employers pay a portion of long term sickness benefits.
There has been some muttering about whether employers have a right to interfere in employees private lives, but for the most part the model seems to be appreciated. Whether or not it is having the desired effect is another matter, as levels of employee sick leave in Sweden are extremely high (which is leading to it being much harder for people to have burn-out as a medical reason for sick leave).