Welcome to my blog, Harmony Shift where we help shift workers live a happier, healthier life. Today we are going to talk about physical activity in the workplace. I am also going to do something different. I am going to start posting health and fitness videos, links to articles, maybe some eBooks, and some recipe videos. I thought I would share some great information that I have with all of you so you can live your best life. Now the information and videos I provide might not pertain to all of you but maybe you know someone that could benefit from them, and you can pass them along. I would greatly appreciate your feedback after posting them, to see if it’s something you like and want more of or if it simply is not your thing and that is ok too. Either way we will see what happens. Now on with our topic of the week.
Why Physical Activity Matters at Work
With the World Health Organization (WHO) recommending adults participate in at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise every week, this could be impossible (well not really) for some of us. But the good news is that this can be broken down into sessions: for example, 30 minutes a day for five days a week. Ok, but where and when is the 30 minutes coming from?
With work accounting for a large part portion of our time during the day, and home and family commitments taking up much of what is left, it’s easy to see why many of us are failing in this department. One solution is for workplaces to make physical activity a priority. They could have it where everyone has the opportunity to achieve, at least, 30 minutes of exercise each day throughout the working week. At the hospital where I work in NC, they have a small gym and a massage chair (actually a whole room) where employees can go and workout. On the clock! Wait, What? Yes, we do, but I know what you’re thinking how you can have the energy to workout and work a 12-hour night shift are you crazy?! I’m not talking about a 1–2-hour heavy weight training session there Arnold. I am talking about maybe doing some body weight exercises or treadmill, light weights for 15-30 minutes, just to get that energy and good feeling boost back, like you are ready to face the night (or day).
Physical activity has a huge range of health benefits for all workers regardless of if you work nights or days in addition to whether or not physical fitness is a requirement for their jobs. This area is very often overlooked for office workers in particular, as their roles in the workforce tend to be sedentary by nature. The negative long-term health effects of these particular employees are not always considered by employers.
However, a fit and healthy workforce is one of the most valuable assets any company can have. This is why employers need to make more effort to encourage physical activity, particularly team-based exercise, during the workday. Studies show that this type boost morale, team building and an overall better work environment.
What can you do to encourage exercise at your workplace?
There are numerous ways to encourage your employees or suggest to your employer to get people moving at work. If you are a manager or a supervisor of a team of people here are the steps, you can take to make it happen!
- Have a room for employees to exercise in or at least go and meditate, relax, maybe do some steps.
- If possible, offer a gym membership as part of their salary package.
- Set up printers, and other office equipment frequently used, far away from workstations to encourage employees to get up and move around.
- Have a bulletin board with local activities going on in the area or town.
- Encourage employees to get out and walk for lunch or have a walking group that walks during a lunch break.
If you are an employee in a company, maybe you can encourage your employer to do these things, or maybe just get a small group together to walk at lunch, try some new activities around town, or have a couple small dumbbells or bands at your desk. The possibilities are endless.
I hope this gives you some ideas on what to do and the steps to take to get physical in the workplace. Give your boss some ideas and encourage your coworkers to get up and move!
Until next time, be looking for them videos real soon. I hope you enjoy them.
Take care,
Darren
Harmony Shift 