5 ways to help employees avoid leading a sedentary lifestyle

There’s a reason why leading a sedentary lifestyle has been dubbed ‘the new smoking’ and that’s because it’s a killer. In fact, a lack of exercise represents an even higher risk to health than smoking, as it causes 5 million deaths globally each and every year. It’s one of the reasons why the subject of corporate wellness and fitness has become so widely talked about in the business world.

Companies with a healthier team tend to be more profitable, as more physically-fit employees also tend to be more productive and happy. Obviously, you can’t force people to go to the gym on their days off, so what can you take to help your staff avoid leading a sedentary life while they’re at work?

Full-timers spend much of their life in the workplace and the good news is, there’s lots you can do. So, let’s take a look at just five of the effective methods you can use to encourage and promote the right behaviours.

Method #1 - encourage activity with signage

People tend to know they have to be physically active in order to be healthy, but in the cut and thrust of a working day, it can easily get forgotten. Reminders are a great way to ensure this doesn’t happen and workplace signs can be particularly effective in this regard.

For example, you could put signs up by the elevator, reminding people about the value of taking the stairs. It could be as simple as a visual reminder to take a stroll away from the desk every half an hour. The right way is essentially what works for you.

Method #2 - provide standing desks

Standing desks aren’t particularly new, but they have become more affordable in recent years. Combined with a laptop, a standing desk places everything at a standing height and while this isn’t exactly exercise, standing up works your legs, hips, torso and upper body every minute you’re not sitting down.

Method #3 - arrange the work area to promote exercise

There are certain parts of the office that are typically visited more often than others, with the water cooler, coffee making area and photocopier being some of the main ones. By situating the areas around the office’s periphery, you automatically force people to take extra exercise.

Again, it might not seem like much to begin with, but when you take the whole working week into account, that’s a lot of extra steps!

Method #4 - arrange standing/walking meetings

Another great way to help prevent sedentary working days is by introducing walking or even standing meetings into your workplace. When talking about small groups of people, it can be easy to simply get out and have the meeting while walking - something that actually helps those attending be more alert and productive.

Walking is great, gentle exercise, but if that’s not possible perhaps due to the weather, a standing meeting in a room that has no chairs and tables can be just as effective. Studies have proven that conducting meetings in which people are stood up, tends to result in better collaborations and outcomes.

Method #5 - corporate wellness fitness classes

Employees love perks and the provision of corporate wellness fitness and wellness classes certainly qualifies. Able to be taken in-person at natural outdoor locations like parks or over the internet for extra convenience, these classes can include a wide variety of options to cater for all kinds of needs.

You could be talking about cancer-busting trampolining, HIIT training or jogging or if something more relaxed is required, how about meditation, yoga or even prenatal classes? The best companies will offer complete freedom to choose how your corporate wellness programme works too - with both contracted and pay as you go services available.

A healthier workforce means a healthier company

Deep down inside, we all want to be healthier versions of ourselves and by encouraging activity in the ways described, you help to bring that side of your employees out. They’ll typically thank you for it too, as you’ll be seen as a company that cares about its staff - making it easier to attract new talent.

At BUA FIT, we offer bespoke corporate wellness programmes that can be created to your exact business requirements. So, whether talking about online fitness classes or outdoor fitness at some of London’s most iconic locations, we offer the full range of activities available to cater for every need.

If you’d like to know a little bit more about us, you should take a look around our website, where you’ll find everything you need to know. Then to get in touch, all you need to do is enter your details into our contact form and a member of our team will get back to you asap.

That’s it from us for this time. We hope our blog proves useful in getting your workforce moving!

As always, stay fit, happy, and healthy.