Take Time Out To Exercise At Work And Eat Properly

2 mins

Published on May 08th, 2014By The Survey Initiative

I remember reading a few years back that China had re-introduced mandatory exercise during the working day and I wondered at the time whether it was a good idea.

The answer is – absolutely, especially when you consider the benefits it can bring to both employers and employees. This said I cannot foresee the UK government copying China’s rather assertive approach to encouraging participation in some form of exercise.

It is really down to each individual organisation to encourage their employees to exercise and create an environment that inspires healthy living.

It seems that many employees have fallen into the trap of working excessive hours and find that work has taken priority over their lives. When we are busy it simply doesn’t feel right to take a proper break, talk to colleagues, or take some exercise.

Incidences of stress at work are on the up; this should be taken as a hormonal cue to get your body moving. Taking some exercise, whether that is going out for a walk or a run, or popping to the gym, or carrying out some simple stretching exercises at your desk, is a quick way to bring those stress levels down. Simply by moving about you are reacting to the ‘cue’ and so the alarm shuts off and stress levels ease off.

There are many additional benefits of taking time away from your desk to eat a proper lunch with your work colleagues. Not only are you more likely to eat better, but you are also more likely to engage in social conversations which results in getting to know each other better.

The truth is that if you carry out these simple tasks, you will be better able to stay focused, your productivity levels will increase, you will be more engaged in your work, but also you will build better relationships with your work colleagues and improve your general wellbeing to boot.

If you would like to know more about how the well-being of your workforce can improve and maintain employee engagement levels, then why not contact us on +44 (0) 1255 850051 – we’d love to hear from you.