Sitting for long periods of time is bad for your body and your health. That’s why the World Health Organization recommends more exercise, every day. For many people, this is difficult to implement because they spend most of the day sitting at work. This should now come to an end, because it’s called: Fit in the office!
Spending a minimum of 2.5 hours a week in a very strenuous mode, or 75 minutes a week doing activities that last 10 minutes or more at a time, should be enough. At any rate, this is the recommendation made by the World Health Organization (WHO for short) when it comes to clarifying how important exercise is for health. The fact is, however, that most people are still a long way from such figures. They sit for the majority of the day, and that has serious consequences.
Too little exercise has consequences
According to health monitoring by the Robert Koch Institute, 74.6 percent of all men and 84.5 percent of all women between the ages of 18 and 79 exercise less than the recommended 2.5 hours a week. So that means they’re not reaching the guideline values, and that has consequences for their health and well-being. Obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and mental health issues are just a few of the many effects that too little exercise can have on health. It’s a real people problem and one that finally needs to be solved. This is also the opinion of many employers, who suffer from the sickness-related absences of their employees and are therefore rethinking more and more.
Integrating “Fit in the office” into everyday office life in a targeted manner
What has long been part of the normal daily routine in countries like China is still a real exception in this country: employees meeting together for gymnastics before starting work. This is supposed to activate the body and also awaken the mind. As a result, everyone stays vital longer and can devote themselves more consciously and efficiently to the work demands of the day. Often, such exercise sessions can also be found during breaks, as a welcome change from the often monotonous work. They wake people up again, help the cardiovascular system and are designed in such a way that everyone can really join in. Freely according to the motto: Together we are strong!
What kind of sport can it be?
In Germany, many supervisors are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of sufficient exercise, especially for employees who tend to spend their working day sitting down. That’s why many companies now offer sports programs that can be used free of charge. What these look like can vary greatly. Some bosses provide their own sports rooms, others issue free passes for the gym or organize jogging rounds and sports festivals. The choice of sport does not matter in the first place. What matters first of all is that all muscle groups get going in the first place, thereby giving the circulatory system something to work on. It is important that the offers really appeal to everyone, so that the desire to exercise also increases and no one feels excluded. Of course, it is practical if there is enough space available, so that there are dedicated training halls or rooms for squash and the like. The times of use should be part of working hours, not extend the day. Then the chance increases that many will participate.
Fit in the office = part of the job?
It always becomes difficult when there are no on-site options available. In such cases, the only solution is to include the nearest gym or swimming pool and allow employees to take paid time off there. Of course, this cannot restrict the workday per se, but the offer must not be limited to the leisure sector either. A connection is optimal, as part of a well-deserved break. For a long time, employers have known that working a few hours a day in a concentrated manner is still better than scurrying around for eight hours without any real results. Then rather devote an hour a day to sports, keep employees healthy and thus indirectly promote their work effort. Let’s go, make your employees fit in the office!
Image copyright: IgorVetushko
