Maybe you’ve heard that sitting is the new smoking. Sounds pretty serious, right?
Well, it’s not exactly true. You’re not going to die prematurely just because you’re spending your working days at a desk. That’s because it’s not sitting that’s damaging to health, but inactivity in general.
The health threat of inactivity is highest for people who have a sedentary working lifestyle and do not engage in physical activity regularly. People who work at a desk need to find ways to incorporate physical activity into their lives. In fact, a typical nine-to-five desk job requires an hour of activity each day to undo the risks.
For happy, healthy employees, team leaders can and should encourage exercise. You can make time for activities during work hours, start exercise groups outside of work, or simply encourage staff to get up and walk around periodically throughout the day. While you’re at it, take advantage of some team gear to boost motivation and get people excited!
Why Employee Fitness is Beneficial to Everyone
Exercise is one of the best ways to mitigate the health risks of a seated job. Not only does it reduce the risk of chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease, but it prevents acute illness as well. Exercise boosts immune system functioning, significantly reducing the chances of catching a cold or flu. Exercise may be a simple solution for a company looking to cut down on employee sick days.
Not only does regular exercise keep more employees in the office, but it also increases their productivity. Exercise improves productivity because it increases blood flow to the brain. This helps the brain work more efficiently and improves mental sharpness.
Exercise is also effective at increasing energy levels in the body. This is because it increases the rate at which the body transfers glucose and oxygen to cells. Increased energy levels lead to improved productivity, motivation, and focus capacity.
Exercise also releases endorphins and a protein called BDNF in your brain. Both act to clear the mind and reduce the stress response. The result is a more relaxed and positive mood, ideal for tackling challenging tasks and working effectively with team members.
How to Incorporate Physical Activity into Team Building
One way that companies can encourage employees to exercise is by arranging activities that get them moving. If you’re already providing routine team-building days for your staff, try to make these days active. Instead of subjecting employees to another day spent in a chair, allow them to move around!
Strayboots team activities are a great way to accomplish this. Our most popular activity is the interactive scavenger hunt. During these events, teams compete against each as they solve challenges and riddles to earn points. The best part? They do this while exploring a city or indoor building on foot. Walking is the most inclusive exercise since it doesn’t require the strength or extreme endurance that other physical activities do. This makes our activities perfect for any group!
Getting your team together for a Strayboots activity is the perfect way to jump-start creative thinking and spur new ideas. A study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology found that walking, whether indoors or outdoors, caused creative output to rise as much as 60%! When your employees seem to be stuck or stalled, get them moving with some light exercise with one of our scavenger hunts. It may be just what they need to get the creative juices flowing.
To increase engagement while your teams are getting active, deck them out in some brandable gear! For example, t-shirts are available in various colors that can be customized with your company’s logo on the front. We think getting a different color shirt for each team is fun. Employees take this gear home when the activities are over, which helps them stay engaged long after the event… 🙂
If you really want to treat your team, provide everyone with a special event day bundle. This includes a t-shirt, water bottle, and a drawstring bag. If you’re having an outdoor night event, keep everyone safe as they explore the city’s nightlife!
Encourage Employees to Get Active in Their Free Time
But one day of activity isn’t enough. It’s also important to encourage employees to exercise outside of work hours. One thing you could do is start an office exercise group. Studies have found that group activity may be even more beneficial to reducing psychological distress than exercising alone. Group exercise has a positive impact because it allows members to motivate each other. The social aspect that comes from group exercise makes the task more fun. Plus, social activity is excellent at reducing anxiety caused by a stressful work environment.
Don’t know what to do with your exercise group? Here are some ideas:
- Sign up for a group fitness class.
- Band together on the weekends to go hiking.
- Train for a marathon.
- Try something new like rock climbing, river rafting, or a self-defense class.
- Play a sports game.
- Explore your city with Strayboots.
Getting brandable gear is excellent for unifying employees during active outings such as these. Help your team stand out from the crowd at a marathon or look great in event-day pictures.
At the very least, encourage employees to venture outside during their breaks instead of spending their free time sitting around. Raining? No problem, give them a company umbrella or a rain poncho. Too sunny? Get them hats and retro sunglasses for that. With our gear, there’s no excuse to stay indoors!
Increase Employee Health and Productivity with Exercise
As you’ve learned, exercise is one of the best ways to boost productivity among your work teams. It prevents illness, increases happiness, and improves motivation. Next time your employees feel sluggish or stuck in a rut, engage them with some healthy Strayboots team-building activities. Don’t forget to bring out the merch! Brandable gear is the cherry on top for increasing engagement and encouraging employees to exercise during their off time.
