The lack of physical activity among employees is terrible for companies. After all, healthy people are more productive, engaged and reduce costs with medical expenses. Therefore, in order to favor the growth of the business, it is essential to plan measures to encourage employees to get out of a sedentary lifestyle.
Companies are already realizing the return that these actions can bring. According to one Mercer study, almost 70% of Latin American companies devote part of the budget to the well-being of the team. When it comes to health programs, 72% of them are focused on physical activities.
With that in mind, we have listed the main ways to encourage employees to get out of a sedentary lifestyle. To learn more, keep following the post!
What is sedentary lifestyle?
Sedentary lifestyle is the absence of physical activity at a significant level in a person's life. Usually, it is accompanied by other unhealthy habits, such as poor diet and smoking, causing different types of health problems.
Among the consequences of sedentary lifestyle in companies, we can mention cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes and even cancer.
To prevent or reverse a sedentary lifestyle, it is essential to introduce the practice of physical activities in the routine, as well as a balanced diet it's the addiction control harmful to health.
How to encourage employees to get out of a sedentary lifestyle?
To encourage employees to leave sedentary lifestyle, the company must invest in benefits and initiatives that encourage physical activity, as many companies are already doing. Check below the most effective measures for this objective.
1. Academy in the company
If it fits in the company's budget and infrastructure, invest in your own gym it is a great way to encourage employees to get out of a sedentary lifestyle. According to the aforementioned Mercer study, this is the second type of physical activity benefit most granted by organizations, second only to discounts at external gyms.
The main advantage of this format is the convenience for the employee. Having a gym at the place where I work is a huge facility, as one does not need to waste time on commuting.
This favors that she creates the habit of attending the gym, reducing the chances of the employee missing frequent training.
On the other hand, the cost of construction and maintenance is high. Apart from physical space, it is also necessary to consider expenses with purchase of accessories and equipment, whose values revolve around 50 thousand to 100 thousand reais.
In addition, there is the issue of management of the academy by HR. It is necessary to have a dedicated team for this, taking on tasks such as hiring teachers, programs to attract employees and controlling subsidy costs for employees.
2. Agreements with gyms
You agreements with gyms they are the most common way to encourage employees to get out of a sedentary lifestyle. It works like this: HR looks for a unit or network of gyms, closes the partnership, and employees get discounts on enrollment and tuition.
There is no need for a very large operational effort by HR or to bear a high initial cost, as in the case of internal academies. However, for employees, the options for training locations and sports modalities are usually quite limited, making access difficult.
O low engagement it is also a disadvantage, since it is not normally invested in a publicity program. In addition, prices can be high even with discounts, which are usually 10 to 20%.
3. Gym benefit
In recent years, so-called gym benefits have been successful in companies. With them, the employee has access, through an app, to a wide variety of locations and modalities to practice sports. This way, encouraging the employee to get out of a sedentary lifestyle is much easier.
The person can choose where, when and what he wants to practice, without having to sign long contracts with any gym. Flexibility is total: the user can train near work, close to home and even when traveling, whatever their favorite physical activity.
For the company, the cost is low. Just pay a fee based on the number of employees and the profile of the gyms that will be part of the package.
4. Culture of well-being
In order for employees to feel really encouraged to use the benefits of physical activities, it is necessary to create a culture of well-being in the company.
The health dialogue must be constant, with actions that encourage healthy eating and good quality of life. To this end, HR can organize initiatives such as:
- preventive health and safety at work actions;
- awareness programs about healthy habits at work and outside;
- campaigns against smoking, alcoholism and various types of diseases, with the dissemination of relevant materials and lectures with specialists.
>> To learn more about the subject, check out this other blog post:
4 examples of quality of life programs in companies <
5. Use of the ladder on a daily basis
If the office is divided between close floors, encourage employees to use the stairs to move within the company. Going up and down the steps works the leg muscles, helps to lose weight and increases endurance, bringing great gains to the physical health of employees.
Even if the floors are distant, it is a good idea to be part of the stairway and the rest of the elevator.
6. Use of bicycles and public transport
To encourage the employee to get out of a sedentary lifestyle, encourage use of bicycles and public transport on the way to and from work.
The bicycle is the best option for those who live nearby, as it works with several muscle groups and brings several health benefits. If the company has a bike rack and a locker room to support it, many employees will certainly adhere to the idea.
For those who live farther away, the use of transportation is a great way to escape sedentary lifestyle. After all, the person will never do the entire journey sitting in the car, as he will always have to walk to the bus stop or subway station.
7. Workout gymnastics and stretching
Promote training sessions labor gymnastics mid-day is a great way to encourage employees to get out of a sedentary lifestyle. Although they are not very intense exercises, they are sufficient to prevent injuries and leave due to poor posture.
The same goes for stretching sessions, which can be group or individual, at times predetermined by the company.
Now that you know the best ways to get the employee out of a sedentary lifestyle, it's time to put what you've learned into practice. Analyze all the options, define which ones make the most sense for your company and take the ideas off the paper. So you ensure that the team's well-being and quality of life are always on the rise.
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