How to Ensure Your Employees Are Getting Enough Physical Activity

Last Updated: 

September 11, 2024

Is the health of your employees any of your business? Well, yes, but also know. Now, health is a personal matter, so you can’t really treat the lives of your employees. However, at the same time, their health can affect their work, it can affect other employees' work, it can affect productivity, and the overall well-being of the company could potentially be affected too. However, you also have to keep in mind how common it is for employees to neglect their health due to their schedule. 

This specifically involves their work schedule most of the time. Besides, work-related stress is a thing, and oftentimes, this is one of the biggest causes of stress in day-to-day life. So, the last thing for anyone, especially an employee, would be for both their physical health and mental health to go down the drain. 

Both are so heavily intertwined.  It’s important to keep employees healthy, both a healthy mind and body. While yes, you can provide mental health services, what exactly can you do to ensure physical health? This isn’t something that businesses tend to focus on. Well, here’s what you need to know!

a healthy team at a healthy workplace
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Key Takeaways on Ensuring Your Employees Are Getting Enough Activity

  1. Employee Health Impacts Business: While health is personal, it directly affects work, productivity, and company well-being. Neglecting employee health can lead to decreased productivity and increased absenteeism due to illness.
  2. Work Schedule and Health: Work schedules often contribute to neglecting health. Long hours and work-related stress can lead to physical and mental health issues, impacting both employees and the company.
  3. Focus on Both Physical and Mental Health: Employers should prioritise both physical and mental health. While mental health services are important, physical health shouldn't be overlooked.
  4. Encourage Regular Breaks: Promoting short breaks every hour for stretching or walking can reduce musculoskeletal problems, enhance concentration, and boost productivity.
  5. Invest in Standing Desks: Providing standing desks or convertible desks encourages movement, reduces the negative effects of prolonged sitting, and supports employee well-being.
  6. Consider Health Screenings: Corporate health screenings offer insights into employee health and empower individuals to focus on their well-being, potentially leading to safer and more suitable work assignments.
  7. Promote Active Commuting: Encouraging walking, cycling, or running to work can improve employee health and well-being. Providing facilities like bike racks and showers makes active commuting more accessible and convenient for employees.
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Encourage Regular Breaks

Some employees are guilty of working while they’re on their lunch break or even when they’re supposed to be on their 15-minute break. This isn’t acceptable, and you shouldn’t encourage it. So, why not suggest that employees take short breaks every hour to stretch or walk around? This not only helps reduce the risk of musculoskeletal problems but also boosts concentration and productivity.

Get Some Standing Desks

While these might seem like a trend, there are a lot of people who actually love these! So, why not consider providing standing desks or convertible desks that allow employees to switch between sitting and standing throughout the day? This can reduce the negative impacts of prolonged sitting and encourage more movement. Plus, there’s a lot of negatives to just sitting around all day, and most standing desks are fairly affordable. 

Consider Pushing for Health Screenings

It can help to get a general idea of how your employee's health is doing, and it gives them a chance to know how their health is, too (some people don’t bother with annual checkups). So, with that said, you could look into a corporate health screening. Again, this is so both you and them are informed, but this can also be a great way for your employees to have a better idea of their health so they can focus on being healthier (and it gives you a chance to give them work that’s more appropriate and easier for them to do safely). 

Encourage Active Commute

If your company is in a major city, then this one should definitely work! So, why not promote active commuting by encouraging employees to walk, cycle, or run to work? You have to make it easier for them, so you could just provide some facilities like bike racks, showers, and changing rooms to make it more convenient for those who choose to commute actively.

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