According to research, an average UK employee spends about 35 hours per week and 3,515 days in their lifetime in the workplace. And these statistics do not account for time spent working overtime. Indeed, that’s a big chunk of time spent working.

Apart from people who work in the fitness industry, have access to an in-house gym, or engage in manual labour as a major part of their day, many others don’t associate exercise with work. They spend long hours sitting at their desks, promoting a sedentary, unhealthy lifestyle.

Exercise, a good routine for the mind and body, is a great way to maintain top fitness levels and stay in great shape in the workplace. Working out in the office can help reduce stress levels, improve mood, and prevent back pains, among other benefits.

Nowadays, employers are encouraging height-adjustable desks to enhance their employees’ working experience. As the name implies, these standing desks can be adjusted to suit the taste and needs of the user.

Flexispot has a wide range of quality standing desks to choose from — all of which are a perfect fit for every workstation and wouldn’t put a strain on your pocket. These ergonomic products provide a means to exercise and stretch the body in the workplace.

This article discusses 8 benefits of exercising at work.

1. Improved Performance and Productivity

It’s easy to draw out a plan to exercise every day after work, but actualising this workout strategy may become challenging. After putting in a shift for hours at the workplace, you would probably prefer to curl up and watch some TV at home rather than go for a run or head to the gym.

However, you can maintain your fitness levels while at work by taking strolls around the perimeter of your office building, stretching, and performing some other light exercises at intervals during the day. Such routines can improve focus, alertness, energy, multi-tasking ability, and decision-making.

Exercise enhances cerebral blood flow, resulting in increased blood flow to the brain, improving performance and productivity.

2. Reduced Absenteeism

Common causes of long-term absences from work include back pain, stress, mental illness, acute medical conditions, and musculoskeletal injuries. Also, unsurprisingly, there is usually a significant increase in workers’ absenteeism rate during the flu season in the UK.

Exercising in the workplace strengthens the immune system, reducing the number of times a person calls in sick. Furthermore, an active lifestyle reduces the chances of developing physical and emotional health issues.

When the employees in an office engage in workout routines regularly, they are likely to record fewer sick days in the workplace, increasing the company or business’s overall productivity and output.

3. Discourages a Sedentary Lifestyle

Ever heard of the saying, “sitting is the new smoking”? Well, several studies have found that reduced physical activity and extended sitting time are associated with premature death and poor health. It contributes to obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Rather than sitting for several hours in the office, you can take regular breaks to take a walk, engage in yoga, or practice other light exercises. Using a timer as a reminder to workout every 20-30 minutes can help you to lead a more active lifestyle. Also, you can get a height-adjustable desk to help improve posture and reduce or prevent back pain.

4. Enhances Creativity

A 2014 study by Standford researchers revealed that walking boosts creative inspiration. Their research observed the creativity levels of people while they walked compared to when they stayed seated and found that a person’s creative output increased by about 60% when walking.

Both convergent and divergent thinking was thought to be enhanced with increased walking time. Hence, it is no surprise that creatives like Apple’s Steve Jobs and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerburg participated in walks before heading to meetings or conferences.

This proves that the phrase ‘sit as little as possible’ is great advice, as even Charles Dickens was known to walk 20-30 miles a day to tap into his inner creative and come up with new, excellent ideas.

5. Team Building

When in a team, individual brilliance isn’t enough to attain success; there’s a need for everyone to function as a unit. Team building activities will yield better understanding, unity, and communication when based on other tasks not directly related to the usual work routine.

Employers can incorporate exercises in their employees’ schedules to help foster excellent team building, as this would help team members learn more about each other, facilitating improved workplace results. Also, these workouts would help them lead more active lives.

Challenges and competitions based on “how many steps per day” could motivate and inspire employees to stretch their bodies and reap the benefits of exercising. Finally, standing desks is a great way for office workers to avoid a sedentary lifestyle.

Endnote

Working in an office can be stressful, and sitting in a spot for long hours adds to the challenge. However, exercising at work can ease this stress, helping people stay more comfortable and active.

Also, workouts at intervals will help people enjoy their job better, producing better results. To reap the aforementioned benefits, employers should employ the use of height-adjustable desks and encourage regular exercise.