For wellbeing at the office, take up a sport!

You want to climb the corporate ladder.

You have all the ingredients to make it to the top, but that constant nudge of lethargy prevents you from giving your best.

Kids, work, social life, housework all act as energy drainers.

Well, exercise plays a vital role in boosting your fitness quotient. Getting involved in a fitness activity such as sports: boosts your energy levels, improves stamina and concentration, fights depression and anxiety, gains new friends, and above all increases your performance.

Harmful effects of sedentary life

A sedentary lifestyle does not allow you to have enough physical activity. The Center for Disease Control recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise.

Likewise, health experts recommend 10,000 steps a day for improving your health and wellbeing. World Health Organization says that 65 to 85 percent of the world’s population does not get enough physical activity. And guess what? Being physically inactive is the fourth risk factor of global mortality.

Physical inactivity may be more harmful than you think.

It causes anxiety and depression.

Increases cancer risk

It is a risk factor for certain cardiovascular diseases.

Increases the risk of obesity

May decrease skeletal muscle mass

May increase the risk of high blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Technology has brought in more sedentary jobs and a sedentary lifestyle, such as watching TV, playing video games, and surfing the web.

Continuous sitting affects the whole system. Likewise, it causes constipation, heavy legs, fatigue, aches, and even foggy brain, which can drastically affect your performance at work.

Benefits of encouraging corporate sports

A sedentary lifestyle equates to smoking. And if you’re an employer, not only do your employees get affected but the progress of your organization as well.

Employees tend to take more leave due to health problems. When they come to work, they may work for long hours to compensate, or for fear of falling behind. Neither of which helps to increase their productivity. Instead, long working hours complicate their health problems even more.

Your responsibility as an employer is not only to educate your employees about this threat but also to take measures to eliminate the dangers of this sitting disease. One such critical step is to initiate corporate sporting activities. Listed below are some benefits of corporate sports.

–Health and concentration

Sports tremendously improves concentration. Regular physical activity boosts critical thinking, judgment, and learning. Playing games triggers brain chemicals that make you feel happier. Mainly team sports help you to unwind and give you a satisfying experience.

–Team spirit

A capable team is a valuable asset to the company. Thus team spirit forms an essential pillar of your organization. Playing a sport as a team enhances communication skills and helps you to have a better understanding of your team members. It brings to the fore, their skills, weaknesses, leadership qualities, and many hidden talents. Sports enhances team co-operation, you learn how to be flexible, let go, be on the high road and be a friendly person. All this boosts your mental and emotional health.

–Enhanced interpersonal relationships

In a professional setup, developing valuable relationships is quite hard. Creating a fun atmosphere in the environment helps your employees to intermingle and get to know their colleagues in a better way. Healthy relationships are the foundation of any successful organization. Setting up corporate teams simplifies the task and puts your employees on the same page.

–Stress relief

Playing sports distracts your mind from daily stressors. Exercise reduces the levels of stress hormones in the body and stimulates the production of endorphins -the feel-good chemicals of the brain. Endorphins keep you more optimistic and relaxed, keeping stress and depression at bay.

–Heart health

Aerobic exercise and resistance training significantly boost your heart health. Aerobic exercise increases circulation, which results in lower blood pressure and heart rate. Likewise, it reduces type 2 diabetes and controls blood glucose levels as well. Examples of aerobic exercise include playing tennis, swimming, running, cycling, and jumping rope.

Resistance training reduces fat and increases lean muscle mass. Studies show a combination of aerobic and resistance exercise together increases good cholesterol levels and reduce bad cholesterol levels. Push-ups, chin-ups, squats, and working with free weights are some examples of resistance training. Playing sports strengthens your heart, allowing it to work longer and harder.

–Productivity

Workplace sports keep you mentally and physically healthy and improve your productivity as well. A Harvard study points out that exercise boosts quick learning, sharp memory, improved concentration, and enhanced creativity. Studies also say that exercising during work hours can increase performance. A Leeds University study concluded that workers who did exercise during working hours were more productive, gained more work satisfaction, and managed their time better.

Brilliant ideas to bring sports into the workplace

Encourage sporting activities within your company that could be anything such as yoga, Bootcamp, hockey, or running. Employees will feel refreshed and will develop shared interests, which will ultimately boost productivity.

Motivate your staff to attend a sports event together. The sporting atmosphere and interaction will make employees feel more valued and give them a chance to talk about some exciting stuff other than work concerns. This aspect will positively enhance their emotional and mental health that shows directly in their output.

Make sports a priority during team-building activities. Playing games as a team increases productivity, motivation, collaboration, and encourages creativity as well. Team bonding builds trust, respect, and mutual understanding among team members.

Sponsor employees who have sporting abilities, please encourage them to coach their colleagues and support their efforts. Ask them to explain the benefits of being a part of a sports team, how it motivates them and makes them a success. Such encouraging life stories will encourage other employees to turn to sports instead of living an unhealthy lifestyle.

You can do this

As an employee devoting time to your wellbeing is essential to be the best version in your office. Involving in sporting activities in your office or community can empower you with incredible health benefits.

Please give it a thought you can surely do this.

As an employer creating a conducive environment for sports in your organization will boost employee morale and health and, ultimately, your profit margin.

It’s a win-win situation.

So why not give it a try?