How long do you spend standing up at work? Probably far less than the amount considered to be healthy. A study published in 2015 found that office employees should be on their feet for at least 2 hours a day (the ideal is actually 4 hours) in order to avoid health risks. The amount of exercise we do is also suffering. To fight our growing sedentary lifestyles, Ireland’s annual National Workplace Wellbeing Day was launched on April 8th 2015. The campaign aims to raise awareness about the importance of employee health and to promote physical activity and better nutrition. Here are some simple wellbeing ideas to help get your team active and healthy not only today but throughout the entire year!
Lunchtime running clubs
This is a great way to promote physical activity but also to get the whole team involved. Adjust the routes to suit different levels of difficulty and motivate people even more by suggesting that the office eventually run a 5km race together. Jobbio’s running club is headed by our very own Frankie McSwiney.
Morning yoga
Take a cue from Etsy and get your day off to a good start with some morning yoga. You’ll feel more energised, refreshed, and alert when you start the day.
Walking meetings
Being productive and healthy at the same time? You don’t say! Get a change of pace from the usual meeting room by taking a walk around your neighbourhood. You never know what ideas or solutions might be born from new surroundings. Plus, take a specific route and end the meeting as soon as you’re back at the office to maximise efficiency and ensure the meeting doesn’t run over.
Healthy food options
Replace the temptation of chocolate biscuits and chips with some healthier snack options in your canteen. Apricots, dried mangos, and nut mixes are some of the tasty treats available at Etsy’s office.
Promote going to the gym
As much as we all intend to workout at the gym, just getting there is sometimes the hardest part. PayPal definitely makes it easier by having a gym on-site, but this is likely to be difficult for most companies. Instead, give your employees an incentive by considering corporate gym memberships with discounts.
Other ways you can improve wellbeing in the office? Organisers of the National Workplace Wellbeing Day suggest promoting a cycle to work scheme, arranging healthy cooking demonstrations, and joining a team sport and playing against other companies. The possibilities are endless! We hope you feel inspired to get active and healthy. Share your own tips with us by tweeting Jobbio.
