When it comes to improving job performance, experts often focus on training, tools, and building cohesive teams. While these factors are certainly crucial if you want to set up your employees for success, they address only external issues. Employee fatigue, emotional distress, and poor health are internal factors that businesses rarely try to remedy. But the truth is that employee health makes a big difference in job performance, and improving your staff members’ access to fitness resources could provide your company with a major performance boost. Here’s how to promote workplace fitness for better job performance.
Fit Employees Are Less Expensive.
Oftentimes, employers are not aware of the financial burden that poor employee health can put on their business. About 75% of corporate health care costs are spent on treating chronic diseases, and productivity losses related to employee health cost U.S. employers $1,685 per employee per year.
If you have 100 employees, that’s a $168,500 cost per year. Yikes!
The worst part is that this cost could be greatly reduced by investing in staff health. In fact, for every dollar an employer spends on employee wellness programs, they save $3 in health care costs and another $3 in absenteeism. That means if you spend $2,000 on fitness programs per year, you’ll see a return of $12,000. Think of what that could do for your business!
Fit Employees Have More Energy.
Most adults struggle with low energy levels, which can put a strain on their ability to perform well at work. In fact, a Gallup survey of 10,000 people found that only 11% reported having enjoyed high energy levels the previous day. That’s a little over 1 in every 10 adults feeling like they have suitable energy levels — a shockingly small minority.
Luckily, exercise can provide a durable and easy solution for employee fatigue. Since exercise improves circulation and oxygen distribution, it can greatly improve energy levels. By investing in quality fitness programs for your staff, you are investing in an energetic workforce ready to tackle projects and boost productivity.
Fit Employees Are Less Stressed.
Over half of Americans (55%) experience daily stress, and over a third of Americans visited the doctor due to a stress-related problem in 2018. While some stress is expected in life, this data suggests many people face a critical level of stress that can greatly diminish their health and overall quality of life. As you can imagine, stress can also be detrimental to a worker’s overall performance.
Exercise and living a healthy lifestyle have been shown to greatly reduce overall stress and make stressful situations more manageable. Relaxed employees also function at a higher level, thus reinforcing the importance of fitness in the workplace.
Fit Employees Are More Focused.
One Harvard study found that exercise can improve creativity, mental stamina, learning ability, memory, and concentration. Exercise and fitness programs in the workplace allow your employees to get an easy mental boost whenever they need one. That means employees are better at tackling problems in a creative manner, completing high-quality projects, and generally elevating overall work quality.
Fitness Resources Are Key.
Investing in exercise equipment and opportunities at your office can make a world of difference for your company’s overall productivity. In fact, workers that visit the gym during business hours are shown to be more productive, better at time management, and more satisfied with their jobs. So, while it may seem like an unnecessary expense or irrelevant to the workplace, the data is crystal clear: Fit workplaces are more productive. Period.
So, if you haven’t done so already, consider investing in some quality employee wellness programs at your company. Not only will this help to attract highly qualified candidates, but it can also result in reduced costs, higher productivity, and better job satisfaction ratings.
