Fit employees are a firm’s real assets

Attending the IHRSA (International Health, Racquet, & Sportsclub Association) Forum in Shanghai, China last week gave me the chance to discuss corporate wellness projects with the fitness crusaders of Asia. One of this is Xen Angelides, the regional director for training and development of the Nautilus Group. The group handles not only Nautilus equipment but also other brands Direct Focus (its parent company) recently acquired such as Schwinn and Stairmaster. The bread and butter of Direct Focus, which has been acclaimed one of America’s fastest growing SMEs several years in a row, is Bowflex. This is the leading home equipment brand in the US.

"If you think wellness is expensive, try illness!" or "Remember, prevention is always cheaper than cure." These are the famous session closers of Xen whenever he gives lectures anywhere in the world. Shortly after he graduated with a master’s degree in Sports Science in Australia, he proudly told his mother that he would be a fitness trainer. "Fine," his mother said, "but when will you get yourself a real job?" Xen nonetheless loves making people fit and healthy. It is his passion. He has seen a lot of "miracles" in his years in the business. There is really no other work for him. He does not only lecture and train people to be fit. He also lectures and motivates people to take on a fitness career.

Xen particularly enjoys working with corporations, big or small, and helping them come up with a corporate wellness program. "Nautilus is committed to the long-term provision of corporate wellness facilities by providing the world’s most effective equipment plus ongoing research to come up with time-efficient and effective executive fitness programs," he beams.

And adds, "If you really think about it, the best asset of a corporation is its human resources. If your people are overly stressed and in poor health, these will be evident in slow production, increased absenteeism, short attention span, and even lack of creativity at work. A fitness program, on the other hand, reverses all that and provides a positive boost of energy and motivation."

But Providing Fitness To Employees Is Expensive

A lot of companies stay away from providing fitness programs because it means expense. However, this should not always be the case. I believe that a fitness program that is fully subsidized is normally not effective. When a company negotiates for its employees collectively so that they can get the best value then the company has done its role in subsidizing the cost.

In the US, a company that has a workforce that actively exercises can get a lower premium for health insurance. In fact, health insurance companies there have great relationships with premium health clubs. They are the first to tell you that they will only make money when the workforce they cover for health benefits maintains health through proper diet and exercise.

The mere emphasis on increased activity also helps and may not even cost money. In Marikina City, for example, now MMDA chair Bayani Fernando starts the day with a general assembly of the complete workforce of his local government unit. The national anthem, prayer, and mayor’s message are staple I suppose in any assembly but what makes this gathering special is group exercise! This is a practice that his lovely mayor-wife, Marides Carlos-Fernando, upholds until now.

Some companies just have a fitness consciousness. I have seen some cute messages encouraging employees to use the stairs instead of the elevator. Some place their parking lots a good few blocks away from the office. Most already sponsor health screening and regular checkups.

Are Employees Who Exercise More Productive?

Dr. Govriel Salverdy of Purdue University tested decision-making capabilities of 80 people over a nine-month period. He concluded that people who exercise regularly are actually better decision makers. At the end of the test period, the fitness level of the executives who exercised increased 22 percent. What is surprising though is that their ability to make complex decisions increased 70 percent.

Mental performance after exercise is also significantly better in the physically fit versus the unfit. Fit workers committed 27 percent fewer errors on tasks involving concentration and short-term memory compared to unfit workers. In a Saatchi study, 63 percent of employees enrolled in a fitness program cited improved productivity and 75 percent said it boosted morale.

NASA found that participants in an exercise program had improved stamina and work performance with enhanced concentration and decision-making ability. Also, when compared to the average office worker whose productivity decreased 50 percent in the final two hours of work, exercise adherents worked with full efficiency the whole day. NASA said this translates to 12.5 percent increase in productivity.

Healthy Living Bonus

If you are still thinking of ways to increase the productivity of your workforce, then better start thinking of ways to involve your employees in a fitness program. The benefits of exercise will far outweigh the costs. This is one bonus that yields a lot of benefits not only to the employee but also to the employer.

Exercise is one way of dealing with stress. It makes people naturally positive and creative. It provides strength, energy, endurance, and boosts immunity for better attendance and productivity at work. When you start a healthy habit, you naturally pick up good ones and drop bad ones in the process.

How many times did someone approach me in the gym to say that he has given up smoking or is drinking less? True, there are some who do go to the gym precisely to atone for their vices like smoking, over-eating or drinking. But most often than not, a good habit begets another good one.

So start making fitness adherents of your workforce. You may just be surprised at the results it will bring!

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E-mail mylene@goldsgymmanila.com for questions and comments.