Elevate your energy, improve your mood and get more done! How can you do this? Exercise, of course.
Workday workouts accelerate blood flow to your brain… and they improve your productivity!!!
Here are some thoughts and research to get your work productivity ramped up:
“Bristol University conducted a study on 200 employees at three organizations. The employees evaluated themselves on a day with exercise and a day without. The results were incredible. On workout days, participants’ scores were 21% higher for concentration on work, 22% higher for finishing their work on time, 25% higher for working without unscheduled breaks, and an incredible 41% for feeling motivated to work.” 1
Some research suggest that a longer morning workout and a brief afternoon workout is best for productivity. I find from personal experience that working out around noon provides the perfect motivational and focus boost that I need to launch me through the rest of my work day.
According to the Harvard Business Review, “Instead of viewing exercise as something we do for ourselves—a personal indulgence that takes us away from our work—it’s time we started considering physical activity as part of the work itself. The alternative, which involves processing information more slowly, forgetting more often, and getting easily frustrated, makes us less effective at our jobs and harder to get along with for our colleagues.” 2
The Harvard Business Review article goes on to recommend, “Regardless of how you go about incorporating exercise into your routine, reframing it as part of your job makes it a lot easier to make time for it. Remember, you’re not abandoning work. On the contrary: You’re ensuring that the hours you put in have value.” 3
I couldn’t agree more with the HBR! It is the quality of the time at work, not the quantity that makes the difference in getting things done. Just the ability to focus better itself can double your productivity. Working out at the halfway mark during the workday can hyper-focus your brain!
I workout with a group of three including myself and two other execs who are my permanent workout team. We motivate each other and we usually train at 11:30am four to five times per week for a 30 minute workout. A lot of the time, my workout group actually gets work done while in the HOTWORX sauna. We discuss issues and generate ideas while we train. It works well for us. To use an old saying, we kill two birds with one stone.
The evidence is overwhelming to suggest that companies should incorporate workplace workouts during business hours.
“…findings are similar to earlier research, which suggests that sticking to a specific workout time can result in better performance, higher oxygen consumption, and lower perceived exhaustion.” 4
Use the “sitcom” approach (same station, same time every day) for your workday workout. Schedule it every day at the same time and show up on time for your group.
For the HOTWORX corporate team, it is clear to them that the company encourages workday workouts so long as there are no meeting conflicts and knowing that people can adjust by having lunch at their desks to make up for the workout time.
The improved mood, energy and focus levels that come with workday workouts is a big win for the company and the staff in terms of productivity.
According to a study in the UK by Bristol University, employees who are allowed to workout at the workplace are more productive, happy, efficient and calm.5
The research clearly indicates that organizations should provide exercise programs and facilities for staff in an effort to boost productivity and morale.
Access to the programs and facilities should be made readily available and employers should frown upon those who criticize others who are taking advantage of the workday workout opportunity.
One major productivity advantage from corporate wellness programs is elevated creativity. Executive problem solving is a creative process and without ideas, problems will not be resolved. Working out triggers creativity. Creativity during the workout, and the post-workout creativity is greatly elevated. Of course, those who don’t take advantage of the workday workouts will not benefit from this advantage.
According to Michigan State University, “Working out at work is proven to increase energy, productivity and creativity while reducing stress. The workplace environment improves when employees take advantage of a middle-of-the-day workout by creating mood-boosted workers.” 6
“Employees who spent 2.5 hours a week being physically active were more satisfied with the quantity and quality of their work, reported increased work ability and took less sick time than employees who did not engage in physical activity.” 7
Workouts at the workplace lowers negativity according to studies. Trust me on this, as a CEO of a rapidly expanding franchise organization, I can assure you that better organizational chart dynamics is a desirable thing. Managers should encourage workday workouts to foster teamwork…, and, what manager wouldn’t want workers who are more energized, task focused and more productive in general?!
The HOTWORX workout method is poised to help. With a more workout in less time approach to fitness, the 30 minute and 15 minute, infrared and heat infused workouts fit perfectly into a mid-day workout routine at the workplace and during the workday. Employers can easily find 63 square feet to install a HOTWORX sauna and/or they can invest into memberships to their local HOTWORX 24 Hour Infrared Fitness Studio for a quality corporate wellness program. The workouts are fast and super effective to accelerate productivity at the office.
HOTWORX is now developing a report through the customer Burn Off App to make it easy for members to email to employers for verification and review. This will enable ease of accountability to corporate wellness programs for HOTWORX Studio members.
Workouts should be a part of your workday! How much you get done depends on it.
Steve
