Encouraging physical fitness at work

Physical fitness pays of big time for employers. When an employee can exercise on a daily basis and stay in shape, they are less likely to be tired during work hours. Being tired can lead to millions of dollars in lost production costs. How can you encourage physical fitness at the office? It's not as hard as you may think. Here are some steps to help you get started:

Step # 1 - Introduce a wellness program
One of the best ways to encourage physical fitness at the office is to introduce a wellness program. People will exercise if they know they will get something out of it (besides a nice body). Introduce a wellness program with a good incentive that inspires them to exercise. Some companies have offer large cash rewards, others stick with time off rewards, while others will book an all-expense paid vacation for their employees that win the wellness program challenge.

Step # 2 - On-site gym
Employees will exercise if they have access to the right equipment. If you have some extra money, convert a room into an on-site gym. Eventually you can expand this into a larger gym and you may be able to start charging your employees a monthly membership fee for using the on-site gym. An on-site gym is a great way to show your employees that your company is committed to exercise and health. Of course you need to make sure you are seen in the gym if you want to inspire your employees to exercise. Plan on attending the gym for at least 30 minutes a day to improve your health, this may be the encouragement some of your employees need to start exercising. Make sure to offer a variety of different exercise machines for your employees. You can get treadmills, elliptical machines, stationary bikes, and other exercise equipment for a low cost if you are purchasing multiple machines. If you provide an on-site gym, give your employees some extra time during lunch so they can hit the gym and get in a short workout during business hours.

Step # 3 - Gym memberships
Since most businesses do not have the room to provide an on-site gym to their staff, many of them offer gym memberships to their employees. Only offer the gym memberships if you employees intend to use them. It is common for people to join a gym and quit within a few months because they just don't have the motivation to keep going. If you have employees that abuse the free gym memberships, start charging them if they don't use the gym at least one time in 30 days.

Make sure you work out a deal with a gym that is close to your office building. If possible, find a 24 hour gym to help your employees. A 24 hour gym doesn't have the limitations like other gyms and it is easier for employees to find the time to exercise if they know they can go all hours of the day.

Step # 4 - Hours
One reason why a lot of people don't exercise is because they simply do not have the time. If you have employees that use this excuse, start offering extra time during the day for exercise. Offer a yoga class during the middle of the afternoon or offer a walking class. Make the exercise routine part of your mandatory business goals. This means your employees will understand the importance of exercise before they are hired. This can really encourage your employees to exercise because they will get 30 minutes "free" from work each day. Hire a good yoga instructor to teach classes or consider offering them before or after work hours for your employees that are interested in doing them on a daily basis.