Daily exercise is an essential part of building a healthy mind and body, but many people don’t have the time, resources or even energy to go to the gym every day. Chances are, many of your employees could be among that subset of people. Especially if your workers are at their desks for most of their days working on sedentary projects, a bit of extra movement can have many benefits for their wellness and your overall company culture.
While putting a gym in your workplace requires an upfront expense, plenty of offices and companies have proven the shift worthwhile time and time again. Though it may seem like an investment in employee satisfaction, it also plays into workplace productivity overall. As you’re probably already aware of by now, high morale is advantageous for your business in the long run. In addition to the bigger picture, putting a gym in your workplace could improve your company culture for a range of specific reasons. Here are just a few of the ways it could be beneficial.
1. Increasing Morale
While putting a gym in your workplace doesn’t mandate that all of your employees will hop on the treadmill and toss a big smile on their faces, a decent number of them might. There’s a mountain of scientific evidence to support that exercise can improve mood and make people happier, and a boost in morale around the office can do much more than you may expect — especially when it consistently results from a permanent fixture like a gym. It’s a long-term decision that can help determine the mood of your workplace.
2. Employee Satisfaction
Like morale, employee happiness is a bit more of a measurable metric. Offering your employees perks and encouraging health and wellness in your company will increase satisfaction. When you reward your employees for their hard work and make the office an enjoyable place to be, they’ll feel more content with their workplace.
3. Boosted Confidence
When people make time for themselves and take care of their bodies and minds, it can result in higher confidence levels all around. Improved physical fitness and mental well-being from regular workouts can boost confidence, even when people don’t realize it consciously. When your employees are more confident in themselves, they’ll likely do better work and elevate company morale.
4. Reducing Stress
Some amount of stress is inevitable in every workplace. Even exercising a few times each week can help reduce overall life stress, and with a gym in your office, even the busiest employees will be able to find a bit more time to sneak in a workout here and there. Stress relief — especially throughout an entire workplace — can bring a sense of calm and help employees think a bit more clearly about priorities and projects.
5. Increasing Productivity
There are so many reasons regular exercise increases productivity on an individual level — so imagine it spreading throughout an entire office. Putting in a gym can increase employee alertness and energy levels across the board, which combines with increased morale to create a highly effective and productive workflow. That’s one of the primary reasons putting a gym in your office isn’t only an investment in employee satisfaction, but also in the company as a whole.
6. Employee Retention
Employee retention is another area that benefits workers as individuals and the company as a whole. People love bonuses that make them feel valued, and those perks encourage them to stay in their positions. While employee retention demonstrates that workers are satisfied with their workplace and willing to stick around for longer periods, it’s also great for the company itself. It means the best workers are staying within the company and continuing to produce quality work. It’s a win-win.
7. Social Bonding
Another reason you should consider putting a gym in your workplace is the social bonding and team-building it naturally facilitates among colleagues and peers. While the gym isn’t a specifically designated social setting like a party, it also isn’t strictly professional like the office itself. It’s a space where your employees can exist side by side, interact and get to know one another on a different level. Through this, the company can become more familiar, and teamwork may become a bit more natural.
8. Overall Health and Wellness
Though many of the positive benefits of exercise relate to your employees’ well-being, the existence of a gym, wellness center or fitness facility in your workspace can ensure your employees feel cared for, uplifted and healthier in general. Healthier employees are more present — they’re less likely to get sick and are much more productive every day.
9. Sense of Community
Including a gym in your workplace can encourage interpersonal interactions and help with team-building. Along with the socialization factor mentioned earlier, it can also help foster a sense of identity and community. Even for those who don’t go to the gym as often or don’t use it as regularly, the option of having it around can help set a precedent for the perks, activities and styles of interaction your team can expect in your workspace.
Putting a Gym in Your Workplace
While putting a gym in your workplace is a more significant investment than some other perks you might be able to offer your staff, the benefits it can bring — both to the business as a whole and to the people who work there — are remarkable. From stress reduction to increased team-building and productivity, a gym in your workspace could make itself more than worthwhile.
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