Physical Movement in the Workplace
“An organization in the educational services provides Tai Chi, Yoga, and work station movement for their employees and the students on their campus. This movement program is more structured than the previous organization, in that there are actually classes for yoga and work station movement. In the words of the interviewee, staff are encouraged and taught to move on their breaks instead of sitting; because apparently ‘sitting is the new smoking.’”
The 25-employee manufacturer in this category also emphasizes physical movement in a manner that is above and beyond many of the other organizations in the study. They provide employees with yoga and Pilates classes twice a week, along with a gym membership, basketball goals, and a bicycle rack. According to the engineer that was interviewed, they “clean out the main entrance, which is a big area. Every Monday and Wednesday, everything gets move aside and the mats get laid out for the training. It’s more stretching, than working out.”
The owner of this company provides a gym membership and any employee or their family members can use the gym. The company agrees to pay the gym membership, as long as the employees or their families use the gym eight times a month or more, per person. They have one of the portable basketball goals and a bicycle rack to encourage physical activity.”
-From Growing a Healthy Workforce, by Andrew McCart (upcoming book)
“The leadership team encouraged working out and they encouraged being active, even at work. According to the interviewee, “they bring a yoga teacher to work and we do yoga at work in an open space. Employees play basketball every week, everyone shares information, and we have channels specifically for health and even meditation stuff too.” Further research could look into free resources that can be shared without a company creating new content.”