3 Benefits of an Active Workplace

Exercising regularly isn’t just good for your health it provides a number of benefits to your performance in the workplace.

1. It can make you more productive

Physical activity is great for your cognitive health. Research studies have demonstrated that looking after your health and wellbeing leads to noticeable improvements in productivity and performance at work.

A small-scale trial by the Body-Brain Performance Institute in 2011 measuring participants’ ability to plan, recall, simulate scenarios and make decisions. The researchers found that employees who walked 10,000 steps a day and exercised in the gym three times a week, tended to be more productive than those who only walked 10,000 steps a day.

The researchers estimated that the employees who did the extra gym exercise could each add $2,500-worth of productivity to their company.

2. It can boost your creativity and focus

A 2013 study by cognitive psychologist Professor Lorenza Colzato found that workers who exercised four times a week were more able to think creatively than more sedentary employees.

“We think that physical movement is good for the ability to think flexibly, but only if the body is used to being active,” says Colzato. “Otherwise, a large part of the energy intended for creative thinking goes to the movement itself. Exercising on a regular basis may thus act as a cognitive enhancer, promoting creativity in inexpensive and healthy ways.”.

Being active assists in combating stress through increasing neurotransmitters such as serotonin and improves your ability to focus your attention so if you have a problematic project consider working out before tackling it. Finally, physical activity stimulates the growth of new cells in the hippocampus assisting in memory retention 

3. It can open up new ways to expand your professional network

Business networking traditionally used to take place over a game of golf or a round of beers. Many companies now have sporting groups and teams to promote camaraderie and can assist employees in developing their professional network. Sweating together breeds a unique sense of amity, and small talk proliferates between sets and reps.

The next time you’re organising a team bonding event, consider incorporating outdoor sports and enjoy the extra benefits of being out in nature.