Interested in working out and limiting your carbon footprint simultaneously? Check out this recent article I wrote forLuxEco Living Magazineto see what options you have.
The start of a new year brings motivation to do bigger and better things than the previous year. If improving fitness is one of your resolutions, why not hit a gym that not only helps you shed pounds but also helps the environment? Green gyms and fitness centers are proliferating as we become more conscious of how the health of the planet relates to their own health. Home to endless rows of machinery plugged into walls, buzzing TVs and overworked fans, gyms are an energy-saver’s nightmare. But some businesses are starting to use energy in a more productive way, making their members’ experience a greener one.
Want to increase your productivity at work and improve and stabilize your mood throughout the day? Better yet, want to skyrocket yourself to a promotion? OK, well I can’t promise that will happen to you, But! I can promise some other things if you heed my oh-so-wise advice.
All you have to do is step away from your computer, throw on your favorite pair of kicks, and head out the door to get those limbs moving. Your phone calls, emails and cube visitors can wait an hour while you use your lunch break to squeeze in a workout.
Research shows that employees who exercise during the work day show increased productivity and a more positive outlook. A study by Jim McKenna from the University of Bristol showed that after exercising, participants returned to their offices more tolerant of themselves and more understanding towards their coworkers. Maybe it’s a good thing you made them wait while you went to work out!
While it’s easy to make up excuses not to hit the gym (I am working on deadline, I have a meeting, I’m tired…), it’s worth it to investigate the positive aspects of taking a T.O. from your work load. When you work out your body releases endorphins – that “feel good” chemical for the brain that us women often find in chocolate. So why not get those feel good chemicals in a form that won’t go straight to your thighs?
Exercise increases employee happiness. When people are happy about their jobs they want to come to work and give 100%.
This afternoon I made a lunch time appointment on my Outlook calendar for a group exercise class that said: “Kettlebell. You Better Go!!” At 11:45 am I got a calendar reminder to pack my gym bag and huff it to the gym. I had a zillion things to do at my desk, but I knew I needed a mental break and physical challenge. Thirty some odd minutes later I was drenched in sweat swinging around weighted balls thinking, why?! why?! why?! why?! But the feeling was also exhilarating. My adrenaline was pulsing and for a moment I had that feeling I used to have when I played college soccer when I felt invincible. At 12:45 pm I felt like a completely different person. I wasn’t tired any more. I felt energized and ready to conquer the rest of my day. Ok, and maybe I was sore.
As an added bonus, we as employees aren’t the only ones who benefit from this (caffeine free) mid-day pick-me-up. Companies that employ healthy workers actually save money. Health insurance premiums are lower and healthy employees typically don’t use health insurance as often as unhealthy people, offsetting health care costs. Perhaps the biggest incentive for employers to encourage their workers to exercise and be healthy is their increased happiness. A happy worker equals a hard worker, which equals increased productivity, which equals more revenue for the company. It’s all about the Benjamins. And perhaps for you, this means an upcoming raise! But don’t hold your breath; we’re still in a recession.
disclaimer: So far, exercising has not gotten me promoted. I’m working on it.
Added Bonus: Here’s a fun 15 minute YouTube ab workout video you can do when you get home from work if you can’t work out at lunch.
Photo (cc) by adria.richards and republished under creative commons license. Some rights reserved.
