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There's a very obvious solution that doesn't require any special programs, give employees time and incentive to get exercise and make sure your office is right
by malandrew 13y ago
There's a very obvious solution that doesn't require any special programs, give employees time and incentive to get exercise and make sure your office is right next to a gym or other place to get exercise.
The biggest predictor I've found to getting regular exercise once you have a gym membership is how far you live from a gym. When someone tells me they go to the gym regularly I ask how far they live from the gym and it is typical that the gym is extremely convenient for them (usually within a few blocks in a city or a few minutes drive in the suburbs).
I started asking this when I noticed the impact of convencient on my exercise habits. I myself was in the best shape of my life when I lived two blocks from a gym. It made going to the gym an "impulse" option for which I didn't have to set aside time in my schedule. I went practically everyday, but not at a set time in the day. It's easy to maintain a daily habit that you can do at any time during the day. It's much harder to maintain a habit that you only have one or two slots of time available in the day to do, since every other concern that can't wait and need to be done during your exercise slots threatens making exercise a habit.
For example, I think both Asana and Heroku have it right by making wellness accessible. Both have yoga rooms and classes daily. I would be much more likely to participate if a wellness activity like yoga were made that accessible.
If the gym or other physical activity isn't convenient and there isn't time set aside for it, it usually won't happen.
- aaron695 13y ago> give employees time and incentive to get exercise Isn't this specifically what they are talking about? Giving all employees time / subsiding gyms doesn't pay off. Plus this concept, if it was easier suddenly I'd do yoga or gym more probably isn't true. It's an excuse employees use, but make it easier then they'd find another excuse. And Gym/Yoga isn't for everyone. Many offices / organisations have gyms and wellness programs with yoga and very little of the staff use them. And those that do are as the article points out probably people who don't need the help as much anyway.