Fun, Functional Fitness

Your workers’ time is precious. With most of their waking hours spent on the job, so-called free time is invaluable, elusive, and, for many, hard to set aside for something like fitness.

The much-lauded work-life balance that is so vital to employees’ well-roundedness is often focused on dividing time between job responsibilities and those outside the walls of the office: family, social, and civic obligations.

Apportioning one’s time this way doesn’t leave much for equally important aspects like daily exercise. Take this into account in your attempts to promote a healthy work-life balance.

People want to hear, for example, how they can fit it all in without feeling that they’re shortchanging anyone or anything. And that’s not as difficult as it sounds, when you consider how certain tasks and pastimes can be combined.

Take walking, for example. A brisk after-dinner walk or before-work trek can become more than just exercise with the addition of a few choice walking partners.

Walking with family or friends allows some quality time together while getting in a good dose of physical activity. It’s also a great way to burn off the stress of the day or energize for the day ahead, depending on what time you choose to hit the sidewalk.

Walking the dog benefits both two-legged and four-legged participants and boosts motivation (your furry friend is counting on you, after all).

Family recreation that involves physical activity (a trip to the park or a bike ride in lieu of family movie night, for example) is a fun and positive experience for everyone, teaching kids by example the rewards of making simple choices like playing outside instead of playing video games.

There are countless ways to enjoy fitness with the important people in your life, to facilitate a healthy work-life balance and to fulfill the need for enjoyment with friends and family while doing something positive for your health and theirs.

At your next staff wellness meeting, brainstorm ideas for fun, family-friendly fitness such as: