Exercise in the Work Place - Essay Example

Exercise in the work place Introduction The successful mechanization of the world has succeeded in making the workplace increasingly comfortable. The advancement in technology has succeeded in building efficient work environments where employees rarely move since they rely on the advanced means of communication and even production. The workplace is comfortable for employees who enjoy immense productivity without exposing their bodies to activities that would otherwise strain them. While mechanization of work continues to enhance the productivity the employees despite their immobility, such workplaces expose the employees to myriad physical and psychological stresses that affect their health thus productivity in the end. Introducing exercise at the place of work is a sure way of reversing the effects of fatigue and unproductivity that would arise in such cases. Most organizations encourage their employees to take part in exercises since they present a number of health benefits thereby enhancing their productivity and longevity. Over the last few years, the number of companies adopting workplace wellness centers has increased with such companies as Google perfecting the program. The company has a functional gym and permits its employees to use the facility at any time of the day. Additionally, the company engages its employees in a number of outdoor physical activities including excursions all of which have a number of desirable effects. The developments show that modern day managers appreciate the numerous advantages of exercise at work. key among the advantages is the fact that exercises increase the physical fitness of the employees. Physically fit employees are attentive and therefore more productive than those who are not. Physical activities enhance brain activity thereby providing the employees with the opportunity to refresh their minds. This enhances their attentiveness thus increasing their productivity (ODonnell 91). Exercises at the place of work improve the health of the employees. Physical fitness eliminates such risks as fatigue, stress and boredom. Physical activities provide the employees with effective mechanisms of relieving their stress. This makes the employees less susceptible to common ailments like ulcers, joint aches, “bugs going around” and fatigue among many others (Velde 66). Developing a healthy workforce is vital in the productivity of both the employees and the company. Introducing exercises at the work reduces absenteeism of the employees and reduces both the employees’ and employer’s expenditure on health care. This implies that exercise at the place of work enhances the productivity and longevity of the employees thereby improving the efficiency of productions at the company. The company enjoys the input of highly motivated and productive employees who do not waste time and money in hospitals as they seek treatment to some of the common ailments arising from routines at the place of work. Exercise at work place improves the body image of the employees thereby enhancing their confidence, “engaging in various wellness programs effectively executed by professional gym instructors enhances the development of holistic individuals who develop desirable body images” (Peragine 121). The wellness programs provide the employees with the opportunity to set new standards for their physical fitness. They therefore engage in positive habits. The employees abhor alcohol and smoking among other undesirable behaviors that would otherwise affect their body image thus confidence. Through systematic trainings, employees challenge themselves to get to new levels of physical fitness and as they achieve their targets, they improve their self-confidence. Such improvements often resonate on the productivity of the employees. physically fit employees tend to challenge themselves as they strive to enhance their achievements at the place of work. Improving the confidence of the employees is important to the companies. Employees are the most important resources in any company. Any activity that enhances the confidence of the employees improves their productivity thus the profitability of the companies. Physical exercises at work provide employees with an opportunity to develop desirable body images. This improves their self-confidence. Confident people are both trustworthy and social. This implies that such individuals are sociable and have appropriate social and communication skills. They work better in groups and perpetuate the collective development of the workforce in the organization. Introducing exercises at the work environments provides the employees with an effective opportunity to vent their frustrations. This curbs the tendency of the employees to behave erratically at work thereby improving the development of ethical practices that enhance the productivity of the employees by eliminating conflicts and injuries. Exercises enhance the balance between physical wellness and mental stability thereby developing desirable attitudes. Attitude is a major factor that influences the employees’ productivity. Attitudes towards work influence both the relationship among employees and the approach with which employees take their official responsibilities. Researches continue to show that physical fitness is an effective way of developing desirable attitudes in the employees. Gyms among other wellness centers enable the employees to interact among themselves thereby developing appropriate relationships. In some cases, the junior employees can interact with both middle level and top-level managers in the get together activities and in the wellness centers. The informal relationships are important since they enable managers understand the feelings of their employees while enabling the employees to understand the state of the company. This readily changes the attitudes of the employees thus enhancing their productivity and that of the company. Despite the obvious numerous benefits of exercise in the workplace, some people continue to oppose the adoption of such activities at the place of work. Opponents of exercise at work cite a number of features including the fact that the programs are costly to install and to maintain. Developing a functional wellness center for example coupled with a gym among other intricate features is expensive. The equipment used in the facilities is costly thereby increasing the cost of managing the operations of the company. Cost is indeed a major concern in the introduction of effective exercises at the place of work given the fact that every program that managers adopt requires both longevity and success (Kerr, Cox and Griffiths 78). Some companies have large numbers of employees. They therefore require large facilities coupled with effective management of such programs. The concerns are therefore legitimate since they increase the cost of installing and managing the programs. Additionally, the opponents have often cited that some employees would spend most of their time at the wellness centers a feature that would result in time wastage. Engaging in physical fitness activities is always addictive to some individuals. The opponents of the idea cite such concerns explaining that the gyms among other forms of exercise would cause the wastage of productive time. The fact that engaging in heavy physical activities cause exhaustion to the body is yet another major concern to the opponents of the initiative who argue that implementing exercise programs would cause exhaustion of employees thereby lower their rates of productivity (Estlund 212). In retrospect, companies should allow their employees to exercise on work time. Researches and current trends show that companies continue to integrate wellness centers in their operations. The growth in the number of corporate institutions developing wellness centers proves the desirable effects that exercise at work has on the productivity of the employees. Exercising enhances the holistic developments of the employees besides providing the employees with an opportunity to refresh thereby develop desirable body images. The systematic development and improvement of body images enhances the productivity and longevity of the employees. Through exercises, employees interact a feature that enhances the development of desirable employee attitudes capable of improving their productivity and ethical practices. Concerns of those opposing the practice are valid and may often affect the productivity of a company. However, managers should sacrifice and secure funding for the activities. With effective management, companies can plan for wellness centers that resonate with their sizes and capacities thereby providing appropriate facilities for their employees. The effects of the activities on the productivity of the employees and the profitability of the companies prove that the activities are as useful as any other means of production. Works cited Estlund, Cynthia. Working Together: How Workplace Bonds Strengthen a Diverse Democracy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. Internet resource. Kerr, John, Cox Tom and Griffiths, Amanda. Workplace Health: Employee Fitness And Exercise. New York: CRC Press, 1996. Print. ODonnell, Michael P. Health Promotion in the Workplace. Albany: Delmar Thomson Learning, 2002. Print. Peragine, John N. 365 Low or No Cost Workplace Teambuilding Activities: Games and Exercises Designed to Build Trust and Encourage Teamwork Among Employees. Ocala, Fla: Atlantic Pub. Group, 2007. Print. Velde, Christine. International Perspectives on Competence in the Workplace: Implications for Research, Policy and Practice. Dordrecht: Springer, 2009. Print. Read More