How Recreation Boosts Your Employees’ Performance

In the past few weeks you have been reading loads of tips on how to keep yourself fit at work, why it is fun to do so and what we as Runtastic do to practice what we preach. However, what sense does this actually make from an employer’s perspective? Providing a healthy and fun environment for our team helps us to remain healthy, happy and more productive, which in turn leads to us creating even more products and services to make the world a healthier place.

Therefore, read on to learn why it actually makes sense to provide a healthy, active and above all fun work environment for your team.

Regular breaks increase performance

It is old news, but recreation is good for your body and for your soul. Studies have shown that regular breaks lead to better mental performance. Therefore, give your team the room and the freedom to regularly take breaks!

Not every company has the resources to build feng-shui approved chillout rooms, but almost every workplace has enough space to grant some comfy spots within the office. Be it a nice kitchen with a public coffee machine, a snug couch somewhere or a nearby park for a quick walk during lunch break, it does not take much to ensure your peeps are taking a break.

In addition, it totally makes sense not to overload your employees with tasks to ensure they are able to kick back once they have left work. A good night’s sleep is key to sustainable high performance.

Flexible work stations reduce fatigue

Here’s some news: sitting all day makes you tired, lazy and unmotivated… certainly YOU have never experienced that, right? Having the option to switch up the environment will energize your team and boost their creativity by stimulating new thoughts.
Depending on the set-up, there are a few office hacks that make it easy for everybody to move from their spot regularly. Regularly working from different locations, such as a nearby coffee shop, a library or from home, will definitely do the trick to energize an organization’s employees.

If this is not possible, question the status quo and put up high tables, standing desks or treadmill desks, so that everybody has the chance to get up and handle a few tasks while standing (or walking!). Even if it’s the case that not every employee has a laptop which enables them to switch locations easily, there are always tasks that can be done from another location without a computer, such as filing, proofreading, sorting thoughts and organizing notes. A few public desks or a small cafeteria (we call ours the “Working Cafe”), which everybody has access to all day, will do the same trick and enhance the social interaction.

Water and healthy snacks boost brainpower

Obviously, we should drink enough water. But, if you start to actively keep track of your intake, you might notice that you are not drinking enough. Meeting marathons, a kitchen that feels miles away or a coffee machine that is much more tempting than tap water… there are so many excuses.

Therefore, make sure that water is easily accessible for everybody (preferably not served in plastic bottles) and even put out a few pitchers with cucumbers, ginger & lemon or mint leaves. While at it, healthy snacks such as nuts, fruits and vegetables available for all will make it even easier for people to get up and grab a healthy snack while walking to the kitchen or bathroom.

Physical fitness correlates with intellect

We would not be Runtastic if we did not give our team members enough room to work out. A bike parking lot in the office (for those who bike to work), free gym access and a few workout areas popping up in the office make it really easy for Runtastics to work out together.

But even if you don’t have the room, the time or the equipment for regular team workouts, introduce good morning rituals such as a team stretch once everybody has arrived or push-up or squat challenges… you really do not need a lot of space for those workouts. Even small office spaces usually have meeting rooms which can be easily turned into yoga or Zumba classes once or twice a week. This totally makes sense (not just for Runtastic) as aerobic exercise keeps people energized and motivated.

It all boils down to trusting your team!

Now, what’s your excuse for not making your workplace healthier? Are you worried that your employees will just stop working and bum around? Are you concerned that they won’t stop chatting when grabbing a drink? Do you fear that taking a break from work for a workout will keep them from working hard? Then make sure that you lead by example and establish a healthy work relationship with your team, supported by mutual trust. Creating a healthy and relaxed atmosphere might be the perfect way to start that!

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