The benefits of practicing some kind of sport on a daily basis are well known. It helps us to stay in shape, prevent illnesses and even helps our state of mind. However, the list of positive points extends much further. Especially if we include those that it brings to our professional life.
Corporate benefits of supporting balance between work, family and sport
According to a study by the College of Health and Human Development, people who regularly engage in some form of sport develop the ability to act more enthusiastically and cope more positively with their routine. Exercise helps to improve physical, mental and even emotional skills. A study by the Universidad Autónoma of Barcelona highlights the following benefits:
- Improvement of the state of health and quality of life of workers.
- Reduction of absenteeism.
- Improved decision-making capacity.
- Enhanced performance and productivity.
- Improved relations between colleagues.
- Increased worker satisfaction.
In short, a company that supports the reconciliation of work, family and sport will have persevering, motivated, less stressed, healthier and excellent teamwork workers. These are all qualities that are more than valuable for companies and recruiters of human talent.
How do we make the reconciliation of work, family and sport effective?
However, here comes the million-dollar question: where can we find the time to practice sport if we already find it difficult to manage the hours we spend on our professional and personal obligations?
There are companies that are already offering solutions to solve this difficult puzzle. Swedish companies have started to include a sports clause in their employment contracts to compel workers to take regular physical exercise. This has been implemented, for example, by the public water distribution company Kalmar Vatten or the clothing brand Björn Borg, whose workers have an obligatory hour of training (yoga or other sports) every Friday.
The company’s relationship with sport and the health of its employees can be upgraded by having a professional sports club. Encouraging the creation of this type of organisations increases staff motivation and commitment not only towards the company, but also towards their teammates and colleagues. Furthermore, it is an unbeatable tool for maintaining a healthy life, strengthening comradeship, respect between rivals, solidarity, the spirit of self-improvement and fair play.
Healthy citizens, healthy cities
There are companies that go one step further and understand that a healthy life cannot be understood without a healthy environment. This is what is promoted by Sanitas’ ‘Healthy cities’ initiative, which seeks to encourage companies and organisations to promote new mobility and healthier habits among employees in order to build more sustainable cities.
The goal is for all participants to reach 10,000 steps per day during the 9 months of the test. It is a project that seeks to fight against sedentarism and to turn our steps into support for the construction of healthier and more sustainable cities. This year’s edition has left ACCIONA as the company with the most participants. More than 660 employees in 6 different countries have taken part in the #ACCIONATeam and together they have added up to 258,496,961 steps, equivalent to 4 turns around the Earth.
Prevention and promotion of healthy habits are a fundamental axis to ensure economic growth, social welfare and quality of life in society. Promoting sport in the workplace contributes to improving the physical, mental and emotional well-being of employees.
Sources: Sanitas, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona