Fitness in the Workplace - Benefits and Best Practices

Fitness has grown considerably in popularity over the last few decades. What was once a more private activity that focused on an individual’s personal health and wellness, has transformed into a public lifestyle trend viewable to all. This is largely due to content sharing on social media and advancements in technology (Štajer et al., 2022). Fitness influencers on a variety of platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram have helped millions of people incorporate structured physical activity into their lives. As a result of increased fitness awareness, health club revenue in the United States has nearly tripled since 2000 (Gough 2024). More adults are choosing to participate in a variety of exercise settings and the hobby of fitness is more popular than ever. However, despite the rising trend of fitness in popular culture, there is currently a pandemic of obesity and physical inactivity (Kohl et al., 2018). And ironically, the same technology that helps to promote fitness to millions of new exercisers is also contributing to sedentary lifestyles. 

One population group that is especially vulnerable to the negative effects of physical inactivity is the traditional office worker. Many workplace environments have embraced a hybrid approach to the workplace, but most white-collar jobs still require long hours of sitting in front of a computer. Without the proper interventions, physical inactivity can result in a variety of negative physical and mental health consequences for employees, as well as financial strains of tens of billions of dollars globally to employers (Norbeck 2013). Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to discuss how regular physical activity can positively affect the well-being of employees, how structured workplace fitness programs can financially benefit employers, and the best practices for implementing exercise programs to ensure adherence and successful outcomes. 

Before diving into the health benefits of physical activity in the workplace, it is important to first establish a few definitions. The term “fitness” can include a wide variety of activities and points of emphasis, depending on who is asked. For some, fitness focuses exclusively on the sport of bodybuilding where aesthetics take priority over health. For others, fitness is a highly competitive hobby where powerlifting and CrossFit events dictate exercise programming. Within the context of this paper, fitness, exercise, and physical activity are not defined as a sport or a specific activity, but rather a “state of physical condition, health, and well-being, and more specifically, the ability to perform various forms of sports, occupations, and daily activities” (Sevilmis et al., 2023). Therefore, workplace fitness is not an end state or a competition on a calendar, it is a collection of exercises and behavior modifications designed to generally promote physical and mental health. Exercise programming for fitness in the workplace includes resistance training, cardiorespiratory conditioning, and mobility work.

Although one’s ability to work from home has grown significantly in the last few years, with nearly 27% of Americans working remotely at least part time (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023), a “workplace” as described in this paper is an on-site work environment where employees commute to one location and collaborate in-person. A traditional office environment is a great example of a workplace that can be targeted by fitness programs. In this setting, there may be many employees who experience similar days, share identical schedules, and may have the ability to exercise together. Many office workers are sedentary up to 70% of their time at work (Rosenkranz, et al., 2020) and that time tends to increase with age (Bernaards et al., 2016), making this demographic a great candidate for fitness intervention. However, a well designed workplace fitness program can also benefit organizations with more physically active employees such as hospitals, schools, and other largely populated campuses. The following sections will discuss some of the specific benefits employees and employers can gain from exercise and how to implement workplace fitness programs to increase the likelihood of long-term adherence. 

Quality fitness programs can have positive effects on an employee’s physical health, emotional well-being, and cognitive ability. These three aspects of wellness are oftentimes separated into their own unique categories when discussing the benefits of exercise, but more recent research indicates that physical, mental, and cognitive health work together to create vigor that results in an overall sense of well-being in the workplace (Gil-Beltrán et al., 2020). It is therefore important to discuss the benefits of each component and how they work together.

Beginning with the most visibly noticeable area of change, employees who improve their physical health through exercise can lower their body fat percentage and increase muscle tissue. Other less noticeable benefits include, increased insulin sensitivity, greater bone density, improved functional strength and mobility, and positive changes to cardiorespiratory conditioning (Saqib et al., 2020). When taken together, these improvements to physical health can help prevent many different non-communicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, and some forms of cancer. One study by Moore et al. (2016) indicated that leisure-time physical activity is associated with a lower risk of 13 out of 26 different types of cancer studied, regardless of one’s BMI or smoking history. Therefore, the physically healthy employee has a lower risk of non-communicable disease and is less likely to miss work due to illness. For many people, the physiological changes obtained from exercise are the sources of their motivation, but for others, fitness programs act as a recovery activity to replenish valuable emotional and mental resources that have been spent during the workday.

A fast-paced work environment can be a mentally taxing place that leaves employees feeling emotionally stressed and cognitively drained at the end of each day. However, regular physical activity has been shown to improve mood, self-esteem, and brain function, while mitigating the effects of stress (Moore et al., 2016). One observed acute change to mental health following exercise is caused by increased neurotransmitter production. Endocannabanoids, endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine have been shown to help with pain management, stress reduction, and emotional regulation (Gil-Beltrán et al., 2020b). These neurochemical changes observed post-exercise can help employees better manage their emotional responses to stressful events at work. Other studies have also shown that cognitive function, specifically “attention, focus, memory, cognition, language fluency, and decision-making” is positively influenced by physical activity for up to two hours after an exercise session (Mahindru et al., 2023)  When taken together, the cognitive and emotional benefits of physical activity can help employees more effectively navigate the dynamic challenges of work and turn difficult workdays into manageable ones. 

Many of the same benefits employees gain from exercise also positively affect employers. When employees are given opportunities to exercise, physical activity can serve as an important distraction from work responsibilities. This distraction allows for the replenishment of valuable cognitive and emotional resources, as described in The Conservation of Resources Theory and Effort-Recovery Model. These two theories can be used to understand the relationship between physical activity and workplace well-being, where exercise is performed as a recovery activity and gives employees periods of time away from significant stressors at work. When they return to their workday tasks, non-sedentary employees can experience more job satisfaction, show greater empathy towards their coworkers, and become more absorbed in their work tasks (Gil-Beltrán et al., 2020a). Furthermore, a study by Rosenkranz et al. (2020) demonstrated that more time spent sitting negatively affected job satisfaction and workplace fatigue, while less sedentary time did not compromise productivity. Taken together, employers who provide their employees the opportunity to exercise during workdays can create a workplace environment of happier and more engaged teammates who regularly feel emotionally and cognitively restored. 

Exercise in the workplace can make an organization more profitable by increasing output, but it can also improve financial status by decreasing operating costs. Employers who encourage fitness within their company culture can experience less absenteeism and turnover, resulting in a more competitive and successful organization (Sonnentag & Jelden, 2009). High levels of job satisfaction can lead to longer tenured employees, which can reduce the financial and man hour resource costs associated required to hire new employees. Quality workplace fitness programs not only keep good employees for longer, they can also improve the quality of their work because physical activity allows for the restoration of mental resources. Emotional and cognitive replenishment can create genuine enthusiasm and motivation to tackle difficult workplace problems, oftentimes with success. And it is the success achieved after restoration that helps employees maintain a healthy sense of self-efficacy along with demonstrations of true competence. Possibly the greatest benefit of an emotionally and physically healthy workforce is an increase in the organization’s overall productivity that is created by skilled workers who choose to stay with their employers longer. However, without a sound implementation strategy, these fitness benefits will not be realized. 

 There are many different ways to structure the daily activities in a workplace fitness program. Oftentimes, the style of a workout class will be as unique as the personality of the instructor who is teaching it. Exercise variety on a micro-level can keep participants engaged and excited for upcoming events, but macro-level program design must be preplanned and intentionally structured to ensure long-term success. Therefore, it is important to discuss some best practices in workplace fitness programs that promote participation and adherence. The two main areas of focus are exercise accessibility and habit formation strategies. 

Possibly the most important prerequisite of a workplace fitness program is the availability of an on-site fitness center. Organizations with on-site gyms have direct control over who they hire to teach classes, the specific equipment available, and many of the seasonal programs featured. As previously discussed, on-site programs allow employees to take breaks from stressful work days and mentally recharge so that they can return to the office with a restored level of motivation to solve challenging problems (Gil-Beltrán et al., 2020b). Companies that do not have convenient, on-site exercise facilities can still promote physical activity and structured exercise, but they may find it difficult to establish a culture of healthy habits within their organization. 

Quality exercise programs should target habit formation by implementing fitness programs that are equally inclusive to beginners and workout veterans. This approach requires a variety of fitness class formats, such as traditional resistance training with an emphasis on strength, structured cardiorespiratory classes, and flexibility training. These three formats each provide their own health benefits and should be performed weekly, totaling roughly 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MacIntosh et al., 2021). However, resistance training should be prioritized from a training frequency standpoint. One study by Gabay et al. (2023) showed that exercise adherence was greatest in participants who lifted weights, compared to aerobic and flexibility training. Weight training can be scaled to lower levels of perceived exertion and this allows newer exercisers the opportunities to build habits without the discomfort that may be experienced in high-intensity aerobic classes. When beginner-friendly exercise classes are consistently available at their scheduled times, employees know what to expect and can more easily participate in the activities they enjoy, leading to habit formation. 

Finally, workplace fitness programs should emphasize the needs of individual employees as much as the needs of the entire organization. Self-efficacy is a large determinant of program adherence, but it is oftentimes difficult for beginners to achieve high levels of exercise competency without the knowledgeable guidance of fitness professionals. Quality exercise instructors can improve adherence by addressing the individual goals, preferences, limitations, and concerns of all participants, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach (Collado-Mateo et al., 2023; Dalle et a., 2011). This can be particularly effective when working with obese and older populations who may have specific limitations that require unique programming solutions. Therefore, quality fitness instructors should take the time to foster genuine relationships with their members to ensure participants feel valued and viewed as individuals. 

There are a wide variety of barriers that may inhibit workplace fitness participation, but possibly the greatest adversary is company culture. Many hopeful exercisers do not consistently stick to an on-site workout routine due to a lack of participation by their peers (Safi et al., 2022). When organizations do not prioritize workplace fitness initiatives, employees may not feel comfortable taking personal time to exercise while others work. To overcome this issue, it is important for companies to lead top-down. Ideally, managers and executives should be seen participating in the fitness programs and encouraging others to do the same during work hours when appropriate. The fitness professionals should also work with company executives and employees to implement easily attendable class schedules and educational content designed to find solutions to scheduling problems. 

The advancement of technology in the workplace has greatly benefited work productivity and the speed at which information can be shared. However, these same advancements have created a lifestyle for many office workers that lacks regular physical activity. Physical inactivity can result in the development of serious health consequences for employees and can negatively affect the profitability of an organization. However, quality workplace fitness programs offer solutions to these problems. By offering on-site exercise opportunities to employees, employers can create a health-focused company culture that contains motivated, enthusiastic workers who stay with their organizations for longer. These knowledgeable, tenured employees with high levels of self-efficacy in the workplace can reduce company costs associated with turnover while contributing to the success of various companies in competitive industries. A little exercise at work can create healthy employees and even healthier organizations.

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