Keeping fit is one of those things that can be super simple or super hard.
It all depends on our mindset and the strategies we put in place. Considering most of us spend a large chunk of time at work, incorporating physical fitness into our workday makes total sense.
What our company does
Here at Employment Hero we incorporate physical wellness into our company culture. For example, every Tuesday night we hold an in-house yoga class with a yoga instructor called, Lars. On Wednesday morning, our very own Implementations Project Manager and certified yoga instructor, Zuleika, hosts her own class in our work common area. Members of the team attend personal training sessions in a nearby park once a week with the fabulous Radek Jonak. Classes focus on circuit bodyweight training and boxing. We love Rad. As our Office Manager Esther says, “Rad is rad!”.
The Employment Hero benefits platform also offers discounts on services like gym memberships. Indeed, many of our staff buddy up and visit the gym at lunchtime. In fact, it’s not uncommon for people who visit our offices at any time of day to spot a staff member wandering around in their workout gear. Our recent intern from America was so amused by this she went so far as to mention it in a blog about her experience working with us. Luckily, we have lockers and showers available in our office to make life easier and keep us feeling fresh.
What we do
On top of our company driven initiatives, many of our staff have found their own ways to keep fit at work. Workday fitness can be a logistical nightmare and so we thought we’d share our tried and tested tips for keeping fit during the workweek.
Here are 11 ways our staff keep fit during the workweek
1. Cycle to work and compete with yourself
I cycle to work and use an app called Strava. Apps like Strava help push you to work harder as you strive to beat your own times and set new personal bests on a daily basis. This gets you competing with yourself and naturally increases fitness levels.
Johnny Wood Implementations Manager APAC
2. Walk and talk
Our Chief Marketing Officer and I walk during our one-on-one meetings. Usually we take a stroll around Darling Harbour. I also get off the bus a few stops earlier to make my walk home longer. I change into sneakers to make this prospect more appealing.
Samantha Myers, Marketing operations Manager
Side note: Arianna Huffington has a lot to say about the benefits of walking meetings.
3. Exercise in the AM
I cycle to work. It means I am alive when I arrive for the day. I also like to conduct all other exercise in the morning because then it’s out of the way. If I choose to do a class in the AM I make sure I have all my clothes laid out so I can just roll out of bed and go, no thinking required.
Zuleika Duckers, Implementations Project Manager
4. Don’t run
I do exercises I enjoy. Find an exercise or activity you like doing and keep doing it. For instance, if you don’t like running, then do something else!
David Shi, Customer Success Specialist Change Management Analyst
5. Wear a Fitbit!
I wear a Fitbit it’s great for keeping track of the steps!
Caoimhe McMullan, Assistant Accountant
Side note: We know some offices use tools like Fitbits to conduct ongoing office step challenges with leaderboards and prizes. If you want to dominate a step challenge, read this article by the Fitbit team.
Side note to the side note: One of our staff said he improved his results by “shaking my phone violently to increase my step count”. Hmm
6. Get away from your desk
I like to conduct walking one-on-one meetings. It gets us out of our chairs and away from the office. An added bonus is people tend to be more receptive and more willing to open up outside of an office environment. I also attend Employment Hero yoga sessions when I can.
Cat Prestipino , Chief Marketing Officer
7. Pack your gym gear
I always bring my gym clothes to work. That way I can go straight to the gym before I go home and there’s no excuses to be lazy.
Nina Cardona, Customer Marketing Manager
8. Negotiate with your boss and wear nice gym clothes
I like to do F45 classes after work. I spoke to my boss about leaving work 10 minutes early so I can get to class on time and he agreed (legend!). In terms of making sure I actually go to class, I just focus on getting to there and forget about the fact that I’m going to exercise. So basically lying to myself seems to work. Also, nice gym clothes make me more likely to go!
Niamh Moloney, Partnerships Manager
9. Pay for a gym membership
I am more likely to go to the gym simply because I am paying for a membership. Since the gym is an outgoing expense, I feel like I need to get my money’s worth and thus have way more motivation to hit the gym and break a sweat.
Becky Wilson, Customer Success Specialist Activation Analyst
Sidenote: What Becky really said was, “pay an extortionate amount for your gym membership so you guilt yourself into having to go”. But we thought we’d spruce it a bit.
10. Don’t give yourself time to fluff around
I prefer to workout in the evening, soon after getting home from work. Once I get home I put on my workout gear on straight away so I don’t have time to stuff around or make excuses. I also usually plan a snack at around 4-5pm, otherwise I get home hungry and am less likely to follow through.
Talisa Clavijo, Content Marketing Manager
11. Do what you love
PSA: Our Office Manager, Esther, is super fit so pay attention these pearls of wisdom.
My fitness tip is, DO WHAT YOU LOVE! My entire family is involved in fitness, waterpolo, swimming and cycling. In the warmer months I ride my bicycle from home to the gym, do a class and then ride to the office. It sets me up for a great day. I save on fuel, parking fees and wear and tear on my car. Plus I clear my mind during my ride. I am lucky to have a locker at work where I store my toiletries and a towel. I manage to arrange outfits early in the week and bring them as required. My husband and I use many apps to keep track of our fitness but Strava is by far our fave. We can set ourselves goals and give our followers kudos on their achievements. I also wear a Garmin Fenix 5. It’s white and rose gold and I LERV IT. It tracks everything heart rate, steps, cadence, kilometres, laps and I can sync it with my phone, calendar, email and slack!
