Why a healthy lifestyle is good for business

To most people being healthy is mainly about look, but that is not always true. Being healthy and fit does more than just boost someone’s looks. Recent studies have shown that even moderate physical healthy activity offers big benefits including better immunity, healthier body weight, improved reasoning and even a sharper mind. A healthy work-life balance also bestows rewards ranging from a healthier body weight and reduced risk of illness and disease to sharpened mental acuity. Combined, these benefits add up to individual and business success. 

Since health care costs continue to skyrocket and the economy remains challenging, smart business owners and managers are propelled to look at all costs related to their number one asset – their employees. In order to dodge high health care costs, every entrepreneur must value a healthy lifestyle. The benefits of healthy employees are numerous for the business from a monetary and productive standpoint. A healthy employee is less likely to get sick.  Healthy lifestyle in business provides less truancy and reduced health care expenditures.

Also, a healthy business lifestyle can lead to employees having more energy, resulting in their staying focused at work.  A healthy and fit employee also tends to have a higher level of self-confidence and inspires confidence in others around them.  Employees who know how to set fitness goals and stay motivated to exercise will also be goal-oriented at work.   Leading a life with a good attitude and less stress is a benefit of a healthy and fit employee.

Healthy employees add diverse resources to a company’s bottom line. Resources including – Money, Productivity, Positivity, Image, etc.

How to attain a Healthy Lifestyle in business organizations

Attaining a healthy lifestyle requires incorporating a series of resource activities into employee occupational routines. Activities like a company wellness program that is more than just a gym membership.  Employees come in all shapes, sizes, and different fitness levels.  As a result, it is important to find a wellness program that takes this into consideration. Employees need to feel comfortable and not intimidated.  They need a place to go where there is someone who will help guide them into fitness, teach them goal setting, nutrition, exercise and how to create a roadmap for success.

In addition, the wellness program should offer education to the employer and the employee. It is not only learning wellness at work and in the gym but taking that education into their home life.  This will help create an actual lifestyle change. 

Whether the company wellness plan is paid for by the employer, employee or they share the cost, there needs to be a commitment.  Often when the wellness program or fitness membership is completely free with no guidelines, it is difficult to hold the employee accountable. When there is no accountability, the programs are often viewed as not being valuable. The key to any wellness program is involvement.  The way to get healthy is to participate. 

We all want our employees to enjoy their work environment, and to bring the best of themselves to their jobs every day. Encouraging our employees to embrace fitness as a lifestyle choice pays off in numerous ways!

Resources:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2018/01/09/a-healthy-ceo-is-a-good-ceo-why-wellness-matters/#13a060d03739
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/294247
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/238692
https://www.forbes.com/sites/sujanpatel/2014/10/29/why-more-entrepreneurs-need-to-make-health-and-wellness-a-priority/#7d53a9ba1de3
http://yfsmagazine.com/2015/11/25/healthy-living-and-its-surprising-benefits-for-entrepreneurs/
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeff-charles/5-important-habits-health_b_12854210.html
https://www.bfscapital.com/blog/healthy-lifestyle-small-business-owners/
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/openforum/articles/live-healthy-lifestyle-go/