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Shape Up Your Fitness Ideas |
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Written by Maggie Nee
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Alternative health and fitness solutions for you and your organization
When it comes to health and fitness I am sure we all have lots of positive intentions, but alas we do not always have the time and energy needed to see them through. With my hectic schedule I often find it difficult to squeeze in as much exercise as I would like. I am sure that this is often also the case for you and your team. However, it does not need to be this way. In the coming pages I intend to introduce some practical tips that will make getting worthwhile exercise a lot easier, as well as few slightly unusual pointers that could serve to enliven your fitness experiences. For you as an individual, these will serve to make staying in great shape much easier. Also, for you as a HR professional, they will be useful in helping you improve the health and fitness of everyone within your organisation.
In an ideal world we would all be able to leave work, head to the gym for a strenuous yet invigorating work-out and still be home in time for dinner with our families or to meet our friends. Unfortunately, as we all know, that is not always possible. This problem is reflected in waistlines across China. A survey released by the Ministry of Health and the State Statistics Bureau revealed that in major cities almost 30% of the population are overweight, which is up from 21% in 1992. Therefore I thought it may be apt to introduce a few options that may be a little more convenient for those of us with hectic schedules and who simply do not have time.
"In an ideal world we would all be able to leave work, head to the gym for a strenuous yet invigorating work-out and still be home in time for dinner with our families or friends"
I want to begin by being as practical as possible. Whenever I visit multinational companies, I always make every effort to ask all the people I meet, particularly HR staff, how they are and how their day is going. Almost always, I get the response "Oh, so busy!" If this is the case and you really are chained to your desk, then the chances of getting away from the office early and heading to the gym are minimal. Therefore, we need to ask if you can take advantage of your surroundings. If you cannot escape the office, how can you use it?
Walk the line
I was recently browsing through a copy of China Daily when I found an interesting story about office workers across China and how they are using every possible opportunity to squeeze in some valuable exercise. It featured several workers from multinational companies based in Beijing who had taken to avoiding the cramped conditions of the capital city's subway system in favour of utilizing their own shoe leather by walking to the office. Having traveled on the Beijing subway at rush-hour and experienced the accompanying claustrophobia, I can certainly understand this approach, especially on a nice clear day! The piece also featured workers from Shenzen Airline's passenger service department. Their schedule was so crammed with customer enquiries that it seemed they barely had time to breathe. However one of them, Mr. Wei, came up with an oh-so simple way of keeping in shape. Whenever he found the lifts in their office building to be too crowded, instead of squeezing uncomfortably inside, he took the stairs, commenting that: "I only use the lift whenever I am with my colleagues or my boss. Otherwise, I would climb stairs."
Taking the stairs and walking to work may seem like ridiculously simple solutions to the problem of not getting enough exercise. However, as simplistic as they may be, they are effective. Walking just one mile (roughly 1.5 kilometres) at a brisk pace can burn 100 calories. If you were to walk to work regularly, such as 3 or 4 times a week, the exercise involved could help to: reduce the risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol and even lose weight. In fact, walking to work can have such a positive impact that cities across the globe are encouraging it. On April 26th this year London organised its Walk to Work Day, during which thousands of commuters opted to leave their cars at home and to shun the city's famous red buses in favour of getting to the office under their own steam. The aim of the project was to ensure those involved would: "arrive at work in a very different state of mind: "relaxed, stress free and alert." Similar projects took place in the Australian cities of Canberra and Sydney in October and in Minneapolis in the US in May.
All good HR professionals have the well-being of their team at heart. So, perhaps you can follow in London's footsteps and organise your own ‘Walk to Work Day.' This could work not only to help your staff get some much needed exercise, but also as a great teambuilding event. For instance, employees who live in the same district can walk in together and then as an extra incentive perhaps you could organize a ‘welcome' breakfast for when everyone arrives at the office.
You can also think about how you can integrate exercise into the office environment and make it part of your team's normal working day. Obviously, the office is a constrained environment. So, games of inter departmental badminton or basketball are probably out of the question. However, you can utilise the space you have to allow your staff to get some exercise. Many of ClarkMorgan's trainers like to begin their Business English classes with some stretching. This is a great ice-breaker and it also works to liven up everyone in the class. However, stretching is also a great, albeit slightly relaxed, form of exercise. Stretching can increase flexibility, improve the motion of joints, boost circulation and improve posture. It is easy to involve a ten or fifteen minute stretching session into a hectic workday. For example, you could finish lunch a few minutes early to allow each department to squeeze in a short stretching session.
Exercise your imagination
Another reason that you and your colleagues perhaps do not get the exercise you need is motivation. It can be hard after a long and strenuous day at the office to keep your energy levels high enough to head to the gym, to go for a run or to play sports. This is where HR can step in to provide that motivation. A company wide initiative could spark your employees' interest in keeping fit. It can, again, work as a great teambuilding exercise. For instance, Soft Brands an international software company with offices in Tianjin operates a badminton club. Employees all head to the court after work once a week for some strenuous exercise, before then heading out to dinner together. This approach certainly kills two birds with one stone. Firstly, badminton is great exercise; it is good for the heart and in a game of just 45 minutes you can burn approximately 300 calories. Secondly, it works to bring the team together. Cao Yang, Support Manager at Soft Brands, explained to Network HR the surprising effect of their project: "About two years ago, in an annual physical, we discovered that some staff members were in poor physical condition. We decided that we had to take action. So, we chose badminton as our weekly exercise. To my amazement, as well as the health benefits, the activity reinforced our mutual understanding and corporation as a team. I think that is the reason why each participant enjoys the activity so much."
"If you were to walk to work regularly, such as 3 or 4 times a week, the exercise involved could help to: reduce the risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol and even lose weight."
I have met other companies who follow a similar path. Such as one company who introduced a swimming club for employees. Swimming is great exercise. It works every major muscle in the body, which means not only is it good for building strength, but it is also fantastic for your heart and can help you lose weight - a strong swimmer can burn 900 calories in one hour. On top of this, because there is no impact involved swimming is a safe sport with little risk of causing injury.
Jogging off the beaten path
Office outings to the pool or company badminton games can be great ideas. They certainly serve their purpose, but often if you really want to inspire your team to exercise more, you may need to stretch your imagination a little more by providing your staff with an interesting and unusual opportunity. This will give them that extra push to get fit. It is at this point in the article that I have decided to offer a few slightly more offbeat solutions that may make you think I have gone a little crazy. Do not worry though; these suggestions may just surprise you.
A new fitness craze that is sweeping China is pole-dancing. I realise this may sound a little risqué, but wait. In its new form the activity has shed its past reputation and reinvented itself as a new and stimulating workout. Even as I write this I can imagine hundreds of eyebrows being raised all across China as you read it, and justifiably so, but let me give you a few facts that may change your mind. This slightly bizarre form of exercise already has a strong foothold in China. It first twirled its way into Beijing and Shanghai last year and was so popular that it has spread to other cities across the country. The Luo Lan club now has branches in Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou, Nanchang and Guangzhou, which attract a clientele that strongly features professional women looking for exercise and a change of scenery. Still not convinced? Ok, perhaps the fitness benefits may sway you. The physical movements involved in pole dancing are great for several key muscle groups, which means it helps to build muscle strength and tone as well as burning calories. The pole used in this form of dance may sound like a western idea; however this is not actually the case. It also has a traditional Chinese heritage with distinct parallels to the ancient Chinese Pole, which has been used in acrobatics both at home and abroad for almost 2,000 years, and on which acrobats swirl and tumble between two tall, coated poles.
I am going to stick with my slightly bizarre approach as I introduce belly dancing to you. Again, this may not sound anything like your usual fitness regime, but it is growing in popularity both in China and across the globe. The Essences of Life Club in Guangzhou describe the benefits of belly dance as such "[Belly Dancing] in a hot room, which is between 32 and 38 degrees helps to thin your waist, to tighten the shape of your body and reduce unnecessary fat from your arms, thighs and bottom." They added "This can stimulate your lymph system, improve circulation, eliminate toxins and burn off fat and calories."
I hope the ideas I have provided will help to kick-start your fitness regime. So, what are you waiting for? It's time to get into shape!
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