Walking for fitness; do it at work! The focus of this article is trying to get a walking program started at the office or workplace. With winter finally finishing and warmer temperatures returning, you find yourself getting an itch to be outside instead of sitting in the office or workplace. Hopefully you have an outside window to at least view the great outdoors. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to walk a half hour three days per week? Wouldn’t it also be nice to do this halfway through your workday? And wouldn't it be nice if your boss said yes, you can do that? The difficulty is you only have a half-hour for lunch, and trying to fit a half-hour walking program and also eating your lunch all in that time span can be quite challenging. Now if only you and your boss can work out someway to get it all done.
The first thing your boss will say is why should I bend for you and your co-workers? At that time, you can list these benefits for them and the company. Increase productivity, and decrease the abuse of sick days taken. How? Because you are letting the employees enjoy some of the nice outside weather, it will deter skipping work. It will also help deepen and enhance the employee/boss relationship. The exercise will stimulate your senses, give you energy and revitalize your body for the 2nd half of the workday, and it will help you relax and relieve the stress that has accumulated during the earlier part of the day. This will not only help you focus more intently on the later projects at hand, it will make you feel good and will help create a positive attitude in the workplace. Overall, with all the pluses, you, as well as the company you work for, will both actually gain from the walking program. The next thing your boss will say, “what is this going to cost me?” Taking in consideration it takes about 10 to 15 minutes to eat lunch, and most recommendations are to walk for 20-30 mins, 3 days per week, we're probably looking at adding only an additional 15 - 20 mins to the break time. You could also suggest that you will use your break from later in the day or the early morning break so as to be able to dedicate this 45-50 mins at lunch time. In Summary: You could check with your health insurance carrier if your company provides coverage and find out what they think about the company you work for introducing a walking program for their employees. They might be able to “help sell” the program. The healthier the employees are, the less likely they will require medical attention and mounting medical bills. Doing your research before going in front of the boss will show a diligent preparation effort.
About the Author Author Bio: Written by: Kevin Doberstein |