Most people are concerned about their fitness but easily slump into laziness and do nothing, literally. But the employers are more than concerned. They have realized that the fitness of the employee means a healthier bottom line for the company too. Additionally you have a more energetic, job-happy employee with fewer aches and pains. The question if any, on the benefits of having a company fitness program is a no-brainer. It’s so obvious – a healthy employee puts in more hours of productive work, gets less dogged down by fatigue and takes very many lesser sick leaves.

I’LL BE HAPPY TO BELIEVE YOU IF YOU TOLD ME THAT YOU JUST DON’T HAVE the TIME FOR ANY EXERCISE

Regular exercise helps you handle manage stress and resist disease. This one fact translates into lower medical benefit bills for the company.

Make it the philosophy of the company and start a minor campaign that proves it. Hang posters and pictures that aim at good health and because the posters are catchy they will attract attention. Subtly aim to energize the thinking of your team members to think about good health. But don’t preach or push. Just soft sell the idea. After all it is a good idea from which the company members get direct advantage.

One beautiful idea that is easily adopted is a Walking Club. After lunch, bunch up together to go out for a walk. If initiated by the elders, it will soon become a matter of habit. It seems some companies go to the extent of asking their employees to keep track of the miles covered and then they are rewarded for the effort.

Good health is not just a matter of five push-ups every morning but something that you develop into a lifestyle from the very moment you wake up and with every breath you take.

Companies that sponsor sports and physical fitness do very well. Simple sports like table tennis, bicycling and family sporty get-togethers can be rejuvenating to the company’s social life as well as bringing in a cheer of good health. The idea should be to promote participation and not competition.

Action on the sports field is very easily interpreted to life itself. Here you learn about making effort, and winning some as also losing some games. You learn that getting too much too soon or too hard too fast are injurious to health and general well being. It keeps you level headed and in touch with reality. It teaches you the importance of keeping good habits, and that good health is not just a matter of five push – ups every morning, but something that you develop into a lifestyle from the very moment you wake up and with every breath you take. For that matter, even sleep has its right and wrong habits. So this should be seen as a twenty-four hour program.

Above all keep it fun. Don’t make it drudgery. Had it not been drudgery, you would not have been reading this passage at all.

LAWZ BUREAU