Office life

Why Are Healthy Employees More Productive?

by Niki Kovács on November 22, 2018

5 mins read

You’ve probably already heard that healthy employees are happier and more productive. Running a successful business is for sure important to any company. However, there are plenty of positive effects of sports activities that go far beyond the company level. Let’s see how individuals can benefit from living an active life, and how that comes as a value for their employers. In other words, let’s look at the magic behind the curtains of sports.

Health and sports

It is common knowledge that doing sports is highly related to living a healthy life. How would you express what health is? And what does it actually mean to do sports? You sure have your own answer for these questions, but let’s see how the professionals describe these phrases.
World Health Organization dedicate themselves to a better, healthier future for people all over the world. Consequently, theiy have definitions for our key phrases, which are the followings:

WHO defines health as

“a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”

and sport as

“all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organized participation, aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental wellbeing, forming social relationships or obtaining results in competition at all levels”

As you can see above, health is a phrase referring to physical, mental and social condition. Therefore, living a healthy life has more dimensions than treating your body right with quality food and physical activities. As a matter of sports, this phrase also has a more complex meaning than simply doing exercises.

Let’s see what is worth knowing about sports, and how you can use this expertise for your benefit at your company.

Sports and healthy life

Physical activity and sports are one of the major components of a healthy lifestyle, along with a thoughtful diet, tobacco free life and avoidance of other harmful addictions. Moreover, regular practice of appropriate physical activity provides people of all ages and conditions with different physical, social and mental health benefits. However, not considering sports an important thing in your life can cause problems. According to WHO, physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for death globally and is responsible for 6% of deaths worldwide. This might sound dramatic, but there are plenty of things you can do to make your body move, and probably you are on the right track already.

Let’s see what the above mentioned benefits of sport activities, the magic behind the curtains of sports.

healthy food

Benefits of doing sports

Due to its characteristics, doing sports has a positive influence on your physical, mental and social well-being through various factors. Keeping these in mind might help you and your team to stay focused after deciding to make changes for a healthier life. Let’s look at the magic behind the curtains of sports, and see its benefits.

Sport benefits people by …

being an empowering, inspiring and motivating activity
providing relief and relaxation in a life of monotony of routine
providing work-life balance and promoting a healthy, active lifestyle
improving mental health and contributing to lifelong learning
making people more productive at work plus they take less sick days
reducing obesity and helping to prevent cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some cancers
easing pressure on the health system
bringing people together, giving opportunities for social interaction
providing a sense of belonging and community pride (national character and pride)
creating positive alternatives to youth offending and antisocial behaviour
helping to sustain the environment through promoting walking and cycling
creating opportunities for volunteering
helping economic growth through business investment, employment, major events, tourism

In addition to the above mentioned benefits, sport also has a special power to help you educate yourself through competitions, rules, and through its challenging characteristics. Regarding, let’s see how sport can educate you and your colleagues in order to become better businesspeople.

Educational values of sports

Sports provide an educational value, including…

developing life skills and leadership abilities creating a sense of discipline, fellow-feeling and togetherness.
teaching the value of time and how it is important to note how even one second decides the fate of a sportsman during a competition.
helping to become more capable of meeting the challenges in life.
providing a perfect option to channelize the energy and vitality, besides to make leisure hours worthwhile.
teaching the spirit of competition.
providing stimulation for study and hard work.

As it is stated above, doing sports is one of the best habits you can have. Besides, focusing on regular sports activities can lead to a higher productivity when it comes to work. To clarify that, it is listed below how doing sports and having a successful business go hand in hand.

cycling

Sports and business

Did you know? Famous people such as Richard Branson, Tim Cook, and Disney’s Bob Iger wake up before 6:00 in the morning to get their bodies moving. Their wake-up hours and exercise routines may seem crazy, but it is worth the extra effort. Getting your body moving for at least 10 minutes releases GABA. It is a neurotransmitter making your brain feel relaxed and keeping you in control of your impulses. Therefore, hosing exercising to be the first thing you do in the morning is a good way to make sure you spare time for it. This way you can also improve your self-control and energy levels, which makes you motivated for the entire day.

Such as having a darts tournament or a pingpong challenge with your colleagues in a 30-minute break, can be refreshing physically and mentally. This helps you be more productive, which makes having a break definitely worth your time. Moreover, doing sports together with others relates to having a better social life, while helping you bond easier. Consequently, playing games with your colleagues can lead to building a better community. And no one would question that the the magic behind the curtains of sports is essential for having a successful business, right?

Summary

To sum up, doing sports has a good influence on your health, including you physical, mental and social well-being. This relates to a positive state of mind, which leads to a more creative, productive and efficient way of working.

Grab your sports equipment and do sports regularly. Don’t forget to invite your colleagues 😉

What sports do you think can be the best way of improving your productivity? Share your thoughts about the topic in the comment section below.