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Fitness Factory

Simple tools to get movers and shakers moving and shaking
by ALLISON WEISS ENTREKIN - February 2010

Published in :: Business

Physically fit employees are likely to perform better at work, according to Partnership for Prevention, an organization that seeks to prevent disease and improve the health of Americans. A study published in the American Journal for Health Promotion also found that for every $1 businesses spend on work-site wellness initiatives, they save an estimated $3.50 in reduced absenteeism and healthcare costs. Maybe that’s why companies are investing in their employees’ physical well-being like never before. But even if your office doesn’t have treadmills in the break room or dried fruit in the vending machines, you don’t need to separate work from your workouts. Thanks to innovative equipment and timesaving exercises, you can lose weight on the job.

 

GET-FIT GADGETS

SHAPE UP FROM HEAD-TO-TOE WITH THESE OFFICE-FRIENDLY WORKOUT ACCESSORIES.

PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIK RANK

THE PEDLAR
Going for a bike ride is easy with the Pedlar: Just scoot it beneath your desk, place your feet on the pedals and start cycling away. You’ll get your heart rate up and increase circulation in your legs—just don’t get so distracted that you start daydreaming about the Tour de France. $69; www.fitnesslifestyles.com

BANGLZ
Tone your arm muscles—and add a little color to your wardrobe—with Banglz, 1/2-pound weighted bracelets wrapped in interchangeable (and fashionable) sleeves. You’ll get stronger just by reaching for a file or pouring a cup of coffee. $24.95; www.banglz.com

POWERBLOCK DUMBBELLS
Lifting weights is a good way to burn fat, but unless you’re Don Draper, you probably don’t have room for an entire set in your office. That’s where PowerBlock comes in, offering a variety of dumbbells that take up the space of just one pair. The more layers you grab, the heavier they’ll be. Weights start at $99; www.powerblock.com

THE X-ISER
This mini sprinting machine transforms your cubicle into a track. Choose your resistance level and start pumping your feet—your legs and core will engage in seconds. Its makers say that using it for just 4 to 12 minutes a day is all that is needed to help most people lose weight. $449; www.xiser.com

BOOM BOARD
The next time you’re stuck on a long conference call, put the phone on speaker and start doing bicep curls with the Boom Board. Simply stand on the board, grab the cables and let the toning begin. You can shorten or lengthen the cables with the touch of a button, and you can quickly put it away in the convenient carrying case if you hear your boss coming around the corner. $129.95; www.boomboard.com

HAVE A BALANCEBALL CHAIR
Who knew sitting down could be as effective as sit-ups? This innovative desk chair makes you activate your core in order to keep your balance, so you can strengthen your abs and improve your spinal alignment by simply sitting in front of a computer. $95; www.kimptonstyle.com

 

WORKPLACE WORKOUTS

ACCORDING TO SEAN FOY, AN EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST AND AUTHOR OF THE 10-MINUTE TOTAL BODY BREAKTHROUGH, 10 MINUTES OF EXERCISE A DAY IS ALL IT TAKES FOR YOU TO GET (AND STAY) FIT—AND YOU CAN EASILY DO IT IN YOUR OFFICE.

CHAIR JOGGING
Pump your arms and stomp your legs while you’re sitting at your desk. Alternate 30 seconds of moderate chair jogging with 30 seconds of fast chair jogging for 4 minutes total. Foy says this elevates your heart rate and shapes up your shoulders, arms, legs and core without placing too much strain on your joints. Hold water bottles or other weighted objects to make it more challenging.

WALL PUSH-UPS
While you’re waiting to use the copier, place your hands against a nearby wall, take a few steps back and do as many push-ups as you can for 3 minutes. This strengthens your chest, shoulders, arms and core and offers all of the same benefits as a classic push-up.

BAND WOOD CHOP
Tie one end of a resistance band waist-height around something sturdy, like the doorknob to your office. Holding the other end, walk away until you’ve created resistance, then pivot as if you were chopping down a tree. Do as many chops as you can on one side for one minute, then do chops on the other side for another minute. This will condition your back, abs and oblique muscles.

LUNGING HIP STRETCH
Next time you’re bending down to grab a (healthy) snack out of the vending machine, lower your body a little farther until you’re in a full lunge, with one knee on the floor and the other bent at 45 degrees. Hold this stretch for 15 seconds, then switch sides. Repeat these two movements for 1 minute. This will increase the range of motion in your hips and upper thighs.

 

EXTREME MAKEOVER: OFFICE EDITION

HOW ONE COMPANY GOT FIT AND SAVED MILLIONS IN THE PROCESS


InfoCision employees get physical.

EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO, when Kim Murphy joined InfoCision, a call center company based in Akron, OH, it had no employee fitness initiatives. But in 2003, Murphy was asked to change that because the company’s healthcare premium had risen by $1 million and CEO Carl Albright needed her to figure out a way to cut it down. Murphy, who had just moved into human resources after spending more than a decade managing the company’s call centers, didn’t have any experience working with benefits, but she didn’t take long to implement major modifications. She opened on-site fitness centers at nine of the company’s 12 locations, stocked the vending machines with more heart-friendly options and instituted “Weight Loss Wars” to motivate employees to get in shape. And her efforts paid off: The company’s premiums flat-lined by 2006 and have only increased by single digits since. Here, Murphy—who was promoted to vice president of employee benefits—shares some tips for transforming your office into a healthier place:

START AT THE TOP. Don’t be a rogue warrior. “Sell the senior team on why a healthy office is so important,” Murphy says. “That helps change the culture.”

KEEP IT AFFORDABLE. These days, most businesses aren’t willing to shell out big bucks to create on-site fitness centers, so don’t make your proposal all-or-nothing. If your company can’t swing for a gym right now, ask about placing 1/4-mile markers in the parking lot so employees can log their mileage during lunchtime walks.

PICK A FEW CHAMPIONS. Find people who share your vision for making your office more fit and ask them to spread the enthusiasm. The bigger your company is, the more messengers you’ll need. “Getting people excited about fitness is very important,” Murphy says.

DANGLE A CARROT. During InfoCision’s first Weight Loss Wars, 226 people participated. The next year, 600 people joined in. In addition to being motivated by employee success stories, the cash prizes and other rewards that InfoCision doled out to previous winners created a big buzz.

INVOLVE FAMILIES. Spouses are welcome at InfoCision’s fitness centers. Murphy says that when family members exercise together, they are more likely to stick to their health goals outside the office. What’s more, healthy spouses mean lower insurance premiums for the company.

PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH. If you’re extolling the virtues of fitness to your colleagues, you ought to be fit yourself. “You can’t promote this and then walk around the office with a handful of doughnuts,” Murphy says.

DON’T EXPECT IT TO BE EASY. When Murphy swapped candy bars for dried fruit in the vending machines, she didn’t win any popularity contests. “I got so much backlash, it was horrible,” she says. But just a few years later, she loves catching her former detractors noshing on the fruit. “We’re getting over that barrier that says eating healthy is expensive and hard.”

Published in :: Business

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