Fitness
Meet the inspiring companies encouraging employees to get active at lunch
Find out how three companies have made lunchtime exercise the norm – and how they've benefited because of it.
It might be called a lunch ‘hour’ but recent research reveals that the average British office worker only takes a 31-minute break during the day. And it often doesn’t end up being a break from their screens, as many spend the time surfing the internet or playing online games before getting back to work.
To kick this trend, Red Bull is encouraging employees to Get Active When On Lunch this May. Head to redbull.com/AWOL to sign up for workout inspiration, including 15-minute real-time workouts with top PTs.
One woman who is particularly passionate about getting employees moving during the working day is personal trainer Claire Kremer. Founder of corporate wellness company CK Fitness and Wellbeing, she works with companies to do just that. “There is a huge amount of research and evidence that links positive benefits to people who exercise in the working day," she said. "Exercise at lunchtime will increase your energy levels, reduce stress and improve mood, concentration and brain power.”
And it's not just the employees who benefit. Claire said businesses can be boosted by a workforce that is active and healthy, with staff more focussed and productive as a result.
“There is a clear business case for investing in workplace wellbeing. Sickness and absence cost the UK economy £26bn each year,” she added. “A workplace wellbeing programme doesn't have to cost a huge amount of money. It can help people to achieve a better work/life balance and improve their overall approach to work and relationships with their peers. Unfortunately, it is one of the first things that disappears when a business needs to make cutbacks. But in times of uncertainty, it could actually be the best investment a company could make.”
So what can companies do to get their staff more active? Here, we profile three businesses already doing just that – Grant Thornton, Cambridge Associates and the University of Hertfordshire – to provide some inspiration...
Grant Thornton
Employees at Grant Thornton getting put through their paces
© Claire Kremer
The accountancy and consultancy firm Grant Thornton is one of the companies who have benefitted from CK Fitness and Wellbeing. It hired specialists from the firm to run a 10-week programme for its employees, which included lunchtime fitness sessions and workshops on nutrition, mental health awareness and stress management.
Fiona Baldwin, practice leader at Grant Thornton’s Milton Keynes office, said the company “feels we have a responsibility to promote wellbeing to everyone who works at Grant Thornton".
She explains: “People are at the heart of Grant Thornton and we strive to create a collaborative culture where everyone works together to achieve the best results for the businesses we work with. Promoting an active office environment is an integral part of this as it encourages engagement between different teams.”
Bringing people together through these team activities and ensuring everyone feels valued and motivated is an important strength for any business
As well as running the 10-week health and fitness programme, it launched a STEPtember challenge last year, encouraging ‘walking meetings’ instead of those sat around desks. Prizes were awarded to the team members who had racked up the most steps during the working day.
Now it offers a company running club, provides subsidised gym membership, and organises monthly mindfulness sessions for employees to take part in. Staff are encouraged to take an extended lunch hour if needed to participate in these activities.
As a result, Fiona says not only does the company's staff feel more positive and energised, but they also gel and communicate better with one another because they have bonded through exercise. She recommends other companies give their staff such opportunities to be active: “Bringing people together through these team activities and ensuring everyone feels valued and motivated is an important strength for any business.”
Cambridge Associates
The Cambridge Associates run club outside a certain London landmark
© Cambridge Associates
Staff wellbeing is something the investment firm Cambridge Associates also says it takes very seriously since the work its employees take on for clients “is high-pressure, high-value and done at a high-pace”. To allow its workers to relax, socialise and blow off some steam, it offers weekly and monthly wellness programmes on an opt-in basis, such as yoga and Pilates classes, and ‘lunch and learn’ sessions covering subjects such as good nutrition. There are showers and towels on site so staff can freshen up following lunchtime activities, and it isn't an issue if they take a longer break if needed to exercise – as long as clients' deadlines are still met. One of the firm's biggest successes has been its lunchtime run club, operated by Shaun Dixon from Let's Get Running.
Cambridge Associate's chief operating officer Susi Pitura said: “Shaun and our regular coach Paul have managed to create a lunchtime session that allows individuals with all levels of ability to take part. I am really proud to say that our run club has been one of the big successes to date, with a regularly returning group of employees taking part weekly.”
A lunchtime run quite literally improves your working day.
When it comes to how the running club has enhanced the firm, Susi said: “While we can’t directly correlate the run club with improved company performance or productivity, there is certainly a strong view that the club has aided employee collaboration in an unexpected way. Run club breaks down some of the traditional hierarchical boundaries that might otherwise be present – we have the firm’s most senior management running alongside some of the firm’s newest, youngest recruits and that creates a dialogue that may otherwise take a while to come naturally.”
She adds: “There is definitely a buzz on the run club day around the office, and the endorphins (and a few flushed faces!) are always evident afterwards.”
Running coach Shaun said many companies could benefit in the same way by setting up their own running club, especially as it is a form of exercise that is so simple to do. “Research suggests that if you follow a period of work or learning with exercise you are more able to retain the information processed [and] there is a wealth of research for the efficacy of lunchtime exercise in 'increas[ing] feelings of activation, creativity and productivity. Running groups are unique in that they provide all the favourable conditions to elicit these upturns – running is outdoor, social and it doesn't require any fancy equipment.”
University of Hertfordshire
En Garde! University of Hertfordshire staff getting active when on lunch
© University of Hertfordshire
The University of Hertfordshire runs an active staff programme, offering a wide range of sport and activity sessions for its employees for free. The activities are tailored to fit into employees’ lunch breaks, so classes are often 30 minutes or 45 minutes long. There’s a wide variety of options to choose from, including Zumba, Pilates, Pickleball and weight training, to ensure there is something for everyone, whether they want some gentle exercise or high intensity.
The main aim is to encourage staff to get away from their desks during the working day. Gavin Davies, head of marketing and new business at Hertfordshire Sports Village at the University of Hertfordshire, said: “The active staff programme has been a real success, and over the last year has had just over 3,000 attendances.
“Staff have fed back that it has really increased their wellbeing and self-confidence. Active staff has also improved relationships between employees from different departments who wouldn’t have met if it wasn’t for the initiative – some great friendships and networks have been formed at the sessions.”
Looking for a workout to do on your lunch break? Try the real-time workout in the player below. It only takes 15 minutes and there's no equipment needed!
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