Whether self-employed, a small business owner or a corporate mogul, incorporating fitness into your work’s wellness program can benefit your business and employees (even if that’s just you).
Workers’ poor health costs employers up to $10,000 per employee in lost work productivity annually, according to the Journal of Medical Economics. However, companies that offer yoga and other preventive initiatives can benefit from healthier workers; such benefits include significantly reducing their health insurance premiums and increasing their bottom line.
Many companies recognize the value of yoga; they’re offering classes as part of their corporate wellness, including pro sports teams, Forbes, GE, Apple, Google, GM, Chase Manhattan Bank, HBO, GM, Industrial Light & Magic, and Nike.
How yoga helps productivity
Healthy, relaxed and focused employees are more productive. Even encouraging employees to take just 10 minutes during the workday to practice some simple yoga stretches — at their desks, in a conference room or outside — can help diminish stress and increase focus. Offering yoga classes at work or off-site is a low-cost, high-ROI benefit that employees will appreciate.
Consider these six ways yoga can boost your employees’ and your own productivity at work.
1. It increases energy and reduces fatigue.
Working nonstop can create stress. Even standing up, stretching or doing physical activity every 30 minutes greatly increases blood circulation. Incorporating simple yoga moves at these times is a great way to avoid fatigue.
2. It alleviates physical ailments.
If you’re suffering from aches, pains or even more severe physical problems, this will affect your productivity. No matter your job, if you are constantly thinking about and dealing with ailments, the last thing your mind will focus on is work.
Yoga can help relieve even the most severe pain and physical problems, such as those associated with traumatic brain injuries. If it can help in that context, imagine what it can do for regular headaches, carpal tunnel, neck strain, shoulder stiffness, arthritis, etc.
3. It relieves stress.
Aside from physical pain and illness, the other major factor affecting employee health and work productivity is mental and emotional stress. While stress itself doesn’t always cause people to seek help, it can cause and exacerbate physical ailments and conditions — including colds, allergies, headaches, diabetes, cancer and heart disease.
Stress accounts for billions of business dollars lost due to reduced productivity, absenteeism, employee turnover, accidents and medical fees. Avoiding such problems is paramount for both employees and businesses.
4. It improves concentration and focus.
Stressful deadlines, endless meetings and the general loud chaos of a workplace create mental clutter that prevents you from concentrating and making good decisions. Yoga’s meditation and breathing exercises help to silence the noise and clear the clutter; this lets you be more mindful, alert and focused.
5. It helps with creativity.
Yoga improves concentration and focus and opens the mind so creative juices and energy can flow. Your brain cannot think outside the box when it is confined within one.
If you feel well physically, mentally and emotionally, your morale will improve. If you are focused and energetic, your positivity will be strong. If your creativity is unleashed, your self-confidence will soar. And all of this will make you a better employee: in your job responsibilities, your dealings with clients and your interactions with fellow employees.
6. It boosts resilience.
When employees regularly pause to practice yoga, they can grow resilience. This improves an individual’s ability to deal with stress and make difficult decisions quickly.
Employees with a calm spirit are also more likely to focus on listening and building emotional intelligence.