Keep your workforce fighting fit… with on-site fitness training

Fitness Assessment

Fitness at work programmes start with a simple non-invasive ‘baseline check’ for each person.

Standing with bare feet on our biometric scales allows us to collect data about your body weight, fat mass, muscle mass, bone weight, BMI, metabolic age, hydration levels and visceral fat readings.

The results provide us with a snapshot of an individuals current physical health and fitness levels – measurements used for future comparison.

Consider something more adventurous and challenging…

The bosses from Aaron Wallis Sales Recruitment in Milton Keynes, wanted to, not only reward their employees, but also thank some of their clients and suppliers for their custom and support. They wanted a bit of a challenge to ensure it wasn’t just a boozy lad’s weekend! There had to be some benefit to investing company profits in what some would consider as fun.
How about the 3 Peaks Challenge, UK, Ireland or Mainland Spain? Experiencing high altitude with a trek up the highest mountain in North Africa – Toubkal? How about traversing a glacier in Norway; or a soak in a hot water stream in Iceland – the land of ice and fire; or Croatia for a two-day hike and a day kayaking?
Just imagine the adventure, the shared experience, shared adversity.

Outcomes

Tired after an exhilarating challenge, looking forward to a few beers. Witnessing some of the most beautiful scenery on the planet. Overcoming fear of traversing steep slopes and ice fields. Getting to the top of the mountain to witness the sunrise and feel the cold wind. Discovering your strengths and weaknesses and those of your companions. Learning new skills – crossing rivers, reading maps, scrabbling on slippery rocks, keeping dry! Putting ego aside and asking for help.
These are experiences not to be forgotten and people are changed by them. Petty differences and office politics are set aside. There is a real gratitude to be able to ‘be there’ …and guess what, next year your loyal employees, customers and suppliers, they’ll want to do it again.
There must be something in it. The guys from Aaron Wallis do something every year!

Few challenges are more rewarding, on so many levels…

One of our clients ‘Blue Chip’ had some keen and experienced cyclists who decided to cycle London to Paris. Not as part of a large organised event, but to plan, organise and do it themselves – they wanted an adventure! They also wanted to raise money for a good cause… their chosen local charity, Keech Hospice Care.

Creating an inner desire to succeed

If we were to compare the attributes of a successful athlete with a perfect employee, there would be many similarities. It is well recognised that participation in sporting activities and events help develop transferable skills and an inner desire to succeed.
Fitness at work doesn’t need to be something as challenging as a 100 miles Ultra marathon as was the ‘Infinity Run’ that we devised in 2014 to raise money for local charities. It was certainly a memorable event, not least for the organising. For example, finding a safe route for the runners, gaining permission from

What do you get from a Team Challenge?

A team challenge is an easy goal to set and it can double-up as the training and the main event, just like on this Wet ’n’ Wild Weekend near Willen Lake.
We had a small diverse group of different ages, genders and abilities, with one thing in common – they were up for a challenge, some laughs and something memorable. They discovered that getting wet was not as bad as they expected – indeed, if it’s done in a safe and familiar area it’s really good fun – and before we knew it, one or two unexpected characters really shone through.

How does fitness training help with team building?

Team building is one of the least anticipated outcomes when it comes to fitness training at work but, if you think about it, if people are having fun while achieving something, then that is a good thing right?
Put a diverse bunch of people together, give them a little motivation and the need to cooperate to achieve a shared goal in a fun and controlled environment, and the individuals see each other in a different light. Before you know you have team spirit.

Time out for some me-time…

Most small businesses owners start as a one-man band – wanting to be their own boss; to work hours that suit them; and to have a better work-life balance. However, as companies grow, work life balance often goes out of kilter, hours at work seem never-ending and the job you used to love has become a slog! Is that the price of success – or perhaps a choice?
It’s often only after you’ve had a break, that you realise just how badly you needed it. A useful tip I got from business coach Jon Baker was to schedule time for exercise in your diary. Setting a goal and a timeline is important, and leading up to that, there is the relevant exercise programme to prepare for the main event.
In Jon’s case, he set himself the goal of a ski trip – a week away in the peace and beauty of the mountains. He’d already been to Machu Picchu and understood the value of taking time out to rejuvenate mind, body and spirit.

Outcomes

Aside from getting fitter, he discovered that his training not only set him up for his ski trip, but he felt more alert, full of energy and better focused at work.
Jon’s fitness sessions ranged from walking and running based exercises – along the canal, around Willen Lake and the Forest Centre at Marston Moretaine – or circuit training when it was too wet or cold outside. Then, he was off to enjoy a glorious week skiing, savouring the fresh mountain air and winter sunshine. Perfect!

A perfect activity for individuals of any age or fitness level…

Nordic Walking is an enhancement of ordinary walking, which harnesses the power of the upper body to propel you forward as you walk. It uses more energy and yet it feels easier with practice.
With correct use of the poles, it is no harder on the joints than walking. The poles take the weight off the knees and lower joints – which makes it a suitable activity for people with joint conditions, or people who may be carrying some extra body weight.
Nordic Walking requires a specific fitness technique, not to be confused with trekking, hill walking or trail running. The poles aren’t simply planted in front of you, but moved in a specific way, which increases the use of the upper body.
We have our own instructor trained by NWUK (Nordic Walking UK) who are recognised as the leading authority in the UK.

Outcomes

This outdoor activity encourages exercise in the fresh air and is a suitable activity even for non-athletic types.
There are so many benefits to Nordic Walking:

• it’s a whole body exercise, which activates 90% of the body’s muscles and burns up to 46% more calories than regular walking
• the aerobic effect is increased by up to 25% compared to regular walking
• it decreases load and strain on the lower body
• it improves lateral mobility of the spine
• it increases core stability and strength; and it tones the upper arms, shoulders and back muscles.

Find some space for me-time, indoors or outdoors

There is always room for a Zumba, Yoga or Pilates class in a meeting room, and you don’t have to go far to escape the office, even for a short while…
This ‘Corporate Warrior’ trains with us every week. He is lucky to work in Milton Keynes (granted) but then there are often green spaces around, even in city locations. Darren likes to do our famous bench exercises. That is a running based exercise routine where we run and, at every bench we do a set of exercises – in this case, push-ups and sit ups. The cows were certainly impressed!

Making better use of your company gym…

There is a general expectation with company gyms, that just because it’s there, staff will utilise the facilities. That may be the case, but generally we find these places are rarely used, and if at all it tends to be from a few well motivated individuals.
By staffing the gym with one or more of our Personal Trainers, you are more likely to see a return on your investment of office space and equipment.

Get together away from the distraction of the office…

Some of the best feedback we have had from group exercise is from a project we called ‘NetWalking’. We invited small-business people to get together for networking (as small business owners do), but instead of sitting in a stuffy meeting room eating a breakfast or sandwiches, we promoted it as ‘Zero Calorie Networking’. Our business owners walked and talked on a guided route in the many green spaces in Milton Keynes.