People are becoming more conscious of their work-life balance and how incorporating levels of fitness activities in their routine can impact their physical and mental health within the working week. In a study conducted in 2022 by the World Health Organisation:
“1 in 4 adults do not meet the global recommended levels of physical activity”.
With the rise of businesses incorporating hybrid working practices (25% of UK employees working from home at least some of the time in 2022), more time is available for individuals who would otherwise be impacted by work commutes and location-specific duties in the workplace.
Utilising this extra time effectively can provide a great opportunity for employees to start focusing on both job and fitness enrichment in their lives.
Here are some tips that you can follow to start proactively balancing work and fitness in your life:
How to Start Balancing Work and Fitness
Finding a Type of Fitness You Enjoy
In a recent Forbes study in the US, the most popular New Year’s resolution goal (48%) was “Improved Fitness”. It may sound trivial, but if you’re looking to start introducing a fitness regime to complement with your working schedule, you’re going to want to find a type of fitness you enjoy, or even love!
Types of fitness you can look to include in your schedule could be going to the gym, running, swimming, playing football, tennis, or even just walking. If you’re introducing a type of fitness that appeals to you and can keep you motivated throughout the week, you’ll be more likely you are to stay committed to that activity – nobody wants to feel like fitness is even more work.
Establishing Work & Fitness Goals
A way to maintain balancing work and fitness is to have measurable goals over a set period. Implementing set goals not only provides a motivational target for you during work and leisure time but also keeps you responsible for your progress.
By introducing a measurable fitness regime, overall employee health productivity can be improved as highlighted in a Harvard Business Review study:
“Physical activity improves next-day job performance and health”.
Goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely – something to keep you motivated in and outside of work. Some examples of career and fitness goals could be:
Career Goals
- “I’d like to be promoted within the next six months.”
- “I’d like to double my sales over the next three months”.
- “I’d like to move into a new career within the next year”.
Fitness Goals
- “During my working week, I’d like to start going for a walk on my lunch breaks”.
- “I’d like to start running three times a week outside of work”.
- “Every Wednesday, I’d like to start playing tennis with a peer”.
Schedule Your Time Your Way
Now that you’ve set your goals, it’s time to schedule when you’re going to achieve these goals during a set timeframe. Where and when you’d like to schedule these goals is entirely up to you.
Fitting your goals in line with your working week can help keep your schedule cohesive as you work throughout the month. This ensures you give yourself a realistic timeframe to incorporate some fitness into your day, so you’re getting the most benefit – instead of cutting an activity short!
Fitness apps can be the most popular tools used to maintain accountability and track progress, coming in the form of diet programmes, gym memberships, habit-tracking apps, and calorie counters. But if you’d rather stick to the traditional calendar or diary, there’s no harm, find a way that works for you.
Summary
So, you’ve found a fitness activity you like, you’ve set yourself some goals, and you planned it out in your diary…It sounds like you’re ready to go!
Balancing work and fitness can be a challenging task, especially depending on your business sector and your working hours. By following just some of the helpful tips above, you can begin to improve work performance, mental and physical health, achieve goals in your career and personal life, and start your journey of enhancing your work and fitness balance.