Did you know that promoting fitness in the workplace has been shown to contribute to the success of a business?

Studies have proven that employees who are fit and healthy as a result of regular exercise have a decreased incidence of absences due to illness, and demonstrate increased productivity due to the improvement in their energy levels. There is also a demonstrable correlation between fitness and lower levels of stress, which has been shown to inspire better attitudes and increase self-confidence.

Want your boss to invest in your fitness? Then read on to learn how fitness at work can be improved, go away and look at the numerous studies showing how investing in your health could benefit the company you work for, and use this information to educate your employers.

Bin the junk food and stock up on healthy treats

When workers have access to healthy food options, they are encouraged to fuel their bodies with the good stuff. Most vending machine companies now offer healthier packages, so have someone at your company liaise with them and negotiate swapping out the chocolate and pop and replacing them with healthier options such as granola bars and bottled water.

If you really want to entice your co-workers to eat better, speak to your employer and see if it’s possible to make complementary baskets of fruit available as brain fuel. Who can resist succulent strawberries and crisp, green Granny Smiths?

Speak to your employer about investing in a gym or fitness room

To ensure that you and your fitness conscious co-workers have the opportunity to exercise before or after work, or in your lunch hour, ask to be given access to fitness equipment, presenting your employer with all of the research and statistics on the benefits of healthy employees.

Get your hands on the number of a fitness equipment wholesaler like Fitness Warehouse and get a quote on how much a small gym would cost to stock. It pays to be prepared, so that your boss can see that you’re committed to the idea. They might also be pleasantly surprised by the cost of installation, which should be reasonably low if you cut out the middle man and use a professional wholesaler.

If your employer is interested in the idea but feels they don’t have the budget, suggest a programme whereby they provide gym reimbursements or discounts to local gyms and fitness centres. Another great idea could be to hire a private instructor. Nowadays there are a lot of private personal trainers who do corporate bootcamps and come out to offices to take fitness classes with the staff.

A simple thing like getting up and stretching every one or two hours can go a long way in keeping your posture and alertness in check at those desk jobs.

Suggest a programme with incentives for employees who practice fitness

Showing that you’re invested in the productivity of your co-workers will really impress your superiors, so if you know a gym will be out of the question, think about other ways to improve fitness in the workplace, such as fitness programmes which incentivise exercise by offering financial bonuses, prizes or other benefits to employees who meet set fitness goals or partake in a certain number of fitness activities.