There's no denying that exercise leads to increased productivity at work - reminders on the subject pepper everything from e-mail spam and insurance plans to underground billboards and lunchtime brown bags. This realisation is not lost on us, and that's why every year millions of us make a new years resolution to become more active and sign up for gym memberships. You can feel it in the office as soon as you get back from the holidays - gym bags and yoga mats find their way into the available corners of the office. Look around your office now - how is the gym bag infestation going? More specifically, how it your health and fitness resolution going?
On the heels of the holiday season's binge fest comes an up swell in self promises and gym memberships in January. I was speaking to a Director of a premier health & wellness organisation recently where he mentioned that this surge is then closely followed by the year's largest drop-out rate only 5 weeks later! A quick search on Google revealed that a new report, from Nuffield Health, pinpointed February 8 as "Ditch the gym day". This date sees the largest drop in usage at the chain’s 66 Fitness & Wellbeing centres across the UK.
Keep up the momentum
If you have not "ditched the gym", do give yourself a pat on the back. Kudos to you. In another 5 or 6 weeks you will have gone through the tough period and will begin seeing the results of your new fitness regime. Research shows that it takes an average of between nine to 10 weeks to form a new habit and around 12 weeks to see the results of a new fitness regime. If you are thinking about quitting, set up a game plan and hang on for a bit longer, you are almost there! If you have already quit, it's the perfect time to practice your negotiation skills and get an even better deal!
Healthier and more productive
The best result however, aside from being able to re-claim a long lost belt hole or two, is to be able to experience the positive effects exercise will have on your productivity at work. It will help you to re-energise and improve your concentration, as well as making you feel calmer and more able to solve problems. We can all use a little less stress in our lives. Your colleagues will notice, your boss will be impressed and your clients will be happy.
