5 Reasons To Workout With Your Work Colleagues
The benefits of a healthy lifestyle are well-documented. Exercise reduces stress and boosts energy levels, helping us to feel better in our everyday lives.
But the benefits of fitness go far beyond just how we feel physically – regular exercise can have a huge impact on our relationships with colleagues and friends too. Here are five reasons why working out with colleagues might be one of the best things you can do for your career.
1. Body language is different when you work out together
Fitness is a great way to get closer to colleagues at work – not just because it forces people from all backgrounds and personality types to spend time together, but also because being active increases how others perceive you. A study by the Human Performance Lab at Harvard University found that non-verbal cues are key to creating trust between colleagues.
It may seem simple, but active colleagues have a lot more in common than colleagues who sit behind desks all day – they can communicate without words too. People working side-by-side on treadmills or weight benches are communicating through body language, sharing an experience that is both mental and physical which makes them closer as colleagues.
2. You’re more likely to strike up conversation with colleagues you work out with every day
We know that exercise helps people relax, but it also has the added benefit of helping colleagues become better at small talk. It’s tough to hold a conversation with colleagues when you don’t see each other outside of work hours – this vanishes completely when fitness becomes part of colleagues’ daily routines.
Working up a sweat together will help colleagues develop an understanding of one another’s lives, and this can help strengthen work relationships in the long run. It also means colleagues are more likely to get to know each other on a personal level at work too.
3. You’ll feel better about asking colleagues for their input when you’re not exhausted
There is no doubt that fitness helps us deal with stress better, but it also has benefits when it comes to how well colleagues work together. When colleagues are tired they often have short tempers – being active boosts energy levels which in turn makes colleagues happier and more productive. When people are happy, colleagues are less likely to have problems communicating or making decisions so everyone wins!
4. Work colleagues who exercise together will all work better towards a shared goal
Exercise isn’t only good for colleagues, it’s also good for teams and companies. When colleagues work out together at lunchtime they become more motivated to achieve their goals – whether they’re based around the company or personal targets.
5. When colleagues are active on a regular basis they can form supportive bonds that extend beyond just one-on-one relationships between colleagues
Which is something every business should strive for. This makes everyone feel closer as colleagues, encourages them to share knowledge with each other and motivates people to help one another succeed – great news if you want your company to grow!
It could be even more beneficial than you think
The benefits of exercising with colleagues don’t just appear when colleagues get sweaty – they can also work to boost colleagues’ creativity and problem-solving skills too.
A study by the Rotman School of Management at The University of Toronto found that exercise has a significant impact on both our long-term and short-term memory functions, which means colleagues have better recall of things colleagues tell them while they’re working out together. This is especially important for building team unity – every colleague involved will be able to pick up on information more easily, making it easier for colleagues to communicate outside of the gym.
The final word
There are lots of reasons why colleagues should workout together. Whether colleagues plan fitness activities as part of their lunch or prefer spontaneous workouts like group walks when colleagues are feeling tired, colleagues who work out together will become closer colleagues in no time.
Ready to join the tribe at Vibe Pilates?
We encourage everyone, of any age or ability, to join us for a Foundation class and see what Vibe Pilates is all about for yourself. You get to have a play with the machine and have fun learning new moves across a 45 minute workout.
Our Foundation session is a focus on the core foundations of the body. It’s a set up class designed for our beginners to get you started with confidence. The session is set at a slower pace to ensure you develop the understanding of the movement and feel why a reformer workout is so beneficial for your body.
