Let’s Pay Employees to Exercise at Work

Not a stance most BoomerMales would recognize, as a manager or a worker, but that’s what Ryan Holmes, CEO of Hootsuite, says in an essay on Medium this week and he backs it up with both data and anecdotes.

Hootsuite is a successful tech company that embraced social media early and has a proven track record. 700 employees work at Hootsuite building tools that organize and measure marketing activities and train companies on how to achieve marketing and sales success.

Typical of tech companies, the employee population is young and driven. The success of Hootsuite depends on tremendous productivity, which means every employee has to operate in top condition at highly alert levels for hours at a time and exercise keeps them motivated.

I see employees return from workouts refreshed and better focused on their jobs. Time lost on exercise is made back and more in terms of improved productivity.
 – Ryan Holmes, CEO Hootsuite

Boomer Men Worked for the Gold Watch

Like most Boomers, I started working when the goal was still a gold watch and a hope of retirement before landing in the nursing home. We wore white shirts and ties, and kept our jackets on at the office….and walked uphill through snow both ways to the office….

OK, it was never quite that bad, but even office working conditions were pretty much “stay in your seat, keep your nose to the grindstone” during working hours. We rarely looked like Mad Men role models and fitness was just a concept on the horizon.

So the “kids” got it figured out. Let’s use their lead to make the most of our “golden” working years. Follow Ryan Holmes’ suggestion to get some exercise during each day and watch our productivity rise. Who knows, we might even get the boss, if we’re not already the boss, to make fitness a corporate objective to help the bottom line.

Ready to Make Time for Exercise?

Here’s some steps to take:

• Make time for fitness each day of the week.
• Vary the types of exercise, our bodies get stronger faster.
• Start small, build big. Check with your doctor first and don’t over-do it at first.
• Schedule time to move, even just a 15-minute walk at lunch.

Not much time?

• Park a little farther from the door or take the stairs, every little bit counts.
• Incorporate fitness into your commute, use public transportation and benefit from the walk.
• Remember to pack a bag to handle clothes, showers, shoes, etc.
• HAVE FUN!!

Kudos to Nichole Elizabeth ‏@NikkiElizDemere of Hootsuite for the story lead. You can read Ryan’s complete essay at Medium, Why It’s Time We Paid Employees to Exercise at Work.