How to boost physical wellbeing at work

What is physical wellbeing?

Physical wellbeing is a broad term that refers to both your body’s vitality and strength, and its ability to function harmoniously with your mind.

What is physical wellbeing in the workplace?

Physical wellbeing in the workplace refers to creating an environment and implementing practices that support your employees’ overall health, comfort, and safety while they are at work. It goes beyond just focusing on daily job tasks and extends to making sure that your employees are physically and mentally healthy – during and beyond – their work lives. Physical wellness encompasses many factors including ergonomics, safety, hygiene, workplace culture, flexibility and much more.

The important link between physical health and workplace wellbeing 

For all of us, physical health forms the important foundation upon which our overall wellbeing is built. Because of this, in essence, physical wellness is a cornerstone of a successful workplace wellbeing strategy. In fact, a focus on physical wellness has been proven to reduce absenteeism, enhance engagement, increase energy and productivity, bolster creativity and improve overall organisational culture.

It’s really a no brainer – when employees are physically well, eating well, sleeping well and moving well – they will be better equipped to manage tasks and challenges, engage more actively, and positively impact their emotional health – in turn creating a healthier, more productive, and happier workforce.

The difference between physical fitness and physical wellness

The main difference between physical fitness and physical wellness, is that physical fitness focuses on your body’s physical abilities, while physical wellbeing (or wellness) takes into account your overall health, comfort, and happiness.

Physical fitness is a measure of your strength, endurance, flexibility, and overall physical capability. Being physically fit means you have strength and stamina to engage in various activities, like running, lifting weights, or playing sports. Whereas physical wellbeing encompasses a broader sense of health and happiness. It’s not just about physical capability; it involves feeling good both physically and mentally. This includes factors like having low stress levels, getting enough sleep, having a balanced diet, and managing emotions.

How to improve employee physical wellbeing in the workplace

In today’s restless work environments, prioritising employee physical wellbeing shouldn’t be a choice, but a necessity, because a healthier workforce translates to happier colleagues.

When it comes to physical wellness, it doesn’t have to take a huge amount of effort to support your colleagues – sometimes it’s just about reassuring them that their health is of the utmost importance, and giving them the flexibility and freedom to do the things that make them most happy and healthy. Let’s discuss some ways to do just that.

• Advocate for activity and movement
  It seems straightforward enough – but sometimes by simply letting your employees know it’s okay so take time during the day for physical activity is the boost they need to get outdoors, or get some fresh air. Some people struggle with leaving their desk during the day with the worry they’ll miss something important. Let your team know their physical wellness is a priority and they’re more than welcome to take time during the day to take a gym class, a yoga session or a simple walking break.
• Encourage regular rest and screen breaks
  Similarly to the last point, encourage your team to take regular breaks throughout their days to ensure they have adequate time to rest and recharge during the workday. No one can be productive for hours and hours on end – and prolonged periods of screen time and continuous work can lead to physical strain and mental fatigue. Regular breaks give us the chance to stretch muscles, change body posture, relax our eyes and come back to work feeling fresher and more motivated.
• Mental health and stress support
  It’s important to recognise the connection between physical and mental wellbeing and offer resources like stress management workshops, counselling services and mindfulness education to support your team’s overall wellness. By doing so, you’ll show your people work-life balance is a priority and so is their holistic health.
• Flexibility and work-life balance
  By embracing flexible work arrangements, like remote work or adaptable hours, you will show commitment to acknowledging individual needs and modern work-life demands. By reducing the strain of commuting and offering the freedom to tailor work schedules, your employees will be able to better manage their personal and professional responsibilities – leading to more control over their physical and mental wellbeing.

Book a call

By implementing these shifts in your company’s culture, you can set the stage for employees to experience revitalised work lives. As you prioritise your employees’ physical wellbeing, you’re simultaneously nurturing their mental wellness too. This collective focus on wellbeing nurtures a workforce that is not only healthier and more active, but also emotionally resilient and motivated.

Great physical wellbeing questions to include in your next staff survey

In addition to the avenues of improvement we’ve already discussed, there’s a whole sea of initiatives, programs, and apps on the market that promote physical wellbeing in the workplace. From team wellness challenges to sleep cycle apps and in-house health assessments, we could list dozens. But what’s going to be more valuable for your team is if you ask them for what they need most.

As always, we recommend pulse surveys to do the job. Pulse surveys are perfect for capturing real-time feedback and gauging employee perceptions of their physical wellbeing, allowing you to tailor your wellness initiatives and strategy accordingly.

• On a scale of 1 to 10, how supportive do you feel the company is in accommodating your physical health needs?
• Are you comfortable discussing your physical wellbeing with your manager or HR?
• How would you describe your daily physical activity routine while working?
• How often do you feel that your workload allows for taking short movement breaks?
• Do you feel that your work schedule accommodates a healthy work-life balance?
• Can you share any specific challenges you face in maintaining a healthy work-life balance?
• What improvements do you think could be made to our office environment, or your work from home space, to support your physical wellbeing?
• Are there any particular health and wellness initiatives you’d like to see implemented in the workplace?
• How do you manage stress during your workday in terms of physical activities or practices?
• Are there any barriers that prevent you from incorporating more movement into your work routine?
• How can the company better assist you in managing your overall physical health?
• Do you have any feedback on the existing wellness programs that support physical wellbeing?

Remember, by first asking your team to contribute their wellbeing experiences and thoughts for improvement you’ll be in great position to build out your wellness strategy. It’s about tapping into your organisation’s collective employee voice so you can best accommodate your team’s diverse needs.

If you’d like to learn more about how to build surveys that give you insights that lead to real change, book a call with our friendly team.

Speak to the friendly Stribe team