Health and wellness have always been a hot topic in the workplace. Employers play a significant role in helping workers get healthy with programs perks and incentives. The goal is to create a happier, healthier workforce as well as to save on overall medical costs.
Finding solutions that help employees strike a balance between work and wellness is and should be a priority for Human Resource professionals and recruitment companies. So it’s only natural that as employee fitness preferences evolve so should the benefits offered by employers.
Corporate benefit and fitness discovery platform Gympass uncovered a shift in employee workout patterns. With data from over 42,000 gyms and studio partners worldwide, Gympass shares that 40% of their user’s workout between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm. These “lunchtime lungers” are working professionals who prefer a midday workout to the typical early morning run or post-work gym session. More interestingly, their employers are responsible for facilitating their workday workouts.
The chart below illustrates a movement away from specialized workouts. Studio-focused activities like indoor bicycle classes, boxing, pilates, and yoga polled to be less frequented by working professionals. In fact, full-service gym check-ins surpass all other fitness activities combined. This news comes contrary to mainstream fitness trend reports where the International Health, Racquet, and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) noted specialty gyms grew 70% between 2012 and 2015. Considering Gympass’ corporate partners include major players like Unilever, American Express, and Novartis these are important insights.
Workforce trends like this matter a great deal. Shifts in employee fitness patterns ought to grab the attention of other decision makers with Human Resources and recruitment companies. Staying on top of corporate fitness trends like these can offer these five benefits:
- Industry Leadership: Adjusting your corporate benefit offerings based on the changing needs of the workforce can distinguish a company as a leader within today’s HR landscape. Staying in touch with a workforce’s changing needs can position an executive or brand as a thought-leader in this crowded space.
- Competitive Edge: Timely adjustments to corporate perks can strengthen employment offers across the board, creating a competitive edge. A more robust and bespoke benefits package makes for an overall more competitive offer.
- Increased Efficiency: New insights as shown in Gympass’ data can be used to reduce resources spent on unpopular perks. Maybe scale back on the costly Pilates studio partnership knowing most employees just need full-service gym access.
- Corporate Values: Being in touch with workforce trends, and offering up to date fitness benefits speaks to company values. This reinforces a commitment to a healthy work/life environment.
- Active Workforce: Tailoring fitness benefits to better work alongside the busy lives of employees offers realistic fitness solutions to workers. In turn, this encourages a more active corporate culture resulting in a healthier team.
An annually scheduled audit of company fitness benefits can be another helpful way of keeping with the times.
About the author: Daniel Miles Hue Lee is the Principal & Founder of D. Miles Media, a creative communications consultancy. Daniel is also a freelance writer covering all things food, travel, and lifestyle.
Gympass is a discovery platform that empowers companies to engage their workforce in physical activity by providing access to the largest global network of workout facilities. Presented as a corporate benefit with a flexible monthly contract, Gympass offers unlimited access to wellness providers at a subsidy of up to 70 percent off market prices. The company is headquartered in New York City.
