Workplace Yoga Benefits
Most people in the corporate world are well aware of the stress and tension their workload places on them. To help combat stress, workplace yoga is becoming mainstream and is gaining traction all across the country. More and more HR departments are actively pursuing creative approaches to implementing wellness programs which increase motivation and improve general wellbeing. Offering onsite workplace yoga gives your employees tools to deal with and eliminate tension and aches and pains created from the work setting. It not only energizes, but improves focus and mental alertness and can be done practically anywhere (think the boardroom, lunchroom), and it can be shared by people of completely different fitness levels and ages.
Onsite workplace yoga benefits for employers:
Increased Efficiency and Productivity
Regular yoga practice improves focus and concentration among employees. A recent Aetna study showed participants in a mindfulness and yoga program regained 69 minutes per week of productivity. It also improves their ability to stay calm under stressful situations, thereby improving their confidence and success rates. Workplace yoga also fosters team-building and improves communication among employees. It improves morale and lowers chances of depression among employees. The improvement in efficiency and lower rates of absenteeism often leads to greater productivity and profits for the company. Companies offering onsite yoga usually enjoy lower health care premiums as well.
Lower Medical Costs
Research shows employees reporting the highest stress levels had nearly $2,000 higher medical costs per year than those reporting the lowest stress levels. Implementing a wellness program which includes onsite worplace yoga can help to reduce these costs. By creating an initiative to promote yoga and meditation, Aetna was able to reduce its employee health benefit costs by 7 percent in 2012.
More Positive Workplace Environment
Workplaces that offer onsite yoga offer create a place for employees to come together, relax and practice together. This improves the sense of community and helps employees in relationship building. This perk also makes a workplace more attractive to current and prospective employees. Satisfied and happy employees usually result in a reduction in staff turnover.
Benefits for Employees:
Stress Management
Stress is a leading cause of chronic health problems, including colds, viruses, headaches, overeating, sleeplessness and smoking; the more health problems that your employees endure, the higher your health care costs will be. By providing yoga classes, along with other wellness benefits, employees can help to reduce their risk of acute and chronic medical conditions, which can directly affect your bottom line and result in a lower number of sick days. Healthier employees produce higher quality work, make better decisions and pay more attention to details.
Improvement in Body Ailments
Long hours in front of the computer, deadlines to meet on a daily basis and a lack of relaxation time can take a toll on the mind and body. Back pain, neck problems, eye problems, headaches and general muscular tension are common ailments among busy people in the corporate world. Yoga practice under the guidance of a trained professional can improve flexibility, build strength, improve posture and reduce muscular tension. Yoga also reduces the chances of osteoarthritis and soothes symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.