I got asked to take part in International Women’s Day at Cogeco’s head office in Burlington and I could have been more excited!
The great people at Cogeco asked me to come and teach chair yoga in their newly renovated employee lounge. They asked me to run a series of 15 minute chair yoga classes that employees pre-signed up for and attended in the afternoon. Despite it being International Women’s Day this event was open to both female and male staff.
Chair yoga is often view solely as a class offered for seniors but it often works well in a corporate setting since we spend a lot of time sitting at our desks in front of computers. Prolonged sitting can lead to stiffness in the joints and low back pain, as well as weight gain due to inactivity. Taking a break – even just a 5 minute break at your desk to stretch – improves productivity and mood.
I’ve been on both sides of corporate wellness programs: I’ve been the teacher AND the student. Prior to teaching yoga and fitness full-time I spent seven years in a corporate environment in the legal field. I spent countless hours sitting in front of a computer staring at a screen. I was lucky enough that my employers understood the importance of keeping their employees healthy and happy by offering wellness incentives and in-house wellness weeks.
Corporate wellness in the workplace.
By participating in corporate wellness programs ultimately saves money in terms of benefits and sick and stress leave. Companies who provide wellness programs to their employees reduce the number of employee absences, increase employee productivity and lower the rate of employee turnover.
Are you an employer or in the human resource department and want to bring something like this to your workplace either as a special event or ongoing program? Let’s chat! Shoot me a quick email at [email protected].