As businesses and employees set goals for the year ahead, productivity and performance are often top priorities. At our firm, one of our core values is fitness, both mental and physical. The ability to perform at a high level depends on endurance, focus, and resilience to work through challenging projects.
Fitness is a key part of how we support our team as they manage complex matters, tight deadlines, and long-term initiatives. Small, intentional habits built into the workday can make a meaningful difference in both individual well-being and overall productivity.
Why Fitness Is a Business Advantage
Demanding work requires sustained concentration and mental stamina. Long hours of sitting, constant screen time, and high cognitive demand can quietly reduce effectiveness and lead to burnout.
Supporting physical and mental fitness helps employees maintain the energy needed to stay engaged, think clearly, and push through difficult phases of a project. For business leaders, this results in stronger performance, better collaboration, and teams that are more resilient under pressure.
Getting Outside: Supporting Mental Fitness
Mental fitness is just as critical as physical fitness. Encouraging employees to get outside during the workday can make a meaningful difference. Short walks, stepping outside between meetings, or taking a call outdoors provide a simple but effective reset.
Natural light and fresh air help improve mood, focus, and clarity. These short breaks allow employees to return to their work more refreshed and better equipped to handle complex tasks.
Supporting Physical Fitness During the Workday
To support both productivity and fitness, I incorporated a walking pad into my workday as a practical way to consistently hit my step goals without disrupting my schedule. I use it during lower-intensity tasks such as emails, document review, and internal calls, keeping the pace slow so I can stay focused. For more complex work, I switch back to sitting or standing.
Supporting physical goals also means providing flexibility beyond the desk. Allowing employees to attend lunchtime workout classes, take longer mid-day walks, or adjust schedules slightly to prioritize movement reinforces that fitness is a shared value, not an afterthought.
Fueling Performance With Smarter Choices
Fitness also includes how we fuel our bodies. Our office is stocked with low-sugar, high-protein snacks to support sustained energy and mental clarity throughout the day.
These small choices reduce energy crashes and make it easier for employees to maintain focus during demanding work, contributing to more consistent performance across the board.
Supporting Active Lifestyles and Long-Term Success
When fitness is treated as a core value, employees don’t have to choose between personal health and professional success. Encouraging movement, outdoor breaks, and better nutrition supports active lifestyles while reinforcing the stamina needed to work through challenging projects.
Employees who feel physically strong and mentally focused are better prepared to adapt, collaborate, and perform at a high level over the long term.
