Tomorrow, you can feel more satisfaction from your work

You may think that you don’t have time to exercise during work. However, when you treat exercise as another task to complete, you will find that this is not the case. To do this, you need two things: motivation and a supportive environment. Fortunately, at Brain Embassy, we know how to take care of both!

How does physical activity support your wellbeing at work?

 Let’s start with a strong argument. Just 30 minutes of exercise five days a week can prevent one in twelve deaths worldwide. Surprising, isn’t it?

Above all, regular physical activity affects the way you think. Until recently, we treated exercise solely as a physical activity. However, more and more scientists are researching the relationship between mental health and physical activity. For example, specialists from Leeds Metropolitan University surveyed over 200 employees from various organisations who had access to a company gym. They compared productivity on days when the respondents exercised with days when they took a break from physical activity. It turned out that when the subjects visited the gym, they were able to manage their time more effectively. They were also more productive and had better interactions with their colleagues. And what is very important for their private lives: the employees returned home more satisfied!

As it turns out, regular (!) exercise will help you:

• improve your concentration,
• learn faster,
• unlock your creativity at work,
• take care of your well-being,
• reduce stress at work.

Exercise simply improves your mood. Try to remember how you feel after a workout, a bike ride, or a walk. After physical activity, we usually feel more energised, in a better mood, and more motivated to act. This feeling is very important both in our private lives and at work. Especially since you interact with other people while performing your tasks! Releasing tension through movement reduces irritation, allowing you to communicate with your colleagues in a nicer, more effective way. There are many ways to relax. For example, Iwona Barszcz, our Global Brand & Experience Manager, loves going to the swimming pool before work. Maciej Grzywacz, Operations Support Manager, prefers to unwind after leaving the office by visiting CrossFit, which we have at the Brain Embassy Jerozolimskie location. When choosing an activity, the most important thing is that it suits you. Some people prefer to get up earlier and train in the morning, while others prefer smaller doses of exercise spread throughout the day. Some people love an intense evening workout.

What is more, movement allows you to… break out of patterns. The slogan ‘think outside the box’, repeated like a mantra in marketing agencies, perfectly illustrates the impact of movement on creativity at work. If you want to think outside the box, you need to jump out of that box. Figuratively and literally! When we brainstorm at Brain Embassy, we usually do it standing up, doing a few energising exercises during breaks.

Sitting is a disease – why should you get up from your desk?

What if exercise doesn’t come easily to you? A sedentary job, even if you have a comfortable office chair, is bad for your health. Spending 8 hours in this position can lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and increase the risk of death from heart disease and cancer. What’s more, a lack of movement can slow down your metabolism. This is important because your metabolism affects your body’s ability to regulate blood sugar and blood pressure.

But that’s not all! Lack of movement can simply make your work more difficult. Staying in the same position, especially sitting, easily disrupts your concentration and stifles creativity. When you want to think outside the box, it’s hard to do so while sitting. The brain, like the rest of the body, needs regular change to stay stimulated.

The recipe for movement: your motivation and a supportive workplace!

The layout of your office definitely affects your ability to move around. Above all, however, maintaining regular activity is a matter of attitude. A game changer in this regard may be the idea that exercise is simply part of your job, one of your tasks to complete. Think about what you do to remember your responsibilities at work. We recommend setting reminders, recording your workouts in your calendar, or including training sessions in your schedule.

How can you incorporate movement into your work?

• Get up from your desk regularly and take even a short walk around the office. A good way to do this is to pour water into a glass rather than a large jug. By drinking regularly, you will go to the kitchen a few times a day to refill it!
• If you can, leave the building and get some fresh air at least once during your workday!
• Or how about working at a standing desk? At Brain Embassy Czackiego, for example, as many as 25% of desks are height-adjustable.
• Choose a bicycle or a walk as your way to get to the office! At Brain Embassy, some of the workspaces are equipped with stationary bikes. By working and pedalling at the same time, you get your dose of exercise and charge your phone!
• Do a few short stretches several times a day. Remember to turn your head and torso, grab your elbows with your hands behind your back, do the cat pose known from yoga, or bend forward while standing.
• Change the way you sit. The worst scenario is when you work for hours with one leg crossed over the other.

What about the working environment? At the Brain Embassy, we know that motivation increases when conditions are favourable! That’s why we’ve made sure that our coworking spaces in Warsaw are spacious and equipped with solutions that support wellbeing. You’ll find balls and swings that are good for your lower back, as well as height-adjustable desks. Comfortable office armchairs and chairs allow you to try out different sitting positions. We also have something for the more active – workstations with stationary bikes! And those who like to commute to work on two wheels can use the dedicated bicycle parking. We also realise that there is not always time or desire for long walks. Most Brain Embassy coworking spaces have terraces (and some private offices also have balconies). This way, you can satisfy your need to breathe fresh air and stretch your legs in just a few minutes. Our space also features rooms for naps and meditation, where you can regenerate both your mind and body. A moment of lying down can be something that supports your wellbeing at work.

Want to relax in the office during your break? Check out our playlist of meditations and movement practices.