5 Reasons Yoga Will Improve Your Teams Performance
Many companies are integrating wellness programs as a benefit for employees. Employees spend most of their time at work, so a workplace wellness program is an effective model. These wellness programs help employees get healthier, feel better, and have a sense that their employers care about their wellbeing.
Yoga is an excellent activity to incorporate into your company’s wellness program. The great news is that anyone can do yoga and yoga can be practiced anywhere whether they are at the office or working from home. Yoga can be practiced sitting in a chair, standing up, or on a yoga mat.
Here are 5 reasons why yoga, specifically, can improve your team’s performance:
Reduced stress
Most individuals live in a state of stress whether that is from work deadlines or personal stress coming from their home life. Stress leads to lower performance due to decreased focus and concentration, bad moods impacting the broader team, and may even lead to more absenteeism. Reducing the stress load on employees is critical for improving performance. Yoga aims to calm the mind and rest the body. Letting the body rest and relax allows the body to shift from “fight or flight” stress mode to “rest & digest” calm mode. Breaking the stress pattern helps the body lower stress and in turn improves performance.
Improves physical health
When the body aches or feels uncomfortable, it can be hard to concentrate for long periods of time. Yoga helps stretch out the body and builds muscle to help ease physical pain. For employees who sit or stand a lot for their work, yoga can help improve posture and mobility helping employees feel more comfortable at work.
Improves energy
Living in a state of constant stress runs down the body. Employees may be getting enough sleep but their bodies may still feel tired. Helping the body and mind become still allows it to rest and recharge. Our bodies crave this stillness. Bonus, practicing yoga also helps improve sleep contributing to even more energy.
Improves morale
When employees feel less stressed, their bodies feel good and they feel rested, they tend to be more pleasant to be around. Yoga can also be a great team bonding activity since anyone can do yoga and the goal is to relax, not push yourself. Many yoga classes include a short guided meditation or words of affirmation that will also help with morale.
Improves productivity
Yoga helps to improve focus and concentration since movement are slow and held for several breaths. This practice helps calm the mind and remove mental blocks that may be affecting productivity. Pair that with improved morale, improved energy, improved physical health and reduced stress and productivity will climb.
Contact me to discuss adding yoga to your workplace wellness offering.