Launch your outdoor gym plans during this year’s World Wellbeing Week

17th June 2024

World Wellbeing Week, running between 24th and 30th June this year, shines a light on the issues involved. Now in its fifth year, the event celebrates those whose work focuses on the wellbeing of others, while allowing employers of all sizes to show how much they appreciate their staff and others they work with.

Essentially, it highlights the importance of physical, mental and emotional health. It’s a great opportunity for organisations to show their commitment to their staff’s wellbeing, and to offer team members resources and support. Equally, it’s a chance for individuals to take stock of their own mental and physical wellbeing. 

What can employers do for World Wellbeing Week?

Wellness really should be a sustained priority across an organisation, with senior managers being seen as leading from the front on the issue, and taking it seriously.  

There are many tangible ideas you can put forward, all aimed at energising workers, lessening stress, boosting mood and improving focus and productivity; all key elements of staff wellbeing. 

You could organise a workplace yoga session for example, or lunchtime staff walks. Alternatively you could host a healthy lunch, or an outside exercise class. 

Other ideas include sessions to educate staff on anything from diet to stress management or sleep, or providing access to apps or other sources of information. You could try setting some corporate wellbeing goals, or encourage fruit gifts rather than cakes for birthdays. When a staff member is in line for a reward or thank you for a job well done, consider offering subscriptions to a wellness app or magazine, instead of shopping vouchers.

Install a workplace gym

Another idea could be to use World Wellbeing Week as inspiration to build an outdoor gym at your place of work. Here’s a recap of some of the benefits of an al fresco workout: 

1. Studies have shown open-air exercise reduces blood pressure, heart rate and stress levels. That can mean outdoor activity feeling less strenuous than a regular gym session, making people more likely to push themselves to optimal performance. 
2. It can help insomnia, both in terms of speed of falling asleep and the quality of sleep. 
3. Fresh air and natural light invigorate while supplying both mind and body with more energy as mood improves. Sunshine also, of course, also provides the Vitamin D we need. 
4. Staff will save time and money – people won’t have to travel to use a gym for an all-body workout because the facility will be right where they work. Additionally, there will be no gym memberships for them to pay. 
5. For those who already do some form of regular exercise, an outdoor gym offers something different to throw into the mix, for variety plus the opportunity to try something new. 
6. The facility will give employees a talking point, and the chance to train together informally if they wish. Workplace conversations, mutual support and productivity should all improve as a result.

How Fresh Air Fitness can help companies to support employees

Fresh Air Fitness is a leading, award-winning UK provider of outdoor gym equipment. We’ve worked with household names such as Tesco Bank and Ford Motor Company; we could work with you, too. Over the last 17 years, we’ve installed thousands of facilities across the country, in hugely varied settings. 

Our top-quality equipment ranges from cross-trainers to chin-up and parallel bars, sit-up benches, exercise bikes and more, to give your staff a full-body workout. There are over 40 products to choose from. Get in touch today to learn more – and use World Wellbeing Week to launch your plans. We’ll be with you from design to installation to providing instructions and beyond.