I’ve spent my entire career in the fitness industry and I can tell you that, despite long being a staple of many offices, today’s on-site fitness centers are much more than “just gyms.”

For starters, they’re becoming an invaluable tool in the ongoing battle for talent. Today’s on-site fitness centers address much more than just physical health. Sure, you’ll still find treadmills, weights and stationary bikes to help with cardiovascular health and strength. But, you’ll also find:

Hula hoop classes to help employees improve coordination, balance, rhythm, strength, and flexibility.
On-site training led by experts in disciplines like muay thai boxing, which is similar to regular boxing but with the addition of kicks, knee and elbow strikes.
Health coaches, who are trained to help you design holistic well-being programs to meet your specific wellness goals.

And these additions are turning out to be a huge perk for employees.

Research backs it up. According to recent reports, 75 percent of employees say a personal touch is important in their health, well-being and fitness program. We hear from employees all the time that they want more access to “live experts.” Credible, engaging people who can lead fitness classes, for example. Or, health experts who can provide one-on-one support and coaching for employees’ specific well-being needs.

Bottom line: More and more employees are discovering that corporate fitness centers can meet these needs.

It’s not just employees who are big fans of corporate fitness centers.

According to our 2017 Survey of HealthFitness, 92 percent of company HR leaders said their on-site fitness centers helped their organization stay competitive.

One HR leader said, “amenities such as our fitness center help us attract and retain top talent for our organization.” Another said, “our on-site fitness center is an attractive employee perk.” So, employers see corporate fitness centers as tools to help them attract the very best talent.

Why is the corporate on-site fitness center enjoying this renaissance?

A few factors are at play. Perhaps most importantly, convenience is driving this trend. Recent research we conducted found that 40-45 percent of employees who are offered on-site fitness facility access choose to participate largely due to their convenience, inviting environment and low- or no-cost membership. With today’s employee juggling kids’ activities, work, family commitments and other hobbies, this probably isn’t a big surprise. After all, getting to the gym is often the toughest part about keeping a regular workout schedule. But, if the gym is just two floors down, that’s a whole lot easier than a 20-minute commute.

Second, on-site fitness centers give employees a more productive way to manage their stress. And, employee stress is a BIG deal. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently called stress the health epidemic of the 21st century. And, it’s costing employers significantly. One recent study found that work-related stress costs U.S. businesses $30 billion a year in lost workdays (some estimate it at $300 billion). On-site fitness centers can not only help employees better manage stress with a host of programs but they can also help employers make a dent in those lost productivity costs.

Finally, the modern on-site fitness center is meeting employees’ expanded views of “fitness.” The traditional definition of fitness has historically focused on physical health. But today, employers are increasingly looking at employee health from a whole-person view, recognizing its physical, social, emotional, financial and environmental dimensions. Modern on-site fitness centers have evolved to address more of these dimensions, including more classes to meet the social dimensions of employee health and more access to health coaches to help with the emotional and physical dimensions.

There’s no doubt corporate on-site fitness centers are in the midst of a rebirth. And, I expect to see more employers introducing them in the years ahead as employee demand for this key benefit continues to surge.

Instant Insights /

The modern corporate fitness center: a key employee benefit

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