Okay, maybe not burpees. Burpees are one of the most universally despised exercises out there. But exercise itself has been proven time and again to reduce anxiety, depression, and negative moods. It also alleviates low self-esteem and social withdrawal. Regular, moderate levels of fitness make us feel better about ourselves and those around us.

In other words, exercise, even burpees, boosts morale.

In the modern workplace, morale can be the make or break lynchpin between success and failure. An organization can have the best product or service in the world, but without high morale to maintain peak performance, they’ll never maximize profits. Many factors can affect individual and organizational morale, from workload to leadership engagement and anything in between. Finding the right balance of motivational factors and developing a highly effective workforce is the hallmark of successful leadership.

Interestingly, of all the factors that can affect morale, exercise is one that is universally praised for its positive impact. Successful leaders know this and are finding ways to enable daily exercise for their employees, particularly through onsite fitness facilities. Moderate daily exercise helps improve mood, boosts energy, and helps clarify thinking.

When finding that balance of motivational factors for your workforce, that’s certainly a good place to start! Everybody wins, the employees feel better (and get healthier) and the company improves morale—all from a little exercise.

Let’s take this a step further. While individual fitness can improve individual morale, it’s also true that collective fitness can improve group morale. It strengthens social bonds within the office. For some, this comes from the counter-intuitive concept of shared suffering (cue the collective moan of, “Not burpees again!”), but for most it comes from the mental health benefits of exercising with others. The National Institute of Health notes that social bonding at ‘community-based exercise events’ are directly tied to improved mental health, stronger social ties, and reduced isolationism and depression. Esprit de corps within a group improves through collective exercise. Fitness isn’t just about shared suffering, it’s shared enjoyment.

Bring on the fitness classes!

High morale doesn’t happen overnight. To create a culture that reinforces organizational morale through fitness requires planning and intent. To support that, MC Corporate Wellness provides onsite fitness classes using your facilities. We help forward-thinking companies in and around the Quad Cities of Iowa and Illinois (Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa; Moline and Rock Island, Illinois) meet their wellness goals with instructors who create a fun exercise environment. Our flexible-schedule classes focus on your employees’ fitness goals, regardless of where they are on their fitness journey.

Schedule a consultation today to learn how MC Corporate Wellness can help your business meet its wellness goals through fitness.