The Benefits
Pilates offers benefits to both individual team members in terms of physical alignment and core strength, as well as commercial benefits to the business, including fewer days off sick as well as a healthier and happier workforce.
Sitting at a desk all day increases your likelihood of back pain. Back pain is debilitating and can range from a few niggles and tweaks to a few days (or weeks) in bed unable to move. (You can find out more about this in my 'sitting' article in my 'links' section on this website).
Pilates is a practice that will strengthen both your back and abdominal muscles so that you will transform your posture. Pilates will help the flow of energy, blood and nutrients throughout your body so it will also improve your levels of concentration and focus during your workday.
The physical health benefits of Pilates include improved flexibility, improved stabilisation of the spine which means significantly fewer back, neck and shoulder issues and time off work. Pilates improves posture and physical wellness as well as emotional well-being creating happier employees that do their best work.
Pilates has the specific benefit of relaxation of shoulders, neck and upper back which is often a contributory problem for the time off work with back issues. Sitting at a desk all day increased the likelihood of back pain.
Pilates will help improve the flexibility and strength of the spine and prevent lower back pain, which is common in people who do not exercise frequently enough. What this means to an organisation is less time lost in long term sick days.
Pilates and your organisation
Pilates has been introduced into many organisations as a way to improve employee engagement, retain the best staff and recruit the best of new staff. The employee value proposition and what is on offer in an organisation is a priority for those joining a new business. A robust wellbeing programme that includes Pilates will help to influence and impress new recruits as well as keep those within the business loyal. The cost of retraining and recruiting a new member of staff is high.
As a company wanting to hire the best staff highlighting any services that you offer that support mental health in the workplace can really help to sell your jobs to candidates and position you as an employer of choice. Each industry varies, but generally, it costs between 30-80K (depending on seniority) to replace a staff member. (Recruitment fees, knowledge gaps, sick pay etc)
more specifically the work-related costs of stress across the construction industry for example:
The cost to replace an individual member of staff is £30k, (report Oxford Economics)
The cost of long term sickness absence in the construction industry is £178 million per annum for stress, depression or anxiety which equates to £15k per case
The biggest cost is presenteeism for stress and related conditions which are 2½ to 3 times higher than the absence costs (Loughborough University 2018)
Pilates will reduce sick days
The British Chiropractic Association (BCA) reports that British workers take an average of 12 days off a year with back pain with the associated financial cost to the business.
According to the NHS, back pain is the leading cause of long-term sickness in the UK, Approximately 8 million adults in the UK report chronic pain that is moderate to severely disabling. Back pain alone accounts for 40% of sickness absence in the NHS and overall it costs £10 billion for the UK economy. (REF: the British pain society March 2018)
Pilates at work builds biomechanical alignment which will reduce backache issues to avoid back injuries which cost business in terms of the time off work as well as the potential risk of compensation costs.
Pilates helps focus and productivity at work
Pilates improves posture and physical wellness as well as emotional wellbeing. Pilates combined with meditation will improve concentration and improve stress management and relaxation so that teams are feeling better able to cope with daily stress and meet organisational deadlines, keeping the companies clients happy and organisational productivity high.
Hybrid working: Pilates improves social engagement
Enjoying the same workout at either the same or at different times will improve staff engagement. Pilates sessions will increase team engagement and pull team focus in the same direction, often departments don’t work together and socialising together in a positive way will bring benefits to the company.
Pilates will attract and retain new team members
When recruiting and attracting the best staff, new recruits will consider whether to join your organisation based on a judgement on the company’s staff and the office environment. Whilst employee benefits are appealing evidence of high staff morale is more vital in recruiting skilled members of staff.
Team members who enjoy their job perform better, the Fortune 100 Best Companies To Work illustrate this point and found that on average companies on this list have a revenue increase of 22.2%.
How does Pilates benefit your work team?
Pilates offers a ‘sociable office’ which helps to maintain that sense of cohesion during a hybrid working environment.
Pilates sessions will increase team engagement and pull team focus in the same direction, often departments don’t work together and socialising together in a positive way will bring benefits to your business.
Pilates has the specific benefit of relaxation of shoulders, neck and upper back which is often a contributory problem for the time off work with back issues.
Pilates will help improve the flexibility and strength of the spine and prevent lower back pain, which is common in people at work. What this means to an organisation is less time lost in long term sick days.
Pilates is a meditational method that will also improve concentration and improve stress management as well as relaxation so that teams are feeling better able to cope with daily stress and meet deadlines as well as keep clients happy and organisational productivity high.
How often should you practise Pilates?
Pilates should ideally be practised twice a week to fully reap the benefits of the practice. I can easily give your colleagues at home exercises for anyone really keen to stick to a routine and reap the benefits. I also do weekly out of office hours zoom and in person classes which your employees are welcome to come to and should really enjoy!
What equipment do you need for a Pilates class?
Pilates can be enjoyed as a simple mat-based practice. With this you can reap most of the benefits. With corporate classes I can supply this equipment on each visit.
Listed below is what you’ll need to get started:
A Pilates mat
A small hand towel to place under your head
Pilates band (if you don’t have one you can purchase one when I come to your workplace).
Other equipment include small mini balls and blocks which I can also provide.
If you are interested in getting pilates into your workplace you can give me a call on 0787 647 3381 to talk over or send me an email kerrystewartpilates@gmail.com to discuss the details. : )