Nederlands- 42% of Belgian people sit for more than 5.5 hours a day
Eurobarometer survey - A French study found that adults sat for an average of about 7.5 hours a day, including 4 hours and 10 minutes for work
Research - According to Eurostat data from 2017, 39% of workers in the EU perform their work sedentary
Eurostat - In the 2019 European Business Survey on New and Emerging Risks, prolonged sitting was the second most reported risk factor in the EU-27 (cited by 61% of organizations)
Eurofond
RT Training & Coaching
Corporate fitness
Want to improve your employees' health or get cheaper fitness through work? You can! Exercising employees are fitter, more productive and less absent from work.
As a business, do you wish to keep your employees fit and healthy in their workplace so that absenteeism decreases, people are more productive and happy?
By providing your employees with sports facilities, you are offering a pleasant work atmosphere and, as a company, signaling your desire to improve the overall well-being of your employees.
Research shows that corporate fitness results in a reduced stress level of participants and leads to an improvement in physical and health indicators of employees.
The term "Corporate fitness" means the encouragement of physical activity in the form of a gym, gym classes, or other activities (offered free or at a discount by a company).
Typically, corporate fitness initiatives are introduced to keep employees healthy, boost morale and help businesses prosper in the long run. Corporate fitness is not a new concept; it has been around since 1979, with the pharmaceutical giant's Johnson & Johnson first recognized program.
Corporate fitness can be offered virtually or on-site, and can take place in a structured or informal environment.
- Evidence of increased risk of some cancers(Lynch, 2010)
- 147% increase in risk of cardiovascular disease (Wilmot et al., 2012)
- Increased risk of depression (Zhai et al., 2014).
- Negative influence on metabolic processes in leg muscles, bone mineral concentration and vascular health (Tremblay et al., 2010)
- Lower back pain; neck and shoulder pain; type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease; premature death (European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, "Prolonged static sitting at work," 2021)
Based on research, it is abundantly clear that prolonged static desk work not only deteriorates employees' health, but also that productivity, work atmosphere and teamwork can be impacted.
We offer the following corporate fitness services to counteract the effects of static jobs:
- Advice on fitness facility design in your company (or elsewhere)
- Cost-consciously and quickly transform a space into a corporate wellness center
- Deployment of university exercise science & physical education coaches to benefit your corporate fitness operation
Our Corporate Training & Fitness Experience
ING corporate fitness
For 10 years (from the opening of the gym in 2012), we have been exclusively taking care of all employees enrolled in company fitness with RT Training & Coaching.
Nike corporate fitness
RT Training & Coaching provided Nike Belgium (Laakdal) with all sports activities including corporate fitness for 5 years.
For 10 years (from the opening of the gym in 2012), we have been exclusively taking care of all employees enrolled in corporate fitness with RT Training & Coaching. As part of the WellBe@ING project that ING offers to all employees who are interested in it, the most luxurious and best equipped corporate fitness in Belgium is at their disposal. Within this project, we at RT Training & Coaching offer every employee interested in living a healthier life our entire well-being package. Ranging from tips to sleep better, advice on nutrition and physical training to how to deal with it all in your mind, we take care of everything. Over the past 10 years we have seen more than 4000 ING employees become members, of which more than 1000 people have enjoyed a long-term coaching program. We continue to build on this success story and have recently (October 2022) opened a 2nd training and coaching room in the new building in Louvain-La-Neuve. We are also preparing the move to the new main building in Brussels where we can open the new gym to even more people in 2024.
RT Training & Coaching supplied Nike Belgium (Laakdal) during 5 years with all sports activities including company fitness. During our Training & Coaching we saw the number of exercisers grow from a few dozen to a few hundred over the years. Advice on sleep, nutrition and training were offered to every employee who was interested in the corporate fitness. In addition to fitness, all kinds of sports activities were organized because the site had an enormous range of facilities for this purpose: soccer field, athletics track, Finnish track, beach volleyball courts, petanque, etc. Ergonomic projects such as "back training" and "lifting and hoisting" for all workers in the production department also emerged under our training & coaching. These projects grew into a successful story where, during our story at Nike, the first 20 days without an accident ever were achieved; something we are rightly very proud of.
Lecturer KULeuvenStrength Training - Practica
Eleiko CertifiedEleiko Strength Coach
Aalo CertifiedPersonal Trainer
Olympic WeightliftingTon Leenders
Case Studies in respect of corporate fitness
Corporate wellness programs including company fitness gyms for employees are often considered a nice perk, not a strategic necessity. However, research shows otherwise. Research shows that the Return On Investment of comprehensive, well-executed corporate fitness programs for employees is impressive, sometimes as high as 6:1.
Below are some case studies from "What’s the Hard Return on Employee Wellness Programs?", Leonard L. Berry, Ann M. Mirabito en William B. Baun, Havard Business Review, December 2010:
Johnson & Johnson executives estimate that corporate wellness and fitness programs have collectively saved the company $250 million in health care costs over the past decade; from 2002 to 2008, the return was $2.71 for every dollar spent. In addition, Johnson & Johnson promotes health initiatives (including corporate fitness) as a unique employee benefit item both to prospective employees and in terms of retention for staff.
To reinforce the mantra that healthy employees are safer workers, Chevron has developed a strong wellness program that includes a comprehensive cardiovascular health component, a 10K a day walking activity, company fitness centers, an RSI prevention program and work/life services.
Internal analyses by H-E-B show that annual health claims are about $1,500 higher among non-participants in the corporate wellness program. The company estimates that by moving 10% of its high- and medium-risk employees to low-risk, it yields an ROI of 6-to-1.
For every dollar that SAS spent operating its on-site health center in 2009, it generated $1.41 in savings for corporate health insurance plans, for a total of $6.6 million in 2009 alone.
Absenteeism is an obvious factor in productivity. Less obvious but probably more important is presenteeism - when people come to work but underperform due to illness or stress. Research consistently shows that the cost to employers of health-related productivity losses exceeds that of health insurance. A 2009 study by Dr. Ronald Loeppke and colleagues of absenteeism and presenteeism among 50,000 employees at 10 employers found that the cost of lost productivity was 2.3 times greater than the cost of medical and pharmaceutical care. In a landmark 2002 Dow Chemical study, of the average annual health costs for a Dow employee, an estimated $6,721 was attributable to presenteeism, $2,278 to direct health care and $661 to absenteeism. Several studies confirm the health conditions that contribute most to lost productivity: depression, anxiety, migraines, respiratory disorders, arthritis, diabetes and back and neck pain. Workers with multiple chronic health conditions are particularly vulnerable to productivity loss.
Research by Richard Milani and Carl Lavie studied a random sample of 185 employees and their spouses at one employer. The participants were not cardiac patients, but received cardiac rehabilitation and training from an expert team in a corporate gym. Of those classified as high risk at the start of the study (according to body fat, blood pressure, anxiety and other measures), 57% had been converted to low risk by the end of the six-month program. In addition, medical costs per participant had decreased by $1,421, compared with those of the previous year. A control group showed no such improvements.
Bij Healthwise's CEO Don Kemper's personal involvement has ensured that wellness has infused the company's culture from day one. The company holds monthly meetings for the entire staff, where the wellness team always reports on current wellness activities and resources. The company sponsors an annual wellness day, with speakers and health-related activities, at which employees are encouraged to think about the question "How can I be healthy?" In addition, employees are invited every other Wednesday afternoon to share a healthy snack and connect with others. One executive calls it "adult break," an investment that "pays off handsomely" by creating opportunities for cross-team connections.
Healthy employees stay with your company. A study by Towers Watson and the National Business Group on Health shows that organizations with highly effective corporate wellness programs report significantly lower voluntary turnover than those with less effective programs (9% versus 15%). At software company SAS Institute, voluntary turnover is only 4%, thanks in part to such a program; at tourism company Biltmore, the rate was 9% in 2009, down from 19% in 2005. According to Vicki Banks, director of benefits and compensation at Biltmore, "Employees who participate in our wellness programs don't leave." Nelnet, an education finance company, asks departing employees in exit interviews what they will miss most. The number one answer: the wellness program.
A company fitness offers benefits to your company|employees
Benefits for your company
Corporate fitness offers benefits to your company in terms of image, culture, motivation and ultimately lower costs.
- Lower health care and disability costs
- Increased employee productivity
- Reduced employee absenteeism
- Lower disease and injury rates
- Enhanced corporate image
- Improved employee morale
- Enhanced employee recruitment and retention
- Greater organizational commitment
- Creation of a health culture
Benefits for your employees
Corporate fitness offers benefits to your employees in terms of motivation, satisfaction and improved health.
- Increased well-being, self-image and self-esteem
- Enhanced skills to cope with stress
- Improved health condition
- Increased job satisfaction
- Safer and more supportive work environment
- Lower out-of-pocket costs for certain services (insurance)
- Reduced costs for acute health problems
- Qualitative exercise creates positive energy
- An additional reward element
Consultancy
After viewing the facility(s), we provide advice regarding the design of the fitness area in your company (or elsewhere).
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Furnishing
Through external partners, we can cost-effectively and quickly transform a space into a corporate wellness center.
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Fitness Coaches
We will station university coaches in Exercise Science & Physical Education to operate your corporate fitness.
ContactCorporate fitness in 2023
In a recently published article ("De Tijd" of May 18, 2023) makes it clear that now that the Covid-page has finally turned, fitness is more than ever a necessity for everyone's work-life balance!
Recent study by the KULeuven, shows that 21.4% of the population engages in fitness...that's 1 in 5 people! This is up from 16.4% in 2014, a huge increase in a still relatively young sport in our country. This rise is due to the global trend around fitness and health in general. Fitness even occupies a shared 3rd place with running as one of the most practiced sports in Belgium at the moment!
When you as a company offer your own fitness, you show that you are on board with the global trend of focusing more on health and wellness. You show that you are in tune with your employees' work-life balance and take into account every employee's number one priority: his Wellbeing!
Fitness on top of that offers the advantage of being flexible in your busy daily schedule and lifestyle. The flexible opening hours of fitness centers make it easy to go according to your preferences before work, during your lunch break or just after work in the evening.
If you as a company provide this yourself, you also immediately take away the only and last reason non-goers invariably cite: distance/travel to the gym/no time. From previous research, we saw that 97.8% of fitness enthusiasts live within a 9 kilometer radius of a fitness center. This is to be expected given that this is the average willingness to travel that a person has. If you, as a company, provide a fitness in your own building: nothing easier than to visit the fitness in that same building after your working hours as part of your working day!
Fitness is on the rise because it offers the total package like no other sport. Within 1 hour of exercise, you can work on all aspects related to health. Starting with some to loosen up the body after a day of sedentary work, you keep your joints supple and warm up lightly. Hereby taking the stress away from overworked muscles and joints and rebalancing your body. You eliminate specific aches and pains with the right exercises from this program and you are ready to do the rest of the workout pain free as well as taking the benefits against future recurring complaints of this nature.
Afterwards, some introduce the next block in your workout. By incorporating targeted stabilization exercises into your routine, you ensure better trunk stability, which optimizes athletic performance and prevents injuries. Similarly, it is a proven effective way to treat and prevent (lower) back pain! (for more specific information : stability).
The next focus within a fitness workout are the that make the body stronger overall. By consciously doing the right strength exercises at the right intensity, you will ensure an improvement in bone structure, tendons, ligaments and muscle strength. This improvement increases the capacity of all structures and results in everything becoming stronger. With a stronger body, your physical capacity shifts and you are better protected from all the day-to-day tasks the body has to do. Also, these strength exercises provide more strength that you can use during daily tasks as well as during other activities and sports. (for more specific information : strength training).
follows afterwards to train not only all the peripheral muscles but also the most important muscle of the entire body: the heart! By doing targeted cardiovascular exercises on rowers, treadmills, exercise bikes, cross-trainers and other alternatives, you train the heart muscle so that it too becomes stronger. Some variation within this workout in the different training zones will ensure optimal results without having to exercise for hours on end. The goal is to make the heart and blood vessels work better both during exercise and especially afterwards. By allowing the heart to work more efficiently during training, it will work more efficiently at rest, thus sparing your heart muscle when it doesn't need to be particularly active. (for more specific information : cardiotraining).
Of course, it goes without saying that only a well-balanced program can improve all these factors and that's where RT Training & Coaching makes the difference. We work exclusively with university trainers & coaches who are all trained by myself to offer each athlete his personal perfect schedule. Behind every exercise there is a reason and a scientifically based choice. This is the only way training should exist and this is our exclusivity from all other providers!
In addition to all these targeted physical stimuli that bring their benefits for a smoother, stronger and better working body within one fitness workout, there are also the numerous mental benefits! Through exercise, we bring more oxygen-the source of every breath and life-into our bodies which creates a more active, energetic good feeling. Various happiness hormones are also released during exercise. Serotonin, dopamine, endorphins and oxytocin are the four main ones here. Working out increases the release of these 4 happiness hormones and makes us feel happier, more energetic, more fulfilled and more connected. Exercise literally makes us happier an sich through the body's physiological response, but only fitness offers the targeted total package to get the most out of your hour of exercise.
Get more out of your company and your employees with in-house fitness today and contact us at our contact page
Corporate Wellbeing
What if you don't have (space for) corporate fitness available, but want to boost your corporate wellness to maximize the benefits for both your company and employees?
For this, we recently developed the answer: HYBRID REMOTE TRAINING & COACHING!
Because of Covid19, the whole way of working and living has changed. People are moving even less than before with all the health disadvantages as a result. With the new hybrid way of working where people only have to be at their familiar workplace a few days a week or no days at all, they move even less than before. Less movement results in more physical and mental complaints and more and more people drop out due to depression, boreout & burnout which costs companies a lot of money in absenteeism and the associated consequences that cost even more. While hybrid working offers opportunities for mobility and productivity for employers, the health risks for employees are incalculable. The rising inactivity and sedentary lifestyle of this new kind of working combined with the search for the new work-life balance for employees is causing a huge dropout from work.
In recent years, absence from work due to "own illness or private reasons" has grown by 3.7% across the entire work sector in Belgium. Expectations for the coming years are that these absences will grow due to the new hybrid style of working to which many still have to adapt now that many companies expect a 50% utilization on the work floor again (as e.g. at ING Belgium since 15/05/2023). This new trend will lead to a renewed search for work-life balance among most employees in 2023. To keep up with this as a company, it is best to encourage a healthy lifestyle.
RT Training & Coaching is a full-service wellness organization in which our goal is to work with your company to develop a healthy business with happy, energetic & productive employees. Throughout the past 10 years, we have developed a unique corporate wellness program with the success stories in Nike Belgium & ING Belgium. This program consists of all the different health topics that concern everyone. Tips around sleep, nutritional advice, training and exercise as well as mental coaching around all these aspects ensure a success formula for everyone. Every employee who is interested can take advantage of our total package to be a more vital and happier employee. Within this total package, we offer everyone individually the services they need tailored to their individual needs.
With our program, we aim for the highest standards of wellness for all our participants by focusing on improved overall physical health. We work only with professional university-trained trainers & coaches who provide expertise for any employee interested in achieving some of their personal goals. Whether it's about reducing symptoms, improving concentration, energy boost, preventing illness or being happier and healthier, with RT Training & Coaching we are here to help. Our unique way of Training & Coaching ensures that we help every employee improve their work-life balance. We do this by providing online Training & Coaching, in addition to the normal on-site wellness (through company fitness). Within this hybrid story, we look at how to create healthier and more active wellness for each employee both at home and at work. Regardless of the frequency and time each employee wants to spend on their more active lifestyle, we provide for each employee individually:
- Improved concentration & productivity
- Increased overall well-being (physical & mental)
- Improved work-life balance
- Preventing injuries (personal/occupational)
- More active lifestyle
- Personalized schedules for home/work situation
- Online/Mobile training platform (Mywellness) from the fitness industry leader (Technogym)
- Frequent personal follow-up (online)
- Proactive coaching
- Long-term coach-employee relationship (achieving + maintaining goals)
The end objective of our whole "Training & Coaching story" is always focused on sustainable employability within your company!
Integrated fitness solutions
We realise that every company is unique in the health challenges faced by its employees. We tailor our integrated solutions to meet these unique needs with the aim of helping your employees.
- Inclusive : Our programmes are designed for all fitness levels and interests.
- Interactive : We remove barriers to accessibility and provide ease, comfort and confidence.
- Individualized : Our goal is to build strong, lasting connections through a 'human-first' approach.
Fitness Center Management
- Member enrolment and retention
- Everyday policies and procedures
- Advice and personal training
- Group lessons and programmes
- Safety and risk management
- Utilization and satisfaction rate reporting
Fitness Center Design
- Recommendations equipment and layout
- Equipment selection
- Equipment training
- Business plan and projections
- Program operations and development