Help Keep your Employees Healthy Year-Round: Consider the Gym

Posted by: BeneFIT Corporate Wellness
Date: November 28, 2018

There’s good reason the American Heart Association, The American College of Sports Medicine, and other organizations recommend a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise, five days a week.

Research shows that exercise lowers blood pressure, lowers cholesterol, and strengthens the heart. It can also lower the risk of developing diabetes and some types of cancer, and has been shown to have a positive impact on mood. This opens up an opportunity for employers. By supporting physical activity and fitness, employers are able to take an active part in helping employees improve their health – and that can have a positive effect on business by increasing productivity, morale, and decreasing absenteeism.

Mental Health Benefits

As winter approaches, taking fitness inside can garner benefits beyond “coming in from the cold.” Having contact with others can be an excellent boost to mental health as well as physical health. With more attention being paid to and its impact on productivity and engagement, offering employees membership to a fitness center as a corporate benefit can be a first step to making a positive change in company culture. When employees feel their employer is supportive regarding mental health issues, they can perform better and enjoy their jobs more.

A Local Health Resource for Employers

Companies in the Lehigh Valley are fortunate to have a year-round health resource through LVHN Fitness Centers, aligned with Lehigh Valley Health Network. Locations are convenient, and the centers provide much more than just equipment – there are programs, classes, and specialties for a wide range of needs among an employee population. LVHN Fitness at One City Center on Hamilton Street in Allentown, for example, offers these items to members in a hightech, high-end setting:

• Diverse menu of group fitness and population health classes
• More than 40 cardiovascular machines, including spin bikes, crank cycles, treadmills,
  elliptical bikes, rowers, stair-climbers and upright bikes – many outfitted with personal
  televisions
• Weight-training equipment, including a full line of Hammer Strength equipment,
  dumbbells up to 120 pounds, Olympic bars, plate weights up to 45 pounds, and squat
  racks
• Two group fitness rooms, including 14 dedicated spin bikes
• Multisport simulator for practicing your golf swing or for other virtual events
• Handicapped-accessible locker room with private showers, towels, and toiletry service
• Sports performance studio and 40-yard turf track for athletes of all ages
• A café and reception area with free WiFi

For more information on how LVHN Fitness can fit into your company, contact Thomas Young at 610-969-0421 or [email protected]

LVHN Fitness locations are:

• One City Center, Hamilton Street, Allentown
• 1243 S. Cedar Crest Blvd., Allentown
• 1770 Bathgate Road, Bethlehem
• 50 Moisey Drive, Hazleton