Should workplace exercise be mandatory?

Recent research published in the Harvard Business Review notes a connection between our cognitive function – which is a contributor to our job performance – and exercise. Knowing what we do about exercise and its ability to improve our job performance, should workplace exercise be mandatory?

No employer could mandate that their employees work out while on the job, of course, but at the very least, including the ability to exercise within a workspace during the workday is an interesting thought experiment.

We know that exercise improves mental health, and we know that the relationship between fitness and mental health is undeniable. When it comes to the global corporate health and wellness market, there’s a reason why it’s become such a big business – in 2022, according to Crains, that market was valued at $53 billion and is predicted to grow nearly 5% year-on-year to 2030. A company like Peloton – a leader in the connected fitness space – has offers targeted toward corporations and “corporate engagement experiences.” Apple Fitness+ and Gympass have also teamed up and provides another example of corporate wellness entering the workplace.

As Julia Hobsbawm notes:

Given all the career benefits of exercise, it makes sense to reconfigure workplaces to include exercise more meaningfully. Big companies are using gyms as a way to bring people back to the office. Marriott International’s new Bethesda, Maryland, headquarters is a campus where “you can eat, exercise, shower, and meet with your manager,” according to a Wired report.

What the relationship between work and exercise within the workplace looks like, exactly, would be up to the employer and would have a lot to do with the space that they are working within. But let’s say that there isn’t any physical space or room in which to throw a couple of exercise bikes and a yoga mat – having a boss or an administrator encourage staff (or all-staff) exercise would benefit everyone involved.

Even though exercise within the workplace can’t be mandated, creating a workout space within an office or a building is only going to improve everyone’s job performance as well as their general health and wellness while on the job.