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What's meant with vitality? What are the pro's and what are the risks of an unhealthy lifestyle?
, by Joris Lans, 5 min reading time
What's meant with vitality?
Vitality speaks of your mental and physical health that gives you the energy to live. Both factors have to be in perfect harmony. Everybody takes care of a good balance between mental and physical health their own way, with the purpose to get more energy and feel fitter and stronger.
It's a good thing to invest in your employees' vitality because it can lead to:
• 18% more involvement in the business
• 12% increase of revenue
• 12% increase of efficiency
• a 60% reduce of accidents
• a 35% reduce of absenteeism
• 100% awareness
This blog describes two other aspects that are influential to an improved vitality at home or at the office. Vitality is looked at from three different angles.
1. Food and drink
2. Exercise
3. Relaxation
Before we deal with these three aspects we first shed some light on the pro's and con's of a vital lifestyle and the risks of an unhealthy lifestyle.
A vital lifestyle
Vitality is about wanting and getting more out of life. Everybody does this their own way but always with the same purpose in mind: getting more energized, fitter and stronger.
The pro's of a vital lifestyle to employers
1. Less absenteeism
Vital employees are healthy and like to go to work, at home or at the office. Because of this they will less likely call in sick than their counterparts that don't feel happy and good about themselves. Did you know absenteeism sets back a company about € 230,- per day and that in over 50% of the cases short-term absenteeism leads to long-term absenteeism in only four years time?
2. More productivity
Employees that do feel good about themselves are more productive. A study done by the World Health Organisation concludes that healthy nutrition by itself can increase the productivity by 20%
3. Improved image
You want your employees to dress in a representative way when they go to a meeting. But a posh outfit doesn't say it all. An employee that takes off to a meeting smiling and full-spirited, that's worth a lot more to your image!
4. Increased revenue
Energetic salesmen with a big smile on their face are able to land an assignment much easier and quicker than their weary counterparts. Motivated and happy employees deliver top quality your clients can be pleased with. This will lead to more clients and assignments and an increased revenue.
The pro's of a vital lifestyle to employees
Vital and happy employees are much nicer to work with than unhappy and exhausted ones. Employees that feel good about themselves are much more positive and caring. Vital and happy employees are much better at teamwork and much more involved with their surroundings and the organization they work for.
1. Long-term health
Study shows people with a vitale lifestyle add 14 years to their life on average. Minding your vitality now could mean a much better health in the future. Diseases such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease can partly be avoided by leading a vital lifestyle.
2. More flexibility at the job market
The retirement age keeps getting increased. Technologic developments offer a great risk to the existence of nowadays jobs in the future. Investing in vitality also needs a flexible mindset and preparation for coming changes at the job market and your own personal life.
3. A reduced level of stress
Did you know 36% of job related absenteeism is caused by stress? A vital lifestyle makes you feel good about yourself and reduces the risk of stress and burn-outs.
4. More social and caring
People that work on their vitality generally have a good relationship with their colleagues and clients because their positivity, energy and enthusiasm is answered with the same positivity, energy and enthusiasm.
5. More fun at work
A vital lifestyle helps to increase job satisfaction. Job satisfaction is the extent to which you enjoy your daily work. Don't you think you're better at dealing with issues and challenges when you feel good about yourself?
6. Personal development
Setting goals, the willpower to achieve those goals and they way people deal with daily struggles are part of a vital lifestyle. Vitality contributes to the way people go through their lives and helps them to set targets.
An unhealthy lifestyle: the risks
A healthy lifestyle both benefits employees and employers. An unhealthy lifestyle on the other hands brings a lot of risks. Possible risks are:
1. Unhealthy nutrition
The most dangerous consequence of unhealthy nutrition and drinking is obesity. Obesity leads to physical complaints, such as shortness of breath, high blood pressure, sleep deprivation and diabetes.
2. Insufficient exercise
Being seated for a long time and insufficient exercise can lead to serious health risks. For example obesity, high blood pressure and and elevated level of cholesterol. Sufficient exercise is also important to a good mental health. Exercising improves your brain activity and makes you more creative and able to come up with new ideas and solutions to problems.
3. Stress
Absenteeism isn't only caused by physical complaints from an unhealthy lifestyle. Stress is also an important factor. Possible consequences of a high level os stress are palpitations, headache, sleep deprivation and maybe even a burnout or depression in the end. Briefly stated, (long-term) exposure to stress is dangerous to both your physical and mental health.
4. Excessive drinking
One glass of alcohol can have a relaxing effect on your body and mind, but excessive use of alcohol can have dangerous effects on your health. You can think of a reduced physical resistance, damage to the liver and the risk of obesity.
5. Smoking
Smoking gets prohibited at an increased number of places and it's getting pricier every year. Well known risks of smoking are a deteriorated level of fitness, an affected skin and teeth, asthma and lung cancer.
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