Picture used for illustrative purpose.
A balance of work and physical fitness is very important. There are a lot of work-related injuries that are still not properly addressed. These may be due to prolonged sitting, improper posture, poor health and fitness status. Exercise is proven to be a factor in keeping people at the workplace energised, which leads to a sharper brain and increased ability to concentrate, learn and think creatively.
With the main motivation to keep team members healthy and happy, Sheikha Jameela bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Director General of Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services (SCHS) initiated a fitness programme within the organisation. As SCHS is a leading organisation in serving people with disabilities, their work is stressful and can be exhausting. Going through this experience, she wanted to share and motivate her team in changing their lifestyle to a more active and healthy one. She wanted to drive home the message that it is very important to be mindful of one’s health and total wellbeing.
To any organisation that plans to follow their path towards this fitness journey, she emphasised to go ahead and start. With its long-term results, all the efforts are definitely worth it.
The success of SCHS fitness programme was due to the collective efforts of each and every one within the organisation. Comprised of 60 participants and divided into groups according to their departments, all participants use Fitbit fitness trackers. Every month they have different fitness challenges. In February the goal set was to clock 10,000 steps per day and March was designated “Active Zone Minutes.” Winners are announced every end of the month. To be able to motivate each other, they choose their own leader and organise WhatsApp groups for constant communication. Virtual fitness classes were also offered. The main goal here is to encourage teamwork, enhance employees’ fitness levels and acquire new healthy habits.
Here are some of the success stories of the team:
Adil Awadi
HR Manager from UAE
Chose a specific time at 4.30pm to work out every day that helped him commit. With a combination of workout and diet, he felt his sleep has improved and he has lost some weight. He plans to continue even during Ramadan. His advice: choose your favourite sport and start gradually.
Sharafudeen
Office boy from India
Took up this challenge as a health-improving activity. He enjoyed it thoroughly and accepted the challenge. Sharafudeen goes to work earlier than the usual time. And after opening all the offices, that’s when he starts to exercise. In the evening, he also tries to workout. Having a fitness buddy helped him a lot. Sharafudeen makes sure to drink a lot of water and eat at the correct time (avoids eating late at night). Since starting the programme, he gets good sleep daily, has become more flexible, has lost weight, there’s less body pain and he wakes up in the morning refreshed. His advice is to enjoy what you do. The result will definitely give you more confidence and happiness, he says.
Mohammed Al Nabulsi
Technical Operations Officer from Jordan
Found the programme to be a great initiative and it helped him organise his physical activities. Mohammed believes that we all have time which can be turned into waste therefore it is important to set priorities straight. His food routine involves no sugar, no soda, no smoking and no junk food. At 42, he found it difficult to lose weight but believes the importance of enjoying what you do and keeping fit should be a part of everyone’s lifestyle. He suggests to find your own circle of friends to keep you motivated.
Taibah Ali Bahmany
Administrative Assistant from Iran
The programme provides team spirit, helps gain new healthy habits, opportunities to work out with colleagues, and challenges you to achieve a goal, believes Taibah. She makes sure to have a daily and weekly plan. She believes that food plays the biggest role in nurturing and hydrating the body and contributes a lot in the ability to workout. She became more organised and reached a higher fitness level. Workout time is part of her daily routine. To avoid boredom, she prefers changing the location and type of exercise. She maintains that it is important to be motivated and have the desire in challenging yourself to achieve your goal and live a healthy lifestyle.
