Understanding the Benefits of Workplace Yoga

The importance of employee health has been a growing concern for employers around the world.

The modern hustle culture has made working professionals suffer from several health complications, both physical and mental. The increasing pressures at work mean that they now have less time to dedicate towards their health and wellbeing.

Business leaders and employers from big and small companies are slowly acknowledging this loophole in the working culture.

In this regard, the wonders and benefits of the age-old tradition of Yoga still prevails to be advantageous. The combination of breathing and relaxation techniques, meditation, and postures has many health benefits that cannot be ignored.

Many big companies like Apple, Google, and Forbes have incorporated Yoga in their employee wellness programs and have profited from its dynamic health benefits.

The good news is that all you need to practice office yoga poses is a small space and a yoga mat. In case it is difficult to find such a room, there are a variety of yoga poses that employees can do on their workspace. 

Let us now learn the many benefits of workplace yoga on employee health and performance:

Benefits of Workplace Yoga

1.     Lowers Workplace Stress

In contemporary times, workplace stress has become nothing less of an occupational hazard. While a bit of stress can be helpful, constant and chronic stress can lead to many health problems, like hypertension, insomnia, low immunity, cardiovascular diseases, anxiety, depression, memory loss, etc.

Many studies have pointed to the fact that practicing yoga is effective in reducing workplace stress. Professionals who have access to workplace yoga programs have shown a decrease in stress levels and improved engagement and productivity. There is a vast improvement in their physical and mental health.

2. Relieves Employees of Body Pain

Employees spend hours and hours on end on their desks, with little or no physical activity. Prolonged sitting and horrible posture often lead to stiffness and pain in different body parts, including the neck, shoulders, and back.

Taking a ten-minute break from time to time to stretch the body and hold a couple of yoga poses can help alleviate such stiffness and pain.

3. Reduces Fatigue

Working for hours on end is bound to lead to tiredness and fatigue, both mentally and physically.

Getting up from the work desk once in a while to stretch the body can decrease fatigue. The combination of postures and breathing techniques involved in yoga increases blood circulation. It helps in the oxygenation process that in turn leads to more energy production in the body.

4. Builds and Improves Focus

With everything going on in the workspace, from attending meetings to meeting strict deadlines and feeling burdened by the pressure of work, losing one’s focus and concentration is not unusual.

To add to that, problems and issues in personal lives can hinder one’s ability to focus at work too.

Spending a few minutes doing yoga in the workplace can help bring back one’s concentration levels. Breathing and meditation will help calm down and declutter the troubled and occupied mind, improve brain function, and increase employee productivity.

5. Improves Immunity

Did you know that yoga can improve and strengthen one’s immunity as well?

Yes! Doing yoga for a few minutes every day stimulates your body’s lymphatic systems, thus eliminating any harmful toxins. As already mentioned, yoga increases blood circulation, provides oxygenated blood to the body organs, and reduces stress and anxiety levels.

All of this, in turn, strengthens the employees’ immune systems. As a result, they are less likely to fall sick and be absent from work. Instead, they are way from energized, focused, and productive.

6. Increases Employee Morale

Employees’ morale suffers due to a variety of reasons. Tight deadlines, unhealthy relationships with co-workers, unapproachable supervisors, stress, lack of appreciation, and acknowledgment are a few factors that significantly pull down employee morale.

Believe it or not, yoga can effectively boost morale, thus transforming the vibe of a demotivated workplace. Employers should make it a point to conduct group yoga sessions once in a while to release the negative energy and soak in all that positive vibrations in each other’s company.

7. Enhances Innovation and Creativity

By decluttering the occupied minds, yoga makes space for a balanced mind, body, and soul. Yoga also improves one’s focus and brings a sense of harmony to one’s mental state.

This energized and harmonious mental state gives rise to fresh ideas, innovation, and creative flows. With an increase in innovation and creativity, employees will be better suited to solve the issues at hand. Moreover, by applying their ideas at work, they feel much more involved in the entire process.

8. Increases Productivity

With the numerous health benefits that yoga brings in, employees’ increased productivity is an obvious benefit.

When employees have reduced stress levels, stronger immunity, improved focus and concentration level, and a boost in creativity and employee morale, it is but a given that they will be much more productive at work.

Increased productivity is directly proportional to better work performances, employee satisfaction levels, and company growth.

9.Improves Team Spirit and Camaraderie

Yoga helps in achieving a balanced mind and body. When employees are calm and stress-free, they are less likely to be easily irritated and agitated.

Yoga elevates the employees’ spirits, enabling them to create a harmonious workplace, where they help each other, learn from shared experiences, and have fun as well.

Wrapping Up

With so many benefits in sight, it is now clear that practicing yoga in the workplace can be a boon to employees and the overall workplace culture.

Employers should focus on incorporating yoga programs and practices in their workplace wellness programs. Such programs will be effective in introducing the wonders of yoga to employees from all walks of life.

Encouraging employees to spend a few minutes doing yoga every day can go a long way toward creating a fulfilled and satisfied workforce.

Author Bio: 

Priyakshi Sharma is a content marketer at Vantage Circle, an employee engagement platform, and Vantage Fit, an all-in-one corporate health and wellness solution. In her free time, she is found writing about cinema, life, and everything in between.