Do you need to keep fitter for work?

Job demands mean that being fit and healthy is a real bonus in the modern working world. We're used to hearing about how increased productivity can help employers but there are many advantages and reasons to put your fitness at the top of your agenda when it comes to your work life and career. The impact of your health on your day to day work, increasingly sedentary jobs, and issues surrounding unemployment, all create reasons to inspire you to be fit enough for work.

Starting the day feeling under-par or not being up to the job in hand is not the best way to really forge ahead with your work. It might seem like a no-brainer but it's not just the extreme situations that can have a negative effect. Take a look at your own lifestyle and exercise levels and be honest about how that translates to your life at work.

Fitness fringe benefits
In order to appreciate the good vibrations you feel in your working day from being fit and healthy, it's worth looking at the other side of the coin and what problems not being fit enough can cause at work:

• Stress. Getting behind at work from days of sick creates anxiety.
• Crisis of confidence. Regardless of legal employment protections you might suffer from feeling out of the loop and flow of work because of sick days.
• Less clarity, more brain fog. Studies show regular exercise helps you focus and feel more clear-headed at work.
• Sluggish and fatigued. Exercise energises and feeling like you want to crawl under your desk or equivalent work area, is not going to help you get the most out of your work.
• Relationship issues. If you miss important meetings or events at work your colleagues may feel you're not part of the team or someone they can rely on.

Sitting on the job
Advanced technology has changed the way people communicate far beyond what most people imagined just a few years ago. However, with this there's more opportunity to do less with an increase in sedentary jobs. An American Council of Exercise study of 98 workers in 10 different occupations, over three days, found that less than half of participants were walking the recommended daily amount of 10,000 steps. The secretaries who used a pedometer as part of the research were walking just over 4,000 steps a day, with police officers not far over 5,000.

High unemployment
With many people struggling to get back into work, or having to improve their skills to do so, the need to be fit and ready for employment has never been more pertinent. Even roles that don't require a specific physical capability, still expect you to be reasonably fit and able to carry out duties effectively. When unemployment rates are high competition is naturally high and to be in the running it helps to be able to not be huffing and puffing at the starter blocks.

Do you want to increase your fitness levels so you can improve not just your lifestyle but your working life? You might need an exercise plan and professional advice to promote this idea to a top position in your 'to do' list.