The Fountain of Youth: Chapter 3 After the Initial Presentation

Chapter 3 After the Initial Presentation

Who will be interested in a brand new corporate fitness program? Considering the expense and forethought, how about Everybody? Or, at least everybody should be. If only that might true, a company would become an entirely different place in a virtual first quarter. There would be fewer colds, less flu, less employee absenteeism, less stress related illness, less boredom at work, less contention between fellow workers, less problems with management. On the other hand, there would be greater enthusiasm, greater cheerfulness, far more positive regard and camaraderie, more enjoyment of even the simplest routine daily tasks, more drive to make everything better. In short everything would be better because everyone would be happier and healthier. Who wouldn't want all of that?

One might be inclined to say No one, but, unfortunately, some people really will not. They will simply be adverse to any attempt to get a fitness community off the ground. There are some people who really don't want good and healthy changes to their workplace in specific or to their lives in general. Why? In part, because things just have happened. Not all history is good. Insults, slights, and promotion mistakes occur. On top of that, there is always the long, exhausting commute, the necessary extra hours without extra pay, the negative evaluation when everything warrants a bonus. All of this occurs. It is just part of corporate life, and it can cause a negative attitude toward fitness--something which does take some extra-effort until its been done for a while.

History often impacts the present, and, no matter how well-intentioned a company may be, its efforts to get a fitness program off the ground can be misinterpreted. That is, the addition of a 4000 square foot workout area, a corporate fitness director and a the establishment of fitness conscious-raising groups along with a room full of brand new vending machines filled with apples, oranges, green tea, gluten free carbohydrates, raisins, dates and all natural vegetable or fruit juices can be seen as nothing more than a ploy to get more out of an already over-burdened work force. This is a sad occurrence, but it can happen.

For those who are adverse to anything new, no matter how good, there is little that can initially be done.The talk in the last chapter (see presentation to a Charlotte, NC based company in the second half of Chapter 2) will not be well-received by them. Going around from desk to desk with the intent promoting fitness will not help. Sending emails with the latest in fitness insight will result only in their deletion at best. Sometimes they get an angry response (even when there's an opt-out link.) What can only be hoped for is that time will heal old wounds and that these same persons will not lapse into self-destructive behavior, such as smoking or over-eating. That can, of course occur. Yet, with the corporate fitness director as a new target for their hostility, things may not get as bad as they could.

No company wants to lose a good worker just because of a temporary bad attitude, and no employee wants to lose a needed paycheck just because of a bad couple of preceding quarters. Thus, even if the disgruntled employee can say nothing good about a whole new fitness program, they can be indirectly helped just by having a fitness program and director around. The same can go for those about to take up a bad habit--a behavior symptomatic of a psychological wound received either on the job or at home.

The point is that there will be a relatively small percentage (let's say fifteen percent) of people who simply will not be receptive to a new corporate fitness program. Granted, they may also have other reasons for their objections, such as the simple aversion to lifestyle change, or even childhood ones that have little to do with the present.(Dad was always on my back to go out for football, even though I really preferred being debater.)But these are relatively few in comparison to those who will be mild to passionate about having a brand new fitness program up and running.

As a guess, these open-minded persons may account for seventy five percent of the workforce, not to mention a number of upper level persons. But more than half (seventy five percent of the seventy five )of this group will only be open to new fitness ideas and practices, unwilling to do anything about them at present. The timing will just not be right. Still, the openness will be present. This is largely because there has been so much in the last five years about fitness in the news and on the internet. That makes people more and more eager to hear about what might be in it for them.

However, the resistance continues on. Partly this is due to the attitudes of the medical profession. Unfortunately, doctors are still too much on the fitness back burner. This is largely because they themselves neither supplement nor workout. Nevertheless, they do tend to eat sensibly.That is a major plus. Further, they are interested in ongoing healthiness. After all, they are doctors and do care about their patients. As a result, they preach appropriate weight levels, recommend diets for the avoidance of diabetes, strokes, heart trouble and may even advise a nightly walk after dinner.

All of that is good, but all is almost always associated with the grocery store food, rest and relaxation from too much work. The sad part is that doctors are under pressures just like corporate individuals and could therefore stand a daily workout--one that really gets their heart rate up and puts some strain on their muscles. Same goes for supplementation. Six hour surgical operations with non-stop attention to the task at hand exhaust vitamin reserves. (So does getting the taxes done two minutes before the cut-off, by the way) If only these professionals would find the time and passion to get into a fitness lifestyle! If they did, there would far more of their clients interested in finding their own right time to also do so, like right now.

Of the group of open-minded people, probably none, or very few, have had the benefit of being out for a sport in high school. This is unfortunate as there are many fine coaches throughout the country. Their jobs are to make sure that all of their team players live in such a way that they are ready for action on the playing field, in the pool or wherever. Having had the benefit of being out for at least one sport under of these people is invaluable. There are aspects of this experience which are simply not available in any other way. Of course, being out for sports the year round is even better.

For the majority who have not had any of this experience, fitness is a brand new thing. As a result, they cannot see how it can make then a winner, which is so important in the business world. If they did, they would already be into it somewhat like Rocky in Chapter One. Instead, their interest comes via the media, which promises fewer illnesses, reduced susceptibility to cancer and a longer life. If only were enough to get them going, but its not.

One of the r reason that the media does not have greater impact is that fitness has a serious competitor. This is the American good life-- one of great looking but microwaved dishes, a little bicycling with the kids or grand kids now and then, rest and relaxation as much as possible,trips to Florida, etc.--all safeguarded by MDs. Further, there are a seeming endless number of commercials about what drug you need when exercise and diet aren't enough. That is the national trigger for a trip to the doctor so that you can ask if the latest new pill is right for you. Surely such talk sounds grown-up, but it sends a message that diet and exercise are not all that the fitness people crack them up to be.

Nevertheless, the open-minded people still have an interest in hearing what is new. And why not? Often the evening news, CNN or GMA has an person on it who has done an exceptional job athletically, generally in spite of their age (such as a sixty year old woman swimming sixty miles, a 75 year old grandmother who regularly pumps iron, a past his prime athlete with a prosthesis who out does everyone.) Thus, if the media is this much in back of fitness, there must be something good to consider. So the thinking goes. Of course there is, but with no prior experience, it is difficult to know how to incorporate it into your life. This is a perfect opportunity for a corporate fitness director.

Open-minded people actually can appreciate the corporate equivalent of a good high school coach, which is what a fitness director should be. But this assumes he or she does not expect too much too fast. This is the whole secret to working with people in business. Change is hard on everyone, but it is hardest on these folks because most of them do not really know what they are getting into. Granted, there is media support to some degree, and there is the prevalence of health clubs, vitamin stores, magazines and the like; but everything having to do with fitness is still, to a great degree, new and untested. Therefore, anxieties abound. What will happen to me if I dive into it head first? (After all I don't know how to swim.) Further, I can't see what good this will do for me with my genetic make-up even if there are an ever-increasing number of authorities who are saying that this is the way to go.

All of this is understandable with no high school athletics in the background. These people simply do not know how good being in-shape really is. For instance, they do not know the difference between the healthy tired which follows a comprehensive workout within a normal work day in comparison to crashing after finishing a major corporate presentation or report. Further, they do not know how daily training can make goal attainment easier and more enjoyable. Both of these, and more, are part of fitness, but they are not intelligible from the evening news when the person of the week has their air time. All that you see is the end result-- never the minor creature comfort victories leading up to the end product.

A corporate fitness director needs to sell these life-style pluses. These are the day to day benefits of living a fitness lifestyle, which include, but are not limited to, greater ease in getting a day's work done, feeling more relaxed with greater energy, sleeping far more soundly, naturally unwinding after finishing a major or presentation, more enthusiasm in front of groups and better overall feelings in relation to individuals. Those things, and more, come from daily workouts, good diet, and adequate supplementation. They are all part of the package, and that is the what the corporate fitness director sells.

How does that happen? Simple : its just like any sale. The fitness director must find the hot button, which every effective salesperson knows to be more important than the mere benefits of the product. The hot button is what tuns people on. Typically, everybody has one, but it is generally little different than a label from what's seen on a new fat burner formula or a Bowflex commercial. While these may be attractive, they are never attainable in a short enough period of time. That makes them worthless, if not outright harmful. Therefore, they need to be replaced with a more realistic image. That should be a personal image actually do-able within a two month period of time (for instance one belt notch less or one dress size smaller.)

Results is everything for the person starting out, especially when people do not have that crucial high school athletic history. These folks will really have a hard time believing that the alleged austerity of a fitness lifestyle will in fact really help them. Therefore, it is imperative that they see a change--the sooner the better. Getting this to happen is largely their effort, but its also the director's responsibility.

The best thing about these open-minded people is that they are the most appreciative for fitness options right where they spend a considerable amount of time each week. That is, they're right there where they work and they're inexpensive, virtually free, or close to it. Ideally, this includes a gym, a sauna, monthly awareness groups, and bi-monthly newsletters with fitness info. Having all of that right at one's fingertips, where they work, is huge. There is no travel time to a club away fro the office; there is no surfing about for what might be helpful. There are no unanswered questions as there is a fitness director who can be consulted to make everything work just for them.

The duty of the fitness director is to reach out to these folks. That is the same as sowing good seeds in fertile soil, allowing the crop to grow at its own pace. It is completely counter to the boot camp scenario where all of the new recruits are worked to death by a well-meaning drill sergeant type personal trainer. That is the too much too fast scenario which causes injury and failure. These drill sergeant types believe they will make cause extreme makeovers within an absurdly short period of time. Perhaps this works in the military where a recruit has six months of basic training, and is 24/7 into becoming a soldier, but corporate people have jobs and families. That is the difference. The switch to a fitness lifestyle puts these at risk. Therefore it must be taken slowly.

So much for the greater portion of the company-- the group of the antagonistic people plus the open-minded ones--ones who will actually will appreciative of a corporate fitness program, assuming there is conscientious follow-through. This makes up ninety percent of the company. The remaining people--five to ten percent-- are already into fitness. Possibly they were out for sports in high school or possibly they just got into it to maximize their chances on E-Harmony. For different reasons some just have not had any trouble doing what is right for them.

The temptation is to think that these people do not need the same amount of concern as the others. To a degree this is true. They already have health club memberships, and they will continue to workout whether there is a corporate program or not. They will continue to select the right foods without having to check for the latest new diet. They will keep on their vitamins even when their MD erroneously tells them they are a waste of money. Nothing will stop them. In a way they are like Rocky from Chapter One. Yet, these people, interestingly, are actually happy to have a fitness director to bounce ideas off of, to get a little encouragement (which they really don't need), or to take advantage of an onsite gym, which they may join even though their membership is still active at a club off-campus.

These people have typically been at fitness for in excess of five years and, therefore, have no question about how good it can be for them or anyone else. They know that a fitness lifestyle is the best, and they wouldn't live any differently. Some may philosophize over how others can still be so sedentary. Some may even feel sorry for those who are still hooked on the wrong foods and have trouble swallowing a few helpful multivitamins when prescription drugs seem to be no problem. The fit people know that different is better and that is why they are the way they are.

These people are valuable to the fitness director because they are examples of what a fitness lifestyle can mean for a person. Too, they can offer advice, which may be better received than from some with a corporate title. That is why they should be invited to be part of awareness groups whether they need them or not. They already have answers to the problems which the new person faces. The only difficulty is that they may have taken care of these problems so long ago that they forget how difficult things were back then. Nevertheless, having them as examples of what fitness can be is a significant help.

In summary, some will be adverse to anything having to do with fitness; a considerable majority will see a positive benefit and having so much available to them; a relatively small percentage will see a new corporate fitness program as a way of significantly enhancing their already existing fitness lifestyle. With enough time (about a year), and keeping lines of communication open, the adverse ones may eventually come around, the new people will start living in healthier ways, and the already adept will not only excel at what they are already doing, but will find new self-esteem by being positive examples to the others.

Getting the ball rolling and then maintaining an atmosphere in which lifestyle change can happen is the corporate fitness director's responsibility. It is his or her job to open the door and keep it open so that everybody can walk in at their own pace.

For further thought on fitness in the workplace order my e-book "Think and Grow Fit."

Posted by mark clemens at 11/30/2011 3:15 PM