The business of fitness and wellbeing has grown tremendously in popularity across the globe over the last few years; aided by shareable social media content, it’s never been more hip to be healthy.

From organic foods, alternative diets, smart watches and Fitbits, to the Government’s war on sugar and unhealthy food – it’s only right for employers to take notice and play their part in making us all pay heed to our health.

Many of us spend our days sitting, looking at computer screens and more often than not, we eat our lunches at our desks. And as mid-afternoon rolls around, it’s all so easy to tuck into whatever biscuits, donuts or birthday cake happens to be floating around that day…

There are a whole host of reasons why encouraging fitness in the workplace can be extremely beneficial for employers, from the playful energy, positivity and stress-relief induced by the release of endorphins, to a stronger immune system (reducing sick days) and bringing out a competitive edge – all of which contribute to a more engaged and productive workplace.

There is of course sensitivity around encouraging fitness and not crossing the line, in danger of dictating how people should conduct their diets and lifestyle habits.

However, you can still encourage fitness in many (unintimidating) ways, such as cycle-to-work schemes, discounted gym memberships and offering free health foods in the office.

It can also be a perfect excuse to strengthen morale through sporty team-building events. Here at Pitch, we’re all signed up to for the Spring Wolf Run – naturally this has started a company-wide health kick whilst everyone trains in order to survive the ordeal!

Promoting health and fitness has its advantages for all businesses, from small SMEs on tight budgets, to the likes of Google who can build their own onsite gym. Much like offering private healthcare or health cash plans, encouraging health and fitness in the workplace is quickly becoming an integral part of a modern company’s responsibility to provide employee benefits and promote a healthy workplace.