Purpose of paper: To discuss the benefits of physical exercise on the success of a corporation and

discuss practical implications of company-wide exercise programs

Thesis: There is a positive correlation between the fitness level of all employees and the success

of their workplace. As a result, all companies should have a vested interest in promoting

employee fitness through the implementation of a company-wide exercise program.

I. Biological Benefits of Exercise:

a. Physically active people process data faster and experience a slower decline in

information-processing speed than inactive people as they age. (Annotated

Artifact 6, 74)
b. Retain muscle mass, decreased mortality rates, people retain full physical function

of their bodies for longer (Annotated Artifact 6)

c. Reduced stress, lower resting heart rate, lower heart rate during exercise, more

fat-burning enzymes (Annotated Artifact 4)

d. Serotonin, norepinephrine, and endorphins are generated more during exercise

which yields more positive mood states (Annotated Artifact 4)

i. Reduced depression, anxiety and stress (Annotated Artifact 3)
II. Benefits of CEO Fitness:
a. 2/3 of the top 3000 Fortune 500 CEOs report exercising at least three days a week

(Annotated Artifact 6)
i. These 2/3 were rated as 12% more enjoyable to work with compared to

the 1/3 that didnt exercise (Annotated Artifact 4)

ii. Leaders in highly demanding work environments are more likely to

experience healthful regeneration through physical fitness when they

foster self and shared leadership. (Annotated Artifact 4, 8)

b. CEOs and executives, especially, should have a vested interest in their fitness

because of the high-stress nature of their job. Researchers are discovering

correlations between executives who exercise and the success of their company.
c. There is a positive correlation between executives who exercise and the success of

their corporation
i. Challenge Through Change (Annotated Artifact 1) Taught a class to help

business people realize the parallels between fitness (running a marathon)

and leading an effective business

1. Exercise and leading a business are similar in that both require

goal-setting and perseverance, participants self-reported being

more successful (productive, etc.) in the workplace

ii. Marathon-running CEOs perform better compared to the non-marathon

running CEOs
1. Better able to moderate stress, improved cognitive function while

at work, increased self-esteem, more positive behavior, higher firm

value, higher return on assets, more cash flow (Limbach &

Sonnenburg, 2015)
iii. Fit CEOs and Managers are better liked by their employees
1. Higher interpersonal performance and task completion, physically

fit leaders scored significantly higher compared to physically unfit

leaders (King et al., 2014)

d. Similarly, there is positively trending data pointing towards greater

entrepreneurial success with increased exercise

i. Entrepreneurs are their own executives; they hold several jobs at once.

People who meet daily goals, are more likely to be motivated to

accomplish daunting tasks, especially for small business owners who are

trying to keep their entrepreneurial drive (9)

ii. Exercise could help entrepreneurs in goal setting and achievement
1. More creative after exercise (creativity is an essential element of

an entrepreneurial business)
iii. Exercise requires discipline and self-leadership two characteristics

essential to an entrepreneur (Annotated Artifact 10)

III. Benefits of Employee Fitness
a. Employee exercise is equally as important, as employees who exercise also

contribute to overall greater corporation success

i. Enhanced job performance in high-stress jobs
1. Real estate brokers who exercise 3 times a week for 12 weeks had

greater commissions during and after the 12 weeks compared to

ones who didnt exercise (Lovelace, Manz, & Alves, 2007)

2. Consistent performance throughout the day, stronger heart, less

fatigue after a long day at work (Chtourou, Hamdi, & Souissi,

2012)
ii. Yields greater productivity in the office
1. People who say they cant find time to be fit should realize that a

fitness program actually produces time (Neck & Cooper, 2000, p.

834)
a. Prioritizing exercise forces the rest of a day to be

prioritized and scheduled, exercising is checking one goal

off the list, creates momentum to accomplish more during

the day, George Bush and Al Gore benefits

IV. For these reasons, companies should have a vested interest in making sure theyre

employees are adequately exercising

a. WHY they should care
i. Fit employees are less likely to be sick because of a strengthened immune

system, which means less sick days, employees have more energy and

self-confidence after exercising, are more productive in the office, and can

inspire confidence among other employees, less stress levels which creates

strong team-builders and leaders (Annotated Artifact 14)

ii. Lowers healthcare costs for employers because of strengthened immune

system and stronger bodies (Annotated Artifact 13)

 iii. Fit employees are in a better mood at work because of the increase in

mood-regulating hormones during exercise (Annotated Artifact 4)

b. Companies can implement company-wide exercise programs to encourage fitness

among employees
i. Employee turnover rate is lower for employees who participate in

company exercise programs (Annotated Artifact 14)

ii. Employees who participate in these exercise programs report being

happier with their jobs because an exercise program promotes community

by uniting groups of people who wouldnt otherwise work together

(Annotated Artifact 13)

iii. Company-wide exercise programs are successful, in hospitals there was an

8% increase in self-reported productivity and a 6% increase in supervisor-

reported productivity among employees who participated in the program

compared to hospital employees at who didnt (Annotated Artifact 9)

V. A voluntary, company-wide exercise program, when implemented correctly, is the

best way that companies can ensure that their employees are reaping the workplace-

benefits of exercise.
a. If a company has a large budget and can afford to do so, the most effective way to

executive a company-wide exercise program is to encourage participation at a

corporate gym gym.

i. Corporate gym: Gym that exists on site at a corporation
ii. Gym should have very qualified staff, strong energy should be present in

the gym
iii. Comprehensive outreach strategy to encourage employees to attend the

gym
1. Incentives/competition for gym attendance
iv. Corporate gym should be in constant communication with other corporate

gyms to build a collaborative network of gyms striving for greatness

 b. For obvious reasons, not every company can afford to build an on-site corporate

gym. A free alternative is to implement an effective company-wide exercise

program.
i. Program should be voluntary, flexible, have a clear leader, monthly

meetings, and give participants the opportunity to see their growth in a

monthly, quantitative testing of their physical fitness and body

composition (Annotated Artifact 9)

1. Voluntary: Autonomy is important
2. Flexible: Since participation is voluntary, participants should have

flexibility in the program

3. Clear Leader: Someone to turn to with questions, someone

passionate about exercise to set the tone for the entire program
4. Monthly Meetings: Like the Challenge through Change marathon

class, participants should have an opportunity to meet (at least

monthly) to discuss their progress, discuss benefits in the

workplace, and share exercise tips with each other

a. Promotes community, gets people together who otherwise

wouldnt work together

5. Quantitative Element: Allow people to see the benefits of exercise,

have people set measurable goals and report progress towards them

monthly, keeps focus on fitness alone (Annotated Artifact 9)

VI. Conclusion
a. All of these studies are correlational, since all of this research is very new, full

causation has yet to be explicitly proved. Regardless, the correlation is so strong,

(and exercise is free!) that employees, regardless of their status in the company,

should have a strong interest in their own fitness because of the positive

relationship between exercise and correlation success.