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Employees who regularly do strength training are more efficient. They are more productive, efficient and motivated to achieve their goals in the workplace but also in private life. An investment that pays the employer with measurable returns.
Here are the top 10 reasons how strength training can help the body and mind of employees and thus the company.
Muscles are expensive. In the caloric sense. Muscles are metabolically highly active tissue. More muscle mass leads to an increased energy requirement and thus to an increased basal metabolism. A study by Tufts University found that every kilogram of muscle mass burns at least 35 calories a day. Why is that a good thing? Our western way of life bombs us anyway with high-calorie snacks and little exercise. Now people don't even run 700m for lunch, but take one of the many scooters. It follows that if we have a higher basal metabolism, the risk of getting fat is simply lower. This should be interesting for employers, as obesity comes with a number of problems that are beyond the scope of this article. Only that much,a fat percentage of over 20% in men and over 30% in women is nasty: makes you unhealthy and unproductive. So it's better to hide croissants and sweets and subsidize an AURUM subscription for the employees.
The so-called gastrointestinal throughput time is an important parameter that very few of us are familiar with. However, faster digestion has been linked to a lower risk of developing colon cancer. After only three months of intensive and regular strength training, an acceleration of the gastrointestinal cycle time of 56% was found. There is a linear relationship between muscle mass and throughput speed. More is better. More muscle mass, faster digestion and lower risk of colon cancer. Self-explanatory why we as an employer should be interested in it.
Current research suggests that high-intensity strength training increases the amount of freely circulating immune cells. These protect the body against infections. It makes sense that these cells multiply because the so-called monocytes and neutrophils are involved in the repair of injured muscle tissue. The whole thing can also be thought of as a fire drill. The muscle is injured in a controlled manner and the resulting inflammation and healing is a reaction of the immune system. The immune system has to move out regularly to do its job. So if there is a real attack on our defenses, the attackers are dealing with a very well-trained enemy. If the workforce is less sick ... okay, why is that good?
How do we feel right after training? Simple answer: as if we could tear out trees. The feeling immediately after a hard workout is simply indescribable and a large part of this effect comes from the release of the happiness hormone endorphin. Endorphin can last for days and sustainably increase motivation and productivity.
Through so-called glycogenolysis and the resulting reinforcement cascade, high intensity training attacks the largest glycogen stores in our muscles. This of course creates a situation in which these “sugar reserves” have to be replenished. As a result, the insulin receptors on the surfaces of the muscle cells become more sensitive to the hormone insulin. This means that the pancreas no longer has to release as much insulin to clear the same amount of blood sugar from the blood. If too much insulin is released, there are fatigue and cravings, which significantly disrupt productivity in the workplace. With strength training, the energy level remains stable throughout the day and you are more productive.
Another important effect of high intensity strength training is to stimulate the lymphatic fluid or much more its circulation. Our body relies on the movement of the muscles to keep our body's sewage system, the lymph, going. Already 10 minutes of high-intensity muscle exertion lead to an increase in lymph circulation of up to 600%. [1] Increased circulation of the lymph also detoxifies the brain, which means that one can literally grasp clearer thoughts. Clearer thoughts lead to better decisions and these are reflected in the profit of the company over time.
At its core, high-intensity strength training is nothing more than high-intensity interval training. We only choose strength training as an activity to let our pulse skyrocket. All experts now agree on the incredible effects of high intensity interval training on our cardiovascular health. This means that we can also assume these effects for high intensity training using strength exercises. The simplest explanation we have ever heard is as follows: When the muscle is used up to exhaustion, many fine blood vessels, the capillaries, are formed. The existing amount of blood therefore circulates in a larger vessel. As a result, the blood pressure must drop. Now for the pulse. The heart has to pump a certain amount of oxygen-rich blood into our arteries. With high intensity training we stimulate the heart to pump larger amounts in one stroke. This makes the heart stronger. It's just a muscle at the end of the day. A stronger heart pumps more blood in one stroke. Ergo has to beat it less often. This reduces the resting heart rate. Let's put it this way, a workforce that keeps low blood pressure is an advantage, right?
We humans are happiest when we grow. No matter what aspect of our life. It is therefore not surprising that, particularly in jobs such as consulting or investment banking, which can really upset the work-life balance, we often become unhappy. because we grow professionally, but neglect other areas of our lives and feel like we're on the decline. Strength training gives us the opportunity to regain a sense of growth and control over our body in the shortest amount of time. The effects on the psyche and motivation are priceless.
For many, regular high intensity strength training is like an entry-level drug into a more conscious and healthier life. Especially with our data-driven workout, every training session is like a performance test in a good sense. Many of our customers have reported that they started avoiding alcohol and fast food because they wanted to get a good performance from their weekly AURUM workout . This motivation of the employees for a healthier life should be worth an investment for every employer.
A particular advantage of high-intensity strength training compared to cardio-based workout modalities is the targeted strengthening of the support and holding muscles. For example, pain in the lower back can only be targeted through weight training. At AURUM we deliberately do an exercise specifically for the lower back. This particular lumbar muscle exercise has had amazing results in a study by the Physicians Neck and Back Clinic and the University of California San Diego. This simple workout produces 67% fewer follow-up treatments for back pain the following year. Everything compared to a control group, which was only subjected to passive treatment methods. So chiropractic, epidural injection, EMS etc. If the employees are in pain, this cannot be a good thing. If you use pain training to prevent pain by adopting a better posture while working, it's twice as good.
The AURUM Power Score has already caused a lot of enthusiasm in many companies. How much do you have? Over 2,000. I have to get there too! We all know how addictive digital products can be, but in our case for a good cause. The clear measurability of our training has two reasons: First, everyone trains on exactly the same protocol. Our Big6 workout is all exercises that can be sensibly carried out during high intensity training. On the other hand, the adaptive resistance technology enables unprecedented comparability between the workouts. Ergo, the evaluations in the app can also be compared between people. The resulting feeling of community should enrich every team.
Hi, I am one of the co-founders & the CEO of AURUM. My passion for sports formed early during my sailing career. The seed of knowledge planted there grew into research and experimentation of different approaches in nutrition, exercise, mindfulness and all things related to a happy and purposeful life. I hope you enjoy my articles. Feel free to get in touch.
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