With ‘Sitting is the new smoking’ belief gaining ground globally, offices are beginning to introduce the workout culture to beat the health risks of a 9-5 desk job. Siemens, a European conglomerate and one of the largest industrial manufacturing companies, has started The Healthy Break in all its offices across India. PatientsEngage talks to Mr. S Ramesh Shankar, Head, Human Resources, Siemens.
Working out in office is still a new concept in India. Your company, Siemens, is one of the few establishments to start ‘The Healthy Break’. Could you tell us something about this initiative?
Medical research says that continuous sitting at the workplace is responsible for lifestyle disorders such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disorder and even cancer.
Improper sitting at the workstation and continuous working on laptops also leads to repetitive stress injury (RSI) such as carpel tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow, frozen shoulder, cervical spondylosis.
Healthy Breaks includes exercises like stretching, yoga and breathing exercises which help alleviate these disorders.
Where there any specific reasons to launch The Healthy Break?
Siemens is a responsible and a committed organization and employee health and safety is top priority for the executive management in Siemens. With the advisory and support of the management we decided to go ahead for the better well-being and health of our employees.
How was it planned and conceptualised to suit the office environment?
We designed the exercises in such a way that in addition to the fixed slots of 4 minutes each at 10:30 am and 3:30 pm, employees can carry on with the exercise routine whenever they feel the need.
Also, there are gyms across locations with flexible timings for all the fitness enthusiasts. The gym is equipped with the necessary state-of-the-art equipment and also with expert coaches.
Has The Healthy Break helped offset any health issues?
Nagging body aches and pains have resolved due to regular routine of exercise and also by following other health tips which are circulated by the EHS (Environment Health Safety) Team. Also, there is a sense of happiness, euphoria across employees during the healthy break.
What challenges did you encounter implementing The Healthy Break?
Initially, there were a few complaints on how the healthy break used to be a disturbance during meetings, conference calls especially because there is an intercom announcement with instructions on the exercise routine. But I am very delighted to say that now it has been appreciated and followed as a way of life and health benefits have also shown great progress. There is a growing sense of commitment to personal health.
It has been almost a year since The Healthy Break was started. What has been the employee response?
The response has been very positive across locations. The Healthy Break was first started only in the corporate office in Worli but has gradually been implemented across locations in India. We have received excellent feedback with respect to camaraderie amongst team members. There is a sense of togetherness, also aches and niggles have reduced drastically.
The critics of short breaks in office say it may only have a superficial impact on boosting health? What has been your experience?
The exercise module encourages people to do exercises on their own and also follow other health tips. We believe that both in terms of awareness and implementation it has been a very fruitful experience.
What are some of the key workouts of The Healthy Break?
Yoga postures, muscle stretches, breathing exercises and mind relaxing techniques.
What are some of the best lessons learnt from The Healthy Break that can embraced by other offices and desk-bound employees?
We want to drive a culture of good personal health and well-being. The management advice and support has been huge motivation in the successful implementation of the exercise regime. This is kind of a showcase to others that well-being of the employee is our top priority.
Testimonials of Employees
I have always been health conscious and look out for opportunities to stretch and walk. I also eat healthy and maintain a fairly healthy lifestyle. However, my hours at work used to be fairly sedentary until the healthy break, which prompts us to stop work for 4-5 minutes twice in a day and stretch. I have also picked up a few new exercises that I do during weekends at home or while in transit.
- Anamika Chillara, IT, Siemens India
The healthy breaks are more than occasions for physical exercise. We use the time to stretch our laughter bones too, and is great for building camaraderie and team bonding.
- Santosh Rane, Accounts
I love the fact that everyone – across age groups, hierarchies and nationalities – stands up for the healthy break at Siemens and stretches out. It is in our DNA now and we include healthy breaks in our agenda at a business conference too. Adding the “healthy” element to our daily schedule has made me fit and agile and also increased the energy level and camaraderie. I would go ahead and add “The team that ‘works out’ together ‘works very well’ together”!
- Meghana Joshi, HR, Siemens India
