What started off as a bit of a joke and a means to fit into a bridesmaid’s dress turned into a companywide program to get employees back in shape. Overit Media introduced a program called OverFit, which has its more than 30 employees take a two-minute exercise break every hour.
Overit’s managing director, Jen Graybeal, started a fitness program at work because she wanted to shed some of her baby weight to fit into a bridesmaid’s dress.
“It kind of started off more as a joke,” Graybeal said, adding that one day she walked into the office and announced, “Listen, ladies and gentlemen. We’re gonna do some exercising.”
The program began as a power walk during lunch. Now, a typical day involves the following: stretches at 9 a.m., crunches at 10 a.m., leg lifts at 11 a.m., a power walk at noon, lunges at 1 p.m., push-ups at 2 p.m., jumping jacks at 3 p.m. and tricep dips at 4 p.m. At the end of the day at 5 p.m., the office has a freestyle dance session.
Overit’s employees aren’t forced to participate in the exercise program, nor does it really get in the way of the workflow. Some OverFit devotees will even make up for missed workouts later in the day if they are in a meeting or working on important tasks during exercise times.
Not only have employees seen a change in the way they look and feel, the OverFit program has also increased productivity. Graybeal says getting exercise during the day gets her blood flowing, which helps her creative process as a whole.
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