Healthy staff are hard working staff.

People who regularly exercise and eat a balanced and nutritious diet lead more enriched lives. Life is a domino effect. The people who choose to grow in a positive way through a healthy lifestyle will see doors open for them and life gets a lil' bit better each day.

The old saying "it's all up hill from here" is not necessarily true. In fact, I believe your fate lies in the way you start your morning. If you start it right, then sure, it is most probably all going to get better. But when you start the morning off on the wrong foot, you will often notice a series of unfortunate events will follow (sorry to be the fun police, but this is how it goes for me).

When I wake up, the first thing I do is give my dog a cuddle (no better start to my day), slip on some active wear that makes me feel like a boss and then head to the gym to train our First Base members. I am fortunate enough to work alongside my sister and business partner. We take turns in participating in the classes (she does the 5 am and I will do the 6 am). I consider this my first sign of success for the day. I have exercised. All the sudden I realise that by 7 am I have been productive. This motivates me for the day ahead.

Next stop, coffee, a healthy breakfast and walk my dog before returning home to get dressed for work at 8:30 am. This little routine of mine means that I have had some fresh air, some "me" time, some avocado (need I say anything more?), and I feel accomplished already. These thoughts spill over into my work life.

So why is being active so important in the workplace?

Firstly, active employees are healthy employees and are less likely to get sick. This is always a plus! This shift from employees being proactive with their health rather than reactive is a transferable trait that can apply to other aspects of work.

A further benefit is that active people are more energised and therefore they are able to remain more focused at work. A client of ours who regularly attends our lunch-time class at First Base said to me, "I love exercising on my lunch break because it makes me want to go back to work and DO something". This is exactly the reason why exercise should be encouraged in the workplace.

Mental health. Work is stressful, there is no denying! There is never enough time no matter the job. Sometimes among the stress and chaos, employee mental health can be forgotten when it should be on the forefront. Mental health is largely impacted by exercise and our diet. By encouraging active, healthy lifestyles through healthy snack options in the workplace, staff step goals or team fun runs, staff social sports and work-life balance, employees are more likely to feel less stressed and be able to focus more on work.

The domino effect. It exists. It starts with routines and habits that snowball into success and happiness in all elements of life.