We all understand that regular exercise is beneficial to our mental and physical health, but for many employees, the issue isn’t awareness – it’s time. Between back-to-back meetings, tight deadlines, commuting, and caretaking responsibilities, scheduling regular movement can be a real challenge. Whilst many employees are finding creative ways to get around this, particularly through strategies such as exercise snacking, there’s a powerful argument to be made that businesses should be facilitating exercise themselves rather than expecting staff to squeeze workouts into an already packed schedule.

At The Fitness Group, we’ve embraced this responsibility and committed to prioritising our team’s wellbeing with our ambitious 2025 wellness plan. One of the standout initiatives is the introduction of a daily “active hour,” a paid hour during the workday where employees can dedicate time to the movement of their choice. This not only helps our team stay active but also embodies our core values as a leading health and fitness education provider. By fostering a culture of wellness, we’re demonstrating the same principles we teach to our students.

Why Movement at Work Matters

Considering that 18 million workdays in the UK are lost every year due to poor mental health and 7.8 million because of musculoskeletal disorders, it should make us sit up and listen. If the research is anything to go by, investing in workplace movement is a wise choice for businesses, too. According to a study by Leeds Metropolitan University involving around 200 participants, employees who exercise during the workday report managing their time more effectively, being more productive, and having smoother interactions with colleagues. Crucially, they also go home feeling more satisfied. These results have been mirrored elsewhere, with research showing that workplace exercise programs can improve focus, reduce errors, and support better mental wellbeing overall. For employers, these benefits translate into increased productivity, reduced absenteeism, and greater employee satisfaction.

At The Fitness Group, our active hour initiative is already delivering these benefits. By encouraging employees to take time for physical activity, we’re tackling the barriers of time and convenience head-on. Employees are empowered to use this hour however they like, whether it’s a high-intensity workout, a walk in nature, or yoga at home. What’s more, we’ve partnered with Myzone to bring an innovative and engaging dimension to this initiative.

Myzone: Rewarding Effort, Not Just Performance

Myzone is an innovative platform that combines wearable technology and a user-friendly app to help businesses track their teams’ workouts and encourage movement. Members can choose from a variety of wearable devices and straps designed to help them achieve their health goals. With the Myzone app, you can track your workouts anywhere, whether in the gym, at home, in a swimming pool, or outdoors.

What sets Myzone apart is its focus on effort rather than speed, cadence, or the amount of weight lifted. With Myzone wearables or compatible smartwatches, users earn Myzone Effort Points (MEPs) for every minute of physical activity they perform. Myzone uses colour-coded heart rate zones to track effort and assign MEPs, with each zone corresponding to a percentage of an individual’s maximum heart rate:

• Light Grey Zone: <50% of max heart rate – 0 MEPs per minute
• Grey Zone: 50-59% of max heart rate – 1 MEP per minute
• Blue Zone: 60-69% of max heart rate – 2 MEPs per minute
• Green Zone: 70-79% of max heart rate – 3 MEPs per minute
• Yellow Zone: 80-89% of max heart rate – 4 MEPs per minute
• Red Zone: 90-100% of max heart rate – 4 MEPs per minute

These zones ensure that effort is recognised and rewarded fairly, regardless of fitness level. That way, beginners can compete with gym bunnies and still come out on top. For businesses, Myzone is more than just a tracking tool; it’s a comprehensive fitness solution that gamifies physical activity and encourages active lifestyles. By partnering with Myzone, you can build:

Community: Unite members and staff through a platform that celebrates effort, rewards hard work and fosters a sense of fun and inclusive competition.

Accountability: Myzone uses the power of gamification to instil accountability in your team and help build positive habits.

Inclusivity: Myzone Effort Points (MEPs) reward effort rather than performance, making them an inclusive measurement that values every ability.

The Fitness Group X Myzone: Transforming Workplace Wellness

Here at The Fitness Group, we know better than anyone the numerous health benefits of being active. As a leading health and fitness education provider, we wanted to practice what we preach, so in line with our 2025 wellness plan, we have partnered with Myzone as part of a new wellness initiative. Each day, our employees are allowed to take one hour to engage in a movement of their choice, tracked using Myzone devices. This way, our staff can move in a way that suits their exercise personality. So far, we’ve had team members performing everything from trail runs and boxing training to weight lifting, walking, cycling, and swimming, just to name a few!

We’ve also chosen to split the company into two teams, fostering friendly competition to see who can earn the most MEPs each month. A prize is awarded to the leading team, but ultimately, everyone wins as we move more and embrace healthier habits. By gamifying fitness, we’ve created a dynamic, supportive environment that values effort and encourages physical activity. Integrating exercise into the workday has also resulted in a more focused, satisfied, and productive team, highlighting the power of fitness as a tool for both personal and professional growth. Here’s what some of our team members had to say:

“Myzone’s gamification features have motivated me to exercise, even on days when I don’t feel like training. The monthly challenges add a fun and exciting element to my workouts, making them more enjoyable. It’s also a fantastic way to bring the team closer together, which is especially valuable since we all work remotely and have fewer daily interactions.”

Eryn Barber, Content Writer at The Fitness Group

“I’ve found it so refreshing to take part in a fitness competition that’s not just about hitting the biggest numbers but about celebrating effort. It completely changes the game, making the experience exciting and inclusive for everyone, no matter their fitness level. The Myzone program has brought a whole new dimension to how we approach fitness challenges, and it’s been such a motivator to push myself while cheering others on, too!”

Ross Carver-Carter, Content Writer at The Fitness Group

“Love being back using MyZone! It’s simple and effective for tracking effort levels and for motivation in general. I’m always up for a little bit of gentle competition! Our ‘active hour’ at work is certainly beneficial. It’s all too easy to sit for hours, and I, for one, definitely need that head and body space! I always come back ready for more action. Sometimes, I’ll break it into two 30-minute sessions—one focused on cardio early on and one on strength training. It’s about getting the balance throughout the day.”

Leanne Hendry, Pilates Teacher and Personal Tutor

The Power of Gamification

With the Myzone app, businesses can track their employee’s MEP points weekly or monthly on a leaderboard system, creating a fun and inclusive competition between teams. Research suggests that the gamification of physical activity can be a powerful motivator to help tackle sedentary behaviours. In one study, a systematic review and meta-analyses of Randomised Controlled Trials, researchers concluded that gamified interventions are a promising intervention for promoting physical activity in various populations and that the effect persists after the follow-up period, suggesting that it is not just a novelty effect.

For context, a systematic review and meta-analysis is a type of study that pools all the relevant research on a specific topic together. One or more researchers will carefully search for, evaluate, and summarise what this collective body of evidence suggests. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are a type of study that sits confidently at the top of the hierarchy of evidence, especially when they are performed on a series of randomised controlled studies, the gold standard in clinical research.

The Takeaway

Encouraging movement in the workplace isn’t just about boosting productivity; it’s about creating a culture that values health and effort. Tools like Myzone make it easier for businesses to take that step, offering an inclusive and motivating way to help employees stay active. At The Fitness Group, our own experience has shown just how powerful gamified fitness can be—not only in fostering teamwork but also in helping individuals discover forms of exercise that work for them. By making movement a priority, businesses can create happier, healthier teams while laying the groundwork for long-term success.