Combining everyday work and sport – KI.M meets UrbanSports
"I don't have time for that" is probably one of the most common excuses when it comes to exercise. But it's usually not a matter of time itself, but rather, in addition to one's own laziness, external circumstances such as the distance to the gym or one's own time management. And this is precisely where we, KI.M, together with KI.BIT and AI.TEST, our employees with a free membership at Urban SportsThis allows our employees to take advantage of the countless sports opportunities throughout Germany and at a flexible time.
How sport keeps us motivated and productive
It has been scientifically proven that regular physical activity not only keeps us physically fit, but also improves our concentration and memory performance, and reduces our stress levels (Erwig, 2021; Li et al., 2023). Our self-confidence, our motivation at work, and thus our general well-being benefit from physical activity in the long term. The increased blood flow in the brain increases the release of neurotransmitters such as adrenaline, noradrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine. These have a stimulating effect, but are also responsible for communication between our nerve cells. This allows newly acquired knowledge to be better processed and linked to existing knowledge (Westdeutscher Rundfunk, 2020). In addition, during exercise, other brain areas are more actively engaged than those we need for work—especially for analytical and logical thinking. This gives these areas a chance to recover and allows us to return to our daily work routine with renewed concentration the next day.
Active together – for well-being and team spirit
In order to offer our employees an optimal workplace and strengthen their well-being and team spirit, promoting sporting activities is a top priority for us – together with UrbanSports, this is possible. Here, our employees can work out with a wide variety of options: From endurance training or strength training in the classic gym to CrossFit, indoor cycling, team sports and meditation, as well as yoga and Zumba, there is something for every type of athlete. With the UrbanSports app, it is very easy to find and book fitness options near us. The app provides an overview of all available options, including fitness or yoga studios, swimming pools, climbing halls, dance studios, and much more. Together, we motivate each other to try new sports and regularly meet up to push ourselves to our limits together with high-intensity training or to really relax with Yin Yoga. We also regularly host sporting events as part of our KI.M Together program, such as an evening at the bouldering hall or on the beach volleyball court.
Our employees associate the sports offer
Our goal is to create an environment where well-being and team spirit can flourish. With this in mind, the Cologne Institute sees sport as an integral part of our corporate culture, driving us forward not only as individuals but also as a team. We will continue to be active, push boundaries, and celebrate success together – true to our motto: INTELLIGENT, COOPERATIVE & BRAVE.
Sources:
Erwig, B. (2021). Does exercise make you smart? – How exercise affects our brain. Accessed on 01.08.2023 at https://www.uni-siegen.de/sport/blog/950152.html
Westdeutscher Rundfunk Cologne. 2020. How sport trains the brain. Accessed on 1.08.2023 at https://www.quarks.de/gesundheit/so-trainiert-sport-das-gehirn/
Li, YN, Cheng, BH, Yu, B. & Zhu, JNY (2023). Let's get physical! A time‐lagged examination of the motivation for daily physical activity and implications for next‐day performance and health. Personnel Psychology, https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12585
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