When organizations think about coworking spaces, they primarily focus on the productivity benefits and the leverage they provide as a benefit for prospective and current employees. Coworking spaces do all these things by facilitating hybrid work arrangements, giving employees productivity-focused workspaces, and increasing networking opportunities for small businesses and solopreneurs. But the benefits exceed those direct work-focused concerns. Working in a coworking space can, positively, impact your physical health.
Take a closer look at these five health-oriented benefits that coworking spaces provide.
1. You can walk around more frequently
The science behind walking breaks is well-known. Taking a break to walk around can increase your overall movement for the day, give you time to think, and recharge you for more hours of work ahead. In fact, walking can even counter the harmful effects of sitting. However, conventional office spaces don't invite short walks. There's the stairwell, the parking lot, and busy streets full of cars.
However, coworking spaces provide occupants multiple pleasant avenues for walking around. You can take a break to a coffee area in the building, browse other collaborative stores and recreation spaces, and (depending on the building) enjoy easy access to a patio and outdoor area. When you can take purpose-driven walks or even walks in more scenic surroundings, it's much more likely to happen.
2. Hospitality-driven spaces give you better access to water and healthy snacks
Hospitality-driven coworking spaces are advantageous for a multitude of reasons. When water, coffee, snacks, and food are nearby, employees are less likely to get stuck in traffic taking a break. Water, coffee, and tea breaks can happen more frequently, and they can also be more social, whether it's with coworkers or other professionals in the coworking space. All these benefits are tangential to health.
Today’s coworking spaces also offer a direct benefit: the food can be much healthier than traditional office breakroom provisions. Instead of candy, chips, and standard coffee with sugary creamer, your teams can access espressos, a variety of teas, fresh fruit, healthy snacks, and even plant-rich meals.
3. Say goodbye to high-density cubicles with poor ventilation
A common complaint of cubicle offices is that they're "a petri dish." When one person has a cold or the flu, it can spread throughout the entire department. In today's work environments, working remote is much more of an option and can clamp down on contagions, but that's not a perfect system. People may not realize they're sick or decide they're not sick enough to stay home. When that's the case, coworking spaces are a much better environment.
There are separate rooms, fewer people jam-packed into an open space, and less risk of germs building up. Many coworking spaces also provide hand sanitizer, tissues, and even quick access to a convenience shop for medicine and teas. People can spread out and breathe easier.
4. Access to gyms, meditation, and yoga
Every coworking space is different. Some have gyms, meditation programs, and yoga courses available through the space and even in the same building. Others offer membership to these programs as a perk of joining their space. By putting these options front and center, employers can encourage employees to enjoy the benefits, get healthier, and maximize the full health advantages of their specific coworking space.
Even when coworking spaces don't provide instruction or memberships, they often have meditation rooms, peaceful spaces, or even nap rooms that members can use for those activities.
5. Eliminate the health hazards of loneliness
Loneliness is incredibly hazardous to people's health. It can impact their mood, mental state, anxiety levels, and ability to process stress. It also has physical effects, as loneliness can hurt your immune system and exacerbate the effects of long-term stress. Coworking spaces provide an ideal solution to this, as they are less isolated than home offices but more enjoyable than conventional office spaces. They can even become employees' "third space" — a gathering location that falls outside of office and home categories to provide socialization, engagement, and recreation.
See which benefits of Quest Workspaces makes you healthier
Today's coworking spaces offer a full range of benefits for productivity, mental well-being, and physical well-being. Explore different coworking spaces in your area to see which ones align with your needs and the needs of your team.
Start your search at Quest Workspaces across Miami, Broward, Tampa, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, and New York City, or contact us to learn more about the health-oriented benefits we offer.
