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N S O T -UP iT H in G T M LI AR T O ST P S H A NIS N FI m he
Exercise your way to happier and healthier employees Cuckoo Workout is an application that encourages workers to stay active through fun exercise videos. The game-like app reminds employees to take regular breaks and step away from their desks for a few minutes, which has several health benefits. From improving posture to relieving neck and shoulder pain, the app has been proven to lead to happier employees who take fewer sick days. By Ndéla Faye | Photos: Cuckoo Workout
With over 13,000 users across the globe, Cuckoo Workout is taking the world by storm, and revolutionising the office environment. Cuckoo includes over 400 short exercise videos, ranging from posture and brain challenges to lower back, neck and shoulder exercises and mindfulness. Each video contains three exercises and takes around three minutes to complete.
Fun and interactive break times The app is game-like and includes several levels where players can progress, depending on how many exercise videos they complete. The workout videos are fun and designed to encourage users to take a break wherever they are: at work, working from home or on business trips. Users gain extra points for cycling or walking to work, or keeping track of their water consumption, for example. The app is designed to encourage col94 | Issue 122 | March 2019
leagues to compete among themselves – and there are even prizes, ranging from gift vouchers to electronics, to incentivise staying active. “Our app injects an often much-needed shot of fun into the office. It improves wellbeing and social interaction within the workplace. Physical and mental wellbeing go hand in hand, and employees’ overall wellbeing is reflected in work satisfaction and levels of productivity. Alert and healthy employees are better and more efficient workers,” states Veera Lehmonen, Cuckoo Workout’s managing director. “The idea for Cuckoo Workout began when we started a challenge of doing 100 jumping jacks daily with my colleague at the office. At first, the others called us crazy, but we argued that we might be ‘cuckoo’ but not crazy. Soon, everyone joined in, and we found that it was a fun way to boost morale at the
office, providing a great opportunity for a break and some exercise. We then started to look at funding opportunities and began developing the app – and everything just took off from there,” Lehmonen explains.
Promoting wellbeing and productivity “The positive effects of Cuckoo have been well documented, and using the app makes financial sense for companies as it promotes a more collaborative, healthier and happier work culture,” says Janna Lampinen, head of sales at Cuckoo. Recently, the Institute
Veera Lehmonen