It’s Monday, almost 4 p.m. Instead of working for another hour, Spectro employees can also put on their sports clothes. Marleen Frunt of FruntRunners is already ready in the parking lot for the regular walking and running training. In the legs! “This makes everything work: the body, the brain and the relationships between them,” says Marleen.
Every week, about 25 Spectro employees participate in the FruntRunners training session. From production workers to senior management. “We start with a joint warm-up, sometimes with some strength training or other exercises,” says Marleen. “Then we go to the park, where everyone works at their own level. One person has ten kilometers on the scale after an hour, the other walks five. It doesn’t matter.”
An increased heart rate
After an hour of exercise – because walking, according to Marleen, is certainly that – everyone returns to Spectro. With sweat on their backs and an increased heart rate. “That’s exactly the intention,” said the running coach. “When your heart beats faster, you have better blood circulation. And that makes everything work better: not only your body, but also your brain. Exercise makes you a different person, because you progress both physically and mentally.”
Tagline: Outside and together
‘Outside’ and ‘together’ are magic words at FruntRunners. But why are these elements so important? “In the outdoors you have much more freedom of thought,” according to Marleen. “Here there are much fewer distractions that distract your brain. Unlike indoors, sounds don’t reflect off things. Imagine yourself opening up a little more to what you see and hear? Then you’ll be completely zen outside. And then emotions will flow more freely and you’ll be able to look at difficult situations in a different way. And with colleagues too.”
“It’s nice to see that the
Spectro athletes blend in so easily”
“So, sports together makes it easier to discuss complex issues,” Marleen continues. “But the biggest benefit is that it brings the employees together. It’s nice to see that the Spectro athletes mix so easily. All the hierarchy disappears during the training sessions. I also hear that the lines are now shorter. Of course, it also helps that managers and executives are sighing with a heavy heart because they have to squat a few more times.”
Everyone benefits
As a sports enthusiast, Marleen believes it is important for employers to pay attention to the well-being of their employees. She emphasizes that in the end, everyone benefits from this. “When companies invest in this, they increase loyalty and productivity, and in the long run they reduce absenteeism. All studies show this.”
Freshly washed outfit
Marleen is more than happy to contribute to fit Spectro colleagues. In her opinion, more employees will appear in the parking lot on Monday at 4:00 PM. “With a freshly washed outfit of course,” she says with a smile. “Exercising in bad air is not good for yourself or your teammates. That creates a distance, which is exactly what we need to achieve.” no The intention is from the training schedule. Fortunately, Spectro has sufficient resources for this, haha.”