Fitness at Hardsuit Labs
The public image of gamers is often a physically unfavorable one. A hobby or job with one sitting for long parts of the day doesn't help develop a physically healthy body.
We at Hardsuit Labs use a company-wide chat system for day-to-day work and fun activities. One of these fun channels is called "Fitness." In it, we both share successes and failures of fitness experiments and gather ideas for fitness events, such as Tough Mudder, but also cheer on team members who are picking up a new activity.
We also don't narrow down what we consider fitness so everyone can post their active interests without negativity.
To inspire you to either join in here at HSL or to encourage you to try for a similar thing at your own company, here are some fantastic examples of what our team members have been up to.
Seattle is surrounded by water, and the Pacific is next door. With so many options to choose from, getting on the water on top of a paddle board, canoe, or kayak feels natural to many locals. Close to our office, we even have a rental place for kayaking! One of our team members loves kayaking, and they have been enjoying the sport since their teens. While they have most of their gear, many local rentals offer life vests and basic gear to rent, so give it a try!
We have several team members who swear by daily runs and walks. One of our leadership team said that starting their day with a long walk around the neighborhood clears the head and is better than any commute by car to get one poised for the day ahead. Others embrace running to clear their head and work up a good runner's high in the evening. This being Seattle can also mean getting pretty soaked now and then…
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Do you even lift, bro? Actually, yes! We have a Pilot who set themselves strict goals to achieve in the realm of weightlifting for squad lifts, bench-pressing, and deadlifts. While this is something only some of us are directly engaged in (and certainly not at over 300 pounds of weight!), we love seeing the updates with videos and pictures taken. Cheering on the progress over the last few months has been awe-inspiring. Weightlifting also has a significant number of prolonged health benefits! Your bones and joints become more robust; your trained muscles can help balance your body and prevent injury. And that's just an extra to all the other benefits you gain from working out!
Being so close to lovely mountain ranges also means we have our fair share of winter sports enthusiasts. No matter the slope or route, from casual beginners to experts who deliver true feats of strength, we have everyone represented. Leisurely exploring the snow on cross-country skis, enjoying the powder on downhill skiing – or how about a mix of both? A team lead recently completed Vertfest, an event combining cross-county-style climbing and a downhill descent using touring skies. Just look at all that white!
Being physically active means more than just pumping iron and sweating a lot. Or, well, maybe it does. We have a few team members who enjoy their yoga sessions, during which they enjoy a relaxed mind and the connected self-care that comes from it, as well as exercising their bodies. In the case of one of our operations team members, this includes the more intense form of this activity: So-called "Hot Yoga," which is done in a room set to be above average room temperature. It can be anything from 80 and 100°F (27 and 38°C)! These sessions can include music and participant interaction, making it a very active form of exercise.
Please make sure to balance out your job with a refreshing recreational phase. Working out and being active feels great and will help you refresh for future work or school needs!