Business Opportunities Weblog

The Road To Office Health

By on October 7, 2011 in News

Bryan Van Noy’s journey started after he lost his job. At first he was frustrated, then he decided to start a business.

Van Noy’s startup is fighting office sloth by promoting unorthodox activities such as lunges en route to the restroom and hula-hoops in the halls. It relies on a social media platform that encourages employees to interact and inspire each other.

Sonic Boom users, who engage in a host of fitness and educational challenges to reach goals and win prizes, are anything but constrained. They embrace office rivalry, create custom challenges and reward each other for good behavior. “Sonic Striding” allows them to track everything from lunchtime walks to weekend bike rides using a wireless device that attaches to their shoe, uploading their data into a personal profile.

“We focus on changing people’s habits, making it fun and energetic,” said the effusive Korn, 49, who often travels to a new client’s office for a kick-off event, inciting workers to engage in imaginary football passes, invisible jump rope contests and other affronts to office protocol.

“Last time I did this, I couldn’t get them off the stage,” Korn said, noting Sonic Boom’s nationwide employee participation averages 65 percent – a rate she contends is significantly higher than the industry average.

exercise health office

Angela Shupe has added 5,783 posts to Business Opportunities Weblog.

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  • http://n.a. Cindy Hawkins

    We had those dreadful cubicles in a former office where I worked. Everybody hated them. So one day a co worker borrowed her daughter’s bubble solution and wand, and we quietly began blowing bubbles over the cubicles. It was hysterical to listen to people’s reactions: first shock, then surprise, then delight, then laughing and applause. A real tension breaker. And unlike many Calvinist employers who believe a tightly run office is a more productive one, I can speak form experience when I say that putting the FUN in function is really important – and makes for happier, wayyyy more motivated workers!

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