The leading leisure management software provider, Gladstone, is successfully using Myzone to bring its people together around the common theme of fitness and wellbeing.
The company introduced wearable technology into the workplace to positively impact its corporate culture.
“As most of our work is sat at a desk, we understand the importance of taking regular breaks and time away from the computer," says MD Claire Rollins, on the reason behind implementing Myzone corporate wellness. "Our aspiration was to drive minimum levels of activity and to use Myzone to create a culture that is invested in our employees’ health and happiness.”
The company rolled out the initiative in February 2019, purchasing a Myzone heart rate monitor for all employees who wanted it.
“Myzone is the perfect way to be inclusive. All employees received a belt for free and it’s totally optional.”
Every month, Gladstone publishes a leaderboard and sets a challenge that everyone can take part in, working out in their own way to hit the Myzone Effort Points (MEP) target. Find out more about MEPs and the zones. With prizes for the winners, and the ability to follow their colleagues’ progress and get their names on to the leaderboard, the competition is real.
The company is also completing a 650k MEPs challenge this year. This is a collective effort to see if the team can beat last year’s total of 591,000 MEPs.
The Gladstone team also used their Myzone belts to participate in National Fitness Day. The belts helped them to track their effort as they completed over 40 activities and traveled an incredible 350 miles – that’s the entire length of England! The team raised more than £800 for their corporate charity The Marmalade Trust.
“Social media is the driving force for the Myzone app," Claire continues. "It’s great to see the team praise each other when they hit new rankings and like activities that are shared. We’ve also run team challenges where colleagues chat amongst their team and encourage each other.”
Three years on and Myzone continues to reap benefits for Gladstone and its team, with the technology offered to all new joiners.
“Myzone has been a fantastic initiative for us. Staff continue to engage with Myzone and recognise its benefits. Myzone has helped Gladstone create a great sense of community and has proved to us that small lifestyle changes can make a huge difference.
"If you’re an employer thinking about implementing Myzone, just do it.”
One of the company’s biggest Myzone success stories is Andrew Marshall. In 2019, a culmination of events and realisations resulted in Andrew making a significant lifestyle change.
“The introduction of Myzone gave me a way to compete and 12 months later and 10 stone lighter, I was ready to take on the world,” Andrew explains.
Then Covid hit. Andrew continued with his exercise plan setting himself new targets. He completed two virtual marathons during the lockdown, hitting over a year’s worth of MEPs in January 2022.
“I always wanted to use my new-found energy for a greater good, so I decided to compete in a virtual bike ride in March 2022, where I would cycle up Mont Ventoux three times in a week [one of the most grueling rides in Tour de France], raising money for the Matt Hampson Foundation.”
Finishing fourth overall, Andrew raised more than £2000 for the charity.
“Thanks to the motivation from Myzone and my amazing friends, I have completed one of my greatest personal achievements. Most of us can change and having the right goals, environment and motivation were my key drivers.
"I’m so pleased to have used Myzone for the greater good and look forward to continuing my adventures with it in the future.”
“As a rower, I find the Myzone belt useful because it helps me train in the correct heart rate zones in my training sessions. By connecting it to the rowing machine, I can monitor my heart rate throughout my workout and adjust effort as necessary to reach my target zone,” Jemima Walker.
“I love to use Myzone when I’m playing football. It’s easy and comfortable to wear and shows an accurate reflection of how much effort I’ve put into my workout. It has helped me get fitter whilst feeling like I’m part of a community and the best part is that everything can be accessed from my mobile at a touch of a button,” Charlotte Dickinson.
“As a new person, it’s been great to be part of a community and use fitness as a way of interacting with others. The platform does a good job with that and it has really helped - along with the league we created. It’s great to see so many people active and focused on their health,” Mike Rowland.
“I use Myzone in my classes. Participants can all see how hard you are working, which means you need to practice what you preach; you cannot have an easy session. It's good within a connections circle to keep you accountable for what you are doing each month,” Craig McIntyre.
To boost employee wellbeing and your bottom line, or to inform your co-workers of the positive difference these initiatives can make in the workplace, visit the Myzone corporate wellness page.