Office workers are working out for fitness

Flat roofing specialists Bauder have extended their staff social events with the creation of their very own fitness programme, the Bauder Boot Camp. The fitness class takes place every Thursday for one hour after work in the car park of the company’s main office on Landseer Road, Ipswich.

The Boot Camp is led by fitness instructor Tom Whitehead, or ‘Terminator Tom’ as he is affectionately known by participants, who provides expert advice and encouragement as he puts the Bauder employees through their paces.

The class consists of a wide range of activities including dynamic stretching, interval training and various explosive routines, which help reactivate key areas of the body that can seize up during the day when sat behind a desk.

Heallth and safety manager Lucy Uren said Bauder’s boot camp certainly gives a new meaning to the term flexible working hours!

She said: “It is designed to promote wellbeing, camaraderie and team effort. Everyone involved can work at their own desired pace, as they team up in small groups and work towards specific goals. Regular aerobic exercise like this has obvious health benefits, however more than anything it gives employees a great opportunity to relieve stress and socialize outside of work.”

Managing director Andy Mackenzie has only missed one of the fitness sessions.

He said: “We do a lot of team building and social things and the boot camp has brought out a few people you don’t always see there.

“It is great fun.

“Perhaps we will move indoors to the conference room and maybe do something to video when the winter weather arrives.

“We are also launching an initiative, Be healthy, be Happy, and are doing other things. We are having a table tennis table delivered and have got a local firm bringing fruit in.”