Execs Say Physical Fitness is Critical to Career Success

On-Site Health Clubs Deemed Modern-Day Corporate Responsibility

According to Survey by Executive Jobs Web Site TheLadders.com

The days of the corpulent corporate fat cat are gone. In their place, a new emphasis on physical fitness has emerged among executives in the higher ranks of American business. According to a survey conducted by the largest $100k positions Web site, TheLadders.com, the vast majority of executives say that physical fitness is critical to career success.

When asked to describe their perceptions of physical fitness in the workplace, 75% of the survey respondents said good physical fitness is ìcritical for career success at the executive level.î Despite the clear majority opinion, 17% of the survey respondents would rather exercise their wallets, suggesting that staying in shape is ìa nice goal, but secondary to fiscal fitness.î Just 4% said that their physical condition was ìirrelevantî to their careers, and 3% said it was ìsomething for people who donít have busy careersî (see charts below).

Following suit at the other end of the spectrum, when asked about obesity, another 75% of executives said that being overweight is a ìserious career impediment.î Twenty-two percent said that weight had no bearing on career success. Just 3% have held onto the 19th Century notion that success can be measured in inches around the waist, claiming that a few extra pounds are a ìsymbol of maturity and career success.î

Should companies get involved with the physical fitness of their employees? Seventy-three percent of those surveyed said yes, suggesting that employers should provide on-site health clubs or subsidize gym memberships. Another 12% suggested that companies should offer cash incentives to employees who exercise regularly. Nine percent said companies should not get involved at all and 6% suggested the sponsorship of company-wide weight-loss programs.

ìPhysical fitness is a critical issue for employers these days as rising healthcare costs and increased knowledge about the health risks associated with obesity-related conditions have companies thinking seriously about the long-term health of their employees,î said TheLadders.com president and CEO, Marc Cenedella.

TheLadders.comís look at fitness in the workplace is based on a series of surveys of registered $100k executives conducted on TheLadders.com Web site between August 22nd, 2005 and September 6th, 2005. The number of responses and margin of error for each survey is as follows:


I believe that physical fitness is ______. 1076 Responses; Margin of Error: 3%.

Being overweight______. 1385 Responses; Margin of Error: 3%.

How should corporations address the physical fitness of their employees? 1029 Responses; Margin of Error 3%.

Charts: