Exercise Habit Subsidy System Introduced! Interview with Yuichi Taka, Director
At HighChem, we are introducing a new system to promote the health of our employees from January 2023. This is the Exercise Habit Subsidy System.
Submit screenshots or similar evidence of your exercise efforts and receive a subsidy of 5,000 yen per month!
We will provide a subsidy of 5,000 yen per month to employees who are participating in and committed to the following types of exercise.
2. Joining a sports club and engaging in regular activities at least once a week (soccer, basketball, tennis, etc.)
3. Continually exercising on an individual basis (running, walking, etc.)
What’s the background of the new system? Interview with Yuichi Taka, Director
—— Please tell us about the background of the new system.
Director Taka: I fundamentally believe that if the body is not healthy, the mind cannot be healthy either. From my own experience, if you lead a sloppy life, everything becomes sloppy. But after turning 30 and getting into the habit of exercising, I feel more positive and clear-headed, and I feel that my attitude towards work has changed.
—— What prompted you to start exercising?
Director Taka: The trigger for me to start going to the gym was when I felt I was getting a bit fat. I used to be thin, but I realized I was unhealthy. My diet was a mess. I managed somehow because I was young, but I would quickly get sick and feel sluggish every day. I moved away from this lifestyle, incorporated exercise into my daily routine by going to the gym, and improved my diet.
—— What kind of routine do you have now?
Director Taka: I wake up at 7 am, first feed my child and take them to the nursery. Then I walk to the office taking 35 minutes. Also, I try to do weight training for an hour at the gym three times a week. I walk an average of 13,000 to 5,000 steps a day. I eat two meals a day, which I started practicing after hearing that a 16-hour fast is good for the body, and it suited me, so I have continued this eating habit. For dinner, I basically cook for myself, and I try to consume high-protein, minimally processed meat and vegetables.
—— What has changed by paying attention to exercise habits and eating habits?
Director Taka: Exercising makes you feel refreshed. I have clearly become able to take various things positively. It may be a personal opinion, but I have an image that people who have made exercise a habit are good at their jobs in the company. Department Head Hayashi is a marathon runner, and even the president has made it a habit to swim in the pool.
—— The monthly payment of 5,000 yen for exercise habits is impactful.
Director Taka: In gyms and sports-related lessons, 5,000 yen will cover about half, and in cheap places, you will get change. No matter how much you tell people who don’t exercise to “start exercising from tomorrow,” I think they will definitely not listen, so I hope this new system will be a trigger to make exercise a habit. It is said that habits change in 21 days. After three weeks, it seems to feel uncomfortable if you don’t continue. With this system, we want to support that first step.
—— So you have put your thoughts for the employees into this.
Director Taka: Yes, I have always believed that “a sound mind dwells in a healthy body,” and I think that if you are not healthy, you are not happy in the first place. There was a time when it was considered good to devote oneself to the company to the point of throwing away one’s life, being a company man, but at HighChem, we think differently. I want to attract people who can manage their own health, improve their mental health, and take a positive approach to everything. If we can attract people with that kind of mindset, wouldn’t the company naturally improve?
