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Friday, Mar 29, 2024

Employers Bring Health to Premises

On an empty soundstage at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, around 150 studio staffers are holding a group meditation session to relieve stress. It’s the latest in a series of on-site sessions by Lotus Kitty Hybrid Fitness, a Studio City firm on a mission to bring fitness to the workplace. The exercise company offers private sessions at a client’s premises as well as its own facility. However, the on-site classes require that client companies have appropriate space for exercise. According to Lotus Kitty owner Vanessa Giorgio, “Hybrid” in the company name refers to classes that combine two fitness disciplines. Currently, the most popular class combines yoga and stationary cycling, also known as spinning. Giorgio said companies pay for these sessions to improve operational efficiency and lower health insurance costs. “Healthy people don’t go to the doctor as much, and if people are feeling good they are more productive,” she noted. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, good health practices at the workplace can help prevent and reduce chronic illnesses such as strokes, cancer and obesity, which are among the most prevalent and costly illnesses. In 2010, medical costs linked to heart disease and strokes were estimated to be $315 billion. Lotus Kitty, headquartered at 11961 Ventura Blvd., employs 20 trainers. FilmTrack Inc., a software company located across the street from Lotus Kitty, has a program to send its employees in groups to the studio and has found it helps with team-building and morale as well as physical health. Deborah Resnik, office manager at FilmTrack, said the fitness sessions occur during business hours and employees look forward to it every week. “It’s a perk to go do something during our workday that is fun and beneficial to our health,” Resnik said. Companies pay a $150 flat fee per session for a group of 32 people, the maximum allowed at the studio, or individual members can pay for 10 or 20 sessions, ranging from $150 to $280. – Nicole Pinto

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