Honestly, I was a little nervous to work at Cisco. After spending a career in outside sales where I was always on the move, I worried what coming back into an office environment might mean for me. Would it mean being more sedentary? Would my teammates be “fine” with being chained to a desk all day? Would I lose my active lifestyle?
I was overjoyed when I met my new co-workers on the Customer Success Team in Raleigh, North Carolina and realized we all had the same mindset of not making our office lives an 8-hour sit-a-thon. At work we may focus on helping Cisco customers find business outcomes post sales, but we’re also very driven to stay active and fit throughout the work day. We also love to share and teach our co-workers new ways to adopt a healthy lifestyle in the office.
Meet my team!
Our two Zumba instructors, Lisa Butitta and Christina Ritter, teach classes at the Cisco gym. They’re always encouraging the team to try a class out, and are supportive of us Zumba newbies.
Then there’s Lindsey Walters who is training for her very first triathlon. She comes back from her boot camp training and shares with us new techniques for working out and stretching sore muscles.
Michael Broughton built a TRX gym at his house – which is a suspension training bodyweight exercise that develops strength, balance, flexibility, and core stability all at the same time! He shows us how to work out without the need of using heavy weights — which is great!
And then there is me, the runner of the group. I was able to train and complete my first marathon last year and am 
currently training for the 2018 Chicago Marathon!
So, you can see we’re an active bunch!
Think we’re just active during classes or training away from our desks? Think again! We love to work in an environment that allows for activity while we work too! Enter our brand new, beautiful stand up desks that enable us to get on our feet and move around while still remaining productive.
This doesn’t just stop with our team, however! Our manager, Alyssa Haglund, is a big advocate for walking 1:1 meetings. Change of scenery with a constant flow of awesome ideas? Sign me up! We usually walk around the core of the building, and now other teams have taken note – many have even adopted the idea themselves!
What are some other ways you can become more active around the office?
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Built in cardio!
- Walk with your co-workers to grab coffee or lunch in another building instead of taking your car. This helps rejuvenate your eyes as they take a break from the computer screen, and helps to fill your lungs with fresh air. It’s also more eco-friendly! J
- Do quick, mini workouts throughout the day! Our team loves doing a few quick squats or lunges to get the blood moving. It may seem silly now, but in no time at all your entire team will be doing pushups off the desk! It’s a great way to build a strong bond AND muscles – we even post fun boomerangs to #WeAreCisco. You should check them out!
What about nutrition? I’m glad you asked! J My team also likes to give each other ideas for healthy eating, and we cover a wide variety of meal plans too – paleo, gluten free, sugar free, dairy free, and even a vegan. Variety is a must in our group, and often we bring in meals to try from home. On Valentine’s Day we had the most amazing gluten free banana muffins!
We’ve noticed that the support and encouragement everyone receives around the office makes people want to stick to their healthy eating lifestyles, and make better decisions. We help to hold each other accountable, but we also have our cheat days from time to time too. J Delicious pot lucks and even an ice cream day are always a big hit – we believe that moderation is the key to a healthy lifestyle.
I am so grateful to have found a company and team where such a special fitness bond holds us together. The Customer Success team in Raleigh proves that you don’t have to be tied to your desk in an office environment – there are plenty of opportunities out there to stay active throughout the day without limits or excuses! Does it take some creativity? Sure! But that’s what Cisco employees are best at.
Want to join a company where fitness is on track? We’re hiring. Apply now.
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