Together we can do anything

Tina Holmes is delighted about the imminent re-opening of sports venues in Germany, as is her team at AMORELIE where Tina works as Director People & Culture. Here, she says, fitness and work go hand in hand. “It’s about experiencing teamwork together,” Tina says. “Sweating together, getting out of your comfort zone and supporting each other.” AMORELIE champions team spirit through sport – especially when it comes to team building. With running groups and beach volleyball teams, employees can get to know each away from their desks. 

The mental challenge of the pandemic 

Now we can finally enjoy team-building sports again, but the pandemic still took a lot out of the AMORELIE team. “Lockdown lasted a really long time and sports opportunities were incredibly limited,” Tina says. “That’s presented us all with a huge challenge.” Tina gets pensive as she thinks about all the restrictions, but smiles when she talks about how she handled the situation. 

“Of course, everything was a big mental challenge. There were no team events and the lack of shared sports experiences wasn’t easy. But we launched so many new things to support employees at AMORELIE effectively,” she says. For example, January was ‘Mental Health Month’ so there were numerous digital yoga and meditation offerings, plus opportunities for sponsored walks. “We also launched several initiatives to teach employees it’s okay to not feel okay sometimes. These ranged from digital team events to open talks and cooking events to confidential talks with Human Resources.”

Tina used these lessons to try and be relaxed about lockdown, despite the significant restrictions on activities. She’s become a big fan of online sports classes and loves that she can workout with her 14-year-old son – even if it does get competitive! Teenagers don’t usually go to the gym with their mothers, but this way they can work out together. “These little intra-family challenges bring us closer together and give us quality time that we wouldn’t have experienced without the pandemic.”

The foundations of an active and healthy lifestyle

Sport is a big part of Tina’s active life. She loves American Fitness and enjoys swimming because it builds her endurance and helps her let off steam. To keep her body and mind in harmony, she practices yoga. She also loves the social aspect of fitness – that’s what really keeps her active. “I meet my friends and sports buddies to get active with them,” Tina emphasizes. It’s also important to her to remain as flexible as possible as she wants to be able to easily integrate sports into her daily life.

“AMORELIE employees have the flexibility and freedom to decide when they workout. It’s an important part of our culture. As a company we believe in work/life balance, especially to counteract a lot of sitting. Movement actually increases the productivity and creativity of our employees,” Tina says. “When they feel good they’re able to focus better, which is very important.”

A new beginning with a changed self-image

“It’s fantastic that sports will soon be possible again everywhere,” Tina says. “Health and fitness will become even more important after the crisis. During lockdown our experiences outside the home were limited and much of the digital work process focussed on work issues. That will change significantly after the reopening.”

Tina’s eyes light up when she says: ”What I’m looking forward to most is doing sport with friends and colleagues again and a post-workout meal or a glass of wine. What we took for granted now feels special, and I can’t wait to reconnect after this long period of isolation.”