Amy Smiley arrives at work at 7 a.m. every day. As the Vice President of Marketing at 84 Lumber, the largest privately held lumber company in the United States, her day starts when all 320 stores across the country open.
As she settles into her desk and boots up her computer, she looks out her window and spots the 84 Lumber Fitness center, home of CrossFit 519, just across the road.
That reminds her she needs to block time in her calendar during her lunch break to jump into the 11:30 a.m. CrossFit class.
She might be an executive who manages all marketing initiatives for the company nationwide and a mom of two young children, but her health and fitness are a priority.
Corporate Wellness at 84 Lumber
It’s estimated that adults in the United States are sedentary for over seven hours every day.
Between long commutes to hours of sitting at a desk in the workplace, this sedentary behavior puts many adults at a higher risk for “a host of negative health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, obesity, several types of cancer, musculoskeletal conditions, and all-cause mortality,” says the National Library of Medicine.
At the 84 Lumber headquarters in Eighty Four, Pennsylvania, associates are required to work in the office from 7 a.m.-5 p.m., which includes sitting behind a desk. To combat the negative effects of a deskbound job, the company offers resources on property to stay active before, during, or after work.
“In 1986, one of the ideas from our associates was we should have a gym or a workout facility here,” Director of Merchandising Thom Kuntz said.
So, 84 Lumber founder Joseph Hardy built a 40,000-square-foot fitness facility for the associates, featuring a full-sized basketball court, free weights, a sauna, a running track, group fitness space, and more.
84 Lumber Fitness Center
In 2013, a year after becoming the 84 Lumber Fitness manager, Dia Walsh (CF-L2) pitched the idea of opening a CrossFit affiliate inside the fitness center.
“We had this huge basketball court that wasn’t being utilized during the day or evening, really, and I thought, ‘This could be a good space for a box,’” Walsh said.
That same year, CrossFit 519 opened its doors to the 84 Lumber associates and the public.
The 84 Lumber Fitness center membership is automatically deducted from the associate’s paychecks each week. They have the option to add a discounted membership to CrossFit 519, which will also be automatically deducted from their paychecks.
With access to CrossFit and the fitness center at work, 84 Lumber associates are encouraged to stay active as much as they can.
“Sometimes lunchtime is like recess,” Kuntz said. “This is a gigantic playground … it’s a good break.”
“If You Feel Better, Your Work Is Better”
Before joining 84 Lumber 10 years ago, Smiley was very active and ran half marathons. After having two kids and moving up in her career, which required more responsibility, her fitness started to decline.
For the last nine-and-a-half years, Smiley has seen CrossFit 519 outside her office window, but she was afraid to take her one-hour lunch break away from her desk in case her team needed her and was quick to return home to her family.
“I was so focused on everyone else but myself,” she said.
On her 40th birthday in February this year, she was done making excuses. On a trip with her best friend, who also just turned 40, Smiley noticed how great she looked.
“She was like, ‘I started doing CrossFit,’” Smiley said.
That is what motivated her to step outside her comfort zone and try something new — a mindset she always tried to instill in her kids and her team at work. It was time to start implementing that same mindset into her own health and fitness.
Smiley reached out to the affiliate owner to check out a lunch-time class, and Walsh took the time to walk Smiley through each movement and how to scale properly.
Soon, she started meeting other people, like Nancy, a 69-year-old who shows up to class, scales to her abilities, and inspires Smiley that she, too, can show up and scale the workout to her abilities.
“I’m a new (CrossFit athlete) … I’m kicking myself that I didn’t start this earlier,” she said. “I’m doing the things that I need to do to make sure that I’m not an old 50-year-old. That I’m a 50-year-old that is in shape and healthy, and my kids won’t have to worry about me.”
Amy Smiley at CrossFit 519
Before joining CrossFit 519, Smiley thought she needed to be available at her desk all day, even during her lunch break. But now that she is prioritizing taking care of herself, she is also influencing her team to do the same. She even blocks out her CrossFit classes on her work calendar and will move calls if they fall within her workout time.
CrossFit has helped Smiley feel stronger both mentally and physically. Forcing herself to take that one hour away from her desk provides the mental clarity and energy she needs to finish her work day and return home to play with her kids.
“If you feel better, your work is better,” Smiley said. “We want people to be healthy and to be around for a long time. For a company to understand the importance of that … (84 Lumber) makes sure you are taking care of yourself number one.”