Many people start their day with a stretch class. But employees of the Denver-based company GE Johnson work out in an unusual place: in the shadow of a condominium tower that’s currently under construction. And their gear includes hard hats and tool belts.
It’s a morning ritual at GE Johnson, a construction company that next year will celebrate its 50th year in business. Whatever their current building site happens to be, the entire staff—both the workers on the site and the managers in the office—come together for a few minutes of “stretch and flex.”
“It’s an awesome way to start the day,” says Allison Abrams, a project engineer working out of WeWork Union Station. She joins the rest of the employees every morning at the building site of a 19-story luxury condominium called the Coloradan, a two-minute walk from the WeWork office.
“We all stand in a circle and our labor foreman leads us in about 10 stretches,” says Abrams. “We focus on parts of the body used a lot in construction—shoulders, back, legs—that could get injured on the job.”
Abrams says that the morning workout isn’t just another daily task for the workers. Everyone seems to look forward to it.
“It’s the only time of day when everyone’s together,” says Abrams, an Atlanta native who studied building science at Auburn University. “After stretching, our superintendent asks everyone what their tasks are for the day. And we talk about other things that are going on. Sometimes we talk about the Broncos game. It’s a great way to check in with each other.”
How did Abrams get into construction? She got a job offer in Denver, which just happened to be booming. She didn’t have to think twice about making the move.
“I couldn’t be in the construction industry at a better time,” she says. There’s crane after crane over the city, completely changing the skyline. I absolutely love it.”
Photos: Pretty Instant