This May, we will once again celebrate Global Employee Health and Fitness Month, promoting the benefits of a healthy lifestyle to employers and their employees. In supporting this initiative, companies will be recognizing the importance of physical activity as an important driver of employee health, satisfaction and overall business performance.
Employers can use Global Employee Health and Fitness Month as an opportunity to educate their employees on the benefits of adopting healthy habits and behaviors into their daily routine. By investing in this initiative from senior leadership, employers are creating a culture that embodies being physically active as a priority in their workplace.
Introducing health initiatives into company culture can be tricky. Use these tips to easily introduce your employees to the benefits of a healthy workplace environment.
6 ways to kick-start Global Employee Health and Fitness Month for your team
Fitting in movement and exercise requires a little proactive thinking and commitment to changing your strategy. If squeezing in a formal exercise session isn’t possible, know that several short bursts of activity count too. We have put together a few exercise tips that will help you make this May your team’s success story.
- Get moving! Encourage employees to take the stairs, walk to their colleague’s office rather than emailing, or even use the restrooms on another floor. Think of other opportunities that will encourage them to walk around and stretch their legs.
- Invest in a fitness tracker. Tracking physical activity will keep them mindful of their daily movement and motivate them to shoot for a heart-healthy 10,000 steps or more a day.
- Join a gym that’s right for them. Some companies provide an incentive to join a local gym, but if not encourage your team to join a gym that is in a convenient location to fit their schedule.
- Work out at home. Home exercise can be the best way to maximize convenience. A wide variety of fitness apps bring classes and new instructors on demand and many can be done with no exercise equipment at all. Yoga, boot camp, cardio classes and strength training are all right on a tablet or smart TV.
- Take a meeting outside. Suggest business meetings at a local track rather than the boardroom. Encourage employees to move their morning meetings outside and walk around the building, boosting mood and creativity from being outdoors.
- Lose the time constraint. Keep your employees focused on the commitment of being active, not the time spent. Any time spent exercising will help improve their overall fitness, decrease stress and strengthen mindset.
Show support for workplace wellness by encouraging your company to create an active working environment by providing opportunities for employees to be active throughout the workday. Create check-ins and incentives to encourage participation. Use this month to break the mold and stick to the wellness plan you’ve always wanted.