Health HandoutsHealth handouts, wellness handouts, fitness handouts and more…

In today’s organization climate, the health of employees is often related to the health of the organization. Increased job satisfaction, improved morale, reduced illness and injuries, and increased work rate are just some of the advantages of having healthy employees. Promoting health in your workplace need not be complicated, expensive or time-consuming. Any organization, large or small, can promote healthy eating and active living in the workplace. Here are some ideas:

Healthy Eating

• For breakfast gatherings, instead of serving donuts, sizable muffins, cookies, tea and coffee with cream and sugar, offer healthier alternatives such as bagels, small muffins, fresh fruit, water, 100 percent fruit juice and milk with coffee and tea.
• For lunch gatherings, avoid serving chips, fried foods, rich pastas, and salads loaded with dressing. Instead, offer sandwiches, bagels, whole grain low fat crackers and cheese, 100 % fruit juice, water, salads with dressing on the side, vegetable and fruit trays.
• Reimburse staff members for items purchased to better their health (e.g. healthy eating cookbooks, consultation with a Registered Dietitian).
• Arrange for the cafeteria or food vendors to offer healthy food choices.
• Arrange to have healthy choices like bottled water, 100% fruit juice, fruit bars, and raisins available in vending machines.
• Give a means for individuals to share healthy recipes with each other (for example, posting recipes on the Intranet, on posters or by e-mail).

Active Living

• Establish events and group activities to encourage employees to become active, such as walking programs, contests and challenge events, stretch breaks, team sports or participation in local or provincial events.
• Offer on-Site health professionals (e.g. personal trainers, fitness instructors) or incorporate this service in EAPs to help employees work towards physical activity goals and objectives.
• Give a supportive environment in the workplace that makes healthy choices simple: bike racks, shower facilities, clean, safe and accessible stairways, walking or running routes in the vicinity of the workplace, and gym facilities.
• Provide|Offer|Give} flex time so that workers have more opportunities to participate in exercise program as part of their working day.
• Reimburse employees health club membership fees, fitness class registrations, and fitness equipment purchases.
• Give corporate gym memberships to decrease costs of individual memberships.

Keeping It Fresh!

Find a champion to:

• Create lunch ‘n learn sessions to support information and motivation for healthy eating and active living.
• Invite demonstrators to support cooking lessons or tips for making healthy foods.
• Post a list of local restaurants that offer healthy meal choices on their menus.
• Distribute information to educate employees on portion sizes.
• Include physical activity and diet information in newsletters, pay check inserts, bulletin boards or e-mails.
• Develop activities that encourage healthy eating and physical activity. By way of example, start a year-round lunch-time walking club, and special activities

Can a small corporation support workplace wellness? Absolutely! In fact, in some ways it is easier to establish a healthy workplace in a small corporation than in a sizable corporation.

Limited resources, especially in small companies, can keep a corporation from setting up a Worksite Wellness Program. Reasons can include:

• lack of fiscal resources;
• lack of employee;
• lack of senior-level backing;
• sparse knowledge of the wellness concept and;
• problem about making wellness available to all employees.

According to the Wellness Councils of America, some small corporation owners may have the wrong idea of what is involved in running a Employee Wellness Program. Some employers aren’t convinced that a program would truly work and others feel that trying to change personal lifestyle behaviours is intruding and “none of their business”.  Perhaps they don’t understand that it need not be costly and that they don’t need special employee. They may not know that some employee would like to see some healthy changes and would help make things happen in their workplace.

It Can Be Done

Many small companies have found ways to have a Worksite Wellness Program that works for them. They keep the expenditure and effort to a minimum and still have results that are beneficial for everyone. In 2006, Graham Lowe wrote a report on the best places to work in Calgary. He said that healthy workplaces frequently have a “positive workplace culture”.  In a workplace with a beneficial culture, people feel appreciated, valued, and trusted.

Dr. Lowe says it is easier for a small workplace to have a beneficial workplace culture than for a large workplace. Many staff members prefer to work for a small corporation, he says, because it provides more opportunities to work closely with others and advance a sense of community.

In his report, Dr. Lowe says the most thriving organizations with fewer than 100 employees have:

• excellent employee benefits;
• policies that encourage a balance between work and personal life;
• flexible schedules;
• competitive salaries;
• excellent leadership with an emphasis on teamwork;
• environmentally responsible company policies;
• procedures for seeking employee input; and
• a focus on placing employees’ personal wellness ahead of the personal gain of Senior Management.

All or most of these elements are also elements of a strong Workplace Wellness Program.

Tips and Ideas

There are multiple ways to include health and wellness in a small business. You do not necessarily need a wellness professional or a fancy gym. What you do need is backing from senior staff and a Employee Wellness Program Committee of a few committed people. Here are some ideas that your workplace can consider.

Communications and Promotion

• Send out a regular “wellness” newsletter on paper or internet based. Or send out a simple message such as the weekly Healthy U Hot Tip.
• Utilized promotions that are ready-designed, such as Healthy Workplace Week.

Active Living and Healthier Eating

• Encourage employee to sign up for the Stairway to Health stair climbing contest.
• Have pedometers for staff members and count their steps.
• Rent a nearby school or community health club and offer exercise classes.
• Bring in a local fitness instructor to teach classes or lead stretch breaks. Expenses can be shared with employees.
• Install safe bicycle parking.
• Serve healthy alternatives at employer gatherings and lunches.

Policy and Corporation Plans

• Enlist an ergonomics specialist to evaluate workstations.
• Foster policies to support work-life balance (for example, mandatory vacations, flextime, limits to work and e-mail on personal time).
• Offer a wellness subsidy for a variety of health and leadership activities and courses.
• Provide monetary rewards and incentives to be healthy.
• Give wellness incentives/rewards as rewards and recognition for a job well done.
• Conduct an employer health audit.
• Become a partner with the area (for example, daycare, gyms, festivals, parks, restaurants).
• Spread the workload. Set up a Employee Wellness Program Committee.

Small organizations may not have much time, money, or human resources available for a Employee Wellness Program. But they frequently have a huge advantage over large companies-a positive workplace culture. That is a strong foundation for a Employee Wellness Program. When staff members are satisfied, enjoy their work environment, they are more beneficial, and tend to be healthier.  With a modest amount of creativity and passion, small organizations can foster efficacious Employee Wellness Programs. Obtain backing from senior staff, establish a Employee Wellness Program Committee of two or more and discover the possibilities!

Workplace wellness is in the process of evolving.

Early efforts to set up healthy workplaces focused on safety at the worksite and injury prevention for workers.

More recently, programs are designed to help  staff members to choose healthier behaviors like being more physically active or stopping smoking. Campaigns to increase awareness, educational sessions to broaden knowledge, opportunities to learn new skills, and changes to policies to make it easier for staff members to make healthy choices are frequently included. This approach is taken because the workplace is a great way to reach people, since most adult Canadians invest a big part of their day at work.

While safety and lifestyle programs are two aspects that contribute to the health of staff members, workplace wellness is more effective when a third factor is brought into the equation-the environment at work.

How the workplace affects health.

Increasingly, it is recognized that the workplace itself has a powerful affect on people’s health. When individuals are satisfied with their job, they are more advantageous and tend to be healthier. When workers feel that the environment at work is harmful, they feel stressed. Stress has a sizable effect on employee mental and physical health, and in turn, on productivity.

Consultant Graham Lowe has identified 5 components of workplace culture that directly affect employees’ health and the health of the employer overall-credibility, respect, fairness, pride, and camaraderie. The underlying idea is that employers must genuinely are concerned about the wellbeing of their employees.

Organizations today who want to attract and keep great employees have leaders who be aware of the association between employee satisfaction and employee health and believe that workplace wellness is a company strategy.  Their management practices include making reasonable demands on time and energy, involving employees in decision making, rewarding work well done, openly communicating, and providing support to balance life at home and work.

Employers know that employees are looking for jobs that pay well, have good benefits, are interesting, and include great health and safety programs. So in today’s competitive hiring market, it’s become more valuable than ever for companies to enhance job satisfaction and make sure that employees enjoy being on the job. Workplace wellness benefits both employers and employees.

How does workplace wellness profit the corporation?

A workplace wellness plan can help a employer to:

• attract and keep employees;
• lower the costs of disability, drugs, and absenteeism;
• lower the effects of a stressful workplace;
• cut health costs or keep them contained; and
• improve morale by creating a happy, supportive environment.

How Do Corporate Wellness Programs Profit staff members?

staff members of businesses that have a Company Wellness Program are likely to have:

• increased awareness and knowledge of ways to improve their health;
• a better (less stressful) workplace;
• increased protection from injury;
• improved health and wellbeing;
• higher morale and greater job satisfaction;
• increased productivity and performance at work;
• reduced personal health care costs; and
• a more relaxed/flexible approach to health issues.

Both employers and employees have a responsibility for creating a healthy workplace. Staff Members are expected to arrive at work in good health, and the company is expected to offer an environment that allows employees to maintain good health, enjoy their work, and contribute to the company’s success.

Workplace wellness is much more than a “lunch and learn” program. It’s about planning a “people first” approach to doing business. It’s about taking care of staff members, starting a positive work environment, and paying attention to the factors that keep staff members healthy and happy at work. A great Workplace Health Promotion Program has an impact on employees’ mental, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual wellbeing.

Ideally, you will foster an central plan for a Company Wellness Program before beginning to plan specific wellness programs. By way of example, you are able to start by getting the following components in place:

• backing from senior staff
• a Corporate Health Promotion Program Committee or group
• information about the wellness needs and interests of staff members
• a budget
• program objectives
• an assessment plan

Even if you have few monetary and/or human resources(HR), you can still take a “micro” approach. For example, you could focus on only one specific concern. Creativity, enthusiasm and planning can help you overcome limitations.

This article will give you some with some ideas for setting up Workplace Wellness Programs. Even the smallest steps are able to have an effect.

Whether you choose to begin with a single program or cultivate something larger, planning is critical. First consider the big picture and then look after the details.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Ascertain an action. What health-related program will fit the bill and best suit the staff members and business?
• Promote. How can you most effectively get the word out to staff members? What are the opportunities for promotion? Consider everything, because staff members have access to and pay attention to different types of messages. In a typical workplace, staff members get information from e-mail, newsletters, bulletins, brochures, meeting announcements and fellow staff members.
• Deliver. Who is the best individual or group to put the program into action? Ask other employers about approaches they have utilized. Solidify your budget prior to making a decision.
• Review. What must you evaluate to determine success? Do you need hard data and/or testimonials from individual participants?

We recommend the following when planning your initiative:

• organizing and communicating clear objectives
• targeting your audience
• deciding on the type of program or campaign

The Elements of a Worksite Health Promotion Program

Programs to reward wellness in the workplace don’t need to be restricted to one area. You might think workplace wellness only involves promoting positive personal health, e.g., Blood Pressure (BP) clinics, pamphlets on heart disease, “lunch and learn” classes on eating habits and short-term physical activity programs.

These activities are valuable, but workplace wellness should also be part of organization’s business plan and go beyond traditional programming.

Taking a broader approach, the National Quality Institute recently detailed three key elements of a healthy workplace:

• physical environment
• social environment and personal resources
• health practices

Specific Program Ideas

Physical Environment

Look after workers’ health and safety and establish regulations to support their health and safety. Consider providing the following:

• Safe bike storage and shower and/or change facilities for cyclists and other commuters.
• Fridges for staff members to keep snacks and meals fresh and/or healthy snacks in vending machines and cafeterias.
• Ergonomic assessments.
• Subsidies to assist staff members join local recreation centres.
• Classrooms/conference rooms available for booking activities such as yoga, pilates, tai chi, meditation and aerobics.
• Safe and pleasant stairwells that invite employees to use them.
• Assessing the potential for violence at work with plans to deal with such risks.
• Good lighting and sound and air quality.

Social Environment

Human relationships and communication, as well as ways of doing business, are able to affect an employee’s mental and physical health. Businesses must consider the following:

• respectful workplace policies that offer safe worksites
• policies on flex time
• policies on working from home
• employee satisfaction surveys
• leadership coaching
• resiliency training
• Employee Assistance Programs

To develop a beneficial social culture or climate, consider employees’ needs, which include:

• being respected
• a sense of belonging, purpose and mission
• freedom of expression
• protection from harassment and discrimination

What you’ve “always done” may not address current employee needs. Making sure that individuals enjoy being at work is not an easy task, but making the right changes can have a huge influence.

Health Practices

Offer programs and set policies that help workers remain healthy or better their health while at work. Consider offering the following:

• “Lunch and learn sessions” on healthy habits such as sleeping better, eating on the run, healthy snacks, using a pedometer, pole walking, work-life balance, time management, stress management, resiliency, parenting and reading diet labels.
• Stop smoking clinics or subsidies to help staff members quit.
• Health risk appraisals, including fitness assessments.
• Programs to address the issues raised in the health risk appraisals.
• Healthy snacks offered at meetings and conferences.

Personal Worksite Wellness Program Tips

If there is no wellness program at your worksite, do not let that stop you from keeping healthy. Perhaps your example will spark a movement toward a healthier workplace.

Here are a few ideas to consider:

• Be active at work. There are a myriad of ways to bring exercise into your workday. Walk to work, even if it’s just one way. Hold walking meetings. Bike to work. Use the stairs. Walk to a workmate’s office instead of sending an e-mail.
• Eat smart at work. Pack a healthy meal. Keep a bottle of water at your desk or workstation. Eat breakfast and eat regularly during the day. Take turns bringing a basket of fruit for co-workers’ snacks. Order healthy snacks for gatherings.
• Maintain work-life balance. Work efficiently so you have the potential to leave on time. Conduct short, effective meetings. Leave your work at work and be sure not to take it home. Minimize social chit-chat. Arrange your office to enhance your work. Avoid clutter. Plan and prioritize to ensure that the most significant things get done first.

There’s no limit to the number or variety of Workplace Wellness Programs. A key to success is planning well and ensuring that you can evaluate the outcome so that you can sustain momentum.

Talk to other wellness practitioners to learn what works well for them. Listen to your co-employees to determine their needs and interests. And do not forget to promote, promote, promote.

Many organizations recognize the need for a comprehensive strategy to help their workers be the best they can be. They also know that successful and sustainable wellness programs are much more than a few “lunch and learn” programs.

Your wellness program should include a wide range of key elements, including:

• A clear agenda or statement of objectives and goals.
• A plan characterized by passion.
• A strong leader who is creative and organized.
• A focus on short-term outcomes combined with an overall vision.
• A measurable plan (what’s valuable gets measured!).
• A policy of celebrating and communicating success.

Planning Your Worksite Wellness Program

Create carefully to ensure that your wellness program is seen as part of a broad commitment to maintaining the health and safety of each employee. Yes, creating a good plan takes much effort and time (and sometimes resources). But planning is important and well worth the expenditure required. As the addage goes, “failing to plan is planning to fail.”

You might begin by conducting a survey of employee needs and interests. If you do this, pay attention to the results and plan accordingly. If you do not, the staff members will not support the program.

Gathering information about what you’re already offering is also a good idea. By way of example, you may be surprised by your corporation or organization’s current wellness and health policies.

Another valuable step is to create an agenda and/or measurable goals/objectives to help you outline priorities, timelines and the resources required to kick off the program. Be bold and creative in your planning, but also realistic.

Senior Management

The leader of your wellness program must be able to wear many hats. The leader’s duties include:

• Implementing a vision of the wellness program after receiving input from all interested workers.
• Communicating ideas and a rationale throughout the company (to senior managers and fellow employees alike).
• Keeping others enthusiastic about and committed to a wellness program.
• Serving as a role model and wellness coach.
• Implementing and maintaining leadership skills such as giving effective presentations and being well-organized.

Good leaders avoid becoming overwhelmed by overly ambitious and complex plans. You may want to stick to short-term goals at the beginning so that you get immediate and visible results. These first steps are the basis for a successful wellness program.

Good leaders involve as many individuals as possible in the program. By way of example, you’ll want to form a Employee Health Promotion Program Committee made up of a diverse group of workers to offer advice during the planning phase. This approach will:

• Assist you to get important information from all parts of the corporation.
• Design ambassadors who will help you implement the wellness program.

Keeping Score and Celebrating

Always keep in mind how you will monitor progress and evaluate the success of your wellness program. Evaluation allows you to:

• Ascertain areas of excellence.
• Identify factors that affect participation in your programs.
• Grasp management’s reinforcement for your efforts (and maintain that reinforcement).
• Better understand issues that need attention.
• Learn from mistakes and change the program to keep it on the right track.

When you evaluate your program, you are able to measure such things as:

• Employee absences.
• Employee turnover rates.
• The cost of your Employee Assistance Program.
• The cost of benefits, including short-term and long-term disability payments.
• The cost of your drug plan.
• Accident rates and safety records.
• Employees’ participation in wellness programs (and whether they’re staying in the programs).
• Changes in employees’ health habits.
• Level of employees’ awareness of healthy lifestyle issues.
• Results of your environmental wellness audit.
• Other noticeable changes in areas such as morale and job satisfaction.

A great communications plan supports ongoing information to employees (including senior managers) and creates excitement about the wellness program. Positive reinforcement is critical in an effective communications plan. By way of example, you might recognize people who have helped established the program or offer tangible rewards for achieving objectives and goals.

Everyone needs to know whether employees are getting involved, enjoying the activities and getting some profit from them. Showing that a wellness program has economic benefits is frequently an valuable factor in maintaining strong support from the top.

If you focus on the key elements of your wellness program and communicate openly and continuously while planning and delivering it, you will lay a solid foundation and leave a legacy that lasts.

How does physical activity fit into a full-time employee’s full schedule? Often times, it doesn’t.

One possible solution to this challenge is to make physical exercise a part of the work day. Clearly, being active at work is productive for employees. But employers also advance from having fit, energetic and healthy employees who are more productive.

The challenges

Your job takes up much your time. In addition to the hours you invest actually on the job, there is the time required to get to and from work and take lunch and rest breaks during the work day. In the end, there are a limited number of hours left over for the rest of your life. This work life imbalance is especially true for Alberta, where statistics show that we work exceptionally difficult.

Many jobs today are sedentary, and many American citizens drive to work. The pressures of work may also cause us to eat lunch at our desks and skip breaks. Then, after work or on the weekends we juggle household chores, family responsibilities and social engagements.

Worksite Health Promotion Programs: Get started on a workplace exercise program

Senior Management plays a key role in creating a culture that promotes health. The leaders at your workplace influence the various policies and the informal or formal practices, and these policies and practices affect your attitude towards healthy active living.

Begin by talking to your boss about the advantages of a healthy active workplace. The best way to guarantee the success of a company physical activity program is to have the management on side and cheering you on.

Ask your leadership to consider taking these actions:

• Send a memo or message about the effect of health and healthy living that encourages employee to take an active break each day.
• Provide for flexible work hours that help employee to be more physically active. For example, they might need to take a longer lunch break to catch physical activity class, making up the time by coming to work early or remaining late.
• Make available a meeting room or other suitable office space for noon-hour yoga or workout classes, and hire a teacher to lead them, or use videos.

If your boss agrees to support a workplace fitness program, do not forget to show appreciation.

You don’t need an on-Site fitness center

Only very big companies can afford on-Site fitness facilities such as exercise equipment or squash courts. Still, most employers can take other affordable steps to support workers who wish to become more active.

By way of example:

• Arrange for discounted fees for workers at a fitness club, recreation center or YMCA facility.
• Install showers and a place to hang a towel. (Make sure the showers are cleaned regularly and that women who use them will feel secure.)
• Install bike racks or a locked enclosure that is safe, conveniently located and well lighted.
• Hold walking meetings and set up lunch-hour walking groups
• Make workers cognizant of safe and pleasant walking routes near the workplace, as well as nearby facilities that offer physical activity programs (such as walking, swimming, running, yoga, stretching).
• Find a certified instructor to teach employee about health, fitness and how to become more active.

Any size and type of workplace has the potential to encourage employees who wish to be physically active. It’s highly desirable to get management on side. Even if your boss isn’t supportive, you have the potential to still find ways to get moving more. Set up activities for groups and individuals, and encourage your co-employees to join in.

We all know that physical exercise is an significant part of health and wellbeing. But occasionally it’s hard to find time for physical exercise. Lack of time is the leading barrier that individuals say prevents them from participating in physical exercise on a regular basis.

The great news is that even short sessions of physical exercise help your health. Research has demonstrated that ten-minute sessions that add up to between 30 and 60 minutes a day have the potential to produce significant health benefits.

Also, there are numerous ways busy individuals are able to use to be more active. These strategies include:

• multi-tasking
• being active at work
• being active with loved ones
• scheduling activity into daily life

Different strategies work for different individuals. Being familiar with the different strategies is key to adopting and maintaining an active lifestyle.

Read on to check out strategies you have the potential to try. With proper commitment, some of them are sure to work for you.

Strategy #1: Multi-tasking

The first strategy you have the potential to try is multi-tasking. This means doing things you already do, but in a more physically active way. This way you get done what you need to get done and you get physical activity at the same time.

For example, you’re already travelling to work and other places. Instead of taking the car or the bus every time, try using active methods of transportation like biking, rollerblading, walking and skateboarding.

If you can’t use active transportation for a whole trip, try to be active for at least part of the trip. If you’re taking the bus, for example, get off a few blocks early and walk the remainder of the way.

Active transportation benefits your body by building your exercise level, and it also benefits your neighborhood and the environment by reducing the number of cars on the road.

You are able to also get physical activity while doing chores.

When you’re working around home, try to be creative and look for the active choice. By way of example, if you’re cleaning the crack between the fridge and the counter, why not move the fridge so you can clean the area better and build your strength at the same time?

For outdoor work, opt for the old-fashioned way of doing things, as they’re usually more active. For example, use a snow shovel rather than a snow blower.

Strategy #2: Be Active at Work

Many Americans spend eight hours a day or more working at a sedentary job. Here are a few simple ways to keep your body moving during the workday. The physical activity will revitalize you and help you be more productive.

When you’re working at your desk, try sitting on a balance ball or disk for part of your day (30 minutes to an hour). This gives your back and abdominals a workout.

Take active breaks at least once per day. During your coffee break, try doing some yoga, stretching or taking a quick walk. You might learn that walking up and down the stairs a few times does a better job of rejuvenating you than the java jolt.

Speaking of the stairs, take them rather than the elevator whenever you can. The stairs in your building are an opportunity to get your heart pumping.

Create walking meetings at work. Getting outside and having meetings in a less formal setting is a great way to be active, makes the workday more fun and encourages creative ideas for work projects.

Strategy #3: Be Active With Your Loved Ones

Do physical exercise with your family, friends, neighbours and pets. With this strategy, you and your loved ones are doing some great multi-tasking together: enjoying quality time with each other and getting some of the physical exercise that you all need to be healthy.

Go for walks, swims or bike rides together. Play Frisbee, soccer and other games and sports together. When you take your children to the park, play with them instead of just watching them play.

Many community facilities offer classes that keep you and your children active at the same time. Research these classes and take one or two.

You have the potential to even be active when you’re watching your little ones do activities without you. For example, if your child plays hockey, take the opportunity to walk up and down the stairs in the stands a few times. If you feel self-conscious about doing it alone, why not gather a group of parents to do it together?

Strategy #4: Have Physical Activity into Your Day

Plan your physical exercise directly into your daytimer. Set a specific time and place for exercising. Make your physical exercise appointments a priority, just as significant as any other appointment you put in your daytimer.

To help you stay committed to your physical exercise appointments, you might want to make appointments that involve other individuals: such as by meeting with a personal trainer, taking exercise class or jogging with a friend.

If you’re not sure how many appointments to make or what you must be doing during your appointments, try consulting with a personal trainer. A personal trainer can help you cultivate a physical activity plan and schedule.

The bottom line: see what works best for you. Experiment with the strategies. Find inspiration by talking to others about how they keep active and what strategies they use. Be creative and patient while you learn what strategies work best for you. And be aware that your “best strategy” may change from time to time.

With enough effort, you will discover what works for you. Then, run with it!

• Commit to workplace physical activity in policy statements and commit funding to physical activity pushes.
• Clearly communicating the benefits of being physically active during work reinforces the company’s commitment to assisting all staff members be active. Use gatherings, bulletin boards, newsletters and e-mail to reach as many staff members as possible at least once a year.
• Provide flex time for physical activity. Invite staff members who actively commute to work or exercise at lunchtime to make up any missed time later in the day.
• Consider allowing employees to work part time, so that they can participate in physical exercise.
• Include a physical exercise account in your benefit plan to pay for or subsidize fitness memberships, assessments, classes, counselling or instruction.
• Offer interest-free loans for staff members to buy bicycles or good walking shoes/runners.
• Conduct periodic employee interest surveys of employee physical activity preferences, and offer a variety of options to suit those interests and needs.
• Hire qualified individuals to lead stretch breaks or physical activity programs or classes. For help in finding accredited fitness leaders, visit Alberta’s Provincial Fitness Unit.
• Recognize employees who participate in physical activity. Survey employees first to determine how they prefer to be recognized, e.g., through employer newsletters, appreciation lunches, rewards and/or thank you notes.
• Provide child care and other family-friendly amenities during physical activities that occur after work.
• Avoid scheduling meetings during lunch.
• Promote active breaks rather than coffee breaks.
• Have active fundraisers instead of bingos. For example, employees might climb the Calgary Tower stairs or take turns riding a stationary bike for 24 hours.
• Make birthday celebrations active times. Instead of a lunch, invite the birthday person to choose an exercise. Options could include a session with a yoga instructor or an evening ski trip.
• Encourage a casual dress day. One study found that workers who dress casually were more physically active.

• Make sure that your building’s stairwells are clean, attractive and safe, and post signs encouraging workers to use the stairs.
• Establish a wellness newsletter or intranet.
• Encourage the Activity Tracker and promote staff members to track their physical activity every week.
• Be creative, and make the most of the workspace you have. For example, mark off a safe walking path inside or around the building. You might also set up a training circuit, highlighting features of the worksite such as stairs.
• Provide physical activity opportunities at different times to accommodate night-, shift-, and part-time employees.
• For workers in remote or satellite offices, offer equal access to key initiatives via the intranet. Adapt challenges to suit their environment and take advantage of local facilities and resources.
• Make physical exercise available to workers with special needs. Adapt information and activities for any employee who are visually impaired or physically disabled as well as for individuals who speak English as a second language.
• Educate workers about physical activity using information from reputable sources such as the Alberta Centre for Active Living.
• Offer facilities that invite worksite physical exercise. Possibilities include bike racks, exercise room, change rooms with lockers and showers, and safe and attractive grounds for walking.
• Have walking meetings.
• Encourage workers to walk to co-workers’ offices instead of e-mailing or phoning.
• Set up a stretching room. This low-cost plan requires only a room, stretching mats, stability balls and medicine balls. Put up posters that show stretches and exercises.
• Provide rewards and incentives such as shoe bags, ball caps, T-shirts or water bottles to reward employee participation.
• Hand out pedometers for three months, so that workers are able to learn how many steps they usually take and how much activity they need to add to get basic health benefits.
• Make space for employees to plant and maintain a flowerbed or garden at the workplace. Use any resulting produce for meetings and potluck lunches or donate it to charity.
• Establish a workplace health & wellness fair.
• Hire a qualified fitness specialist to create and manage an onsite fitness facility.
• Supply workers with active wear that shows off the organization logo.

• Establish a launch event to foster excitement about upcoming activities and to establish a social climate that establishes being active as the norm.
• Design and encourage monthly or bi-monthly business activities that are fun and active, e.g., picnics with physical games, employee tournaments and dragon boat racing. Urge families to join in by including all-ages activities such as relay races, soccer matches, bocce ball and baseball games.
• Start a swim club at a local pool. Invite groups of workers to swim the distance of a nearby lake. Convert kilometres to lengths and reward workers who complete the swim. Set up a challenge between workers and managers to see who covers the greatest distance.
• Post a sign-up board where employee can join a group or find a buddy to participate in activities of interest.
• Organize a business badminton tournament that lasts several months, with each employee playing once a week. Post the results as the tournament progresses.
• Establish an office Olympics, World Cup, Wimbledon or Masters Games. Invite teams to compete in several activities over a month. Reward everyone who participates.
• Establish a point system in which one minute of exercise equals one point. Set a target, and post a chart where all staff members have the potential to track their points. Reward the first group to reach that target.
• Create a stair climb challenge. Post a chart at the top of the stairwell, and promote employees to track the number of flights of stairs they climb each workday. Set up teams, and award a prize to the first group to climb the equivalent of Mount Everest.
• Post and reward a sign-up board for lunchtime walking groups.
• Organize a walk “across the U.S.” Select a route, learn how many steps it would take to walk that distance and challenge workers to do it. Give or loan pedometers to workers, and ask them to record the number of steps they take. Or, if you cannot afford pedometers, track the minutes walked. Set up a challenge between workers and managers to see who has the potential to walk across the U.S. first.
• Develop a walk to work club. Acknowledge workers who either walk to work or walk to public transit.
• Have a volunteer group leader guide weekly lunchtime power walks.
• Develop a million-step challenge. Form groups, challenge each group to walk a combined total of a million steps and reward the winner. Departments or sites might compete with each other and with management.
• Challenge staff members to walk 10,000 steps a day. Buy pedometers for all participating staff members or, if you can’t afford that, make pedometers available at a reduced rate. Provide tips for increasing daily steps, and reward staff members who succeed.