Posted by Health Handouts | Posted in Health Handouts, Health Tips | Posted on 31-07-2009
These are simple events that can be done within your employer to excite healthy behaviors during a contest or during other times. The objective is to encourage employee participation. Some examples:
• Design a sub-committee of enthusiastic staff members who will help promote the exercise program by offering ideas, ideas and encouragement to fellow staff members.
• Establish monthly mailbox brochures to promote a contest or offer fitness-related education/encouragement information.
• Send a periodic voicemail on each member’s phone with encouraging wellness messages.
• Provide regular cumulative health progress reports.
• Offer low-fat or heart-healthy lunch selections weekly in your cafeteria or have staff members bring a healthy snack to share, with a recipe book compiled at the culmination of the contest or specified time period (such as a National Nutrition Month in March).
• Distribute employee gifts (pedometers or other novelty item related to some aspect of your contest theme) as registration kicks off.
• Allow workers “Fitness 15-Minute Walk Breaks;” company time to walk, exercise, etc. If appropriate, you could use a space not currently used to set up a treadmill, elliptical, bicycle, some no cost weights and relaxation music.
• Have a T-shirt design contest.
• Establish posters to map contest (or fitness) progress and to serve as reminder of your goals and objectives:
• Use push pins or other identifiers for each individual to display in the office showing how they have progressed – staff members have the potential to get very creative with this and design pins that reflect their personalities.
• Use a bar graph to compare progress.
• Use a “thermometer” type graphic and color in progress – consider a different, fitness-related graphic all together and color it in as you progress.
• Provide aerobic dance or walking videos in your conference or break rooms.
• Compile a list of organized programs in the community that offer opportunities to get employees exercising by participating as a team (below are just a few):
• Race For The Cure
• March of Dimes Walk America event
• Juvenile Diabetes Research
• Foundation Walk to Cure
• American Heart Association’s Heart Walk
• American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life
• American Lung Association’s Lung Run
• Local marathons or special community walks or runs
• Establish or attend a health-and-fitness retreat or workshop.
• Have a soup-and-salad luncheon followed by a hula-hoop contest!
• Use the mall as an alternate walking location during inclement weather.
• Establish “Move it Mondays” – allow staff members to take an extra ten minutes at lunch for physical activity.
• Establish “Tasty Tuesdays” – support workers with low-calorie treats/snacks.
• Establish “Walking Wednesdays”- allow staff members to take an extra 10 minutes during lunch to walk, or “Wacky Wednesdays” that allow staff members to explore new exercises.
• Establish “Thirsty Thursdays” – make healthy smoothies or juice drinks for employees.
• Create “Fresh Fruit Fridays” for employee – offer seasonal fruit treats.
• Send weekly exercise tips to employees via the most effective communications vehicle in your workplace.
• Partner with another corporation representative for local media events coordinated through your advertising or communication department.
• Encourage departmental teams to challenge each other (examples: Customer Service, Marketing, Health Support).
• Designate walking clubs with executive/supervisory leadership.
• Seek out local aerobic opportunities or classes through churches, area groups, college, YMCA, etc.
• Contact several local area gyms and ask if they can or will offer group discounts for exercise programs, waive enrollment fees, or set up a 12-week program as opposed to signing an extended contract.
• Have a Frozen Yogurt Social – “Reap the Benefits of Fitness.”
• Map out a walking track around the building including the number of laps needed for one mile.