These are fun and easy events that could be done within your business to motivate healthy behaviors during a contest or during other times. The goal is to encourage employee participation. Some examples -
o Create a sub-committee of enthusiastic staff who’ll help promote the fitness program by offering ideas, suggestions and encouragement to fellow workers.
o Create monthly mailbox flyers to promote a contest or provide fitness-related education/encouragement information.
o Send a weekly voicemail on each participant’s telephone with stimulating wellness messages.
o Give regular cumulative health progress reports.
o Give low-fat or heart-healthy lunch selections once a week in your cafeteria or have workers bring a healthy snack to share, with a recipe book compiled after the contest or specified time (like a National Nutrition Month in March).
o Distribute worker gifts (pedometers or other novelty item related to some aspect of your contest theme) as registration begins.
o Allow employees “Fitness15-Minute Walk Breaks;” company time to walk, exercise, etc. When appropriate, you could use a space not currently used to set up a treadmill, elliptical bicycle, some free weights and meditation music.
o Hold a T-shirt design contest.
o Develop posters to map contest (or fitness) progress and to serve as reminder of your objectives -
o Use push pins or other identifiers for each individual to put up in the office showing how they have progressed â.” personnel can get very creative with this and design pins that reflect their personalities.
o Use a bar graph to compare progress.
o Use a “thermometer” type graphic and color in progress â.” consider a different, fitness-related graphic all together and color it in as you progress.
o Provide aerobic dance or walking videos in your conference or break rooms.
o Compile a list of organized events in the community that offer opportunities to get workforce exercising by participating as a team (below are just a few) -
o Race for the Cure
o March of Dimes Walk America event
o Juvenile Diabetes Research
o Foundation Walk to Cure
o American Heart Association’s Heart Walk
o American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life
o American Lung Association’s Lung Run
o Local marathons or special community walks or runs
o Develop or attend a health-and-fitness retreat or workshop.
o Hold a soup-and-salad luncheon followed by a hula-hoop contest!
o Use the mall as an alternate walking location during inclement weather.
o Designate “Move it Mondays” â.” allow workforce to take an additional 10 minutes at lunch for exercise.
o Designate “Tasty Tuesdays” â.” provide staff members with low-calorie treats/snacks.
o Designate “Walking Wednesdays”â.” allow staff members to take an additional 10 minutes at lunch to walk, or “Wacky Wednesdays” that allow staff members to explore new exercises.
o Designate “Thirsty Thursdays” â.” make healthy smoothies or juice drinks for staff.
o Designate “Fresh Fruit Fridays” for staff â.” offer seasonal fruit treats.
o Send weekly exercise tips to personnel via the most effective communications automobile in your workplace.
o Partner with another corporation representative for local media events coordinated through your marketing or communication department.
o Be certain to encourage departmental teams to challenge each other (examples – Customer Service, Marketing and Advertising, Medical Support).
o Launch walking clubs with executive/supervisory leadership.
o Seek out local aerobic opportunities or classes through churches, community groups, college, YMCA, etc.
o Contact a few local area health clubs and ask if they can or will offer group discounts for exercise programs, waive enrollment fees, or set up a 12â.”week program as opposed to signing an extended contract.
o Hold a Frozen Yogurt Social â.” “Reap the Advantages of Fitness.”
o Map out a walking track around the building including the number of laps required for one mile.