Employee Wellness

Interest in increasing physical activity ranks nearly as high as weight control in employee interest and need. Ideas for increasing employee awareness and participation in physical activities follow –

• Fitness classes in the worksite –  Onsite exercise can be much more convenient for workers. However, onsite classes require logistical planning and coordination with attention to details.

Onsite courses are generally more feasible for larger corporations. as part of the steps in planning and assessment, talk with other wellness programs offering worksite classes. Ask what their experience has been like.

Speak to potential vendors in the area as well. Find out what it would take to offer an on-site fitness class. YMCA’s, gyms, and community recreation programs are good resources for this type of discussion.

It’s also feasible to offer a “mini” introductory worksite class series. A mini series might consist of an introduction to a new physical activity area. Employees are then expected to make the transition to home or community based programs.

• Nerf Olympics –  Nerf games are fun (and entertaining) activities that encourage movement, flexibility, stress reduction, and normally are a good laugh. When planning such an activity consider establishing up a “challenge” stations with various activities.

Ideas for activities include hula hoop contests, Nerf basketball free throws, Nerf football tosses, Frisbee “golf”, jump rope, etc. the Wellness Team will lay out the course.

Each participant goes through the stations and gets a “gold” medal (you can purchase these at party stores and toy stores inexpensively) for completing all of the stations (no matter how badly they perform).

Begin each participant at intervals allowing for smooth running, but expect high difficulty stations to be backed up. This delay can add to the fun and creates a “keystone cops” scenario.

Nerf Olympics is a good activity to do with an audience, so encourage cheering colleagues.

• Offer incentives to workers who engage in aerobic exercise like walking, running and biking on their own time (see goal setting program, offer points toward prizes, etc.).

• Distribute maps of walking/jogging trails located near the workplace. Mark distances in steps and miles. Make certain to encourage staff members to walk at lunchtime and/or break times.

Post a steps gathered map on a workplace wall where employees can log their steps or miles. Check with CIS Healthy Benefits representative regarding pedometers and exercise kits.

• Make certain to encourage joggers, walkers, and those who enjoying other forms of exercise to form fitness groups to meet before work, at lunch, or after work.

• Promote the use of stairs in lieu of elevators. Place bulletin boards, art contests, etc., in stairwells.

• Sponsor “Bike-to-Work” or Walk-to-Be sure to work week.

• Schedule five-minute desk stretching at the worksite. This can relieve repetitive motion problems in addition to eye and back strain.

• Sponsor a personal challenge activity such as “Climb a Mountain” or “Swim a Sea”. This is an honor system program in which participating staff members are awarded minutes, steps, or miles credit for cardiovascular activity (swimming, walking, running, skiing, bicycling, stair stepping, group fitness, etc.).

The object of this type of challenge is to accumulate the equivalent mileage it’d take to reach the top of a famous mountain, span a body of water (swim the Columbia River), or reach a distant city/county.

Try personalizing the challenge as much as possible to individual interests and/or area geographical matches close to the workplace.

• Collect a selection of exercise video or DVD tapes. Staff Members can either check out a tape for home use, or offer a group activity video class.

• If it isn’t possible for staff to leave the building to exercise or workout at lunch, attempt establishing an in-house aerobic walking track for worker use in an unused part of the worksite for lunch, break or after hours use.

An example of how this issue might  be solved is the use of stationary bicycles and other small exercise equipment provided for staff by some 911 call centers.

• Sponsor a “Personal Best” Challenge”. Workers run, walk, bike, etc. their own personal best time. Repeat the personal best challenge each quarter to six months. Each time an employee improves, offer recognition and an appropriate award.

Also, recognize those staff members who maintain their personal best in the same way. Make certain to encourage non-participating staff members to get involved.

Assist these individuals in selecting  an activity that is comfortable and of interest for them, and one in which they can succeed and progress.

• When you offer an introductory or other on-site exercise class or activity, make certain the instructor can relate to the audience, and the audience can relate to the instructor.

Have a Wellness Committee member attend a current class by the selected instructor class prior to the instructor conducting a class at worksite. Additionally, consider the employees who may  be potentially attending the class.

Sometimes larger and/or older exercise instructors are often better accepted by audiences who are similarly sized and aged.

• Sponsor a themed “virtual” trek. Calculate the mileage for the proposed “trip” ahead of time. Be sure that the distance is appropriate for the number of expected participants and time for the event (six to eight weeks) works well.

For longer events, small teams can accumulate their mileage for the trip. Establish a reporting network. Post a map to track the trip. Chart the progress with stick pins, a magic marker, or a highlighter.

Provide a brief humorous fictional narrative of the trip, posting a new one each week. Include as many participants’ names as possible. Alternate posting humorous texts with health tips along the way. Provide an incentive at the end of the trip.

Ideas for Exercise Themes –

• Swim the Mississippi to the Mardi gras.

• Take a tour to all Oregon counties.

• Take a tour of Oregon from Enterprise to Brookings.

• Run or walk around the world (25,000 miles).

• Tour de France (take all summer)

• Tour de France on a stationary bike (take all winter)

• Indianapolis 500

• Climb Mount Everest (stairs or stair climbers). Target Sir Edmund Hilary’s birthday or the anniversary of the first conquest as a completion date.

• Climb Mount Washington or Mt. Hood. Target President’s Day as a completion date.

• Climb any significant mountain and tie it to any remotely related event.

• Use time in exercise as a measurement for the contest rather than distance. This allows you to treat all forms of aerobic exercise more equitably.