Build a Culture of Wellness: Encourage Movement
A nationwide survey done by the United Healthcare indicated that close to 75 percent of all employees in US companies had interests in wellness programs. They further noted that 59 percent of those who had access to such programs claimed that the programs impacted their health positively.
Every year, more companies commit to offering wellness services such as biometric screening and onsite flu clinics to their employees. This step helps in the establishment of a healthy workforce.
However, many employers fail to see the bigger goal in establishing workplace wellness programs. It takes more than a once in a year health screening to help your employees stay healthy.
If you want to make a difference in the wellness of your employees, you should create a culture of wellness. By setting up a culture of wellness, health becomes a fundamental aspect of the company.
The employees, therefore, have no option but to enforce it and lead healthier and more productive lives.
What is a Culture of Wellness?
A culture of wellness makes a company to respect and work towards the well-being of all the employees. You need to identify ways that can help your employees maintain healthy habits while at home and at work.
The company needs to find ways that can motivate the employees to make their wellness a priority. A good culture of wellness ensures that every aspect of the company works towards the development of a healthy lifestyle.
Ways to Build A Culture of Wellness
There are several ways you can put in place to build a culture of wellness in your company.
Here are some ways to get started:
1. Encouraging Employees to Work While Standing
A whole day in the office consists of mainly sitting down. If you are working for 8 hours every day for six days a week, you barely get any time to stretch your muscles. Instead of trying to change the schedule of your employees, you can invest in standing desks that provide a healthier option.
2. Offering Regular Fitness and Yoga Classes in the Office
You can introduce an in-house fitness program that can allow employees to freshen up and get back to work. If you do not have a company gym facility, you can use a small or large conference room, depending on the number of people in attendance. It is even better if you have bathrooms in the same building.
3. Introducing Walking Meetings
It is advisable to allow your employees to walk and stretch their legs. One such way is by starting walking meetings. Incorporating walking meetings is a novel way to encourage the movement of your employees at your workplace.
4. Encourage Fitness Challenges
A little bit of competition may be what your workplace needs to set the tone of healthy living. You can introduce fitness challenges, from simple activities such as tracking the number of steps taken to the number of miles everyone runs in a week. You can then have a winner receive a healthy prize every week.
Getting In Tune With Your Workplace Wellness Programs
Your workplace wellness programs should not focus on health numbers only. They should focus on helping your employees lead better, happier, and more productive lives. Regardless of the strategy you use, you will not get significant results if the employees do not practice a healthy lifestyle as they work.
The best way to ensure sustainable results is by creating a culture of wellness. Please check out our Caribou Office Zones which are designed to help maximize productivity through healthy habits.