The Fittest Workplace on the Planet – Is it Yours?

Can your workplace contend for the title “Fittest Workplace on the Planet?” We’ve all heard of the benefits of physical activity on the individual: increased life span, whittled waistline and overall health improvement are just a few. When fit individuals are a collective employee force, you can expect productivity through the roof (and workers so strong they can nearly raise it).

While you don’t have to contend for Fittest Workplace on the Planet to reap the organizational benefits of physical fitness, a fitter workforce benefits everyone. Take the initiative and educate your employees. May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, so resources to help you on your quest are especially easy to find.

Start here: https://healthfinder.gov/nho/MayToolkit.aspx. Within this toolkit, you’ll discover the benefits of physical activity and how to motivate employees to jump on the ‘fitness bandwagon.’ Remind your employees that fitness isn’t relegated to the young; people can benefit from becoming fitter at any age.

Classic suggestions include educational snippets in your employee newsletter and information disseminated on organizational social media platforms. Bring speakers into the office who explain how to make exercise part of a busy lifestyle. And get creative – no two employee populations are the same, so what fits your employee roster may not fit another.

Here are some possibilities we’ve seen work. Take this list as an a la carte menu of fitness motivational options.

•  Make it a competition! Can’t afford a fancy fitness tracker for every employee? Consider a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) event. Today’s cell phones have pedometers already programmed within. There are also downloadable pedometer apps available. Welcome employees to track their progress and give prizes for those who move the most. And no putting the device on the dog and letting him loose at a park (we’ve heard it happen).
• Inspire others by having employees share their fitness journeys. Think about your employees for a moment. Has someone been taking the New Year’s resolutions seriously? Have they been exercising and seeing results? Have them share with the rest of their colleagues how their path toward fitness is progressing.
• Sponsor a race for charity – or simply field a team and compete. Some businesses are full of runners and walkers who jump at the opportunity for a free race entry. Some go the proverbial ‘extra mile.’ We recently had a client hire a personal trainer to offer weekly training sessions to train employees for an upcoming 5K. This was well received and increased participation.  Go one step further and provide your athletes with shirts that advertise the business. It’s a win-win for fitness and advertising!
• Don’t forget the biometric screening fair. If you’ve already hosted one for your employees, great. Physical activity can help lower blood pressure, among other health benefits. Following a biometric screening event with a fitness education and motivation campaign makes sense.
• Ask your health insurance provider for more ideas. Trish Blocker from W3 Insurance has spent years counseling businesses to help improve employee activity levels. She has access to a host of resources and will be happy to provide an action plan that – while it may not land you the ‘World’s Fittest Workplace’ honors – will at least inch you closer to the title.

Be fit, friends.