Historically, this was seen as a vital component of oneâs overall well-being. The Greeks in particular held the ideal that a sound mind can only harbor in a healthy body.
Research has shown that physical fitness is achieved through proper nutrition, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, and adequate rest. It is also important to incorporate muscle-strengthening activities on at least two days of the week.
Wellness Strategies
Having an effective wellness strategy in place can significantly improve employee morale, loyalty and engagement. Itâs also one of the best ways to reduce absenteeism, lower recruiting costs and increase productivity.
Gathering information about your employees and their personal goals can help you develop a wellness program that is most beneficial to your organization. For example, if a majority of your workforce is desk-bound all day, providing on-site fitness facilities and yoga classes can encourage them to get some exercise.
Organizing team-building activities that include physical exercises and wellness challenges can help integrate health-conscious habits into workplace culture. Additionally, promoting charity walks and races can encourage teamwork while giving employees the opportunity to express their individuality and reinvigorate their sense of purpose. Lastly, allowing employees to work flexible schedules can be extremely helpful in maintaining a healthy balance between home and work life. This allows individuals to better manage their time, reduce stress and feel more connected to the company.
Wellness Incentives
For high-performing employees who are committed to the organization, personal incentives can increase participation in wellness programs. For example, offering flexible scheduling or subsidies for childcare may encourage employees to engage in healthy behaviors outside of work.
Many organizations find that they need to offer a mix of different types of rewards to appeal to employeesâ interests and motivations.Low-cost or no-cost incentives (such as water bottles, yoga mats, Health and Fitness and bags) can be paired with higher-cost or experiential rewards like vacations and gym memberships.
A progress-based incentive system can help sustain engagement with your wellness program by rewarding employees for reaching goals over time. This can be as simple as awarding entries into raffles for participating in wellness seminars or tracking activity on a mobile app, and as complex as recognizing achievement of specific health outcomes, such as losing 10% of body weight or increasing the amount saved in a health savings account. Offering a variety of reward options â low-cost, no-cost, and progress-based â meets more employee desires than a single prize or experience.
Wellness Programs
Wellness programs can take many forms, and not every solution makes sense for every employer. Some common examples include fitness classes, cooking seminars, smoking cessation support, and health screenings. Providing a variety of solutions allows employees to find the one that works best for them.
Nurturing mental well-being is an important part of any wellness program. Offering access to counseling or stress management workshops, and integrating these activities into team-building events helps to build a positive work culture and contribute to employee satisfaction.
Physical well-being is also a vital component of any wellness strategy. Including walking meetings, exercise classes, or health challenges in team-building events help to promote healthy behaviors and encourage employees to work out with their colleagues, fostering a social sense of wellness as well.
Bringing in a trainer for a series of health and fitness classes can be an excellent way to encourage participation in these initiatives, but it requires significant overhead costs and a large staff commitment to maintain. A better alternative is to encourage employees to walk, run, or bike to work, which reduces commute time and the environmental impact of driving.
Workplace Wellness
Ultimately, employees must feel a company cherishes their wellbeing to trust that it will keep them safe and healthy at work. Companies that donât do this can expect a bleak and stressful workplace that affects employee satisfaction and productivity.
Companies can promote wellness in a variety of ways. Some examples include onsite grocery shopping and cafes, group fitness classes, meditation and yoga workshops, and stress management webinars. Others create friendly team challenges to encourage camaraderie and fun in the office or organize virtual nature walks to connect workers with their natural surroundings (Workhuman, 2023).
There are two main categories of workplace wellness programs: lifestyle wellness and disease management. The former involves reducing health risks through lifestyle changes like exercise, good nutrition and sleep. Disease management programs help employees deal with chronic conditions like heart disease, obesity and smoking. Both types of programs are important and employers can use the WorkWell Missouri Toolkit to get started
