Health and Wellness Leads : Motivational Worksite Wellness Program Events

These are fun and easy programs that can be done within your employer to arouse healthy behaviors during a contest or during other times. The objective is to advocate employee participation. Some examples:
• Establish a sub-committee of enthusiastic staff members who will help promote the physical activity program by offering ideas, suggestions and encouragement to fellow staff members.
• Create monthly mailbox brochures to encourage a contest or offer fitness-related education/encouragement information.
• Send a periodic voicemail on each participant’s telephone with encouraging wellness messages.
• Provide regular cumulative health progress reports.
• Offer reduced fat or heart-healthy lunch selections weekly in your cafeteria or have employees bring a healthy snack to share, with a recipe book compiled at the end of the contest or specified time period (such as a National Nutrition Month in March).
• Distribute employee gifts (pedometers or other novelty item related to some aspect of your contest theme) as registration kicks off.
• Allow staff members “Fitness 15-Minute Walk Breaks;” company time to walk, physical activity, etc. If appropriate, you might use a space not currently used to set up a treadmill, elliptical, bicycle, some no cost weights and relaxing music.
• Hold a T-shirt design contest.
• Establish posters to map contest (or fitness) progress and to serve as reminder of your objectives and goals:
   • Use push pins or other identifiers for each individual to put up in the office showing how they have progressed – employees can get very creative with this and design pins that reflect their personalities.
   • Use a bar graph to compare progress.
   • Use a “thermometer” type graphic and color in progress – consider a different, health-related graphic all together and color it in as you progress.
• Offer aerobic dance or walking videos in your conference or break rooms.
• Compile a list of organized programs in the neighborhood that offer opportunities to get employees exercising by participating as a group (below are just a few):
   • Race For The Cure
   • March of Dimes Walk America event
   • Juvenile Diabetes Research
   • Foundation Walk to Cure
   • American Heart Association’s Heart Walk
   • American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life
   • American Lung Association’s Lung Run
   • Local marathons or special general area walks or runs
• Create or catch a health-and-fitness retreat.
• Hold a soup-and-salad luncheon followed by a hula-hoop contest!
• Use the mall as an alternate walking location during inclement weather.
• Create “Move it Mondays” – allow staff members to take an extra ten minutes at lunch for exercise.
• Establish “Tasty Tuesdays” – provide workers with low-calorie treats/snacks.
• Create “Walking Wednesdays”- allow employees to take an extra ten minutes at lunchtime to walk, or “Wacky Wednesdays” that allow employees to explore new exercises.
• Create “Thirsty Thursdays” – make healthy smoothies or juice drinks for employees.
• Establish “Fresh Fruit Fridays” for employee – offer seasonal fruit treats.
• Send weekly physical activity tips to employees via the most effective communications vehicle in your workplace.
• Partner with another corporation representative for local media events coordinated through your advertising or communication department.
• Urge departmental teams to challenge each other (examples: Customer Service, Marketing, Health Support).
• Create walking clubs with executive/supervisory leadership.
• Seek out local aerobic opportunities or classes through churches, neighborhood groups, college, YMCA, etc.
• Contact several local area health clubs and ask if they can or will offer group discounts for physical activity programs, waive enrollment fees, or set up a 12-week program as opposed to signing an extended contract.
• Hold a Frozen Yogurt Social – “Reap the Benefits of Fitness.”
• Map out a walking track around the building including the number of laps necessitated for one mile.