Employees confined to a desk all day may be living a sedentary lifestyle, which has been proven to cause an increased risk for heart disease, high blood pressure and depression. These health risks have gained the attention of employers who now place emphasis on Wellness Programs in the workplace to promote healthy habits for their employees.
A recent study by Health & Wellness Program provider, Keas, found that corporate employees are craving physical activity. More than half of the 434 respondents stated that sitting for long periods of time has the most negative impact on their health, and indicated that they prefer exercise over dieting to reach better health. Employees also stated that their goal this year is to “unchain themselves from their desks and take a walk every so often.” These individuals are looking to their employers to help them succeed.
The “Walk This Way” Challenge
At Xenium, we launched a pedometer challenge as part of our Wellness Program to encourage our team to stay active by tracking their daily steps; we are calling it “Walk this Way.”
Divided into teams of six, we compete against one another in a race to Los Angeles, California (hypothetically) based on the steps we take each day. Team progress is tracked weekly on a map, and the team who reaches the final destination first will receive a prize.
Since beginning the challenge, employees have been motivated to increase their steps by walking during lunch breaks, playing team sports, hitting the gym and allowing themselves to get up from their desk more often to move around. Not only has it effected physical activity, but it has positively impacted the culture. Competition aside, this activity is forming habits that will improve the overall health of our team.
Other challenges we have released to promote a healthy lifestyle include:
- Move-it Fitness Challenge: An 8 week challenge where employees earn 1 point for every minute of physical activity they perform. Employees set a goal for the number of points they hope to earn throughout the 8 weeks and compare it to what they achieve in the end.
- Wellness Bingo: This 8-week challenge provides a variety of enjoyable health conscious activities, which must be completed strategically in order to get a Bingo. Check out this template for some ideas and start your own challenge today!
- Passport to Wellness: The goal of this challenge is to make your way across the United States by completing one of three routes – easy, moderate or difficult. Each route requires a corresponding level of physical, nutritional and community based activities.
How do you encourage wellness in your workplace? If you need some ideas, check out our recent podcast on building successful wellness programs.
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