Take a stand for standing meetings at your office. The don’t-take-a-seat approach is a good way to keep employees fit.
Americans’ extra weight is a heavy burden on businesses that pay some portion of their employees’ health care costs, according to an article from The Street.
Layered wellness programs have become a staple of large corporations’ benefit plans to help offset rising health care costs, including anything from in-house gyms to smoking-cessation clinics. WellSpan here in York has Fitbits and financial incentives to keep employees healthy. BAE Systems uses an in-office gym and Weight Watchers.
While smaller companies might not have the funds or staff to undertake full-scale wellness initiatives, there are still simple steps employers can take to nudge workers toward a healthier lifestyle, according to The Street article.
Here are some ideas to keep your office healthy with a limited budget.
- Start a walking group. Send out an email to your co-workers, or better yet, walk around to everyone’s desks and ask if they would like to choose one day a week to walk together. Need more motivation in your office? Companies like Walker Tracker and Walkingspree, offer healthy walking programs aimed at small businesses, priced at less than $100 per employee per year. Clients get their own secure website portal where employees enter how many steps they’ve taken each day (measured by pedometer), with participants often working in teams and competing challenges to win rewards. Walking competitions can be set up as a one-time event, or integrated into an ongoing program. The $100 spent per employee can add up to savings for your company too. Healthy employees use less sick days and have less health care related costs in general.
- Serving up a healthy, potluck-style lunch might also provide some good fuel for your co-workers. Ask everyone to bring a healthy, homemade dish. How about a salad potluck, where everyone brings their favorite salad? If your office is hosting a potluck try bringing a healthy salad, fruit tray or veggies with bean dip. Chilies with lean meats or beans can make for a healthy main dish at an office potluck or you can fire up the grill (if your office has one) with grilled meats and vegetables. Your co-workers will thank you when they don’t have a sugar crash at their desks later.
- Hold standing meetings. The don’t-take-a-seat approach is a good way to keep employees fit. Stand-up meetings are part of a fast-moving tech culture in which sitting has become synonymous with sloth, according to an article from the Wall Street Journal. Pass a weighted ball around when someone is speaking for a little extra strength training on the go!
- Work alone? Try these ideas at your desk to stay healthy independently.
#FitAtWork
Work is a huge part of our day. So even the smallest efforts can add up to huge, healthy benefits. Do you do anything to stay healthy in the office? Do you sit on a stability ball instead of an office chair? Do you eat a salad for lunch or take walking breaks when possible? Email Emileigh Clare at eclare@ydr.com or Tweet her @MissEClare to share your healthy tips with others. Or tweet about the topic on Twitter using the hashtag #FitAtWork.
Find more tips to stay healthy at work here.
