Posts from — October 2010

Gaining senior level management support is crucial to the success of a exercise program.

Whether or not the changes you would like to make involve the work environment, overall policies or specific programs, successfully implementing your ideas depends on senior management support.

Support from senior management is crucial for three reasons -

o  You’ll need their agreement to involve staff members in a workplace program.

o  When senior level management pays attention to and supports an initiative, staff also see the initiative as worthwhile.

o  Management has the power to give work time and money to support the wellness program.

It’s vital that you keep upper-level management involved throughout a physical activity initiative, but at three points you will need support for -

o  An overall concept, including a go-ahead to assess what personnel want to do within the limitations of your worksite environment.

o  A detailed plan (based on the assessment above) coupled with resources to carry out the plan.

o  Reviewing the initiative to improve it along the way or to advocate for continuing or expanding the initiative.

Approaching Management

Before approaching executive management to gain initial support for promoting physical activity during the workday, do your homework.

o  Prepare a company case obviously outlining how the company will benefit by promoting physical activity during the workday.

o  List the individual, social and corporate benefits of exercise and the benefits of being active during the workday.

o  Give some general ideas about what the wellness program might include.

Expect questions like the following from upper management -

o  Just how this help our organization?

o  Exactly how can we motivate workers to participate?

o  How much will it cost to run this health promotion program or make this change?

o  Just how are we going to know a year from now when this was a good use of time and resources?

Ask managers about the range of activities they would support. Oftentimes managers have ideas of their own they would like to see acted on to increase the worksite.

Don’t forget to include middle managers when gaining support for your wellness program. They could be very helpful when you need volunteers to lead teams in corporate physical activity challenges.

In today’s company environment, the health of employees is often related to the health of the company. Enhanced job satisfaction, improved morale, reduced illness and injuries, and increased productivity are just some benefits of having healthy employees.

Promoting health in your workplace doesn’t have to be complicated, costly or time-consuming. Any corporation, big or small, can promote healthful consuming and active living in the workplace. Here are some suggestions -

Healthy Eating

o  For breakfast meetings, in lieu of serving donuts, large muffins, cookies, tea and coffee with cream and sugar, offer healthier alternatives like bagels, small muffins, fresh fruit, water, 100 percent fruit juice and milk with coffee and tea.

o  For lunch meetings, avoid serving chips, fried foods, rich pastas, and salads loaded with dressing. Instead, offer sandwiches, bagels, whole grain low fat crackers and cheese, 100  percent fruit juice, water, salads with dressing on the side, vegetable and fruit trays.

o  Reimburse workers for items purchased to improve their health (e.g. healthful consuming cookbooks, consultation with a Registered Dietitian).

o  Arrange for the cafeteria or food vendors to offer healthy food choices.

o  Arrange to have healthful options like bottled water, 100 percent fruit juice, fruit bars, and raisins available in vending machines.

o  Provide a means for individuals  to share healthy recipes with each other (for example, posting recipes on the Intranet, on posters or by e-mail).

Active Living

o  Plan events and group activities to encourage workforce to become active, like walking programs, contests and challenge events, stretch breaks, team sports or participation in local or provincial events.

o  Offer onsite health experts (e.g. personal trainers, fitness instructors) or incorporate this service in staff member assistance programs to help employees work towards exercise goals.

o  Provide a supportive environment in the worksite that makes healthy options easy - bike racks, shower facilities, clean, safe and accessible stairwells, walking or running routes close by the worksite, and health and fitness center facilities.

o  Allow for flex time so that workers have more opportunities to take part in exercise plans as part of their working day.

o  Reimburse employees for full or partial club membership fees, fitness class registrations, and fitness equipment purchases.

o  Give corporate gym memberships to reduce costs of individual memberships.

Keeping It Fresh!

Find a champion to -

o  Organize lunch “n learn sessions to provide information and motivation for healthy eating and active living.

o  Invite demonstrators to provide cooking lessons or tips for making healthful foods.

o  Post a rotating list in a common room of local restaurants that offer healthy food options on their menus.

o  Distribute information to educate workers on portion sizes.

o  Include physical activity and nutrition information in newsletters, pay check inserts, bulletin boards or e-mails.

o  Plan activities that promote healthful eating and exercise. for example, start a year-round lunch-time walking club, and special activities

Can a small corporation support corporate health promotion? Absolutely! Truly, in some ways it is easier to develop a healthful workplace in a small corporation than in a big business.

Limited resources, namely in small companies, can prevent an business from establishing up a health promotion program. Reasons can include -

o  lack of budget resources;

o  lack of staff;

o  lack of senior-level support;

o  little knowledge of the wellness concept and;

o  concern about making wellness available to all workforce.

According to the Wellness Councils of America, some small company owners may have the wrong idea of what is involved in having a wellness program.

Some businesss aren’t sure a wellness program would really work and others feel that trying to change personal lifestyle behaviours is intruding and “none of their business”.

Perhaps they do not understand that it does not need to be expensive and that they do not need special staff. They may not realize that some staff would like to see some healthful changes and would help make things happen in their worksite.

It can be Done

A lot of small corporations have found ways to have a health promotion program that works for them. They keep the cost and effort to a minimum and still have results that are positive for everyone.

In 2006, Graham Lowe wrote a report on the best places to work in Calgary. He said that healthy worksites often have a “positive worksite culture”.  In a worksite with a positive culture, people  feel appreciated, valued, and trusted.

Dr. Lowe says it is easier for a small workplace to have a positive workplace culture than for a big workplace. A lot of workers prefer to work for a small company, he says, because it provides more opportunities to work closely with others and develop a sense of community.

In his report, Dr. Lowe says the most successful corporations with fewer than 100 staff members have -

o  excellent worker benefits;

o  policies that promote a balance between work and personal life;

o  flexible schedules;

o  competitive salaries;

o  great leadership with an emphasis on teamwork;

o  environmentally responsible company policies;

o  procedures for seeking worker input; and

o  A focus on placing employees’ personal well-being ahead of the personal gain of company leaders.

All or most of these elements are also components of a good wellness program.

Tips and Ideas

There are numerous ways to include wellness in a small corporation. You don’t necessarily need a wellness expert or a fancy health club.

What you do need is support from executive management and a committee of a few committed people . Here are some ideas that your worksite can consider.

Communications and Promotion

o  Send out a regular “wellness” newsletter in hard copy or online. Or send out a simple message like the weekly Healthful U Hot Tip.

o  Use promotions that are already designed such as Healthy Worksite Week.

Active Living and Healthful Eating

o  Make sure to encourage staff to sign up for the Stairway to Health stair climbing competition.

o  Get pedometers for workers and track their steps.

o  Rent a nearby school or community gym and offer exercise classes.

o  Hire a local fitness instructor to give classes or lead stretch breaks. Costs can be shared with employees.

o  Install secure bicycle parking.

o  Serve healthy alternatives at corporation meetings and lunches.

Policy and Organizational Programs

o  Hire an ergonomics expert to assess workstations.

o  Create policies to support work-life balance (for example, mandatory vacations, flextime, limits to work and e-mail on personal time).

o  Give a wellness subsidy for a selection of health and leadership activities and courses.

o  Make available financial incentives to be healthful.

o  Provide wellness incentives as rewards and recognition for a job well done.

o  Conduct an organizational health audit (NQI Healthful Workplace Week).

o  Become a partner with the community (for example, daycare, gyms, festivals, parks, restaurants).

o  Spread the workload. Make certain to set up a wellness committee.

Small companies may not have a lot of time, money, or human resources available for a wellness program. But they often have a huge advantage over large companiesâ.”a positive workplace culture.

That is a excellent foundation for a wellness program. When workforce are satisfied, enjoy their work environment, they are more productive, and tend to be healthier.  With a little creativity and passion, small businesses can create successful wellness programs.

Get support from management, form a committee of two or more and discover the possibilities!

Company wellness is evolving.

Early efforts to develop healthy worksites focused on safety at the worksite and injury avoidance for workers.

More recently, wellness programs are designed to assist workforce to choose healthier behaviours like being more physically active or quitting use of tobacco.

Campaigns to increase awareness, educational sessions to increase knowledge, opportunities to learn new skills, and changes to policies to make it easier for workers to make healthful choices are often included.

This approach is taken because the workplace is a good way to reach individuals , since most adult Americans spend a large part of their day at work.

While safety and lifestyle programs are two aspects that contribute to the health of workers, company wellness is more effective when a third factor is brought into the equationâ.”the environment at work.

Exactly how the worksite affects health.

Increasingly, it’s recognized that the worksite itself has a powerful affect on people ’s health. When people  are satisfied with their job, they’re more productive and tend to be healthier. When workers feel that the environment at work is negative, they feel stressed.

Stress has a big impact on staff member mental and physical health, and in turn, on productivity.

Consultant Graham Lowe has identified five components of worksite culture that directly affect employees’ health and the health of the organization overallâ.”credibility, respect, fairness, pride, and friendship.

The underlying idea is that businesses must genuinely care about the wellness of their employees.

Organizations today who want to attract and keep good workers have leaders who understand the connection between worker satisfaction and worker health and believe that company health promotion is a company strategy.

Their senior level management practices include making reasonable demands on time and energy, involving workforce in decision making, rewarding work well done, openly communicating, and providing support to balance work and home life.

Companys know that personnel are looking for jobs that pay well, have good benefits, are fascinating, and include great health and safety programs. So in today’s competitive hiring market, it’s become more important than ever for businesses to enhance job satisfaction and ensure that personnel enjoy being on the job.

Corporate health promotion benefits both employers and personnel.

Just how does company wellness benefit the business?

A wellness program can help a company to -

o  Attract and keep employees;

o  reduce the costs of disability, drugs, and absenteeism;

o  reduce the effects of a stressful workplace;

o  reduce medical costs or keep them contained; and

o  improve morale by creating a happy, supportive environment.

Precisely how does employee wellness benefit employees?

Employees of businesses that have a wellness program are likely to have -

o  increased awareness and knowledge of ways to improve their health;

o  A better (less stressful) workplace;

o  increased protection from injury;

o  improved health and well-being;

o  higher morale and greater job satisfaction;

o  increased productivity and effectiveness at work;

o  reduced personal health care costs; and

o  A more relaxed/flexible approach to health issues.

Both employers and personnel have a responsibility for creating a healthy workplace. Workers are expected to arrive at work in good health, and the employer is expected to provide an environment that permits personnel to maintain good health, enjoy their work, and contribute to the corporation’s success.

Company health promotion is more than a “lunch and learn” program. It is about developing a “people  first” approach to doing business.

It is about taking care of staff members, establishing a positive work environment, and compensating attention to the factors that keep staff members healthful and happy at work.

A good wellness program has an impact on employees’ mental, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual wellness.

Ideally, you will develop an overall plan for a health promotion program before starting to plan specific health promotion programs. for example, you can start by getting the following elements in place -

o  support from upper management

o  A wellness committee or team

o  information about the wellness needs and interests of employees

o  A budget

o  health promotion program objectives

o  An investigation plan

Even if you’ve few financial and/or human resources, you can still take a “micro” approach. for  instance, you could focus on only one specific issue or problem. Creativity, enthusiasm and planning can help you overcome limitations.

This article will give you some ideas for establishing up wellness programs. Even the smallest steps can have an impact.

Whether you choose to start with a single health promotion program or create something larger, planning is essential. First think about the large picture and then look after the details.

Ask yourself these questions -

o  Identify an action. What health-related wellness program will fit the bill and best suit the employees and organization?

o  Promote. Just how can you most effectively get the word out to employees? What are the opportunities for promotion? Consider everything, because workers have access to and pay attention to different kinds of messages.

In a average worksite, workforce get information from e-mail, newsletters, bulletins, handouts, meeting announcements and fellow workforce.

o  Deliver. Who’s the best individuals or group to put the health promotion program into action? Ask other companies about approaches they have used. Decide on your budget before making a decision.

o  Evaluate. What should you evaluate to determine success? Do you need hard data and/or testimonials from individual participants?

We recommend the following when planning your wellness program -

o  building and communicating clear wellness program objectives

o  Targeting your audience

o  deciding on the type of health promotion program or campaign

The Elements of Wellness Programming

Programs to promote wellness in the workplace don’t need to be restricted to a single area. You could think employee health promotion only involves promoting positive personal health, e.g., blood pressure (BP) clinics, handouts on heart illness, “lunch and learn” workshops on eating habits and short-term exercise programs.

These activities are important, but company health promotion should also be part of a corporation’s corporation strategy and go beyond traditional health promotion programming.

Taking a broader approach, the National Quality Institute recently identified three key elements of a healthy workplace -

o  physical environment

o  social environment and personal resources

o  health practices

Specific Program Ideas

Physical Environment

Look after workers’ health and safety and establish regulations to support their health and safety. Consider providing the following -

o  Safe bike storage and shower and/or change facilities for cyclists and other commuters.

o  Fridges for employees to keep snacks and meals fresh and/or healthful snacks in vending machines and cafeterias.

o  Ergonomic assessments.

o  Subsidies to help employees join local recreation centers.

o  Classrooms/conference rooms available for booking activities such as yoga, pilates, tai chi, meditation and aerobics.

o  Safe and pleasant stairwells that invite staff to use them.

o  Reviewing the potential for violence at work with plans to deal with such risks.

o  Good lighting and sound and air quality.

Social Environment

Human relationships and communication, in addition to ways of doing company, can affect an employee’s mental and physical health. Businesses should consider the following -

o  respectful workplace policies that provide safe workplaces

o  policies on flex time

o  policies on working from home

o  employee satisfaction surveys

o  leadership coaching

o  resiliency training

o  worker assistance programs

To foster a positive social culture or climate, consider employees’ needs, which include -

o  being respected

o  A sense of belonging, purpose and mission

o  freedom of expression

o  protection from harassment and discrimination

What you have “always done” may not address current employee needs. Ensuring that people  enjoy being at work is not an easy task, but making the right changes can have a gigantic impact.

Health Practices

Make available wellness programs and set policies that help workers remain healthful or improve their health while at work. Consider offering the following -

o  ”Lunch and learn sessions” on healthful habits such as sleeping better, consuming on the run, healthful snacks, using a pedometer, pole walking, work-life balance, time management, stress management, resiliency, parenting and reading nutrition labels.

o  Stop smoking clinics or subsidies to help workforce quit.

o  Health risk assessments, including fitness assessments.

o  Programs to address the issues raised in the health risk appraisals.

o  Healthful snacks served at meetings and conferences.

Personal Employee Health Promotion Tips

If there is no health promotion program at your worksite, don’t let that stop you from keeping healthy. Perhaps your example will spark a movement toward a healthier worksite.

Here are several ideas to think about -

o  be active at work. There are numerous ways to bring activity into your workday. Walk to work, even if it’s just one way. Hold walking meetings. Bike to work. Use the stairs. Walk to a workmate’s office instead of sending an e-mail.

o  Eat well at work. Pack a healthful snack and meal. Place a bottle of water at your desk or workstation. Eat breakfast and eat regularly during the day. Take turns bringing a basket of fruit for peers’ snacks. Order healthful snacks for meetings.

o  Maintain work-life balance. Be sure to work efficiently so you can leave on time. Conduct short, effective meetings. Leave your work at work and don’t take it home.

Minimize social chit-chat. Make sure to set up your office to enhance your work. Prevent clutter. Plan and prioritize to ensure that the most essential things get done first.

There is no limit to the number or variety of wellness programs. A key to success is planning well and ensuring that you can evaluate the results so that you can sustain momentum.

Talk to other wellness practitioners to find out what works well for them. Listen to your colleagues to determine their needs and interests.  And do not forget to promote, promote, promote.

A lot of organizations recognize the need for a robust strategy to help their employees be the best they can be.

They also know that successful and sustainable wellness programs are much more than a few “lunch and learn” programs.

Your health promotion program should include a broad range of key elements, including -

o  A clear agenda or statement of objectives.

o  A plan characterized by passion.

o  An effective leader who is creative and organized.

o  A focus on short-term outcomes combined with an overall vision.

o  A measurable strategy (what’s important gets measured!).

o  A policy of celebrating and communicating success.

Developing Your Wellness Program

Plan carefully to ensure that your health promotion program is seen as part of a wide commitment to maintaining the health and safety of all workforce. Yes, building a good plan takes a lot of effort and time (and sometimes resources).

But planning is essential and well worth the investment required.  As the saying goes, “failing to plan is planning to fail.”

You could start by conducting a recent survey of worker needs and interests. When you take this route, pay attention to the results and plan thus. When you don’t, the staff will not support the health promotion program.

Gathering information about what you’re already offering is also a good idea. for  instance, you might be surprised by your corporation or company’s current wellness and health policies.

Another important step is to establish an agenda and/or measurable goals to help you determine priorities, timelines and the resources required to launch the wellness program. be bold and creative in your planning, but also realistic.

Leadership

The leader of your health promotion program ought to be able to wear many hats.  The leader’s duties include -

o  Developing a vision of the wellness program after receiving input from all interested staff members.

o  Communicating ideas and a rationale throughout the company (to upper-level managers and fellow employees alike).

o  Keeping others enthusiastic about and committed to a wellness program.

o  Serving as a role model and wellness coach.

o  Developing and maintaining leadership skills like giving effective presentations and being well-organized.

Good leaders avoid becoming overwhelmed by overly ambitious and complex plans. You might want to stick to short-term objectives at the beginning so that you get immediate and visible results.

These first steps are the basis for a successful health promotion program.

Good leaders involve as many individuals  as possible in the health promotion program. for example, you’ll want to form a committee made up of a diverse group of workforce to provide advice during the planning phase. This approach will -

o  Be sure to help you to obtain valuable information from all parts of the company.

o  Create ambassadors who’ll help you implement the wellness program.

Keeping Score and Celebrating

Always keep in mindhow you will monitor progress and evaluate the success of your wellness program. Examination authorizes you to -

o  Identify areas of excellence.

o  Identify factors that affect participation in your wellness programs.

o  Gain management’s support for your efforts (and maintain that support).

o  Better understand issues that need attention.

o  Learn from mistakes and change the wellness program to keep it on the right track.

When you evaluate your health promotion program, you are able to measure such things as -

o  Employee absences.

o  Worker turnover rates.

o  The price of your staff member assistance program.

o  The fee of benefits, including short-term and long-term disability payments.

o  The cost of your drug plan.

o  Accident rates and safety records.

o  Employees’ participation in wellness programs (and whether they’re staying in the wellness programs).

o  Changes in employees’ health habits.

o  Level of employees’ awareness of healthful lifestyle issues.

o  Results of your environmental wellness audit.

o  Other noticeable changes in areas like morale and job satisfaction.

A good communications plan provides ongoing information to workers (including senior managers) and fosters excitement about the wellness program.

Positive reinforcement is part of an effective communications plan. for  instance, you may recognize people who have helped set up the wellness program or offer tangible rewards for achieving objectives.

Everybody needs to know whether employees are getting involved, enjoying the activities and getting some benefit from them. Showing that a health promotion program has financial benefits is usually an important factor to maintain strong support from the top.

If you pay attention to the key elements of your wellness program and communicate openly and continuously while planning and delivering it, you’ll lay a solid foundation and leave a legacy that lasts.

Just how does physical activity fit into a full-time worker’s busy schedule? Oftentimes, it doesn’t.

One possible solution to this challenge is to make exercise a part of the work day. Obviously, being active at work is beneficial for staff.

But employers also benefit from having fit, energetic and healthy staff who are more productive.

The challenges

Your job takes up a lot of your time. In addition to the hours you spend actually working, there is the time required to get to and from work and take lunch and rest breaks during the work day.

In the end, there are a limited number of hours left over for the rest of your life. This work life imbalance is specifically true for Alberta, where statistics show that we work exceptionally hard.

A lot of jobs today are sedentary, and many Americans drive to work.  The pressures of work might also cause us to eat lunch at our desks and skip breaks.

Then, after work or on the weekends we juggle household chores, family responsibilities and social engagements.

Wellness Programs -  Get began on a workplace fitness program

Management plays a key role in creating a culture that promotes health.  The leaders at your worksite influence the various policies and the informal or formal practices, and these policies and practices affect your attitude towards healthy active living.

Begin by talking to your boss about the benefits of a healthful active workplace.  The best way to ensure the success of a workplace fitness program is to have the upper management on side and cheering you on.

Ask your boss to consider taking these actions -

o  Send a memo or message about the importance of health and healthy living that encourages staff to take an active break each day.

o  Provide for flexible work hours that help staff to be more physically active. for  instance, they could need to take a longer lunch break to attend an exercise class, making up the time by coming to work early or staying late.

o  Make available a meeting room or other suitable office space for noon-hour yoga or exercise classes, and hire a teacher to lead them, or use videos.

If your boss agrees to support a workplace fitness program, don’t forget to say thanks.

You don’t need an onsite gym

Only very large companies can afford onsite fitness facilities such as exercise equipment or squash courts. Still, most employers can take other inexpensive steps to support staff who wish to become more active.

For  instance -

o  Arrange for discounted fees for staff at a health and fitness center, recreation centeror YMCA facility.

o  Install showers and a place to hang a towel. (Be sure the showers are cleaned regularly and that women who use them will feel secure.)

o  Install bike racks or a locked enclosure that is safe, conveniently located and well lighted.

o  Hold walking meetings and set up lunch-hour walking groups

o  Make staff aware of safe and pleasant walking routes near the workplace, in addition to nearby facilities that offer fitness plans (like walking, swimming, running, yoga, stretching).

o  Hire a licensed instructor to teach staff about health, fitness and how to become more active.

Any size and type of worksite can support workers who wish to be physically active. It is highly desirable to get upper-level management on side.

Even if your boss is not supportive, you can still find ways to get moving more. Make sure to set up activities for groups and person, and encourage your colleagues to join in.

We all know that physical activity is an important part of health and wellness. But sometimes it is hard to find time for physical activity.

Lack of time is the number one barrier that individuals  say prevents them from participating in exercise on a regular basis.

The good news is that even short sessions of exercise help your health. Research has shown that 10-minute sessions that add up to between 30 and 60 minutes a day can produce significant health benefits.

Likewise, there are numerous ways busy people  can use to be more active. These strategies include -

o  multi-tasking

o  being active at work

o  being active with loved ones

o  scheduling activity into daily life

Different strategies work for different individuals . Being familiar with the different strategies is key to adopting and maintaining an active lifestyle.

Read on to check out strategies you can attempt. With enough commitment, some of them are sure to work for you.

Strategy #1 -  Multi-tasking

The first strategy you can attempt is multi-tasking. This means doing things you already do, but in a more physically active way.

This way you get done what you need to get done and you get exercise at the same time.

For  instance, you are already travelling to work and other places. Instead of taking the automobile or the bus every time, attempt using active methods of transportation like bicycling, inline skating, walking and skateboarding.

When you can’t use active transportation for a whole trip, try to be active for at least part of the trip. When you’re riding the bus, for instance, get off several blocks early and walk the rest of the way.

Active transportation benefits your body by increasing your activity level, and it also benefits your neighbourhood and the environment by decling the number of cars on the road.

You can also get physical activity while doing housework and chores.

When you’re working around home, attempt to be creative and look for the active choice. for  instance, when you’re cleaning the crack between the fridge and the counter, why not move the fridge so you are able to clean the area better and build your strength at the same time?

For outdoor work, opt for the old-fashioned way of doing things, as they are usually more active. for  instance, use a snow shovel rather than a snow blower.

Strategy #2 -  be Active at Work

A lot of American Citizens spend eight hours a day or more working at a sedentary job. Here are several simple ways to keep your body moving during the workday.

The physical activity will revitalize you and help you be more productive.

When you’re working at your desk, try sitting on a stability ball or disk for part of your day (30 minutes to an hour). This gives your back and abdominals a workout.

Take active breaks at least once a day. During your coffee break, try doing some yoga, stretching or taking a quick walk.

You might find that walking up and down the stairs several times does a better job of rejuvenating you than the java jolt.

Speaking of the stairs, take them instead of the elevator whenever you can.  The stairs in your building are an opportunity to get your heart pumping.

Organize walking meetings at work. Getting outside and having meetings in a less formal setting is a excellent way to be active, makes the workday more fun and encourages creative ideas for work projects.

Strategy #3 -  be Active With Your Loved Ones

Do physical activity with your family, friends, neighbours and pets. With this strategy, you and your loved ones are doing some great multi-tasking together -  enjoying quality time with each other and getting some of the physical activity that you all need to be healthy.

Go for walks, swims or bicycle rides together. Play Frisbee, soccer and other games and sports together. When you take your kids to the park, play with them instead of just watching them play.

A lot of community facilities offer classes that keep you and your children active at the same time. Research these classes and take one or two.

You can even be active when you’re watching your kids do activities without you. for example, when your child plays hockey, take the opportunity to walk up and down the stairs in the stands a few times.

When you feel self-conscious about doing it alone, why not gather a group of parents to do it together?

Strategy #4 -  Schedule Exercise into Your Day

Schedule your physical activity directly into your daytimer. Be certain to set a specific time and place for exercising. Make your physical activity appointments a priority, just as important as any other appointment you put in your daytimer.

To help you stay committed to your exercise appointments, you could want to make appointments that involve other individuals  - like by meeting with a fitness trainer, taking an exercise class or jogging with a friend.

When you are not sure how many appointments to make or what you ought to be doing during your appointments, try consulting with a fitness trainer. A fitness trainer can help you create a physical activity plan and schedule.

The bottom line -  determine what works best for you. Experiment with the strategies. Find inspiration by talking to other individuals  about how they keep active and what strategies they use.

Be creative and patient while you determine what strategies work best for you.  And be aware that your “best strategy” may change from time to time.

With enough effort, you will discover what works for you. Then, run with it!

o  Commit to worksite exercise in policy statements and commit funding to exercise initiatives.

o  Obviously communicating the advantages of being physically active during the workday reinforces the company’s commitment to helping all personnel be active.

Use meetings, bulletin boards, newsletters and e-mail to reach as many workforce as possible at least once a year.

o  Provide flex time for exercise. Invite employees who actively commute to work or exercise during lunch to make up any missed time later in the day.

o  Allow staff to work part time, so that they can participate in physical activity.

o  Include a exercise account in your benefit plan to pay for or subsidize fitness memberships, assessments, classes, counselling or instruction.

o  Give interest-free loans for employees to purchase bicycles or good walking footwear/runners.

o  Conduct periodic surveys of staff exercise preferences, and offer a variety of choices to suit those interests and needs.

o  Hire certified individuals  to lead stretch breaks or physical activity programs or classes. for help in finding accredited fitness leaders, visit Alberta’s Provincial Fitness Unit.

o  Recognize personnel who participate in exercise. Survey personnel first to determine how they prefer to be recognized, e.g., through business newsletters, appreciation lunches, rewards and/or thank you notes.

o  Provide child care and other family-friendly amenities during physical activities that occur after work.

o  Avoid scheduling meetings over lunch.

o  Make sure to encourage active breaks in lieu of coffee breaks.

o  Have active fundraisers rather than bingos. for  instance, staff might climb the Calgary Tower stairs or take turns riding a stationary bicycle for 24 hours.

o  Make birthday celebrations active times. Instead of a lunch, invite the birthday individuals to select an activity. Choices could include a session with a yoga instructor or an evening ski trip.

o  Promote a casual dress day. One study found that employees who dress casually were more physically active.

o  Make sure that your building’s stairwells are clean, attractive and safe, and post signs encouraging workforce to use the stairs.

o  Establish a wellness newsletter or intranet.

o  Promote the Activity Tracker and encourage staff to track their exercise every week.

o  be creative, and make the most of the workspace you have. for example, mark off a safe walking path inside or around the building.

You might also set up a training circuit, highlighting features of the worksite like stairs.

o  Give physical activity opportunities at different times to accommodate night-, shift-, and part-time workers.

o  For personnel in remote or satellite offices, offer equal access to key health promotion programs via the intranet. Adapt challenges to suit their environment and take advantage of local facilities and resources.

o  Make physical activity available to staff with special needs. Adapt information and activities for any staff who are visually impaired or physically disabled in addition to for individuals  who speak English as a second language.

o  Educate staff members about physical activity using information from reputable sources such as the Alberta Center for Active Living.

o  Provide facilities that invite on-site exercise. Possibilities include bike racks, an exercise room, change rooms with lockers and showers, and safe and attractive grounds for walking.

o  Hold walking meetings.

o  Make certain to encourage workers to walk to coworkers’ offices instead of e-mailing or phoning.

o  Make sure to set up a stretching room. This low-cost initiative requires only a room, stretching mats, stability balls and medicine balls. Put up posters that show stretches and exercises.

o  Give incentives like shoe bags, ball caps, T-shirts or water bottles to reward staff participation.

o  Loan out pedometers for three months, so that staff can find out how many steps they ordinarily take and how much activity they need to add to get basic health benefits.

o  Make space for staff members to plant and maintain a flowerbed or garden at the workplace. Use any resulting produce for meetings and potluck lunches or donate it to charity.

o  Plan a workplace health fair.

o  Hire a certified fitness specialist to design and manage an onsite fitness facility.

o  Supply workforce with active wear that shows off the corporation logo.