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Wellness programs

5 simple ways to engage employees in wellness

By Jewels Lett
Published September 29, 2017 12:10 PM
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Updated September 29, 2017 12:12 PM
1 Min Read

January is long gone, but keeping employees enthusiastic about their New Year’s resolutions to improve their health should remain a top priority. As companies strive to support their employee populations with wellness programs that better their health, health coach Jewels Lett says there are several ways to keep employees inspired. Here are five strategies Lett says employers should consider.

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5 simple ways to engage employees in wellness

January is long gone, but keeping employees enthusiastic about their New Year’s resolutions to improve their health should remain a top priority. As companies strive to support their employee populations with wellness programs that better their health, health coach Jewels Lett says there are several ways to keep employees inspired. Here are five strategies Lett says employers should consider.
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1. Offer employee discounts at multiple fitness centers.

Don’t try to be the Lone Ranger savior — elicit the support of local gyms, yoga studios and fitness centers through discounted memberships for your employees. Negotiate a mass discount your employees can tap into at as many local fitness centers as possible.
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2. Encourage team competitions.

Encourage employees to build their own teams and report back to you to earn rewards. If you are seeking a way to get many employees involved and track progress electronically, consider an app like MyChallengeTrackerPortal. Make sure your employees are aware that the app will display their progress and have them sign a consent form prior to participating.
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3. Host fitness challenges.

Body weight exercises are a safe, easy way to organize challenges that cater to a variety of fitness levels. For example, consider hosting a “50 days of 50” challenge that includes an easy-to-follow calendar, with each day featuring a different body weight exercise (squats, push-ups, sit-ups, etc.) ating.
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4. Reward workers.

Reward your employees with items that are health-focused. Consider things like:
· Subscription to Hello Fresh, or another healthy food delivery service
· Gift cards to an athletic store
· Gift certificates for cooking classes
· Gift cards to a local yoga studio
· Fitness tracking devices
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5. Conduct informational sessions with health specialists.

Bring in local trainers and exercise specialists to conduct lunch and learn sessions for your employees. For example, host a “Couch to 5K” informational session where interested individuals can learn more about the process, ask questions and speak to other people who have participated.

While these ideas can get employees started on the path toward regular exercise, some strategies work better with some workplace cultures than others. In the end, though, no one has a better pulse on the employee population than the employer. However, the best way to ensure that a strategy will be effective? Poll employees to get a sense of their interests and what will work best to motivate them to achieve their fitness goals.

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Jewels Lett
Dietician and health coach
Jewels Lett is a registered dietitian and health coach at Marathon Health, a provider of onsite health centers that enable employers to optimize the... Read full bio
Wellness programs Health and wellness Wellness Employee engagement Benefit communication Employee communications
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