1. Promote parties or catering around healthy foods- look down on doughnuts/bagels keep fresh fruit in a basket and filtered water available for employees instead.
  2. Create lunch hour walking groups or small group personal training by fitness level- this creates a social outlet for employees while making dramatic improvements on overall health through physical activity.
  3. Provide weekly yoga or Pilates classes during lunch time- these mind/body practices will reduce stress ultimately reducing stress related health concerns like high blood pressure, cardiac issues, obesity, etc.
  4. Develop a corporate gym membership for employees (discounted or free); offering a free or discounted gym membership to an employee could increase their activity and overall health.
  5. Bring in a smoking cessation program- one of the number one ways to reduce health risk is to cut out smoking.
  6. Create a biggest loser program with educational seminars from health professionals and accountability weigh in with winner incentives upon program completion.
  7. Provide appliances in the kitchen/break room that promote health (tea pot, blender, filtered water, etc.)
  8. Clean out your vending machines. Strip out the cookies and candy bars, and replace with healthier snacks such as trail mix and protein bars, etc.
  9. Invest in pedometers. For just a few dollars each, you can buy pedometers for your employees. Pass them out and encourage staffers to keep track of the number of daily steps, walking a few extra each day. You can even start a walking competition at work. Some insurance providers will offer pedometers free.
  10. Encourage employees to take the health risk assessments- Be sure to make assessments voluntary and confidential, and assure employees that the results won’t be shared with anyone. This will give the employee insight to health concerns and may motivate them to make healthy lifestyle changes.  Offer incentives such as two free movie tickets or a drawing to win a ipad to entice employees to complete the assessment
  11. Review claims data – By reviewing claims data at the yearend you can see if there are common health issues or concerns.  If several employees have high blood pressures bring in health professionals to provide a demo and education piece on low sodium cooking and/or stress management.
  12. Encourage employees to stock desk with healthy snacks to avoid temptation.  Healthy snacks include – trail mix, protein shake/bars, chopped fruits, vegetables, herbal teas, etc.
  13. Hydration – provide employees with large tumbler cups for drinking water.  Most employees are dehydrated throughout the work day.  Adequate hydration (half your body weight in ounces of water per day) will decrease cravings and increase mental alertness.
  14. Bring your own healthy lunch contest – post healthy packed lunch pictures on social media sites, those who bring them most healthy and creative lunches win a prize.
  15. Provide employees with desk stretches to relieve stress especially in neck and shoulders.

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