What are some best practices for designing and implementing physical activity policies in your workplace?

1. Create a survey for employees to take to gain insights into their needs and preferences regarding physical activity. This will help you understand what activities would be most beneficial and appealing to your employees. 2. Once you have gathered the survey responses, you need to analyze the data to identify patterns which will give you a clear understanding of the interests your employees have. 3. Based on the data collected from the survey, plan physical activities that are relevant to your employees. 4. Once you have planned the activities, implement them and make sure they are clearly communicated to all employees. 5. Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of your physical activity policies and make adjustments as needed.

Designing and implementing physical activity policies can enhance employee health and well-being. The first step to take is to assess the organisation's needs and preferences. This can be done by conducting surveys or focus groups in order to understand your employees' preferences, barriers and concerns. These insights from your employees will allow you to better understand their perspectives and allow them to then have resources to better their well-being within the workplace.

Figure out WHAT THE EMPLOYEES WANT FROM THIS PROGRAM! What are they looking for this program to do for them? Lose weight, gain weight, get buff, get tone? Ask and then you can see how this will become a success in the future.

> Involve employees in planning! > Survey their preferences, consider different fitness levels, and offer a variety of activity options (on-site gym, walking paths, remote options) to ensure high participation. > Go beyond policy. > Provide resources like dedicated break times for exercise, showers/changing facilities, and incentives to nudge employees towards activity. > Leaders set the tone! > Encourage participation by taking breaks themselves and promoting a culture of well-being. > Recognize employee efforts and celebrate successes.

Promoting a culture of wellness, providing access to facilities and resources for physical activity, and offering incentives and support for employees to engage in regular exercise.

> Offer a variety of options like on-site facilities, flexible work hours for exercise, or walking challenges. > Cater to different fitness levels and abilities. > Lead by example, educate staff on the benefits of activity, and encourage breaks with walking meetings or standing desks. > Consider offering rewards or subsidies for gym memberships, fitness trackers, or healthy commuting options.

Designing effective physical activity policies in the workplace begins with a thorough assessment of employee needs. Understanding these needs requires conducting surveys, analyzing health data, and gathering feedback on existing wellness programs. For example, at a previous company, we discovered through a study that most employees were interested in incorporating more physical activity into their daily routines but faced time constraints. This insight guided us to implement shorter, more frequent activity breaks rather than longer sessions. According to the World Health Organization, tailored physical activity programs can lead to a 20-30% reduction in absenteeism, highlighting the importance of addressing specific employee needs.

In my experience, we jumped right in. I was the lead on getting employees started, encouraging small bouts of health and wellness on a voluntary basis. Initially we printed in your area stretching routine cards. Every hour I would initiate the five minutes of movement. Simple things anyone can do just to get them up and moving their body every hour. Every single employee is in need of movement throughout the day. This had a snowball effect and became something much bigger and more wonderful than we anticipated. So jump in, start small, and people will follow.

How much are the team moving at the minute, and what impact is that having on their overall well-being and productivity? Find out where the gaps are and what kind of activity they prefer - it's not going to be the same for everyone!

Assessing your needs is the first step in designing effective physical activity policies. Conduct surveys and health assessments to understand the current activity levels and preferences of your employees. Identify barriers to physical activity, such as lack of time or facilities. Use this data to tailor policies that address specific needs and promote inclusivity. Understanding your workforce's unique challenges and interests ensures that your physical activity initiatives are relevant and have a higher likelihood of participation and success.

Think of your fitness goals like internet bandwidth; there's an optimal range that keeps everything running smoothly without overwhelming the system. Instead of setting Olympic-sized aspirations, aim for more manageable, down-to-earth targets. How about a "Walk and Talk" policy where meetings on the go become the norm, or challenging departments to "step duels" with a digital leaderboard to spark some friendly competition? It’s like aiming to cook a five-star meal when you're just getting comfortable making scrambled eggs—start small, get the basics right, and scale up as you gain confidence. Celebrate the small victories; after all, Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither were your glutes!

Once you have assessed the organisation's needs and preferences to better employee well-being you must then set realistic goals. You must establish clear, measurable objectives for the physical activity program. An example of this could be increase employee participation rates. These goals must align with the business' goals though. These goals must be manageable and attainable. It can be worthwhile setting specific objectives for different groups of employees too.

Things have to make sense, if you start off too strong people won't join and it won't work. Make them a stretch, but still accessible. You'll receive way more buy in.

You will need to think carefully about the best way to measure these different variables. For example, will you ask employees to self-report how much physical activity they got during the previous week or will you provide fitness trackers so that they can upload their information to a shared database? If you are hoping to see if increased physical activity rates reduces the number of sick days, you might want to consider hiring a company that specializes in this type of data collection. Determining a relationship between cause and effect in health outcomes is not always straightforward and requires a bit more planning to set-up a program to collect this kind of measurement.

Setting realistic goals is crucial for the success of physical activity policies. Define clear, achievable objectives that align with your organization's capabilities and employee needs. Goals might include increasing participation in fitness programs, reducing sedentary behavior, or improving overall employee health. Ensure that goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Realistic goals provide a clear direction and framework for implementation, making it easier to track progress and celebrate milestones, thereby motivating ongoing participation.

Setting realistic and achievable goals is crucial for the success of physical activity policies. Goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). In my experience, establishing clear objectives helped track progress and maintain motivation. For instance, we set a goal to increase employee participation in our wellness program by 15% over six months. This involved incremental steps like introducing lunchtime walks and providing incentives for participation. Research from the American Heart Association indicates that employees who participate in workplace wellness programs achieve better health outcomes, with a significant reduction in risk factors for chronic diseases.

At a bare minimum, businesses should offer a standing desk to those that want it as well as gym memberships as part of the compensation package. These are two simple ways to encourage employees to be more active.Ultimately, it is up to the employee to show some proactivity and desire to be more active but the business can make it more accessible and appealing.

Encourage at least 2 to 3 desk/PC breaks of 10 minutes each day. Employees can then get some steps in, ideally outside This will restore energy, cut mental fatigue and can reset the working flow Also, a wellbeing budget that could allow employees to join a gym or the company could hire a coach to set lifestyle programs for everyone A healthier workforce is a more productive one!

Gym memberships, organised on site lunchtime workouts with a coach, teaming up with a coach to provide subsidised employee health and fitness programs, an onsite exercise area are all good starts!

Support your team to exercise in their own time - gym memberships, a 5-a-side team, and lunchtime yoga classes are good examples. Provide a variety because not everyone's at the same level or has the same interests.

One of the most easiest and powerful ways to start your physical activity program is to focus on breaking up sitting time. We know that high levels of sitting (what many people do in the course of a workday) has a significant impact on health independent of body weight, physical activity and diet. You can start by having your employees work on breaking up their sitting time for a few minutes every 30-45 minutes throughout the day. During these "movement snacks" you can encourage them to do a a few stretches, body weight exercises, or light walking.

Incentives work wonders. Some of us our goal oriented and need something to work toward. Our company would provide a quarterly outing for participants in the wellness program. The employee would buy in and the company would match that. They could also bring their plus one. We also conducted a quarterly employee walk/jog at a local park on a Friday morning work day with a healthy breakfast provided by the company. It was great!

I totally agree with you on employers providing more wellness support! I’ve been an “all staff” Longevity Coach for years with companies (large and small). I can say that once we began working together the employees “emotional and mental” culture shifted a bit. They felt “cared” about. NOT TO MENTION the savings on insurance deductibles and policies due to a healthier staff!!

Providing diverse options and incentives encourages greater participation in physical activity programs. Offer a variety of activities, such as yoga classes, walking groups, or gym memberships, to cater to different interests and fitness levels. Incentivize participation with rewards like fitness challenges, recognition programs, or wellness bonuses. Flexible scheduling and remote options can accommodate employees with different work patterns. By offering choices and incentives, you make it easier and more appealing for employees to integrate physical activity into their daily routines.

Offering a variety of physical activity options and incentives can boost employee engagement. Flexibility allows employees to choose activities that fit their preferences and schedules, increasing the likelihood of participation. At my previous workplace, we provided options such as yoga classes, gym memberships, and walking clubs. Additionally, we introduced a reward system for consistent participation, including gift cards and additional paid time off. Studies show that incentivizing physical activity can lead to a 33% increase in employee participation rates. Providing diverse options and attractive incentives ensures that more employees are motivated to stay active.

More than one person needs to be involved in these types of programs. People need to understand that this is what you as a company prioritize. Not setting this up before installation is trying to fail.

Gain Management Support: Secure buy-in from leadership to ensure the policies are supported and funded adequately. Management endorsement can also motivate employee participation. Lead by Example: Encourage managers and leaders to participate in and promote physical activity initiatives. Their involvement can significantly influence employee participation.

Start with an assessment of your workplace. If employees are working on site, consider the features of your building that are set up to encourage activity. Think about things like stairs versus elevators - in many buildings, the staircases are small, grey, and not very inviting while elevators are decorated with mirrors, lighting (and TVs!) If you want to encourage activity, you have to create the conditions to support activity. Brightly painted and well lit staircases encourage more stair use. If employee are home based, provide them with information about ways to get more daily activity. We also know transit riders get an average of 20 extra minutes of activity every day- encourage and support employees to take transit regularly.

Los juegos deportivos en equipo son una herramienta fantástica para crear una cultura de apoyo en el trabajo. 🤾🏻♀️⛹🏻♀️ Al participar en estos deportes, no solo están alentando la actividad física, sino que tienen beneficios como: ⚡Forman relaciones más fuertes ⚡Desarrollan habilidades de comunicación y colaboración ⚡Aprenden a celebrar éxitos y apoyarse en dificultades ⚡Fomentan un ambiente de trabajo positivo Por otro lado, la participación de la alta gerencia en estos eventos envía un mensaje claro de que la actividad física es valorada y celebrada en la empresa. Sin duda, son una excelente oportunidad para que los líderes se conecten con sus empleados en un entorno informal y demuestren su compromiso con el bienestar.

Model the behaviours you wish to see in your team! Walking meetings, standing meetings, I've even seen plank-hold meetings to keep it sweet and efficient!

Creating a supportive culture is essential for sustaining physical activity initiatives. Promote a workplace environment that values health and wellness through leadership support and employee involvement. Encourage managers to lead by example and participate in activities. Provide resources such as informational sessions, fitness workshops, and mental health support. Foster a sense of community with team-based activities and challenges. A culture that prioritizes well-being creates a positive, motivating atmosphere where employees feel encouraged to stay active.

Creating a supportive culture around physical activity involves leadership buy-in, peer support, and integrating wellness into the company's values. Leadership can set a positive example by participating in activities and promoting wellness initiatives. For example, our CEO regularly joined our weekly team runs, which significantly boosted morale and participation. Additionally, establishing wellness champions among employees who encourage and support their peers can foster a sense of community. A supportive culture is crucial, as research by the International Journal of Workplace Health Management indicates that employees in supportive environments are 3.4 times more likely to engage in physical activities.

Employee surveys, group meetings, if you have a vendor come in and ask questions as to what worked and what they'd like to see differently. It's an iterative process, where you continuously need to keep improving as your people change as well.

Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of physical activity policies and initiatives through surveys, feedback mechanisms, and quantitative measures such as participation rates and health outcomes. Use feedback to make adjustments and improvements to the policy over time.

Evaluating and improving your physical activity policies ensures they remain effective and relevant. Regularly collect feedback from employees through surveys and focus groups to understand their experiences and suggestions. Analyze participation rates, health outcomes, and overall satisfaction. Use this data to identify strengths and areas for improvement. Adapt and update your policies based on feedback and changing needs. Continuous evaluation and improvement help maintain high engagement and effectiveness, ensuring long-term success of your physical activity initiatives.

Continuous evaluation and improvement of physical activity policies ensure their long-term effectiveness. Regularly collecting feedback and analyzing participation data can help identify areas for improvement and make necessary adjustments. In our organization, we conducted quarterly surveys and reviewed participation metrics to understand the impact of our wellness programs. Based on the feedback, we adjusted the timing of activities and introduced new options that better suited employee preferences. According to a Society for Human Resource Management study, organizations that regularly evaluate and update their wellness programs see a 21% higher employee engagement rate. Continuous improvement keeps the program relevant and effective.