These are fun and easy events that could be done within your business to motivate healthful behaviors during a contest or during other times. The goal is to encourage worker participation. Some examples
o Create a sub-committee of enthusiastic staff who will help promote the fitness program by offering ideas, suggestions and encouragement to fellow employees.
o Create monthly mailbox flyers to promote a contest or provide fitness-related education/encouragement information.
o Send a weekly voicemail on each participant’s telephone with stimulating wellness messages.
o Give regular cumulative health progress reports.
o Make available low-fat or heart-healthy lunch selections once a week in your cafeteria or have employees bring a healthy snack to share, with a recipe book compiled after the contest or specified period (such as a National Nutrition Month in March).
o Distribute staff member gifts (pedometers or other novelty item related to some aspect of your contest theme) as registration starts.
o Allow personnel “Fitness15-Minute Walk Breaks;” corporation time to walk, exercise, etc. When appropriate, you may use a space not currently used to set up a treadmill, elliptical bicycle, some free weights and meditation music.
o Hold a T-shirt design contest.
o Create posters to map contest (or fitness) progress and to serve as reminder of your objectives
o Use push pins or other identifiers for each individual to put up in the office showing how they have progressed – personnel can get very creative with this and design pins that reflect their personalities.
o Use a bar graph to compare progress.
o Use a “thermometer” kind graphic and color in progress – consider a different, fitness-related graphic all together and color it in as you progress.
o Offer aerobic dance or walking videos in your conference or break rooms.
o Compile a list of organized events in the community that offer opportunities to get staff members exercising by participating as a team (below are just a few)
o Race for the Cure
o March of Dimes Walk America event
o Juvenile Diabetes Research
o Foundation Walk to Cure
o American Heart Association’s Heart Walk
o American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life
o American Lung Association’s Lung Run
o Local marathons or special community walks or runs
o Create or attend a health-and-fitness retreat or workshop.
o Hold a soup-and-salad luncheon followed by a hula-hoop contest!
o Use the mall as an alternate walking location during inclement weather.
o Designate “Move it Mondays” – allow employees to take an additional 10 minutes at lunchtime for exercise.
o Designate “Tasty Tuesdays” – provide personnel with low-calorie treats/snacks.
o Designate “Walking Wednesdays”- allow employees to take an additional 10 minutes at lunch to walk, or “Wacky Wednesdays” that allow employees to explore new exercises.
o Designate “Thirsty Thursdays” – make healthful smoothies or juice drinks for personnel.
o Designate “Fresh Fruit Fridays” for staff – offer seasonal fruit treats.
o Send weekly exercise tips to personnel via the most effective communications automobile in your worksite.
o Partner with another company representative for local media events coordinated through your advertising and marketing or communication department.
o Make certain to encourage departmental teams to challenge each other (examples – Customer Service, Marketing, Medical Support).
o Establish walking clubs with executive/supervisory leadership.
o Seek out local aerobic opportunities or classes through churches, community groups, college, YMCA, etc.
o Contact a few local area gyms and ask when they can or will offer group discounts for fitness plans, waive enrollment fees, or set up a 12-week program as opposed to signing an extended contract.
o Hold a Frozen Yogurt Social – “Reap the Benefits of Fitness.”
o Map out a walking track around the building including the number of laps required for one mile.