May is Global Employee Health and Fitness Month (GEHFM), with the goal being to “promote the benefits of a healthy lifestyle to employers and their employees through worksite health promotion activities and environments.”
Read on to see why your business should participate in GEHFM this year — and how!
3 Ways Global Employee Health & Fitness Month Can Boost Your Business
Health and fitness are good for anyone, but integrating them into your company culture can also be great for business by:
- Boosting employee performance
- Reducing workplace stress
- Allowing you to take advantage of discounts for employee health benefits
When your employees feel great, they are more motivated, have more energy, and maintain positive attitudes. They also take fewer sick days, suffer from fewer injuries, and visit the doctor less often. Eating well and exercising reduce stress levels, and your employees will carry those benefits with them both personally and professionally.
3 Ways to Promote Health and Fitness from the Top Down
Here are some simple initiatives that can be introduced at your business to jumpstart a healthier company culture:
- Give employees the option to stand during meetings
- Provide nutritional snacks in meetings or break areas
- Encourage walks during breaks, lunchtimes, or even small team meetings
As an employer, being engaged in a healthy lifestyle yourself is crucial for spurring your employees on to making healthier choices. Studies of wellness programs show employees are more eager to choose a healthy lifestyle when they believe it to be an executive priority. The National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity (NCPPA) encourages business leaders to sign a CEO pledge to promote physical activity in the workplace.
3 Health and Fitness Challenges During GEHFM
Employers everywhere are invited to participate and challenge their employees to:
- Create “healthy moments” (cooking a meal, taking a walk, playing a game, etc.)
- Form “healthy groups” (a sports team, a cycling group, a cooking class, etc.)
- Develop a “culminating project” (plant a community garden, run a 5K, achieve a specific fitness goal, etc.)
During the month of May, you can use GEHFM to teach your employees about developing a healthier lifestyle through these challenges. Healthy moments can occur in a healthy group or by an individual up to several times a day. Healthy groups help form habits and encourage participation in activities that will continue beyond the month of May into the rest of the year. Working together on a project will promote healthy living and create a sense of teamwork and comradery within your business.
Consider joining the employers across the globe by participating in Global Employee Health & Fitness Month. It could be one of the best business decisions you make this year!
Canopy Health
Our facilities are located throughout seven counties in the Bay Area, and we have 4,000 physicians covering the entire spectrum of medical care. This means that no matter where your employees live, work, or play, they can conveniently receive the best possible care in their own communities!
References
McKnight, A. (2016, May 18). May Is Global Employee Health and Fitness Month! health.gov. Retrieved from https://health.gov