As you know, our mission at OnBoard Outfitters is to inspire parents to exercise with their kids, and to design products that will help you do that (e.g. the SportsBaby carrier.) But of course, before parents can be motivated to exercise with their children, they have to first be converted to a healthy lifestyle themselves!
Unfortunately, many parents who work full-time, or even part-time, struggle with having a daily fitness routine, or maintaining healthy eating and lifestyle habits. Juggling work and family leaves little time for exercise or cooking at home.
On the other hand, employers are always concerned about meeting timelines, employee work hours, budgets, and doing more with less. So spending time and money on employee fitness is not typically on the agenda.
The problem this presents is that healthy workers equal PRODUCTIVE and HAPPY workers! So it makes a lot of sense for employers to find ways to help their workers – many of whom are stressed-out parents – find ways to be healthy during the day, who will then TEACH those healthy habits to their kids at home. It’s a “win-win” for everyone!
The following are just a few things that companies are starting to do to incorporate health and wellness into their employees’ workday routine. Hopefully some of these tips and ideas will inspire you to try these out at your own place of work.
Be the LEADER in getting your co-workers fit and healthy, because those attitudes influence and set the example for their kids!
1. Find ways to limit distractions so employees can be more productive – at their desk, in meetings, etc. If they can maximize their time to get work done, they’ll have a little extra time for some fitness or wellness time at work.
2. Don’t emphasize “healthy eating” or “fitness” too much, as those words sometimes scare people off (e.g. “healthy food” equals “bland food.”) Find other words and other ways to promote health and fitness in terms that will encourage and motivate employees.
3. Post friendly reminders around the office to drink lots of water, stretch, take their eyes off the computer every 15 minutes, take a 10 minute walking break (no more smoking breaks!) and any other motivational thoughts.
4. Provide eco-friendly water bottles that employees can refill, and check off how many ounces they drink each day.
5. Provide fresh vegetables and a chopping station in the kitchen area (employees can chip in for the cost, if needed.) Schedule time when employees can sign up to chop vegetables and bag them so all employees can take them home and quickly prepare a healthy dinner for their kids. Think of it as a “veggie water cooler” -- a time when co-workers can get together to chat and form friendships, while preparing healthy food for the team. (And fixing dinner at home is less expensive than eating out!)
6. Host weekly cooking session in the kitchen area or outside on the patio (be mindful of the office fire codes.) During the lunch or afternoon snack break, teach employees how to prepare a new healthy meal and provide the recipe. Let employees volunteer to cook and learn new skills. Sometimes parents don’t provide healthy dinners for their kids simply because they don’t feel comfortable with their cooking skills.
7. Ask employees to take pictures at home of their families eating healthy dinners made from the chopped vegetable bags, or a new recipe demonstrated at work, and post the photos in a dedicated “Wellness Wall.” Let employees see how much fun families have when they are preparing and eating healthy dinners together.
8. Put healthy snacks in bowls next to the candy bowls that are scattered around the office. You’d be surprised at how many people will choose to nibble on grapes instead of M&Ms when given the option!
9. Find other ways to motivate employees to “move more, eat less.” Organize a monthly Office Olympics or other types of rewards for biking to work, walking to work, walking X number of miles each week, etc. Have a monthly drawing to win a one-year membership to a gym. Find ways to make taking the stairs more fun, such as adding fun graphics on each step that tell a story as you climb the stairs.
10. And finally, give encouragement and acknowledgement to each employee who makes even the smallest change or effort to improve health and fitness. Remember, the point of this isn’t to be the fastest, strongest, thinnest, etc. It’s just about helping employees find time during their busy day for physical exercise and healthy eating, and educating them on healthy habits that they will then teach to their kids at home.
