Tips for using fitness to improve your employees' health

Today, employers are realizing that when their employees are fit they are healthier. This improved health of their workforce results in fewer sick days being used, lower insurance rates, and higher productivity for the entire company. This has lead many employers to implement programs that will help their employees get up and get moving. Best of all this focus on employee fitness has resulted in many employees reporting not only better health but improved morale and job performance. If you are new to the world of employee health there is plenty of information to get you going. Here are some tips for using fitness to improve your employees' health-

- Create a culture of employee fitness-You cannot expect that your employees will simply jump at the chance to be fit. You will need to incorporate an attitude change within your workforce if you are going to improve their fitness level. You want to give employees a chance to participate within their regular job duties. Having a contest to get employees walking the stairs instead of using the elevator, or making it mandatory to deliver paperwork instead of just emailing can begin to get your employees up and moving. You want to use positivity in everything you do so that people feel that they are joining a movement that will benefit them rather then being forced to.
- Make it easy for employees to exercise-Many employers are using ways that will entice their employees to exercise. This could be anything from offering flex time so that employees can workout before or after work, or even providing longer lunch times so that employees can squeeze in a workout. The key to making this successful is to find the method that will interest your employees the most. Then you can implement the policy for the majority of employees who want to work out and get fit. When employees know that they can easily put a workout into their day they are much more likely to take advantage of the opportunity to do so.
- Give them a place to workout-There are as many options for this tip as there types of companies. Your employees will need access to workout equipment if you want them to improve their health through fitness. The most obvious solution is to offer an onsite gym. Many companies have found that for a minimal investment they can set up an onsite gym for their employees to use. This can be anything from an empty conference room that has stationary bikes and weights to a full fledged gym with showers and other amenities. It will be dependant on the size, type, and budget of the company to determine what type of onsite gym is best for them. However, for some companies there are just no options when it comes to putting in an onsite gym. For these companies it may be more beneficial to offer memberships at a local fitness center. Some companies are paying part while others are paying the entire membership fee for their employees. Keep in mind that many fitness centers will offer a corporate rate that will be substantially discounted.
- Offer rewards for participation-There is nothing like a reward to heighten employee interest in fitness. Employers are finding that many employees are willing to participate in a fitness program for a fairly minimal reward. Setting up a competition between employees is a great way to light the fires of fitness. Keep in mind that whatever reward you offer has to be of interest to your employees. However, many employers have found that offering new workout clothes to a paid day off can be enough to get their employees up and moving.