Health Wellness ProgramHealth and Wellness Programs and Wellness Program Consulting

Worksite Physical Activity Programs –  Forming an Employee Committee

While support from the top is crucial to a successful program, support from other workers is also important.

Once you obtain the go-ahead from management, identify others who are interested in the project and form a committee to help determine the next steps.

Depending on the size of your workplace and the amount of staff time management is willing to contribute, this committee could  be advisory or may plan and carry out the health promotion program.

The committee could include workers from human resources, occupational safety and health and finance. It is also a good idea to involve staff from other areas who have an interest in promoting physical activity.

Terms of reference will define the boundaries of the project. for  instance, it is important for the committee to have clearly defined and understood tasks. Possible tasks include the following –

• Analyzing your worksite environment

• Carrying out an worker interest survey.

• Developing a mission statement and objectives and objectives.

• Writing a exercise or wellness policy declaring the corporation’s commitment to exercise.

• Brainstorming health promotion program ideas.

• Promoting, communicating and advertising the program.

• Coordinating specific activities.

• Deciding how the wellness program are going to be examined.

• Continually evaluating what is or is not working and adjusting the plan.

Before making plans to encourage exercise during the workday, it is vital that you determine what is “doable” in your workplace.

You do not want to increase staff member expectations by offering something that’s impossible due to funding or space limits.

For example, it’s not realistic to suggest putting in a fitness facility if there’s no room for it. be open, notwithstanding, to creative ways around limitations.

Worksite Exercise Programs – Finding out What is Possible in Your Worksite

Check with recreation departments or fitness facilities for maps of the local walking trails or underground pedways. Excellent walking trails may  be right around the block from your workplace.

Listed here are some questions to help you assess your worksite –

• What facilities or opportunities does your work space offer that make it easier to be physically active during the workday? for example, do you’ve stairs, bicycle racks, showers, space for a fitness facility, factory walking lanes?

• What nearby facilities or opportunities could personnel use to be more physically active during the workday? Are you close to sidewalks, walking trails, community centers, bicycle lanes for active commuting and/or exercise facilities?

• What resources are available?

• can the program access funds, personnel, space, equipment, facilities?

• What is the structure of your corporation? for  instance, consider staff size, working hours, number of sites, unusual shifts, length of lunch breaks and ability to use flex time.

Gaining senior level management support is crucial to the success of a exercise initiative.

Whether the changes you would like to make involve the work environment, overall policies or specific programs, successfully beginning your ideas depends on upper-level management support.

Support from upper-level management is crucial for three reasons –

• You will need their agreement to involve workers in a workplace program.

• When senior level management pays attention to and supports an initiative, employees also see the initiative as worthwhile.

• Management has the power to give work time and money to support the wellness program.

It is imperative that you keep senior level management involved throughout a physical activity initiative, but at three points you will need support for –

• An overall concept, including a go-ahead to assess what workers want to do within the limitations of your worksite environment.

• A detailed plan (based on the assessment above) coupled with resources to carry out the plan.

• Reviewing the initiative to improve it along the way or to advocate for continuing or expanding the initiative.

Approaching Management

Before approaching senior management to gain initial support for promoting physical activity during the workday, do your homework.

• Prepare a business case clearly outlining how the business will benefit by promoting physical activity during the workday.

• List the individual, social and corporate benefits of exercise and the benefits of being active during the workday.

• Present some general ideas about what the health promotion program might include.

Expect questions such as the following from upper-level management –

• Just how this help our corporation?

• Precisely how can we motivate employees to participate?

• Precisely how much will it cost to run this wellness program or make this change?

• Just how are we going to know a year from now if this was a good use of time and resources?

Ask managers about the range of activities they’d support. Very often managers have ideas of their own they’d like to see acted on to enhance the worksite.

Don’t forget to include middle managers when gaining support for your wellness program. They can be very helpful when you need volunteers to lead teams in corporate physical activity challenges.

In today’s business environment, the health of employees is usually related to the health of the business. Better job satisfaction, improved morale, lowered illness and injuries, and increased productivity are just some advantages of having healthy employees.

Marketing health in your workplace doesn’t have to be complicated, costly or time-consuming. Any business, big or small, can promote healthy eating and active living in the workplace. Here are some suggestions –

Healthy Eating

• For breakfast meetings, instead of serving donuts, large muffins, cookies, tea and coffee with cream and sugar, offer healthier alternatives like bagels, small muffins, fresh fruit, water, 100 percent fruit juice and milk with coffee and tea.

• For lunch meetings, avoid serving chips, fried foods, rich pastas, and salads loaded with dressing. Instead, offer sandwiches, bagels, whole grain low fat crackers and cheese, 100 % fruit juice, water, salads with dressing on the side, vegetable and fruit trays.

• Reimburse employees for items purchased to improve their health (e.g. healthy eating cookbooks, consultation with a Registered Dietitian).

• Arrange for the cafeteria or food vendors to offer healthful food choices.

• Arrange to have healthful options like bottled water, 100% fruit juice, fruit bars, and raisins available in vending machines.

• Give a means for individuals  to share healthful recipes with each other (for example, posting recipes on the Intranet, on posters or by e-mail).

Active Living

• Plan events and group activities to encourage staff members to become active, such as walking programs, contests and challenge events, stretch breaks, team sports or participation in local or provincial events.

• Make available on-site health specialists (e.g. personal trainers, fitness instructors) or incorporate this service in employee assistance programs to help workers work towards physical activity objectives.

• Provide a supportive environment in the workplace that makes healthful choices easy – bike racks, shower facilities, clean, safe and accessible stairwells, walking or running routes nearby the workplace, and fitness club facilities.

• Allow for flex time so that employees have more opportunities to take part in exercise plans as part of their working day.

• Reimburse workers for full or partial club membership fees, fitness class registrations, and fitness equipment purchases.

• Provide corporate health club memberships to reduce costs of individual memberships.

Keeping It Fresh!

Find a champion to –

• Organize lunch “n learn sessions to provide information and motivation for healthful consuming and active living.

• Invite demonstrators to provide cooking lessons or tips for making healthy foods.

• Post a rotating list in a common room of local restaurants that offer healthy food choices on their menus.

• Distribute information to educate workers on portion sizes.

• Include exercise and nutrition information in newsletters, pay check inserts, bulletin boards or e-mails.

• Plan activities that promote healthy consuming and physical activity. for  instance, start a year-round lunch-time walking club, and special activities

Can a small organization support employee wellness? Absolutely! In truth, in some ways it’s easier to develop a healthful workplace in a small organization than in a big company.

Limited resources, particularly in small companies, can prevent an business from setting up a wellness program. Reasons can include –

• lack of budget resources;

• lack of staff;

• lack of senior-level support;

• little knowledge of the wellness concept and;

• concern about making wellness available to all employees.

As reported by the Health Promotion Councils of America, some small company owners might have the wrong idea of what is involved in having a health promotion program.

Some businesss are not sure a health promotion program would really work and others feel that trying to change personal lifestyle behaviours is intruding and “none of their business”.  

Perhaps they don’t understand that it doesn’t need to be costly and that they don’t need special staff. They might not realize that some staff would like to see some healthy changes and would help make things happen in their workplace.

It can be Done

Many small companies have found ways to have a health promotion program that works for them. They keep the cost and effort to a minimum and still have results that are positive for everyone.

In 2006, Graham Lowe wrote a report on the best places to work in Calgary. He said that healthful workplaces often have a “positive workplace culture”.  In a workplace with a positive culture, people  feel appreciated, valued, and trusted.

Dr. Lowe says it is easier for a small workplace to have a positive workplace culture than for a large workplace. Many workers prefer to work for a small corporation, he says, because it provides more opportunities to work closely with others and develop a sense of community.

In his report, Dr. Lowe says the most successful businesses with fewer than 100 workforce have –

• excellent staff member benefits;

• policies that promote a balance between work and personal life;

• flexible schedules;

• competitive salaries;

• great leadership with an emphasis on teamwork;

• environmentally responsible company policies;

• procedures for seeking staff member input; and

• A focus on placing employees’ personal wellness ahead of the personal gain of business leaders.

All or most of these elements are also components of a good health promotion program.

Tips and Ideas

There are numerous ways to include wellness in a small company. You don’t necessarily need a wellness expert or a fancy fitness center.

What you do need is support from senior management and a committee of a few committed individuals . Here are some ideas that your worksite can consider.

Communications and Promotion

• Send out a regular “wellness” newsletter in hard copy or online. Or send out a simple message such as the weekly Healthy U Hot Tip.

• Use promotions that are already designed like Healthful Workplace Week.

Active Living and Healthful Eating

• Make sure to encourage staff to sign up for the Stairway to Health stair climbing competition.

• Get pedometers for personnel and track their steps.

• Rent a nearby school or community health and fitness center and offer exercise classes.

• Hire a local fitness instructor to give classes or lead stretch breaks. Costs may be shared with staff.

• Install secure bike parking.

• Serve healthful alternatives at corporation meetings and lunches.

Policy and Organizational Programs

• Hire an ergonomics professional to assess workstations.

• Create policies to support work-life balance (for example, mandatory vacations, flextime, limits to work and e-mail on personal time).

• Provide a wellness subsidy for a selection of health and leadership activities and courses.

• Offer financial incentives to be healthy.

• Give wellness incentives as rewards and recognition for a job well done.

• Conduct an organizational health audit (NQI Healthy Workplace Week).

• Become a partner with the community (for example, daycare, gyms, festivals, parks, restaurants).

• Spread the workload. Make sure to set up a wellness committee.

Small companies might not have a lot of time, money, or human resources (HR) available for a health promotion program. But they often have a enormous advantage over big companies-a positive workplace culture.

That is a great foundation for a wellness program. When personnel are satisfied, enjoy their work environment, they are more productive, and tend to be healthier.  With a little creativity and passion, small organizations can create successful wellness programs.

Get support from management, form a committee of two or more and discover the possibilities!

Company health promotion is evolving.

Early efforts to develop healthful worksites focused on safety at the worksite and injury prevention for workers.

More recently, wellness programs are designed to assist workforce to pick healthier behaviours like being more physically active or quitting use of tobacco.

Campaigns to increase awareness, educational sessions to increase knowledge, opportunities to learn new skills, and changes to policies to make it easier for workforce to make healthful options are often included.

This approach is taken because the workplace is a good way to reach people , since most adult Americans spend a large part of their day at work.

While safety and lifestyle programs are two aspects that contribute to the health of workers, company health promotion is more effective when a third factor is brought into the equation-the environment at work.

Exactly how the worksite affects health.

Increasingly, it is recognized that the workplace itself has a powerful affect on people ’s health. When people  are satisfied with their job, they are more productive and tend to be healthier. When workers feel that the environment at work is negative, they feel stressed.

Stress has a big impact on worker mental and physical health, and in turn, on productivity.

Consultant Graham Lowe has identified five components of worksite culture that directly affect employees’ health and the health of the corporation overall-credibility, respect, fairness, pride, and camaraderie.

The underlying idea is that companies must genuinely care about the well-being of their workforce.

Corporations today who want to attract and keep good staff have leaders who understand the connection between employee satisfaction and employee health and believe that company health promotion is a business strategy.  

Their upper management practices include making reasonable demands on time and energy, involving employees in decision making, rewarding work well done, openly communicating, and providing support to balance work and home life.

Companys know that employees are looking for jobs that pay well, have good benefits, are interesting, and include excellent safety and health programs. So in today’s competitive hiring market, it’s become more important than ever for corporations to enhance job satisfaction and ensure that employees enjoy being on the job.

Corporate wellness benefits both corporations and employees.

Exactly how does company health promotion benefit the business?

A health promotion program can help a organization to –

• Attract and keep employees;

• reduce the costs of disability, drugs, and absenteeism;

• reduce the effects of a stressful workplace;

• reduce health costs or keep them contained; and

• improve morale by creating a happy, supportive environment.

Precisely how does employee health promotion benefit employees?

Workers of corporations that have a wellness program are likely to have –

• increased awareness and knowledge of ways to improve their health;

• A better (less stressful) workplace;

• increased protection from injury;

• improved health and wellness;

• higher morale and greater job satisfaction;

• increased productivity and effectiveness at work;

• lowered personal healthcare costs; and

• A more relaxed/flexible approach to health issues.

Both businesss and workers have a responsibility for building a healthy workplace. Employees are expected to arrive at work in good health, and the business is expected to provide an environment that permits workers to maintain good health, enjoy their work, and contribute to the organization’s success.

Corporate wellness is more than a “lunch and learn” program. It is about developing a “people  first” approach to doing corporation.

It’s about taking care of staff, establishing a positive work environment, and paying attention to the factors that keep staff healthful and happy at work.

A good wellness program has an impact on employees’ mental, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being.

Ideally, you will develop an overall plan for a health promotion program before starting to plan specific health promotion programs. for  instance, you can begin by getting the following elements in place –

• support from senior level management

• A wellness committee or team

• information about the wellness needs and interests of employees

• A budget

• wellness program objectives

• An investigation plan

Even when you have few financial and/or human resources, you can still take a “micro” approach. for example, you could focus on only one specific issue or problem. Creativity, enthusiasm and planning can help you overcome limitations.

This article will give you some ideas for establishing up wellness programs. Even the smallest steps can have an impact.

Whether you choose to begin with a single wellness program or develop something larger, planning is essential. First think about the large picture and then look after the details.

Ask yourself these questions –

• Identify an action. What health-related wellness program will fit the bill and best suit the workforce and organization?

• Promote. Precisely how can you most effectively get the word out to employees? What are the opportunities for promotion? Consider everything, because personnel have access to and pay attention to different kinds of messages.

In a typical workplace, staff members get information from e-mail, newsletters, bulletins, brochures, meeting announcements and fellow staff members.

• Deliver. Who’s the best person or group to put the wellness program into action? Ask other organizations about approaches they have used. Decide on your budget before making a decision.

• Evaluate. What should you evaluate to determine success? Do you need hard data and/or testimonials from individual participants?

We recommend the following when planning your health promotion program –

• creating and communicating clear wellness program objectives

• Targeting your audience

• deciding on the kind of health promotion program or campaign

The Elements of Wellness Programming

Programs to promote wellness in the workplace do not need to be restricted to a single area. You might think corporate health promotion only involves promoting positive personal health, e.g., blood pressure (BP) clinics, brochures on heart illness, “lunch and learn” seminars on eating habits and short-term exercise programs.

These activities are important, but company wellness should also be part of a organization’s organization strategy and go beyond traditional wellness programming.

Taking a expanded approach, the National Quality Institute recently identified three key elements of a healthy workplace –

• physical environment

• social environment and personal resources

• health practices

Specific Program Ideas

Physical Environment

Look after workers’ health and safety and establish regulations to support their health and safety. Consider providing the following –

• Safe bicycle storage and shower and/or change facilities for cyclists and other commuters.

• Fridges for staff members to keep snacks and meals fresh and/or healthful snacks in vending machines and cafeterias.

• Ergonomic assessments.

• Subsidies to help personnel join local recreation centers.

• Classrooms/conference rooms available for booking activities such as yoga, pilates, tai chi, meditation and aerobics.

• Safe and pleasant stairwells that invite staff to use them.

• Evaluating the potential for violence at work with plans to deal with such risks.

• Good lighting and sound and air quality.

Social Environment

Human relationships and communication, in addition to ways of doing organization, can affect an employee’s mental and physical health. Organizations ought to consider the following –

• respectful worksite policies that provide safe worksites

• policies on flex time

• policies on working from home

• employee satisfaction surveys

• leadership coaching

• resiliency training

• staff member assistance programs

To foster a positive social culture or climate, consider employees’ needs, which include –

• being respected

• A sense of belonging, purpose and mission

• freedom of expression

• protection from harassment and discrimination

What you’ve “always done” may not address current worker needs. Ensuring that individuals  enjoy being at work isn’t an easy task, but making the right changes can have a gigantic impact.

Health Practices

Provide health promotion programs and set policies that help staff remain healthy or improve their health while at work. Consider offering the following –

• “Lunch and learn sessions” on healthful habits like sleeping better, consuming on the run, healthful snacks, using a pedometer, pole walking, work-life balance, time management, stress management, resiliency, parenting and reading nutrition labels.

• Stop smoking clinics or subsidies to help workers quit.

• Health risk assessments, including fitness assessments.

• Programs to address the issues raised in the health risk assessments.

• Healthy snacks served at meetings and conferences.

Personal Employee Wellness Tips

When there’s no wellness program at your workplace, don’t let that stop you from keeping healthy. Perhaps your example will spark a movement toward a healthier workplace.

Here are a few ideas to think about –

• be active at work. There are many ways to bring activity into your workday. Walk to work, even if it is just one way. Hold walking meetings. Bicycle to work. Use the stairs. Walk to a workmate’s office instead of sending an e-mail.

• Eat well at work. Pack a healthy snack and meal. Place a bottle of water at your desk or workstation. Eat breakfast and eat regularly during the day. Take turns bringing a basket of fruit for colleagues’ snacks. Order healthy snacks for meetings.

• Maintain work-life balance. Be certain to work efficiently so you can leave on time. Conduct short, effective meetings. Leave your work at work and do not take it home.

Minimize social chit-chat. Be certain to set up your office to enhance your work. Avoid clutter. Plan and prioritize to ensure that the most essential things get done first.

There’s no limit to the number or variety of health promotion programs. A key to success is planning well and ensuring that you can evaluate the results so that you can sustain momentum.

Speak to other wellness practitioners to determine what works well for them. Listen to your coworkers to determine their needs and interests.  And do not forget to promote, promote, promote.

A lot of corporations recognize the need for a comprehensive strategy to help their workforce be the best they can be.

They also know that successful and sustainable health promotion programs are much more than a few “lunch and learn” programs.

Your health promotion program should include a broad range of key elements, including –

• A clear agenda or statement of goals.

• A plan characterized by passion.

• An effective leader who’s creative and organized.

• A focus on short-term outcomes combined with an overall vision.

• A measurable strategy (what’s important gets measured!).

• A policy of celebrating and communicating success.

Planning Your Health Promotion Program

Plan carefully to ensure that your wellness program is seen as part of a broad commitment to maintaining the safety and health of all personnel. Yes, building a good plan takes a lot of effort and time (and sometimes resources).

But planning is essential and well worth the investment required.  As the saying goes, “failing to plan is planning to fail.”

You could start by conducting a recent survey of staff member needs and interests. When you take this route, pay attention to the results and plan accordingly. When you don’t, the personnel won’t support the wellness program.

Accumulating information about what you are already offering is also a good idea. for example, you could be surprised by your organization or company’s current wellness and health policies.

Another important step is to establish an agenda and/or measurable objectives to help you determine priorities, timelines and the resources required to launch the health promotion program. be bold and creative in your planning, but also realistic.

Leadership

The leader of your wellness program should be able to wear many hats.  The leader’s duties include –

• Developing a vision of the wellness program after receiving input from all interested staff members.

• Communicating ideas and a rationale throughout the organization (to senior level managers and fellow employees alike).

• Keeping others enthusiastic about and committed to a health promotion program.

• Serving as a role model and wellness coach.

• Developing and maintaining leadership skills such as giving effective presentations and being well-organized.

Good leaders avoid becoming overwhelmed by overly ambitious and complex plans. You might want to stick to short-term objectives at the starting so that you get immediate and visible results.

These first steps are the basis for a successful wellness program.

Good leaders involve as many individuals  as possible in the wellness program. for example, you’ll want to form a committee made up of a diverse group of staff members to provide advice during the planning phase. This approach will –

• Be certain to help you to obtain valuable information from all parts of the corporation.

• Create ambassadors who will help you implement the wellness program.

Keeping Score and Celebrating

Always keep in mindhow you’ll monitor progress and evaluate the success of your wellness program. Examination permits you to –

• Identify areas of excellence.

• Identify factors that affect participation in your health promotion programs.

• Gain management’s support for your efforts (and maintain that support).

• Better understand issues that need attention.

• Learn from mistakes and change the health promotion program to keep it on the right track.

When you evaluate your health promotion program, you are able to measure such things as –

• Staff Member absences.

• Employee turnover rates.

• The cost of your worker assistance program.

• The cost of benefits, including short-term and long-term disability payments.

• The fee of your drug plan.

• Accident rates and safety records.

• Employees’ participation in health promotion programs (and whether they are staying in the health promotion programs).

• Changes in employees’ health habits.

• Level of employees’ awareness of healthy lifestyle issues.

• Results of your environmental wellness audit.

• Other noticeable changes in areas like morale and job satisfaction.

A good communications plan provides ongoing information to workers (including upper-level managers) and fosters excitement about the health promotion program.

Positive reinforcement is part of an effective communications plan. for  instance, you might recognize individuals who have helped set up the wellness program or offer tangible rewards for achieving goals.

Everybody needs to know whether staff are getting involved, enjoying the activities and getting some benefit from them. Showing that a wellness program has financial benefits is usually an important factor in maintaining strong support from the top.

When you pay attention to the key elements of your health promotion program and communicate openly and continuously while planning and delivering it, you will lay a solid foundation and leave a legacy that lasts.

How does physical activity fit into a full-time worker’s busy schedule? All too often, it doesn’t.

One possible solution to this challenge is to make exercise a part of the work day. Clearly, being active at work is beneficial for employees.

But employers also benefit from having fit, energetic and healthy personnel who are more productive.

The challenges

Your job takes up a lot of your time. In addition to the hours you spend actually working, there’s the time required to get to and from work and take lunch and rest breaks during the work day.

In the end, there are a limited number of hours left over for the rest of your life. This work life imbalance is particularly true for Alberta, where statistics show that we work exceptionally hard.

Many jobs today are sedentary, and many Americans drive to work.  The pressures of work may also cause us to eat lunch at our desks and skip breaks.

Then, after work or on the weekends we juggle household chores, family responsibilities and social engagements.

Wellness Programs –  Get began on a worksite fitness program

Management plays a key role in building a culture that promotes health.  The leaders at your workplace influence the various policies and the informal or formal practices, and these policies and practices affect your attitude towards healthful active living.

Start by talking to your boss about the benefits of a healthful active worksite.  The best way to ensure the success of a worksite fitness program is to have the upper-level management on side and cheering you on.

Ask your boss to consider taking these actions –

• Send a memo or message about the importance of health and healthy living that encourages staff to take an active break each day.

• Give for flexible work hours that help staff to be more physically active. for  instance, they might need to take a longer lunch break to attend an exercise class, making up the time by coming to work early or staying late.

• Make available a meeting room or other suitable office space for noon-hour yoga or exercise classes, and hire a teacher to lead them, or use videos.

If your boss agrees to support a worksite fitness program, don’t forget to say thanks.

You don’t need an on-site fitness club

Only very big businesses can afford onsite fitness facilities such as exercise equipment or squash courts. Still, most businesss can take other affordable steps to support employees who wish to become more active.

For example –

• Arrange for discounted fees for personnel at a fitness center, recreation centeror YMCA facility.

• Install showers and a place to hang a towel. (Make certain the showers are cleaned regularly and that women who use them will feel secure.)

• Install bicycle racks or a locked enclosure that is safe, conveniently located and well lighted.

• Hold walking meetings and set up lunch-hour walking groups

• Make workers aware of safe and pleasant walking routes near the worksite, in addition to nearby facilities that offer exercise programs (like walking, swimming, running, yoga, stretching).

• Hire a certified instructor to teach staff about health, fitness and how to become more active.

Any size and type of workplace can support employees who wish to be physically active. It’s highly desirable to get upper management on side.

Even when your boss is not supportive, you can still find ways to get moving more. Make sure to set up activities for groups and person, and encourage your peers to join in.

We all know that physical activity is an important part of health and wellness. But sometimes it is hard to find time for physical activity.

Lack of time is the number one barrier that people  say prevents them from participating in exercise on a regular basis.

The good news is that even short sessions of physical activity help your health. Research has shown that 10-minute sessions that add up to between 30 and 60 minutes a day can produce significant health benefits.

Moreover, there are numerous ways busy people  can use to be more active. These strategies include –

• multi-tasking

• being active at work

• being active with loved ones

• scheduling activity into daily life

Different strategies work for different individuals . Being familiar with the different strategies is key to adopting and maintaining an active lifestyle.

Read on to take a look at strategies you can attempt. With enough commitment, some of them are sure to work for you.

Strategy #1 –  Multi-tasking

The first strategy you can attempt is multi-tasking. This means doing things you already do, but in a more physically active way.

This way you get done what you need to get done and you get physical activity at the same time.

For  instance, you’re already travelling to work and other places. Instead of taking the car or the bus every time, attempt using active methods of transportation like biking, rollerblading, walking and skateboarding.

When you can’t use active transportation for a whole trip, try to be active for at least part of the trip. When you are riding the bus, for example, get off a few blocks early and walk the rest of the way.

Active transportation benefits your body by increasing your activity level, and it also benefits your neighbourhood and the environment by lowering the number of cars on the road.

You can also get physical activity while doing housework and chores.

When you are working around home, attempt to be creative and look for the active option. for example, when you are cleaning the crack between the fridge and the counter, why not move the fridge so you are able to clean the area better and build your strength at the same time?

For outdoor work, choose the old-fashioned way of doing things, as they’re ordinarily more active. for example, use a snow shovel rather than a snow blower.

Strategy #2 –  be Active at Work

A lot of American Citizens spend eight hours a day or more working at a sedentary job. Here are several simple ways to keep your body moving during the workday.

The physical activity will revitalize you and help you be more productive.

When you are working at your desk, try sitting on a stability ball or disk for part of your day (30 minutes to an hour). This gives your back and abdominals a workout.

Take active breaks at least once a day. During your coffee break, attempt doing some yoga, stretching or taking a quick walk.

You might find that walking up and down the stairs several times does a better job of rejuvenating you than the java jolt.

Speaking of the stairs, take them instead of the elevator whenever you can.  The stairs in your building are an opportunity to get your heart pumping.

Organize walking meetings at work. Getting outside and having meetings in a less formal setting is a great way to be active, makes the workday more fun and encourages creative ideas for work projects.

Strategy #3 –  be Active With Your Loved Ones

Do exercise with your family, friends, neighbours and pets. With this strategy, you and your loved ones are doing some excellent multi-tasking together –  enjoying quality time with each other and getting some of the exercise that you all need to be healthy.

Go for walks, swims or bike rides together. Play Frisbee, soccer and other games and sports together. When you take your kids to the park, play with them instead of just watching them play.

Many community facilities offer courses that keep you and your kids active at the same time. Research these courses and take one or two.

You can even be active when you’re watching your kids do activities without you. for  instance, when your child plays hockey, take the opportunity to walk up and down the stairs in the stands several times.

When you feel self-conscious about doing it alone, why not gather a group of parents to do it together?

Strategy #4 –  Schedule Physical Activity into Your Day

Schedule your physical activity directly into your daytimer. Make certain to set a specific time and place for exercising. Make your physical activity appointments a priority, just as important as any other appointment you put in your daytimer.

To help you stay committed to your exercise appointments, you may want to make appointments that involve other individuals  - such as by meeting with a fitness trainer, taking an exercise class or jogging with a friend.

When you’re not sure how many appointments to make or what you ought to be doing during your appointments, attempt consulting with a personal trainer. A personal trainer can help you create a physical activity plan and schedule.

The bottom line –  find out what works best for you. Experiment with the strategies. Find inspiration by talking to other people  about how they keep active and what strategies they use.

Be creative and patient while you determine what strategies work best for you.  And be aware that your “best strategy” may change from time to time.

With enough effort, you will discover what works for you. Then, run with it!

• Commit to workplace exercise in policy statements and commit funding to exercise programs.

• Clearly communicating the advantages of being physically active during the workday reinforces the company’s commitment to assisting all staff members be active.

Use meetings, bulletin boards, newsletters and e-mail to reach as many staff members as possible at least once a year.

• Give flex time for exercise. Invite workers who actively commute to work or exercise during lunchtime to make up any missed time later in the day.

• Allow staff to work part time, so that they can participate in exercise.

• Include a physical activity account in your benefit plan to pay for or subsidize fitness memberships, assessments, classes, counselling or instruction.

• Give interest-free loans for staff to purchase bicycles or good walking shoes/runners.

• Conduct periodic surveys of staff physical activity preferences, and offer a variety of choices to suit those interests and needs.

• Hire qualified individuals  to lead stretch breaks or exercise programs or classes. for help in locating accredited fitness leaders, visit Alberta’s Provincial Fitness Unit.

• Recognize workforce who take part in exercise. Survey workforce first to determine how they prefer to be recognized, e.g., through business newsletters, appreciation lunches, rewards and/or thank you notes.

• Give child care and other family-friendly amenities during physical activities that occur after work.

• Avoid scheduling meetings over lunch.

• Be sure to encourage active breaks in lieu of coffee breaks.

• Have active fundraisers rather than bingos. for  instance, staff might climb the Calgary Tower stairs or take turns riding a stationary bike for 24 hours.

• Make birthday celebrations active times. Instead of a lunch, invite the birthday individuals to pick an activity. Choices could include a session with a yoga instructor or an evening ski trip.

• Promote a casual dress day. One study found that workforce who dress casually were more physically active.