How to Promote Healthy Habits in Your Employees
Exercise
Consistent exercise creates long-lasting health benefits. Promoting regular exercise improves heart health, lowers cholesterol, increases brain function, reduces cancer risk, lowers stress, improves sleep and so much more.
All of these come together to facilitate a more productive lifestyle and work environment because your team is more capable of managing their stress and responsibilities. Additionally, healthy employees take fewer sick days and miss less work due to health-related concerns. Yet another example of how encouraging healthy habits promotes productivity in the workplace. A healthy team means you spend less on healthcare costs and more on reinvesting into your employees themselves.
We suggest getting creative to encourage employee physical activity. Some suggestions include:
- Provide weekly group workout classes
- Develop walking or running groups
- Partner with local gyms or yoga studios to offer discounts or added benefits
- Offer employees free or subsidized gym memberships
- Create friendly exercise competitions
- Try a hula hoop challenge
Preventative care
Visiting your doctor for an annual physical is one of the best long-term health strategies. You grow your health history and build a relationship with your physician. The routine physical exam keeps you up to date on important vaccinations, assesses lab results, and addresses any concerns your doctor or you may have. Additionally, attending these visits can potentially catch any more serious health issues that may arise before they become something potentially more dangerous.
Wellness check-ups
Maintaining good mental health is just as important as physical health. Increasing awareness of stress management strategies and sleep habits can help employees stay well-balanced. Additionally, employees that are supported with access to resources to combat mental health are more likely to be positive, engaged, and determined.
Investing in employee health and well-being is critical to the ongoing success of most businesses. Try different methods to promote wellness in your employees such as:
- Team retreats
- Breathwork and reflection
- Solicit the expertise of a sleep expert to educate your team on the importance of sleep
- Keep work at work
All in all, promoting healthy lifestyles and providing employees with the tools to live successfully healthier lifestyles can lead to many benefits. Employees will be less likely to take sick days and more likely to stay loyal to your company and be happier in their work environment. Overall, you gain increased productivity in the workplace.
If you’re looking for a comprehensive, affordable, ACA-compliant benefits plan to offer your employees, look no further. At SBMA Benefits, our goal is to provide affordable health coverage to help keep your employees healthy and promote their overall well-being. If you’re interested in offering SBMA benefits to your team, call or contact us today.
