Wellness Program Ideas.

Want some wellness program ideas and wellness policy ideas to get you started? Or maybe you want to jump start or improve upon your current wellness program?

The list below provides “best practices’ that can help meet any wellness program budget! the Wellness Program ideas are divided into topic areas.

General Wellness Progam Ideas

• Policy – Conduct an Staff Member Needs and Interest Survey

• Policy – Develop a management/employee Wellness Committee

• Policy – Choose health plans that cover costs for weight control and smoking cessation

• Policy – Waive co-payment or reimburse for preventive health care visits

• Program – Display  brochures on a selection of wellness topics for employees to take

• Program – Establish a wellness resource center or library with videos, books, magazines, DVD’s on a selection of topics of interest to employees

• Program – Identify workers who are mentors or champions for healthy activities and ask them to present or to list as a contact for other employees

• Program – Plan and promote periodic or regular educational sessions.

• Program – Plan monthly educational sessions on the national health observance topic

• Program – Post a Wellness Bulletin Board and update it monthly

• Program – Promote messages from national health observances during the month

• Program – Publish and/or post healthful tips in newsletters, paycheck stuffers, bulletin boards, etc.

• Program – Sponsor a benefits fair

• Program – Sponsor company fitness and healthy consuming challenges

• Program – Sponsor corporation health fairs or other on-site events

Nutrition Programs

• Policy – Offer free, healthful snacks for workers (fruit, nuts, popcorn)

• Policy – Provide healthful meal options in cafeterias and at business events

• Policy – Give information to employees about the nutritional content of food served in the cafeteria

• Policy – Start a fresh fruit “snack basket” in the breakroom or cafeteria

• Policy – Stock vending machines with healthier options

• Policy – Subsidize healthful foods in the cafeteria or vending machines (10¡ apples might  be more appealing than $1.00 candy bars)

• Program – Coordinate a weekly or monthly healthy lunch club

• Program – Have  pamphlets available on a selection of healthful eating topics

• Program – Include nutrition articles in business newsletters

• Program – Schedule a healthful food tasting contest Free

• Program – Schedule educational sessions at lunch-time on a selection of nutrition topics of interest

• Program – Sponsor an employee healthful food cookbook. Either sell the cookbook and use profits for programs, or purchase a cookbook for all employees

Weight Loss Programs / Weight Management Programs

• Policy – Consider flexible work schedules so that staff members can participate in weight-loss programs

• Policy – Subsidize registration costs for weight-management programs

• Program – Form a support group to help employees who are attempting to lose weight

• Program – Locate registered dieticians near your worksite as a resource for workers who want information on healthful consuming, meal planning or weight control

• Program – Offer individual counseling for staff members trying to lose weight

• Program – Offer on-site fitness and weight-management programs through your local hospital, Weight Watchers, TOPS or local, registered dietician

• Program – Schedule an educational session on diet myths and healthful eating

Physical Activity Programs

• Policy – Allow flexible work schedules to encourage exercise

• Policy – Create a fitness space with aerobic equipment, and weights

• Policy – Develop accessible walking paths, trails, and/or bicycle routes

• Policy – Make certain to encourage staff members to walk more by parking farther away from the entrance

• Policy – Establish a gym with aerobic equipment, weights, group fitness classes, fitness specialists

• Policy – Hold walking meetings

• Policy – Make the stairwells more appealing (carpet, fresh paint, artwork, posters)

• Policy – Offer decreased health club membership fees to all staff members

• Policy – Give facilities for workers to secure bikes

• Policy – Schedule 5 – 10 minute stretch breaks during the day

• Policy – Subsidize fitness center membership for staff members who participate a minimal number of days per week (ex., 3 days per week)

• Policy – Support lunchtime walking/running clubs or business sports team

• Program – Make sure to encourage stairwell use and incentives

• Program – Install a basketball hoop outside

• Program – Promote and support community walks or fitness events

• Program – Promote walking during breaks and other off-time periods

• Program – Give periodic fitness incentive programs to encourage exercise

• Program – Schedule educational sessions on fitness activities

Tobacco use Cessation Programs / Tobacco Cessation Programs

• Policy – Create a tobacco-free grounds

• Policy – Create a smoke-free workplace

• Policy – Be sure to encourage the use of 1-800-QUIT-NOW, North Carolina’s free Tobacco Use Quitline. Or check www.QuitlineNC.com

• Policy – Reimburse for tobacco replacement products

• Policy – Subsidize the cost of use of tobacco cessation workshops

• Program – Provide  pamphlets and information on health effects from use of tobacco and tobacco cessation

• Program – Schedule awareness sessions to motivate employees to attempt to quit tobacco use

• Program – Schedule on-site smoking cessation workshops

Staff Member Medical Screening

• Policy – Discount medical insurance premiums or reduce co-payments for staff members who participate in screenings and who participate in managing their risk factors

• Policy – Install blood pressure monitoring equipment

• Program – Offer flu shots for employees and family members

• Program – Offer Health Risk (Assessment|Appraisal}s to all workers, including counseling and follow-up

• Program – Offer periodic blood pressure screenings and follow-up

• Program – Offer periodic screenings for cholesterol, blood sugar, body composition, etc.

Stress Management Programs / Be sure to work Life Balance Programs

• Program – Allow flexible schedules for family/work life balance

• Program – Offer and promote an worker assistance program

• Program – Give information on substance abuse prevention

• Program – Provide  flyers and information on stress management and mental health

• Program – Provide  brochures and information on work life balance, such as financial planning, childcare, parenting, elder care, etc.

• Program – Give supervisor and manager training on communication, relationship building, organizational stressors, etc.

• Program – Review corporation policies and work schedules to identify organizational stressors

• Program – Review the staff member assistance program to ensure it is meeting the needs of the staff members and company

• Program – Schedule educational sessions on stress management and work life balance

• Program – Schedule workshops on relaxation, stress management, and work life balance topics