Working out has become a chore and many wellness program struggle with this. Exercise plans are often based around this feeling. They try to make working out efficient: burn the most calories in the least amount of time. But the real question here is, when did it become hard to work out and have fun at the same time? More importantly, what can corporate wellness programs do to combat this feeling?
There are a couple ways to make working out fun, or at least, feel not like a chore.
Offer a Reward
One way to make working out fun is to incentivize it through wellness incentives. By rewarding employees for healthy activity, you create a positive association between working out and the good feelings rewards bring. Better yet, is finding a wellness program that gives employees small rewards every time they make a good decision.
Make Exercise Social…or Competitive
Another way to make exercise more fun is to run a group fitness challenge around exercise, this will make your wellness program more engaging as well. Having an office steps challenge encourages employees to work together. The competition becomes the focus, rather than the exercise. Employees will find themselves taking the stairs or taking a quick walk break at lunch because they want to win the challenge.
Make It Easier
Finally, one way to eliminate the feeling that exercise isn’t fun, or is a chore, is to remove barriers to exercise. Gym reimbursement programs remove one more excuse for skipping that weekly bootcamp class. But you can also support wellness with some conscious changes to your work culture. Allow them to dip out for a lunchtime virtual yoga session. Provide on-site gyms, or build a walking track around your campus. One co-working space even plays a soft chime at the top of every hour, to encourage workers to stand up and stretch or do 10 jumping jacks!
Whichever option you choose, just remember that the focus should be on the reward, rather than the exercise. In the end, employees will learn to love exercise, and the reward will be the perk. To find out more about fitness challenges, or wellness rewards programs that make exercise fun, contact us at IncentFit!