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Taking the Right Steps to Starting a Wellness Program

We’re willing to bet many of your employees have “lose weight” as a goal for 2012. In fact, getting fit is in the top 5 resolutions among Americans this year. However, when your employees are constantly battling the fight for harmony between work and personal life, they often struggle to find the time to workout and keep active. Don’t worry: implementing a wellness program is not difficult, and it will help boost your employees’ morale and productivity. Here are a few quick and easy steps you can take to implement a wellness program in your small business. Step 1: Conduct an Assessment Just as you would with any other plan, you’ll need to first start with assessing your needs. What kind of budget do you have? Can you afford a few treadmills or weight benches? Also conduct a poll of your employees regarding their lifestyle. Such questions could include:

• Are you a smoker?
• Do you exercise regularly?
• What are other hereditary health risk factors?

All of these questions will help you identify and address the needs of your employees, and the type of wellness program you should implement. Step 2: Develop the Plan Once you’ve gathered your information, it’s time to create a plan that is best suited for your employees. Include activities that will address any current health issues, and include objectives/goals that should be met. Once the plan has been developed and put into action, employees will be providing feedback (positive and negative) along the way. For this, it’s important to keep the plan flexible. To give you a better idea of some activities you can implement, here are a few suggestions:

• Walking Club
• Company Golf Outing (encourage participants to walk, not ride)
• Provide discount access to a local gym
• Educate your employees on healthy eating
• Fitness Challenge (track weight-loss and award those who reach their goals)

Step 3: Take Action Now that you’ve created a wellness plan, it’s time to take action. During this time track your progress and measure any successes or failures. You’re not likely to get it right the first time, but if you’re willing to adapt, your employees will be much more appreciative and willing to participate. Your wellness program does not have to be complex. The idea is to encourage your employees to live a happy and healthy lifestyle. After all, those who are happy tend to be more productive, right? Have you had experience implementing a wellness program into your small business? What activities did you incorporate? Was it successful? Let us know by dropping us a comment below.