It’s close to the start of another year, which means it’s time for everyone to start making fitness goals. Show your support as a business by creating an environment in which fitness goals can be achieved.
At the beginning of the program, encourage everyone who wants to take part to enter one attainable goal that they want to achieve in a three month time. Before starting, make sure you help your employees understand what a “reasonable” goal would be, which would not include trying to lose 90lbs in three months. This safeguard will ensure that they will not become depressed during their journey into health. After the goals are in place make sure you give a reward for them taking the first step, such as a water bottle, stretch bands, or other workout gear. Try to stay away from shirts at the beginning – many individuals are not happy with how they look in a tee-shirt, and might not want clothing yet. Now that the wellness program has begun, how do you challenge your employees to keep going with their fitness adventure? Set up daily goals…the key word is simple. Don’t make each day hard to follow, making individuals feel overwhelmed. One idea is to reward participants who lose the greatest percentage of body weight, as opposed to the most pounds. Alternate between lifestyle and fitness goals throughout the week. For example, have a water consumption challenge one day and a workout challenge the next. MAKE SURE to offer different levels to every challenge; chances are that nobody will start on the same fitness level. Don’t make anyone feel like a failure before they have even began.At the end of each week’s challenges, reward those who completed them all. For the week’s accomplishments, the reward could be useful, but small. At the end of the month, it might be a good incentive to offer a tee-shirt. The item should be something everyone has to work hard to receive. Make sure that you keep in mind their individualistic goals and don’t get swept away with group fitness. Have a grand prize for the winner of the health challenge when the allotted time is over. Make sure you communicate what the prize is before the challenge even begins. Recommended ideas for rewards Weekly Prizes: Don’t go big; offer something small like a nice pen, phone cushion or headband. Make sure the reward is still nice, or people will feel cheated and not want to participate. Monthly Prizes: Tee-shirts are a great idea for this…pick a theme and run with it by incorporating it in different ways with each shirt. Also, hats, water bottles and fitness gear under $20 are great ideas. Grand Prizes: Consider expensive fitness gear: bikes, kyaks…money to refresh a person’s wardrobe, a trip, spa visit, or some have even gone as far as to offer an extra week of vacation that year. Encourage everyone to find an accountability partner to help them stick to the challenges. Keep reminding people that even if they don’t win the grand prize they will still win because they have improved their life! Want to keep up all the time? Make sure to join our VIP List! Our VIP’s get an email with the latest content…and other special offers as well. Join here.
