Keeping your employees happy and healthy is beneficial for both them and your business. When people feel their best, they tend to perform at their best. They are more focused, more productive, and more engaged with their workload.
Therefore, many companies are introducing worksite wellness challenges, which can be fun, exciting, and challenging for employees. It doesn’t need to be complicated or boring, because there are health challenges for employees that are a simple and fun way to encourage healthy habits for your employees, and simply get them involved.
Why Employee Wellness Challenges Matter
Wellness challenges are a smart investment in your business and employees because when you create opportunities for them to take care of themselves, it also shows that you care about them as whole people, not just employees working for the company. This kind of care builds loyalty.
When your employees are active, taking care of their mental and physical health, the benefits of investing in a worksite wellness challenges easily show, and over time, these small efforts can shape a healthier, more positive company culture.
Many believe that a healthy workplace is a strong workplace, because when there’s a company culture like this, stress levels go down, focus goes up, which can have a great benefit to the company.
How to Structure an Effective Wellness Challenge
Structuring an effective wellness challenge should start with a clear goal. Ask yourself: What do you want employees to achieve? It’s probably as simple as drinking more water, walking more steps, or practicing mindfulness each day.
Once you know the goal, you can now think about how to make it feel rewarding. You can do small incentives like gift cards, recognition in a team meeting, or even extra break time can make a big difference in getting people excited to join.
But not everyone has the same fitness level or lifestyle, so make sure to keep things inclusive so everyone can still participate. For example, instead of a running challenge, they can do a walking or movement challenge where people can track any form of activity that is well fit for them. Take note that the goal is to also make it accessible and fun for everyone.
3 Fun & Engaging Employee Wellness Challenges
There are ways to set up even monthly wellness challenges for employees, and technology can actually help! You can track progress and keep everyone in the loop, but first, focus on what worksite wellness challenges you can do for the company.
Physical Health Challenges
Getting people to move during the workday is a great way to boost energy and focus. One popular option is a step challenge, where your team can track how many steps they take each day.
Another great idea is to schedule office yoga or stretching breaks. Just five to ten minutes of guided movement can reduce tension, improve posture, and help people reset between tasks. It can also be done right at the desk or in a small conference room, or just anywhere where your team is comfortable doing so!
Mental Wellness Challenges
Mental health at work is just as important as physical health, so one great challenge is to create a daily mindfulness or meditation break. It can be a few minutes of quiet breathing, which can help your team feel less stressed.
Another thing to do is to have a gratitude journaling challenge, where they can write down one thing they are grateful for each day. It’s just a small habit, but it can help them shift their focus towards the positive and improve their mood over time.
Healthy Eating Challenges
Of course, it’s very important to include healthy eating challenges, because not everyone eats the same thing, so try to do a “bring a healthy lunch” challenge, where your team can pack their meal that are nutritious.
On the other hand, you can also do a smoothie or salad swap day, as it’s another fun way to encourage healthy choices. So each person brings a healthy drink or dish to share, and it becomes a social moment as well as a wellness boost.
Some employees don’t always drink more water, so set a challenge that can be called a 7-day hydration challenge, where they will drink a set amount of water each day. Staying hydrated can improve focus, reduce headaches, and boost overall energy levels.
Tips for Encouraging Participation
Getting people involved can be hard, so start by making it fun and rewarding, and it can be through giving simple incentives like gift cards, additional bonuses, or just a simple shoutout during team meetings.
Worksite wellness challenges can be simple, and it’s an effective way to bring health, fun, and connection into your office. Apps like NowTime Health + Fitness make it easy to organize, track, and motivate employees, turning wellness into a shared team experience rather than an individual task. If you’re someone who is ready to create a healthier, happier team, start your first wellness challenge today with NowTime Health + Fitness.
