Although workplace wellness programs have been shown to offer multiple health benefits, studies show that only 24% of employees are willing give up one to three hours a week to exercise, go to wellness coaching sessions or try healthier recipes. But with gamification—turning a non-gaming activity into a game—and a few health and wellness giveaways, you can increase involvement. In fact, one company boosted participation from 12% to 70%. Ready to gamify your wellness program? Here’s how to get started:
Start simple with a walking program
Because trying to get healthy can be overwhelming, start small. Walking just 30 minutes a day can:
- Improve mood
- Boost creativity
- Burn calories
- Lower the risk of chronic disease
You can make it even easier for your employees to get moving by:
- Making employees aware of indoor and outdoor walking paths
- Setting up walking clubs before and after work and during lunch breaks
Give employees a wellness program giveaway, like a pedometer, which will turn every walk into a personal challenge. You can add extra gamification by setting up an online database so employees can see how far they’ve walked over time. This will aksi encourage them to take more steps and log more kilometres. Consider offering incentives. Finished their first 25 kilometres? Give them a certificate they can show off. Made it past 100? Give them a lightweight vest with a special “100K Club” logo.
Build teams and cooperation
Sometimes, a little encouragement is all we need to improve our health. Offer work teams or departments prizes for 100% participation in wellness opportunities, like:
- Completing wellness program enrollment paperwork
- Meeting a collective weight-loss goal
- Participating in a local 5K or another race
A wellness program giveaway, like a water bottle with Bluetooth® speaker, can inspire them to reach that 100% participation goal.
Create a point system
Different forms of wellness will appeal to different employees. Offer a wide variety of health and wellness options, and let employees earn points they can turn into health and wellness giveaway prizes. Associates could earn points by:
- Eating five servings of fruits and vegetables per day
- Taking 10 onsite yoga classes in a month
- Participating in an online meditation or mindfulness course for a month
To increase participation, include individual and team options so people can participate in a way that’s comfortable for them. Offer gifts that match your challenge, like portion-control lunch totes or yoga blankets.
Ready, set … get healthy!
Gamification can make getting healthy more fun. By tracking steps to beat their high score or earning points that turn into health and wellness giveaway prizes, employees will be encouraged to move toward better health.