Guide · Corporate wellness
Workplace wellness ideas employees actually use
Most workplace wellness ideas look good in a slide deck and get ignored by week three. We have run on-site fitness and wellness programs for employers and office buildings since 2009. These are the ideas that keep people showing up, sorted by how much effort they take to run.
What works
Three things every good wellness idea has in common
After years of watching what people do and skip, the pattern is simple. The ideas that last are easy to join, happen on a schedule, and are led by a person rather than an app.
- It happens where people already are. A class down the hall beats a gym discount across town.
- Beginners feel welcome. Most employees have never taken a fitness class. Plan for them first.
- It is on the calendar. Tuesday at noon, every week, becomes a habit. One-off perks do not.
- The company pays. Free for employees removes the last excuse.
Weekly ideas
On-site fitness classes
A weekly class is the backbone of most employee wellness programs, because it repeats. You need an open room, a certified instructor and 30 to 60 minutes.
The most requested class we teach. Vinyasa, yin or a beginner flow works in a conference room with the tables pushed back.
A 30 minute reset for people who sit all day. No change of clothes needed, which doubles turnout.
High energy, bodyweight only, good for a lobby, rooftop or parking deck in summer.
Low impact strength work on a mat. Popular with people who do not think of themselves as gym people.
See every format we teach on our corporate wellness programs page.
Monthly ideas
Workplace wellness challenge ideas
Challenges work best when they are short, team based and easy to track. A month is long enough to build a habit and short enough that people finish.
- Attendance challenge. Come to eight classes this month and earn a prize. Simple to track and it fills your classes.
- Walking or step challenge. Teams of four to six log steps for four weeks. Pair it with a lunchtime walking group.
- Hydration challenge. Water bottles with the company logo and a daily target. Low effort, good for January.
- Stretch break challenge. Two five minute stretch breaks a day, led live or by video, for two weeks.
- Before and after challenge. Body composition scans at the start and end of eight weeks, so people measure progress instead of guessing. More on on-site InBody scans.
- Try something new month. A different class format each week, to pull in people who have not come yet.
Quarterly ideas
Wellness events and wellness fair ideas
Events bring out the people who never come to a weekly class. Use them a few times a year to launch a program or restart interest.
A scan takes about a minute and each person gets a one-on-one results review. Buildings often bring us back each quarter.
Set up stations: a mini class every 20 minutes, a scan station, a mobility screen, healthy snacks and local vendors.
One class or seminar each day for a week, with a prize for anyone who attends three.
Open a leadership retreat or all-hands with a 30 minute group workout or stretch that everyone can do.
Low effort ideas
Wellness lunch and learn topics
Seminars reach people who would never put on workout clothes at work. Keep them to 30 or 45 minutes and make them practical. They can run in person, on video or recorded.
How to start
Start small and let demand grow
A three question survey: what would you try, what time works, what gets in the way. It takes five minutes and tells you what to book.
Start with the format most people chose, at lunch. Add a second class only when the first one is full.
A scan day, a challenge or a seminar keeps the program fresh and brings in new faces.
Do not want to run it yourself? That is what we do. BeneFitness supplies the certified instructors, the schedule, the sign-ups and the reporting. Programs run in Portland today, and events can be booked on their own.
Questions
Workplace wellness ideas: common questions
What are the best wellness ideas for a small office?
One weekly class in a conference room and one event a quarter. A small office does not need a platform or a big budget. It needs something on the calendar that people can walk to.
How do you get employees to participate?
Make it free, make it at lunch or right after work, make it beginner friendly, and have a manager show up. Participation follows convenience more than incentives.
What is a good wellness challenge for work?
A four week team step or attendance challenge. It is easy to explain, easy to track and people can join at any fitness level.
Do we need a gym to offer fitness classes?
No. Yoga, stretch, Pilates and bodyweight classes need only open floor space. If you want a fitness room, we can design and equip one.
What should a wellness fair include?
Short demo classes, a body composition scan station, a mobility or posture screen, healthy food and a sign-up sheet for whatever comes next. The sign-up sheet is the part most fairs forget.
What we do
One partner if you want it, one service if you don’t
Want help running it?
Tell us about your team and your space. We’ll follow up by email with options and pricing.
Start a conversation