LBU INSIDER

Global Employee Health and Fitness Month is a globally recognized event. Built to celebrate all the positive things that living a healthy lifestyle brings for both employers and employees. This global recognition was founded back in 1989 and occurs annually every month of May. Many organizations have encouraged to plan informational campaigns and activities around this time of the year to encourage and motivate employees to build healthy behaviors not only in the workplace, but at home as well.

A few things to remember during this month on how to build a healthy lifestyle:

What is a healthy lifestyle?

• It is not only a mindset, a healthy lifestyle is a way of living focusing on several key elements such as avoiding tobacco, staying physically acitive, eating healthy food and limiting the alcohol consumption.

What are the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle?

• Taking small steps in adding lifestyle behaviors into your daily routine can provide significant health and wellness benefits. Few of these benefits includes lowering the risk of chronic health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes and premature death, improving our mental and social well-being, being able to enjoy life to the fullest. When we focus on healthy living, we serve as positive role model for our children and others in our family, helping them to create a healthier version of themselves.

Why should companies participate in Global Employee Health and Fitness Month?

• Since employees are known to be the most valuable asset and resource of any organization, investing in employee health is an essential component of managing human capital. Research studies show that making employee health a core element of a company's human capital management strategy lowers employee healthcare and insurance costs, improves morale, decrease absenteeism, and boost productivity. Corporate employee health initiatives can also serve as recruiting and retention tools.

How can businesses improve team productivity through healthy lifestyle activities?

• Although certain types of events, outings and promotions, such as company picnics and discounted gym memberships, may be problematic in light of the current coronavirus pandemic, there are still plenty of creative ways businesses can promote healthy living and increase productivity among their employees. A few of the strategies includes educating employees on the importance of staying home when they are sick. It is important to ensure that policies are aligned with these strategies, not penalizing them when they stay home while sick. Creating games and other initiatives to encourage employees to park farther away from the building or taking the stairs more often. Creating an electronic bulletin board, like this one, where employees can share their healthy living tips and recipes can be a great avenue.

What are some healthy living tips for office workers?

• Transitioning to a healthier lifestyle, especially if your current lifestyle tends to be sedentary, takes time and focus. Following a systematic approach can increase the likelihood of success. Preparing yourself by reflecting on your motivations for change and the types of changes that you would like to make. Consulting with a medical professional to get an objective measurement of your current health and identify the health and fitness strategies that are most appropriate for your health needs. Setting short and long term health and wellness goals that are specific, measurable, and challenging.

New habits don't develop overnight, so be patient with yourself. It can take months or even years to make a new behavior a habit or to break an old unhealthy habit, such as smoking. The best way to reinforce new habits is to help others form the same habits.