National
Employee Health & Fitness Day, held annually on
the third Wednesday in May, is a national health
observance created by the
National
Association for Health and Fitness to raise
awareness of the important role worksite health
promotion programs play in enhancing the overall health
and productivity of an organization. Started in 1989,
National Employee Health and Fitness Day has engaged
tens of thousands of employees from employers around
the world.
Worksite health and fitness programs have a proven record
for improving the overall health and productivity of the
workforce! We encourage you to checkout
Welcoa's free reports. These key reports,
studies, and other publications are designed to help you
understand some of the key issues involved in worksite
health promotion programming.
National Employee
Health & Fitness Day is an excellent kickoff for a
worksite taking the first step in addressing worksite
health or complementing an existing employee health
program. Below are some of the benefits, over
time, of worksite health promotion programs:
Benefits
Benefits for Employers:
-
Improved health care cost
management
-
Enhanced employee
productivity
-
Decreased rates of illness
and injuries
-
Reduced employee
absenteeism
-
Employee participation in
program management helps develop leadership and planning
skills
-
Impacts worksite "social
capital" (levels of trust)
Benefits for Employees:
-
Lower levels of stress
-
Increased well-being,
self-image, and self-esteem
-
Improved physical fitness
-
Increased stamina
-
Potential weight reduction
Benefits for the Community:
Event Planning
Use the following suggestions and your own creativity to
plan activities that best fit the needs of your organization
and participants.
-
Organize a planning team.
-
Design your event.
-
Set your timeline and stay
on track.
-
Outline your promotion
plan.
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Remember: location,
location, location.
-
Be inclusive.
-
Identify a Champion.
-
Use incentives to boost
participation.
-
Document your success.
-
Report your success.
Activity Ideas
Any activity that encourages movement, offers a health
message, is fun and anyone (no matter what their current
physical activity level is) can participate in would be
ideal! Here are a few suggestions:
Bike to Work Day: Plan a bike-to-work day and
reward employees who participate.
Chair Aerobics: With a leader and music with a
strong beat, do a routine that involves their arms and legs.
Incorporate fun props or strength bands.
Employee Wellness Walk: Map out a 30-minute walk
route for employees. Consider an indoor and outdoor
route employees could use even after the event.
Fitness Trail: Set up a "fitness trail" within
your office or building. Post signs on elevators
encouraging the use of stairs, designate "stretching areas,"
etc.
Office Stretch/Exercise Class: Invite a local
expert to teach a class or give a demonstration how office
workers can stretch or exercise at their desk to reduce
stress and increase energy levels.
Health Fair:
Invite employees and others from the community to
participate in exercise demonstrations, health and
fitness information booths, health screenings and
nutrition counseling.
Obstacle Course:
Make a path where players maneuver through a course.
Can be judged individually or based on team times.
Additional Suggestions
(all have been done in Maine):
Tool Kit
A NEHF Took kit is available on CD. This CD is a guide
to running a successful National Employee Health & Fitness
Day celebration. It includes tools for planning and
tips to help make your celebration successful. The CD
goes for $13.95 and can be ordered online by
clicking here. This web site also includes numerous
items that can be purchased as incentives.
Registration
Registering your site is simple, just
click here to go to an online
registration form. Sites who register will be listed
on our web site and in our newsletter. By registering
your site through the Maine Governor's Council, it will help
us track our success in promoting this program and provide
adequate data for leveraging our funding resources on a
Statewide initiative. It also allows us to provide you
with technical assistance, should you require help. If
you have already registered directly with the National
Association on Health and Fitness, please send us an email
to let us know. We appreciate your assistance.
Past Participants
Click here for 2008 Participant List | 
