5 ways to promote a healthy lifestyle at work

The majority of employees around the world spend almost half the day at work. Their employers have the daunting task of tracking their eating habits, whether they manage to lead a healthy lifestyle and how this affects their overall performance.  

We live in a time when exercise is increasingly becoming a luxury and standing in front of a screen is a daily routine for all of us. This is the main reason why employees, as well as employers, are interested in how to live healthier and do enough physical activities.

In this article, we'll share 5 ways how to promote healthy living at work.

Why is a healthy lifestyle important?

Data from a survey conducted in 2020 shows that many UK workers neglect their health and put it on the back burner. A third (31.6%) take one or two days out of the week to exercise, and one in four people reluctantly admit they don't go for it at all.  

The main reason for lack of exercise is precisely work, which occupies a large part of each person's day. It's in the interests of employers to encourage movement and healthy lifestyles so that their employees can be fulfilled, energised and do their jobs as efficiently as possible.  

Employees who eat unhealthily and lead a sedentary lifestyle are more likely to experience fatigue at work, which will lead to low productivity. Regular exercise and eating foods rich in vitamins and minerals are proven to be good for mental and physical health, and all employers insist on them.  

Here's how you can encourage your employees to lead a healthy lifestyle.  

Healthy eating is key  

Most UK employees spend an average of 42 hours at work each week. They have at least one main meal at work, as well as several in-between ones. This presents employers with a great opportunity - to promote healthy eating by influencing their workers' eating habits in a positive way.

It has been scientifically proven that a balanced diet not only reduces the risk of serious diseases, but increases productivity and energises the body, leading to an instant improvement in mood. Wondering how to encourage your colleagues to eat healthily? Start by placing healthy snacks around the office - fresh fruit, plant-based protein bars and snacks, and rice snacks instead of fried potato chips.

You could buy a smoothie blender - they're a quick and tasty solution that can keep your colleagues full without stuffing themselves with poor quality food. If you have a kitchenette, you can prepare healthy lunch break snacks - leafy green salads, steamed vegetables, whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce and much more. Don't forget the drinks - provide filtered or bottled water, as well as a selection of tea and coffee.

Encourage exercise   

Not every office can afford to fund its own gym or have one nearby. However, that shouldn't stop you! Here are some ideas on how to encourage your employees to be more active:

· A quick warm-up before the start of the working day

· 15 minutes of yoga or Pilates every day

· Going up and down the stairs several times

· Jogging after work

· Group nature walks on weekends

You could devise a physical activity race - the person who hits the gym most often during the month could get an extra day off.

Raise awareness on healthy living

One of the problems you may face is misinformation about healthy living. Many people have misconceptions about it and think it is characterised by extremes such as strict diets and excessive physical activity. The truth is that it's all about balance.  

You need to explain to your employees what the consequences of excessive screen time, poor posture, increased caffeine intake, sedentary behaviour, and eating low quality food can be. Motivate them to monitor these things and strive to improve them.

Offer flexible working hours   

Over the past two years, flexible working has become a priority for many employees and employers. It gives them freedom and allows them to manage their time efficiently.

Help your employees find more time to exercise and move around by offering a more flexible schedule. If you see a worker's productivity plummeting, give them more time to rest or give them another shift so they can get enough sleep (if their workday starts between 6-8 am). Listen to your colleagues' needs and always be tolerant.  

Work-from-home employees also need to have an active lifestyle

Working from home allows a better work-life balance, but it also comes with its risks. People who work from home tend to spend more time than necessary in front of the screen and completely forget to move.  

Send your colleagues who work from home a few stretching or quick cardio videos to both distract them from work and motivate them to get moving. You could do an online meeting once a week where you all exercise together.  

Be sure to remind them that a nutritious diet is a must if they want to feel good and have the energy to work.

Conclusion

It takes a lot of perseverance and desire to achieve a healthy lifestyle, but the benefits are worth all the effort. To improve performance and support the health of your colleagues, it's up to you to motivate them to exercise, eat healthy and overcome their bad habits.  

With the help of Jobbri's tips, you will be able to promote a healthy lifestyle among your employees and encourage them to be a better version of themselves! 

Do you think you have what it takes to offer a healthy lifestyle to your workers? Register nowand find the best match for your business!