Corporate health and wellness programs are becoming increasingly popular in today’s workforce due to the realization of how beneficial these programs really are. Employees are encouraged to become more mindful about their health and gain so much by harnessing this healthy lifestyle. Companies reap the benefits from these workplace wellness programs by lowered healthcare costs, boosted productivity, and much more! Numerous companies and corporations are putting a plan in place, a plan to create a healthy and encouraging work environment, a plan to open on-site fitness centers, promote meditation breaks, present healthier food options. These companies and corporations are really seeing the success of their health and wellness programs.

At ADR we are always on the hunt for great health and wellness trends to keep employees, happy, healthy, and motivated. We have compiled a list of our top 7 workplace wellness trends below!

1. Mind over Matter. These days more and more workplace wellness programs are focusing on mental health vs. physical health. Becoming more mindful of the mental state is crucial because it is what drives us physically, the mind powers the body! Meditation breaks, silent sits, or even beginning each meeting with 5 minutes of meditation can offer tremendous amounts of relief from everyday stresses. A great App to offer to your employees is HeadSpace, a program developed to offer guided meditation sessions and mindfulness trainings – all accessible from online or mobile apps.
2. Community-Based Programs. The workplace wellness programs don’t have to stay at work. As millennials enter the workforce, they are interested in helping and building a healthy community for themselves and their families. Live near a lake or river? How about offering a company sponsored kayak or canoe race? Get in touch with someone who owns an empty lot and start a community garden. Want to help donate to a charity? Hold a 5k open to the public to benefit your charity of choice. These options not only get the staff outside for physical activity, but it also assists the community around them and builds brand awareness!
3. Encouraging Healthy Sleep Patterns. The average adult needs 7-9 hours of sleep, this we know, but the average adult only sleeps 6 or less hours. Employers are realizing that this drastically affects work performance by decreased productivity, increased risk of occupational injury, and negative mood or inability to retain memory. Creating a wellness program that raises awareness of the importance of healthy sleep routines is vital!
4. Fueling the body. There are many companies/corporations that still have vending machines with the sugary goodness that lacks any nutritional value. Our advice? Ditch it. Offer foods that are healthy and don’t slow the mind or body down. We have all had a lunch that was so awfully good that it just made us want to fall asleep at our desk. Fresh fruit is inexpensive and an easy snack. Stock the company fridge with nondairy yogurts, salad ingredients, maybe even every Friday order some delicious sandwiches or smoothies for everybody. Food options are endless, but providing the right foods or snacks will help drastically with moods, motivation, and overall health!
5. Social Challenges. Wearable fitness trackers are huge right now and have evolved so much in the last 5 years.These wearables offer sleek fashionable designs as bracelets or watches. Providing real time analytics via apps, easily accessed on a mobile device or computer makes utilizing them so easy! Offering these wearables as an employee incentive to those who have continuously participated in the program is a great way to boost moral and excitement. Creating a fun challenge with those wearables for staff to get physical motivates them to get involved, have fun, and enjoy their workplace. Plus a little competition never hurt anybody, right?
6. Offer Flexibility. A flexible work environment is becoming increasingly popular, especially for those who are raising families or even long commuters. Offering teleworking as an option or even as a reward for reaching goals really boosts incentive to get those deadlines in.
7. Physical activity in the workplace. With all of this energy from the great food, healthy sleep patterns, and mindfulness there has got to be a way to burn it right? Right! Walking meetings are seriously a thing now, walking promotes brain activity and blood circulation. Another great option is standing desks or exercise balls for chairs. Have a local gym or yoga studio nearby or even in the building? Team up to offer a corporate membership for the employees who want to participate in the wellness program. Offer health screenings or consultations and set goals!

Wellness trends are always evolving, keeping up on them is what keeps employees motivated. At All Digital Rewards our team of experts design a strategy tailored to your employees to boost health through engagement and lower company costs, all while keeping up with the trends. To learn more about how All Digital Rewards can build a successful program for you, call 866-415-7703 or click the “Schedule a Demo” button at the bottom of the page!