21 Activities for Health and Wellness at Work to Boost Team Spirit
Work takes up almost half of our waking hours. Yet, many employees report feeling disconnected, stressed, and physically inactive during the workday. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 83% of employees experience work-related stress – and it keeps rising each year.
But some companies are changing this story. They’re not just talking about employee wellness – they’re turning it into daily habits that stick. These organizations know that healthy employees are happy employees, and happy employees create successful teams.
We’ve listed down activities so you can transform your workplace into a hub of energy and collaboration. Let’s look at these activities for health and wellness at work.
Implementing Employee Wellness Programs
Surveys and resources guide program design.
Strategic plans set clear goals and steps.
Effective promotion encourages participation.
1. Assess Current Needs and Resources
To start a wellness program, understand what employees want and what resources you already have. Conduct surveys to find out their interests and needs on activities for wellness. This could include questions on stress management, fitness activities, or mental health support. Surveys can be done via online forms or during one-on-one meetings.
Next, evaluate your available resources, such as spaces for activities and current budget constraints. Look at your office layout. Can rooms be adapted for group activities like yoga or meditation? Assess the budget to ensure there’s money to support planned programs. Knowing these elements will help shape a realistic and effective wellness initiative.
2. Develop a Strategic Plan
With a clear understanding of needs and resources, it’s time to plan. Set clear, achievable goals for your program. For instance, aim for reducing stress levels or boosting physical activity among employees. Define what success looks like in both short-term and long-term scenarios.
Identify steps for implementation, creating a timeline to launch activities gradually. Break down the plan into phases to maintain organization and track the progress of these health and wellness activities. Ensure that each step has assigned responsibilities. This detail-oriented approach ensures that every necessary action is covered, providing a clear path forward.
3. Launch and Promote the Program
Launch the program with a strong communication strategy. Use email campaigns and meetings to highlight the benefits of participation. Make sure every employee understands what’s offered and how these activities can improve their well-being.
Develop a calendar of events for your health and wellness activity. Share it widely to keep everyone informed about upcoming activities. Use both digital and physical formats so everyone can access it easily. Create excitement with engaging content—videos, testimonials, or infographics—to encourage a higher participation rate.
Promoting the program consistently and effectively ensures that employees know about it, understand its benefits, and are inspired to participate. As the program grows, regularly update everyone on new opportunities and successes to generate ongoing interest.
Ideas for Mental Health: Activities for Health and Wellness at Work
Boost team focus and reduce stress with simple practices.
Improve productivity with meditation and breathing exercises.
Organize workshops to handle workplace stress better.
1. Meditation Sessions
Set a Regular Schedule: Choose a consistent time for meditation sessions. This helps create a routine. Start with daily ten-minute breaks, ideally at a specific time like after lunch. Consistency encourages habits.
Create a Quiet, Comfortable Space: Dedicate a room or corner for meditation. Ensure it’s free of distractions, like noise or interruptions. Comfortable seating is key for this wellness activity. Use soft lighting and add calm music.
Offer Guided Sessions: Consider hiring an instructor for weekly guided sessions. They provide structure and support. Use apps or online resources like Headspace to guide employees when an instructor isn’t present.
Encourage Participation: Promote sessions through email or a shared calendar. Make attendance voluntary, while encouraging participation to maximize the benefits. Highlight the personal and professional gains, like improved focus and lower stress.
2. Encourage Healthy Habits: Mindful Breathing Exercises
Teach Simple Techniques: Begin with basic exercises like ‘deep belly breathing’ or the ‘4-7-8’ method. These are easy to learn and effective in calming the mind. Provide step-by-step instructions and demonstrate in a group setting to ensure understanding. Visual learners might benefit from recorded videos or diagrams.
Integrate into Daily Routines: Encourage short breathing breaks during work hours. Set reminders to make this a habit. Suggest practices at the start and end of meetings to foster a culture of calm focus.
Use Reminders: Use digital tools or apps to send reminders for breathing exercises. Notifications help maintain consistency for these ideas for wellness. Create visual cues in the workspace like posters or screen savers featuring breathing techniques.
3. Mindfulness Workshops
Identify Key Topics: Focus on stress management and resilience as these areas are often most requested by staff. Address specific workplace pressures to make the content relevant.
Schedule Expert-Led Sessions: Invite qualified experts like mental health speakers, psychologists, trained mindfulness practitioners, and wellness experts like Jake Bernstein. He helps employees create their action plans for managing stress and avoiding burnout through his workshops. Plan for quarterly seminars. This keeps the information fresh and continually reinforces the practice.
Create Interactive Sessions: Use role-playing, problem-solving, or group discussions to engage employees. Interactive elements enhance learning. Provide practical tools and resources for use beyond the workshop.
Follow Up and Provide Resources: Share recordings or materials after sessions for further learning and reflection. Accessibility encourages ongoing practice of these wellness ideas. Offer access to a library of mindfulness tools, books, or articles for continued education.
4. Gratitude Wall
Make it public: Set up a whiteboard in a common area or create a shared digital space where employees can write what they’re grateful for.
Start somewhere: Ask them to add one thing daily—big or small—whether work-related or personal.
Share them with peers: At team meetings, read a few out loud to spread some positivity and appreciation.
Building habits: Over time this wellness idea will help build this small habit to help shift focus toward the good, improving morale.
5. Walking Meetings
Choose your venue: For casual check-ins or brainstorming sessions, skip the conference room and take the conversation outside for quick group wellness ideas.
Comfortable speed: Keep a comfortable walking pace so everyone can engage naturally without distractions.
Take note: Capture key takeaways at the end with voice notes or a quick recap email.
Energizes your day: After these walking meetings, employees will return feeling refreshed, energized, and more creative.
6. Digital Detox Hour
Taking a rest from screens is one of those ideas for wellness activities that are low cost. Pick a specific time when employees step away from screens.
Provide simple offline activities like doodling, puzzles, or just casual conversation.
Encourage them to take this as a moment to reset rather than rush to another task.
After the hour, they’ll return with better focus and reduced digital fatigue.
7. Laughter Yoga
Switch up your usual wellness activity ideas. Bring employees together in an open space to begin with deep breaths and gentle stretches.
Lead them in playful chuckles, gradually building to hearty, exaggerated laughter.
Add claps and movement to keep the energy flowing—laughter is contagious!
Wrap up with deep breathing and stretching, leaving everyone feeling lighter and more connected.
Organizing Corporate Fitness Challenges
Increase physical activity and mental health.
Offer fun and engaging fitness options.
Foster team spirit and a healthier workplace.
8. Step Count Competitions
Establish Goals and Rules for these health and wellness activities for groups: Define what you want participants to achieve. Will it be a team-based or individual challenge? Set clear rules and start/end dates for tracking steps.
Choose the Right Tools: Use fitness trackers like Fitbits or apps that can sync with smartphones. This makes tracking easy for participants. Popular options include MyFitnessPal or Google Fit.
Create Teams: If going for a team challenge, divide employees into equal-sized teams. Mix departments to foster new connections. Encourage a fun, competitive spirit.
Set Up a Leaderboard: Use a shared digital platform or office board to display progress and standings. Update it regularly to maintain interest and engagement.
9. Virtual Workout Sessions
Select the Right Platform: Choose platforms for your health and wellness day ideas that can support live streaming like Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Ensure these are compatible with your organization’s IT infrastructure.
Schedule Sessions: Decide on daily or weekly schedules that suit the majority of your employees. Take time zones and typical work hours into account.
Diversify Class Types: Offer various workouts to keep engagement high. Mix in yoga, HIIT, and strength training to cater to all preferences. This helps employees find activities they enjoy.
Hire or Partner with Instructors: Work with fitness experts who can lead classes. It adds professionalism and ensures sessions are effective. Some trainers offer group rates for companies that conduct health and wellness group activities.
10. Healthy Lifestyle Challenges
Define Healthy Habits: Identify specific behaviors you want to promote. This could include eating fruits daily or reducing screen time during breaks.
Establish a Points System: Create a simple way to earn points for participating in wellness group activities. For example, eating five servings of fruits and vegetables could earn a point.
Track Progress: Use an online portal or shared documents for participants to log their activities. Make it transparent, so others can see progress and feel motivated.
Provide Educational Resources: Offer webinars or workshops on nutrition, sleep, and stress management. Enrich knowledge and empower healthier choices.
11. Stretch & Reset Challenge
Challenge employees to complete a set of simple stretches every two hours.
Share a stretch-of-the-day guide or a short video for inspiration.
Encourage team stretch breaks to build accountability.
Recognize top participants who stay consistent throughout the challenge.
12. Stair Climb Challenge
One of the fun health and wellness activities is to encourage employees to take the stairs instead of the elevator and track how many flights they climb each day.
Set a collective goal, like climbing the equivalent of a famous landmark (e.g., the Empire State Building or Mount Everest).
Keep motivation high by sharing weekly progress updates and friendly competition between teams or departments.
Celebrate milestones with shout-outs, certificates, or small wellness rewards.
13. Fitness Bingo
One of the fun wellness day ideas is to create a bingo card with different fitness-related tasks like “Take 10,000 steps,” “Try a new workout,” or “Do 10 push-ups.”
Employees complete activities throughout the week or month, marking off squares as they go.
Offer prizes for completed rows, full cards, or most creative ways of achieving tasks.
Keep engagement high by sharing updates, progress photos, or fun challenge highlights.
14. Bike-to-Work Challenge
Encourage employees to bike to work or swap a short car ride for a bike ride whenever possible. This is one of the wellness activity examples that could restrict those who don’t have a bike so consider finding a rental service in case of low participation.
Track distances covered and create a friendly competition for most miles biked in a month.
Provide safe biking tips, and storage options, or partner with a local bike shop for tune-ups.
Reward participation with fun incentives, like a raffle entry for each ride completed.
Facilitating Team-Building Wellness Activities
Improve team performance by up to 25% with team-building activities.
Boost communication and reduce absenteeism through health exercises.
Enhance job satisfaction and productivity with your corporate wellness programs.
15. Team Circuit Challenge
Set up a simple circuit workout with stations like jumping jacks, lunges, planks, and squats for your wellness day activities.
Employees complete the circuit at their own pace or in small groups, aiming to improve over time.
Track progress for a few weeks and encourage participants to set personal goals.
Wrap up the challenge with a fun group workout celebration and recognize top performers or the most improved participants.
16. Group Yoga Classes
Find a quiet and open area within the workplace. Ensure it’s large enough to accommodate all participants. Consider utilizing a conference room or the company gym. Remove or rearrange furniture to create a clutter-free environment. Ensure the temperature is comfortable. Yoga is a common example of wellness activities but employees love it for good reason.
Find a local yoga teacher or online instructor with experience in corporate settings. Verify their credentials and ask for a trial session. Ensure they can tailor their approach to all experience levels, from beginners to advanced practitioners.
Choose a consistent day and time. Send calendar invites to all employees. Consider lunchtime or late afternoon for best attendance. Ensure the schedule is flexible enough to accommodate shifts if necessary.
Supply mats for all participants to maintain hygiene and comfort. Consider investing in blocks and straps. This helps support various poses and adjustments. Encourage employees to bring their own if they prefer.
Share flyers or digital announcements highlighting yoga’s effects on stress relief and well-being. Reference statistics like how workplace yoga can increase productivity by 30% and improve job satisfaction by 85%.
Distribute a feedback form. Ask participants about what they enjoyed and potential improvements. Adjust sessions based on collective input to maintain engagement.
17. Outdoor Team Sports
Choose sports like soccer, softball, or volleyball based on team interest and availability of facilities. Consider rotation for variety. Assess interests through a quick survey.
Divide employees into balanced teams, mixing departments to encourage new interactions. Arrange regular friendly matches. Ensure enough equipment like balls and protective gear.
Partner with local parks or rent a nearby sports facility. Ensure locations are easily accessible. Secure bookings in advance to avoid schedule conflicts.
Set clear safety guidelines. Provide necessary first aid supplies and designate a team member for health emergencies. Encourage participants to stretch before games to prevent injuries.
Communicate the importance of fair play. Use games to teach valuable teamwork skills, enhancing trust and collaboration. Reference data shows that 76% of sports participants trust their teammates compared to 55% of non-participants.
Host an end-of-season celebration. Provide certificates or trophies for notable contributions. Highlight these activities in company news to reinforce their value.
18. Health-Focused Workshops
Choose topics such as nutrition, mental health, or managing stress. Base these on employee surveys and common workplace health trends. Consider seasonal themes like “Healthy Holiday Eating Tips.”
Engage local dietitians, psychologists, or fitness trainers. Verify their expertise and ability to deliver engaging content. Prefer speakers with interactive and relatable styles.
Plan sessions during working hours, allowing for maximum attendance. Include time for Q&A to engage participants directly. Offer workshops over lunch with healthy meal samplers.
After workshops, create a platform where employees can share insights and tips. Use shared bulletin boards or a digital forum. Encourage sharing recipes or personal health goals as a fun follow-up.
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller
Use surveys to gather feedback on session effectiveness and areas for improvement. Assess whether employees have adopted new habits or changes based on workshop learnings. Adjust future workshops accordingly.
19. Healthy Potluck Day to encourage healthy eating habits
Invite employees to bring in their favorite healthy dish to share.
Provide recipe cards so everyone can take home new meal ideas.
Use this as a fun way to explore different cultures and dietary preferences.
Wrap up by voting on the most creative or delicious dish!
20. Wellness Book Club
Pick a wellness-related book, podcast, or article series for employees to explore together. Remember, the topics can be about financial wellness, mental health wellness, or any other aspect of wellness they show interest in.
Hold casual discussions over lunch or in a virtual chat group.
Keep it light and fun—this is about learning, not homework!
Encourage employees to share personal takeaways and how they apply wellness tips in daily life.
21. Deskercise Challenge
Share a set of quick, easy desk exercises like seated leg lifts, chair squats, or shoulder stretches that employees can do in under five minutes.
Challenge employees to complete a different exercise each hour or a full routine once a day to keep movement a part of their workday.
Encourage participation by sending daily reminders, sharing fun instructional videos, or creating a simple tracking system.
Recognize consistent participants and celebrate the most creative work-friendly workouts with fun prizes or team shout-outs.
Advanced Tips for Successful Implementation
Know what your team likes and tweak health activities for them.
Give out awards to get people to join in.
Motivation comes from feeling recognized.
Tailor Activities to Employee Interests
Understanding your team’s interests is key. This starts with real feedback. Tools like surveys can gather this info. The aim is to keep adjusting activities based on what the team wants. Keep asking how current activities are working. If employees enjoy group sports, make them part of the program. If workshops are popular, offer more of them. Diverse options stop boredom.
Plan a mix of activities to reach all team members. Not everyone will love yoga or enjoy running. Help them find value in other activities. These could include cooking classes or nature walks. With a flexible schedule, more people can join. And importantly, they see the company cares about their well-being. That is a big morale booster.
Incentivize Participation
Rewards drive action. Introduce motivation with awards. Think of prizes or recognition programs. They’re simple but effective. Highlight accomplishments to the whole team. An example might be monthly shout-outs in team meetings when goals are hit. Encourage participation with simple rewards such as gift cards. These show appreciation.
Begin with defining what successful participation looks like. Is it attending weekly activities, or leading a group session? Set clear targets. Then, tailor rewards to these. Rewards aren’t limited to tangible gifts. Public recognition plays a big role in encouraging ongoing participation. Studies back this up. Insightful feedback suggests that employees who feel valued consistently deliver high-quality work.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Fix engagement with better timing and formats.
Solve budget problems with new partnerships and free resources.
Addressing Low Engagement
Low engagement in wellness activities can be a common challenge. Start by revisiting the schedule of activities. Sometimes the timing is not convenient for employees. Consider conducting a quick survey to determine the best times that fit most people’s work schedules. Also, think about the type of activities offered. Are they repetitive or lack variety? Rotate activities to maintain interest. You might be missing exciting options that could appeal to different groups.
Next, identify any barriers that might be hindering participation. Are employees aware of the benefits? Promote these benefits through internal communication, like emails or digital bulletin boards. Consider personal stories or testimonials from other employees who have found these activities beneficial.
Ensure there is a supportive culture by involving management. Their participation and endorsement can boost enthusiasm and provide a role model for engagement. This combined approach can address multiple aspects that might be affecting participation levels.
Managing Budget Constraints
When budget constraints are a concern, creativity becomes essential. One effective solution is forming partnerships with local gyms or wellness centers. They often offer discounts or free trials for corporate groups. It can be mutually beneficial for these organizations to reach potential new clients while providing your team with access to facilities or classes.
Leverage community resources. Some community centers or non-profit groups offer free health and wellness programs. These can be integrated into your company’s offerings. Additionally, consider online resources. Platforms like YouTube have a wealth of free workout videos, mindfulness sessions, and health-related talks that can be scheduled for group viewing.
Another approach is to crowdsource ideas from employees. They might suggest inexpensive activities that they find beneficial, like walking groups or lunchtime meditation sessions in a local park.
Conclusion
Workplace wellness matters more than we think. These activities for health and wellness we discussed go beyond basic health – they build stronger teams and create a better work environment. They show that companies care about their employees as people, not just workers.
Remember that workplace wellness programs work best when everyone joins in. Leaders should participate too – it sets a good example and shows real support for the program.
The best part? These wellness activities create lasting positive changes. They help build a workplace where people want to work, not just have to work. When employees feel good, teams work better, and the whole company benefits.