Ideas for a Corporate Fitness Challenge

Corporate and office workers spend hours a day sitting at their desk engrossed in piles of work. Fast breaks and short lunch periods often lead to snacking and unhealthy eating habits. Sitting all day also means too little exercise for the average employee. Corporate fitness challenges can assist employees in living healthier lives though a group or effort.

Scaling Down

• Assist employees in losing unwanted weight by holding a weight loss challenge. Offer nutritional instructions in the form of after-work or lunchtime lectures. Ensure the lectures include setting reasonable goals and clear explanations of the dangers of unhealthy weight loss methods. Introduce more than one eating plan and encourage all participants to check with their own physicians before starting the challenge. Sign up all interested parties and hold an initial weigh-in. Encourage the participants to keep journals and share their stories either though office mail or company bulletin boards. Schedule regular weigh-ins. Allow participants to opt for privacy in their actual weight. For a more team effort, divide the participants into teams. Each team will encourage each other to stick to the plan and help in making wise food choices. Set a definitive end date. Set a prize for the winner or winners. Prizes might include a small office party or gifts for the person's work space.

Stepping it Up

• Physical activity is limited in a corporate environment. To get the employees moving, create a stepping challenge. Participants need a simple step counter to wear on their belt or outside pocket to count the number of steps they take each day. The counters are set to zero at the beginning of the work day and the results are recorded at the end. Each participant walks as many steps as possible within the given time period. Creative employees will use the stairs, walk at lunch and during breaks, and hand deliver work instead of faxing or emailing their co-worker a few aisles down. Prizes at the end of the challenge might include a gift certificate for a new pair of shoes.

Morning Exercise Groups

• Use resources available to begin a morning exercise group in your corporate office. Start with a few participants who sign up and challenge them to recruit new people to join in. Hold the fitness group either before or after work, or at lunchtime. Let people earn points for new recruits. Be sure the fitness class is appropriate for the level of participants. Morning stretch classes or afternoon yoga are desirable.