Tired at work? Try working out

In the vein of prevention being the best medicine, the U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion has proclaimed May Global Employee Health and Fitness Month. The goal is “to promote the benefits of a healthy lifestyle to employers and their employees through worksite health promotion activities and environments.” With healthcare costs continuing to be a large portion of corporate and household budgets, this is definitely a worthwhile effort.

Besides the routine blood drive and health fair, here are a few suggestions to help you and your company celebrate workplace wellness in May:

• Walk/run/ride. The easiest thing you can do is take sneakers to work, and walk with a couple of co-workers during lunch and breaks. You can also register a team for a walk-a-thon, 5K run, or bicycle rally. Relays are a great way to enter as a corporate team. For an extra kick, consider doing a nighttime event.
• “Junk the Junk” Day. Get together with co-workers from other departments and clean out the office fridge and kitchen cabinets. In addition to throwing away expired food, you can toss unhealthy snacks and restock cupboards with fitness-friendly options. If necessary, try taking up a collection and going shopping first.
• Address the stress. For companies that periodically host events such as happy hour, consider trading one of them for an in-house chair massage day. Employees can sign up for 30-minute sessions on-site with a professional massage therapist.
• Introduce Flex Time for Fitness. Modify your schedule to attend a training class at the local health club once a week. If flex time isn’t available, try coordinating a workout session with a few co-workers after logging off for the day.
• Host a heart-healthy pot-luck. Believe it or not, you can easily convert your favorite comfort foods into nutritious versions simply by substituting ingredients such as whole milk with skim milk. Check out these tasty, inexpensive recipes from the American Heart Association. To make the luncheon even more engaging, turn it into a cook-off with awards for “best-in-category” dishes.
• Health club, anyone? If your company doesn’t already provide a gym membership reimbursement or subsidy benefit, consider asking for it. If you have to give up another perk to get it, try foregoing the free caffeine- and sugar-laden soft drinks and café mochas in the break room! In the meantime, check out these easy exercises you can do right in the office!
• Designate “far-out” parking spaces. Companies can challenge employees to exercise simply by parking father away from the office, and enter parkers’ names into a month-end drawing for gear such as wearable fitness trackers.
• Go “old school” with Field Day! Work with your HR department to coordinate a “field day” like the ones in elementary school. Invent activities that are competitive but don’t require high levels of athletic ability. You’ll want the games to appeal to even the biggest couch potatoes and keep everyone safe.

And remember, if you’re not feeling up to the office stapler-exchange-race, just call Teladoc! We fit right in with your fitness program. Our board-certified doctors are trained to diagnose and treat most illnesses and injuries, and can also prescribe medications when needed. You can reach us 24/7 by phone, online, or through our mobile app. At Teladoc, providing expert care that’s convenient for the way you live, work, and play is our #1 priority.