Wellness Activity Ideas

Hold a “Wellness Fair”

Aim to emphasize wellness and health promotion with interactive displays.  Health screenings can be provided but the focus should be on health enhancement and wellness rather than disease.  If appropriate, invite community partners who promote healthy eating and an active lifestyle.  Displays or activities might include:

• Nutrition samplers: information on healthy eating, samples of healthy snacks, healthy cooking demonstration
• Area Overeaters Anonymous chapter booth
• Fitness samplers: demonstrations of aerobic, stretching and strength activities; information on activities that can be done at home or while at work
• "What is wellness?" booth with handouts, video(s), and/or website
• Stress reduction techniques demonstration
• Chaplain Service booth
• Health risk appraisal in conjunction with health screenings
• Massage demonstration
• Community garden booth
• Parks and Recreation programs/offerings
• Local health department offerings/activities
• Local chapters of America on the MOVE, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, or local Steps program
  YMCA/YWCA programs
• Financial planning display
• Ergonomic assessment
• Career counseling display
• Tobacco cessation display

Host physical activity events such as:

• “Walk & Roll” fun event (distance can vary: 1 mile, 3K, 5K)
• Staff walks at noon, in the morning or afternoon as appropriate
  Time limited “virtual walks” (e.g. walk across America, walk to Alaska, walk to Hawaii, etc)
• Time limited physical activity contests (The President’s Challenge offers an opportunity to establish groups and encourage staff to log their activity on-line.  Use the  HealthierUS Veterans website portal .
• VA staff teams participate in community fitness events (walk & roll, run, or bike ride)
• Fitness festivals – a day full of different exercise demonstrations
• Boot camp
• Set-up exercise stations on exercise course

Host nutrition events such  as:

• Healthy cooking demonstration
• Healthy cooking contest
• Healthy recipe contest
• Farmers market
• Gardening demonstration
• Diet “makeover” contest with dietitian participation

Host ongoing or frequent stress reduction sessions(i.e., music therapy, aromatherapy, yoga or Tai Chi, post-disaster stress reduction, new mom support group, etc.).

Host a time limited weight loss contest (recognition of percent weight lost, inches lost – can be among departments, facilities, etc.).

Have an ongoing MOVEmployee! Program.

Provide “Lunch and Learn” sessions.  Topics might include:

• Stress control strategies
• Time management techniques
• Assertiveness
• Positive thought control
• Relaxation techniques
• Meditation
• Massage
• Mind body health facts
• Benefits of Laughter
• Health and spirituality
• Complementary and alternative medicine- what is it, and does it work?
• Dietary Supplements and Herbs (while this could be included with the topic above, it often warrants its own presentation)
• Healthy eating- what is and what isn’t healthy?
• Healthy cooking techniques
• Tips for healthy grocery shopping
• Eating on the run – advice for eating out
• What is wellness, anyway?
• Balancing work with play and the rest of your life
• Weight management
• Effective parenting
• Effective marriages/relationships
  Safe physical activity (hot weather, cold weather, starting slowly, balanced exercise, what if I have a health limitation?, etc)
• How to change your health habits
• Self-Defense
• Disaster preparedness
• Retirement planning/financial health

Establish a "HealthPower! Club" (wellness enthusiast-those who practice healthy living habits-can help with events, such as wellness "buddies", etc.). 

Send periodic email wellness messages to staff.

Publish a periodic Wellness Newsletter.

Post wellness posters in strategic medical facility locations, i.e., physical activity posters by the elevators to encourage use of the stairs, signs by or on water fountains about the importance of drinking water, etc.

Utilize monthly prevention topics for staff outreach.

Provide a wellness orientation for new employees.

Work with Employee Health on flu shots, Hepatitis  B immunization, annual ppd testing, etc.

Maintain a wellness lending library.

Host a local wellness website.

Do short wellness in-service training sessions for various departments (What is wellness?, Healthy People 2010 goals, how to help patients change their health behaviors, etc.).

Submit wellness articles for publication in the NCP HealthPower! Prevention News.

Work with the VA Canteen manager to post their Nutrition News newsletter, host periodic "Eat Smart! ” days, promote their Wise Up healthy food options, offer health-promoting items in the retail store, offer healthy vending items, or start a Farmers’ Market, etc.

Develop recommendations for healthy food and beverages to serve/offer at meetings or events, i.e., provide or allow water, etc.

Arrange for physical activity/stretch breaks in meetings.

Establish a trail or healing garden on grounds that are accessible to all.