Health Promotion Program Ideas.

Want some wellness program ideas and wellness policy ideas to get you started? Or maybe you want to jump start or improve upon your current wellness program?

The list below provides “best practices’ that can help meet any wellness program budget! the Health Promotion Program ideas are divided into topic areas.

General Health Promotion Progam Ideas

o  Policy – Conduct an Staff Member Needs and Interest Survey

o  Policy – Develop a management/employee Health Promotion Committee

o  Policy – Select heath programs that cover costs for weight management and smoking cessation

o  Policy – Waive co-payment or reimburse for preventive health care visits

o  Program – Display handouts on a variety of wellness topics for employees to take

o  Program – Establish a wellness resource center or library with videos, books, magazines, DVD’s on a selection of topics of interest to employees

o  Program – Identify personnel who are mentors or champions for healthful activities and ask them to present or to list as a contact for other employees

o  Program – Plan and promote periodic or regular educational sessions.

o  Program – Plan monthly educational sessions on the national health observance topic

o  Program – Post a Health Promotion Bulletin Board and update it monthly

o  Program – Promote messages from national health observances during the month

o  Program – Publish and/or post healthful tips in newsletters, paycheck stuffers, bulletin boards, etc.

o  Program – Sponsor a benefits fair

o  Program – Sponsor company fitness and healthy consuming challenges

o  Program – Sponsor business wellness fairs or other onsite events

Nutrition Programs

o  Policy – Offer free, healthful snacks for staff (fruit, nuts, popcorn)

o  Policy – Give healthy meal choices in cafeterias and at company events

o  Policy – Give information to staff members about the nutritional content of food served in the cafeteria

o  Policy – Begin a fresh fruit “snack basket” in the breakroom or cafeteria

o  Policy – Stock vending machines with healthier options

o  Policy – Subsidize healthy foods in the cafeteria or vending machines (10¡ apples might  be more appealing than $1.00 candy bars)

o  Program – Coordinate a weekly or monthly healthful lunch club

o  Program – Have flyers available on a selection of healthful eating topics

o  Program – Include nutrition articles in organization newsletters

o  Program – Schedule a healthy food tasting contest Free

o  Program – Schedule educational sessions at lunch-time on a variety of nutrition topics of interest

o  Program – Sponsor an employee healthful food cookbook. Either sell the cookbook and use profits for programs, or buy a cookbook for all employees

Weight Loss Programs / Weight Management Programs

o  Policy – Consider flexible work schedules so that employees can take part in weight-loss programs

o  Policy – Subsidize registration costs for weight-management programs

o  Program – Form a support group to help workforce who are attempting to lose weight

o  Program – Locate registered dieticians near your worksite as a resource for personnel who want information on healthy eating, meal planning or weight control

o  Program – Make available individual counseling for workers trying to lose weight

o  Program – Give on-site fitness and weight-management programs through your local hospital, Weight Watchers, TOPS or local, registered dietician

o  Program – Schedule an educational session on diet myths and healthful eating

Physical Activity Programs

o  Policy – Allow flexible work schedules to encourage exercise

o  Policy – Develop a fitness space with aerobic equipment, and weights

o  Policy – Create accessible walking paths, trails, and/or bike routes

o  Policy – Be certain to encourage workers to walk more by parking farther away from the entrance

o  Policy – Establish a fitness club with aerobic equipment, weights, aerobics classes, fitness professionals

o  Policy – Hold walking meetings

o  Policy – Make the stairwells more appealing (carpet, fresh paint, artwork, posters)

o  Policy – Make available reduced health and fitness center membership fees to all staff

o  Policy – Give facilities for employees to secure bicycles

o  Policy – Schedule 5 â.” 10 minute stretch breaks during the day

o  Policy – Subsidize health club membership for employees who participate a minimal number of days per week (ex., 3 days per week)

o  Policy – Support lunchtime walking/running clubs or company sports team

o  Program – Make certain to encourage stairwell use and incentives

o  Program – Install a basketball hoop outside

o  Program – Promote and support community walks or fitness events

o  Program – Promote walking during breaks and other off-time periods

o  Program – Give periodic fitness incentive programs to encourage exercise

o  Program – Schedule educational sessions on fitness activities

Tobacco use Cessation Programs / Smoking Cessation Programs

o  Policy – Create a tobacco-free grounds

o  Policy – Create a smoke-free workplace

o  Policy – Make certain to encourage the use of 1-800-QUIT-NOW, North Carolina’s free Tobacco Use Quitline. Or check www.QuitlineNC.com

o  Policy – Reimburse for tobacco replacement products

o  Policy – Subsidize the cost of smoking cessation workshops

o  Program – Give handouts and information on health effects from smoking and tobacco cessation

o  Program – Schedule awareness sessions to motivate employees to try to quit tobacco use

o  Program – Schedule on-site smoking cessation workshops

Staff Member Medical Screening

o  Policy – Discount health insurance premiums or reduce co-payments for workforce who participate in screenings and who participate in managing their risk factors

o  Policy – Install blood pressure (BP) monitoring equipment

o  Program – Offer flu shots for employees and family members

o  Program – Provide Health Risk Assessments (HRAs) to all staff members, including counseling and follow-up

o  Program – Make available periodic blood pressure screenings and follow-up

o  Program – Offer periodic screenings for cholesterol, blood sugar, body composition, etc.

Stress Management Programs / Be certain to work Life Balance Programs

o  Program – Allow flexible schedules for family/work life balance

o  Program – Provide and promote an employee assistance program

o  Program – Provide information on substance abuse prevention

o  Program – Provide brochures and information on stress management and mental health

o  Program – Provide flyers and information on work life balance, such as financial planning, childcare, parenting, elder care, etc.

o  Program – Provide supervisor and manager training on communication, relationship building, organizational stressors, etc.

o  Program – Review company policies and work schedules to identify organizational stressors

o  Program – Review the staff member assistance program to ensure it is meeting the needs of the staff members and company

o  Program – Schedule educational sessions on stress management and work life balance

o  Program – Schedule seminars on relaxation, stress management, and work life balance topics