It’s no secret that physical activity is essential to employee health. 

Adequate physical activity* reduces employees’ risks for numerous diseases and conditions, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, high blood pressure, obesity, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, colon cancer, breast cancer, anxiety and depression.[1,2,3]

Unfortunately, only about half of U.S. adults get the recommended amount of physical activity.[4]  As an employer, you have a unique opportunity to encourage the physical activity of your employees. A workplace environment that promotes physical activity can support your organization’s overall strategy for managing employees’ health.

The investment required by employers to encourage employees to be physically active is relatively minimal. You don’t need to build a fitness center or make other large investments. If you implement policies and offer some places and programs, your employees will feel supported and will be more likely to be physically active.

According to the inaugural Minnesota Physical Activity Survey, almost 40% of Minnesota workers report that their employers provide support, programs or incentives for them to be physically active. Workers who report getting this support are more likely to be physically active on their breaks. Results also suggest that employer support may influence workers’ activity during time away from work as well.

The payoff for employers is real. According to several studies, physically active employees are, on average, both more productive and less costly (in terms of health care expenses) than inactive employees.[5,6,7]

Want to create a workplace that promotes physical activity?  The key: provide places, time, and support for employees to be physically active during the work day. This toolkit provides a variety of effective options.  Adapt them to your workplace and your employee population.

* 30 minutes of moderate physical activity five or more days a week or 20 minutes of vigorous physical activity for at least three or more days a week. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2007). Physical Activity for Everyone: Recommendations.

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