10 Ways To Celebrate National Senior Health & Fitness Day At Work

The last Wednesday in May is here, which means only one thing: National Senior Health & Fitness Day. This year marks the 28th anniversary of the popular health and wellness event. More than 100,000 older adults will participate in various wellness events held across the US this year.

Last year as we all know, was a tough time for most of us due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was challenging to stay healthy, being sedentary, and coping with social isolation at the same time. Older people, especially, had to take extra precautions to stay safe and healthy during these harsh times.

The good news is that people have become much more aware of their health. Also, with more and more people getting vaccinated, the dark clouds of Covid are starting to pass.

As such, this year's Senior Health and Fitness Day is an excellent opportunity for older adults to promote health and fitness. Also, this is the perfect time to get involved in health activities and do what they can to improve their health.

Ways to Celebrate National Senior Health & Fitness Day At Work

Believe it or not, anyone over 45 years of age is considered an older worker. And it's common to find older workers in almost every organization.

Be it an industrial, office, or healthcare environment, there is usually at least one senior person whom you can find. Such people shine in terms of maturity, professionalism, and work ethic in the workplace.

At Senior Health and Fitness Day events, employers can recognize the loyalty and dedication of their older employees. They can introduce health initiatives among the latter and improve their health.

If you're an employer, there are many ways that you can celebrate the health of your valued senior workers. Here are ten fantastic ways to celebrate National Senior Health & Fitness Day at work -

Provide a Health Screening

Photo by Hush Naidoo / Unsplash

Most health problems can usually be prevented if detected in time. Yet, many people do not go for health screenings until and unless they feel unwell. Factors like time constraints or financial costs also deter people from getting screened.

Why not save employees the hassle and provide them a health screening or biometric test at work? Doing so will be a great way to make your employees proactive about their health. It will also allow them to take preventative measures to combat any underlying health problems.

Organize a Walkathon

Walking is the most straightforward exercise, and it is a prevalent health activity among older adults. It requires minimal effort and has great benefits as well. A fantastic way to encourage your employees to walk is by organizing a walkathon.

Walkathons are fun, exciting, and do great to improve employee health. They are pretty simple and easy to take part in. Also, with digital wellness platforms like Vantage Fit, creating an engaging and rewarding walkathon is a piece of cake.

You might like - 7 Ways How Hosting A Walkathon Benefits Your Entire Workforce

Organize a Health Fair

Health fairs are organized with the goal of health promotion and awareness. They are very effective in educating employees on good health behaviors and benefits. They allow employees to enjoy various health perks and solutions in one place.

A health fair can engage your entire workforce, not just the older ones. You can customize it according to the theme of Senior Health and Fitness Day and provide exclusive perks as well. An engaging health fair can be very beneficial for you and will keep your employees yearning for more.

Do Yoga

Yoga is also trendy among older adults as a way of staying healthy. It has many benefits, both physically and mentally. It also helps fight stress and anxiety, keeping the mind young and working.

A yoga session in your workplace can be beneficial. It can relieve body tension and mental stress among your older employees, helping them stay fitter and healthier. There are many yoga instructors you can hire that specialize in corporate yoga.

Take a Trip To Nature

A simple trip to your local community park can be a fantastic way to rejuvenate the minds and bodies of your senior employees. Take your employees on a walk to a park and spend time on recreation. You can make the time more enjoyable by giving out healthy snacks and drinks.

Parks and Recreation Departments host activities at the annual health and wellness event for older adults. You can encourage your aging workforce to participate in such activities and have a fun time.

You might like - 25 Healthy Snacks For Work To Lose Weight And Stay Healthy

Introduce a Wellness Challenge

Wellness challenges are popular health initiatives among organizations worldwide. Participation in such initiatives can improve your employees' health significantly. Also, you can choose what kind of wellness challenge you want to introduce based on your and your employees' preferences.

Keep in mind that physically demanding wellness challenges might not be suitable for your older employees. However, there are still many options that you can choose from. For example, a step challenge with a moderately easy target can be superhit among your older workers.

Provide a Fitness Class

Photo by Geert Pieters / Unsplash

Physical activity is essential for overall health. Regular exercise can prevent significant health problems and keep a person fit and fine. But, intense exercise and fitness activities may not be fun for older people as they might find it difficult.

So, how do you encourage your older workers to exercise? Simple, by encouraging them to participate in a fitness class. Such classes are fun, educational, and can be specially designed for older adults. Just make sure that the exercises are done in the presence of a professional fitness instructor to prevent injuries.

You might like - Transform Your Employees' Health Through Corporate Fitness Classes

Play Brain Games

Photo by Vlad Sargu / Unsplash

Mental health is equally as important as physical health, if not more. Cognitive function and mental health usually decline as people age. As such, older people need to exercise their minds regularly.

This Senior Health & Fitness Day, make sure the older adults in your organization get all the brain exercise they need. Introduce brain training games and memory exercises to keep their brains active and young.

Was this article helpful? Let us know your comments below.