Benchmark your company with a personalised wellness scorecard – here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n We all understand that health and wellbeing are measurably linked to desirable outcomes including reduced absenteeism<\/a>, retention, and productivity. But it can be tricky for employers to encourage positive change in their people, especially when many of those changes are made outside the workplace.<\/p>\n Employee wellness champions bridge the gap between corporate culture and individual behaviour change, offering a more human way for employers to influence personal wellness habits.<\/p>\n Employee wellness champions should not replace a formal corporate wellness benefit scheme. Instead, use these individuals as motivating examples of how and why others should use the benefits you offer. It might be corporate gym membership<\/a>, an in-house fitness group, a wellness Slack channel, or regular wellbeing workshops.<\/p>\n Your wellness champions can lead by example, spearhead wellness initiatives, and significantly enhance engagement in health and fitness across the company.<\/p>\n Offering discounted corporate gym membership<\/a> is a great start, but real change happens when employees see their peers getting fitter and healthier. Wellness champions are the trail blazers who enthusiastically try out employee benefits<\/a> and provide real-life examples of what can happen.<\/p>\n Your wellness champions don\u2019t have to be super-fit gym goers. In fact, it\u2019s best if they are relatable individuals who can showcase a range of preventative healthcare benefits, from weight loss<\/a> and healthier eating to smoking cessation and stress management.<\/p>\n Be sure to support your wellness champions with time, space, and the resources they need to encourage positive change both in and out of the workplace. This might include internal corporate communications, emails, buddy schemes, wellness groups, and special office hours to discuss personal health issues in private.<\/p>\n Issues around personal health and wellbeing<\/a> are – by definition – \u201cpersonal\u201d. It\u2019s no surprise that managers and business owners aren\u2019t always the right choice for peer-to-peer conversations about such things.<\/p>\n Wellness champions can be a sensitive and personable choice of individual to encourage engagement with your corporate wellness schemes. In addition to this, wellness champions can remove the pressure from managers and help feed information back to the organisation, so you can fine-tune your employee benefits<\/a>.<\/p>\n Your employee benefits must reflect the real concerns of your workforce, and offer useful tools for their shift patterns, locations, and travel. In order to create a benefits package that meets their needs, you need to continually understand what those needs are.<\/p>\n A peer-led wellness champion structure helps your organisation get a better understanding of the health issues that are important to your workforce (plus when and how they would like to engage with any benefits you offer).<\/p>\n Your wellness champions are on the front line of employee wellbeing, and will hopefully have the ear of the entire organisation. It will be important to navigate issues of confidentiality and trust \u2013 you might consider using anecdotal wellbeing feedback as well as statistical data.<\/p>\n The biggest challenges of an employee wellness benefit scheme are the inherent barriers to behaviour change. In your efforts to help staff become fitter and healthier, you essentially need them to change lifelong habits around food, sleep, movement, and healthcare, and not just at work. You also need to find ways to encourage behaviour change at home.<\/p>\n Corporate wellness champions can help remove at least one of these barriers, by opening up channels of communication. This will underscore your commitment to employee wellbeing, and act as a consistent motivating force for change.<\/p>\n Every time your wellness champions use flexible hours to visit the gym, take walk breaks outside, or set boundaries around weekend working, they are proving that you as an organisation support these healthy choices.<\/p>\n Wellness champions can create a real change in your corporate culture, towards one of greater empathy, openness, and encouragement where individual and group wellbeing can thrive.<\/p>\n Wellness champions don\u2019t have to be natural slim or a gifted athlete, but they should have a genuine interest in health and wellness. Whatever their start point, they should demonstrate enthusiasm about improving their own health \u2013 and motivating others by leading by example.<\/p>\n Your wellness champions should be approachable, likeable people who communicate well (this includes listening to others). Look for qualities like empathy, enthusiasm, trustworthiness, and a lack of judgement. Good wellness champions will be able to articulate their experiences (ideally in verbal and written formats) and not be afraid of speaking in front of a group.<\/p>\n Ideally, your organisation should have more than one wellness champion to represent a diversity of backgrounds, roles, fitness experiences, and health stories. It\u2019s crucial that your employees feel seen, heard, and represented so they can then be inspired to take action.<\/p>\n Create a platform for sharing health and fitness stories and encouraging wellness in the workplace. This might be a Slack channel, a blog, newsletter, or private social media space, supported by face-to-face support in the workplace.<\/p>\n Encourage plenty of peer-to-peer support between wellness champions and the rest of the workforce, with formal and informal ways of interacting. These might include wellbeing events, office hours, walking groups, or lunchtime meet ups.<\/p>\n Finally, don\u2019t forget to recognise and reward your wellness champions to thank them for helping you increase engagement across the workplace. This will keep them motivated, and will demonstrate your commitment to employee wellness.<\/p>\n Your wellness champions will need flexible discounted gym access that helps them encourage others to engage in fitness outside of office hours. Talk to Hussle about our discounted gym access scheme that gives your employees access to 1000s of gyms, leisure centres, and fitness suites across the UK with one simple membership option.<\/p>\n Find out <\/span>how Hussle can support you in giving the best corporate gym membership<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0in a package that will foster a healthier, more positive workplace culture across your organisation.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”30px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.hussle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Elevate-Employee-Wellness.png” alt=”Elevate employee wellness with corporate gym membership” title_text=”Elevate Employee Wellness” url=”https:\/\/www.hussle.com\/employers” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Offering a flexible employee wellness benefits is vital for any forward-thinking business. But corporate benefits are only as good as their engagement levels. If you want your employees to get the most from your wellness scheme, you need to make sure they are using it. That\u2019s where employee wellness champions can really make a difference. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":12241,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n When you're looking to increase fitness<\/b><\/a>, stamina, or perhaps lose a bit of weight, we've all been told the top tip of taking the stairs rather than the lift. Increasing your heart rate and working the muscle in your legs, workouts with a step have been popular since the 1980s. Since the days of step classes and neon Lycra.<\/p>\r\n\r\n But the step machine in the gym can get overlooked. It gets branded as boring. Truth is, the stair climber can deliver an efficient and well rounded workout, whether used as part of a wider gym routine or on its own for a whole workout<\/a> session.<\/p>\r\n\r\n So let's delve into the stair climber benefits. You might soon find yourself swapping that treadmill workout for a stair climber workout. Or combining the two.<\/p>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n The stair climber does what it says on the tin and simulates walking up stairs. Unlike some of the other scary looking gym equipment<\/a>, it's very easy to use. It rotates steps to simulate climbing a flight of stairs and you can vary the resistance and speed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n There are two types of gym stepper machines, the pedal type steppers and the step mill.<\/p>\r\n\r\n The pedal steppers require you to push down on pedals and keep your body mostly still as you do so meaning it gets your core more involved. Whack up the resistance or take smaller or larger steps as you prefer, to vary the difficulty level.<\/p>\r\n\r\n The step mill is more like a traditional flight of stairs, that moves like an escalator. Up the speed or take the steps two at a time for a more challenging workout variation.<\/p>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n StairMaster is actually a brand. Hence the use of capital letters. Call it a step machine, stepper, stair stepper, StairMaster, stepmill, Power Climb mill, stairclimber or stepping machine \u2013 they are all the same thing.<\/p>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n The golden rule is: don\u2019t slouch. Step machine benefits are maximised when you hold the handrail as little as possible and keep your core strong. Keep your feet flat and avoid coming up onto your tiptoes. Don\u2019t let your knees stick forward of your toes. If your knee comes forward too much it stresses your knee joint and quadriceps tendon.<\/p>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n Stair climber benefits are huge. A step machine workout is a good bit of cardiovascular exercise, burning calories as it increases your heart rate and gets your blood pumping. If weight loss<\/b><\/a> is your goal, you can help create that calorie deficit here. It's also low impact compared with other cardio machine workouts, like the treadmill. A plus for those with joint issues.<\/p>\r\n\r\n But it can also double as strength training<\/b><\/a>. The repetitive motion of using your legs to push yourself up is a great way to test that endurance and activate the muscles in your lower body<\/a>. Stair climber workouts are great if you're looking to tone your lower body.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Additionally, this exercise gives your core muscles a decent workout too. Having to readjust your balance as you climb helps you to develop a stronger core<\/b><\/a>. Make sure you keep an eye on your posture to make this efficient and ease lower back pain. <\/p>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n It definitely lets you be more efficient with your stair climbing workout. <\/p>\r\n\r\n Real stairs don't provide you with differing levels of resistance like the stepper in the gym. The harder your step, the harder your muscles are working, and the more likely you are to start to tone your lower body.<\/p>\r\n\r\n An interesting point is that if you\u2019re climbing real stairs, you're going to be coming down them again. Going downstairs can place a strain on your joints, especially the knees. Anyone who's experienced knee problems like runner's knee will know the pain of walking down stairs. As you are always on the upward climb on the stair stepper, there is no strain on your joints.<\/p>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n If you're new to it, start with 15 minutes. That way you can test out your resistance and speed. Gradually build up so you can stay on the stair climber for 30 minutes. For the average person, a 30 minute stair climber session can burn around 200-300 calories.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Aim for a speed of about 60-80 steps a minute. But it's also great to mix it up. Try periods of faster speed or increased resistance followed by rest. That way you can build up both your stamina, endurance, and give every muscle in your lower body a good workout.<\/p>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n The benefits of gym treadmills are that you run less risk of injury than pounding the pavements. Gym treadmills are easier on your joints than a hard concrete pavement and there\u2019s no injury-causing uneven ground to worry about. As a general rule, running is an extremely efficient cardio and therefore calorie burning activity.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Gym stair steppers share the same benefits of the reduced impact, but aren't as calorie busting as running. However, it can be seen as a form of strength training too, which running can't really. Stair climbers can work every muscle in your legs if you're using them correctly.<\/p>\r\n\r\n And if you're the clumsy type, it\u2019s hard to fall off a stair stepper. So if you like to zone out and watch TV in the gym while you exercise, this one is for you.<\/p>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n The burn belly fat question is one that comes up every time.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Whilst you can\u2019t spot reduce and target fat loss to particular areas of your body, you can burn belly fat by reducing the overall amount of calories that you take on board and burning fat with aerobic exercise. Therefore the stair stepper will burn belly fat as part of a calorie burning workout, as it is a good aerobic exercise.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Stair climber workouts also works your stomach muscles and strengthens your core, engaging those muscles underneath the belly fat and helping to keep your tummy toned.<\/p>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n There are plenty of gyms with StairMasters. <\/p>\r\n\r\n Most gyms will have a StairMaster or similar machine. If you\u2019re not sure if your favourite gym has a stair climber, ask one of the gym instructors. Just as you would expect to find a treadmill in most gyms, you can expect to find a stepping machine too, especially in the larger gyms.<\/p>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n The beauty of the stair climber is there are actually lots of variations you can do on the machine in addition to just walking up stairs.<\/p> \r\n\r\n Incorporating additional movements such as a lunge, a squat, an overhead press, or even adding a resistance band is a great way to making your workout<\/a> even more efficient at working the muscles in your body.<\/p>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ZfjoRT8Zl48\r\n\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nWhat are employee wellbeing champions?<\/h2>\n
How to leverage wellness champions as a catalyst for change<\/h2>\n
4 ways employee wellness champions increase engagement<\/h2>\n
<\/h3>\n
Visible examples of change<\/h3>\n
Peer support for fitness and wellbeing<\/h3>\n
Open dialogue about health issues<\/h3>\n
Removing barriers to engagement<\/h3>\n
Identifying wellness champions in your workplace<\/h2>\n
<\/h3>\n
An interest in personal wellness<\/h3>\n
Inter-personal skills<\/h3>\n
Diversity and inclusivity<\/h3>\n
How to leverage wellness champions to increase engagement<\/h2>\n
Flexible discounted corporate gym membership for wellness benefits<\/h2>\n
What is the stair climber?<\/h4>\r\n\u00a0\r\n
What is the difference between a StairMaster and a stepmill?<\/h4>\r\n\u00a0\r\n
How do you use the stair climber?<\/h4>\r\n\u00a0\r\n
What does the stair climber do for your body?<\/h4>\r\n\u00a0\r\n
Is the stair climber in the gym better than real stairs?<\/h4>\r\n\u00a0\r\n
How long should you stay on the stair climber?<\/h4>\r\n\u00a0\r\n
Which is better, the treadmill or stair climber?<\/h4>\r\n\u00a0\r\n
Does the stair climber burn belly fat?<\/h4>\r\n\u00a0\r\n
Where can I use a Stair Master?<\/h4>\r\n\u00a0\r\n
Stair climber workouts<\/h4>\r\n\u00a0\r\n
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