Workplace Wellness Apps

Workplace wellness is any workplace health promotion activity or organizational policy designed to support healthy behavior in the workplace and to improve health outcomes. A healthy workplace means more than just warding off colds and the flu. It is more holistic and takes into consideration the physical, spiritual, environmental, intellectual, emotional, occupational and mental health of employees. Wellness promotion doesn’t just benefit the employee because an organization filled with healthy and fulfilled employees is a productive workplace that retains its employees. More and more organizations are creating Health and Welfare Committees who are responsible for recognizing health and safety concerns and identifying solutions.

One way to implement a workplace wellness program is through modern technology. There are thousands off wellness apps available to track various aspects of wellness. Before implementing a program is it important to find out what your employees want, test potential apps and be ready to address potential resistance to the program. Here are some of the most popular workplace wellness apps:

MyFitnessPal

This app has been around for a while now and continues to be ranked as one of the best fitness apps. It features a free and easy-to-use calorie counter which uses a database of over 5 million different food types. It is an app that determines your recommended caloric intake based on your own personal data such as age, weight, gender and activity level. It is a great app that individuals can use to manage their calorie intake and reach weight loss goals.

Hotseat

This is a wellness app that creates friendly competition around the office. Employees can organize the game play by choosing the challenge, the start date and the team. The winner is always the last person standing. Hotseat sends reminders to encourage users to take two-minute activity breaks. The app also integrates with iCal, allowing for reminders to be sent based on the user’s calendar.

GetHealth

This platform has an app for employees that uses an online dashboard for employers that allows for tracking and management of wellness programs. Employees can earn points by checking in to healthy tasks under the Move, Munch and Mind categories. This can be used in friendly competition with a leaderboard, achievements and simple metrics to engage users.

Regardless of what program you implement or what app you adopt to manage your program, there will be benefits for everyone participating. It is very important to choose a program that will engage with as many employees as possible. You will be dealing with a wide range of individuals with different activity, fitness and health levels. Make it fun, with clear rewards and you will have success!