Family Fitness Is the New Frontier for Employee Wellness Programs
As companies look to improve employee health and productivity while lowering healthcare costs, many are realizing the benefits of expanding wellness initiatives individual employees to include their families as well.
Research shows that exercising with others leads to better adherence, higher-intensity workouts, and more weight loss success. By unlocking the power of family fitness, employers have an opportunity to boost participation, accountability, and outcomes.
The Science Behind Social Support
Studies demonstrate that people complete 56% more exercise when they work out with others compared to exercising alone. Exercising with someone fitter also enables people to work out at a higher intensity level. And those who started a weight loss program with friends were 42% more likely to maintain their weight loss than those who participated solo.
In the workplace context, while co-worker relationships are impactful, employees' family relationships are even more instrumental in establishing lifestyle habits given the significant time spent together outside work. As such, engaging family members in fitness initiatives allows employers to cultivate dedication to health goals from the ground up.
Getting Creative with Family-Inclusive Programming
Forward-thinking employers are using creative ways to get entire families moving together, both virtually and in person. Offering flexible, on-demand fitness solutions allows parents to adapt workouts to different ability levels – getting kids involved while still meeting their own needs. Providing diverse options from yoga to high-intensity interval training (HIIT) also helps appeal to family members of all ages and interests.
Other family-friendly fitness ideas include instructional classes to help young athletes prepare for upcoming sports seasons and outdoor activities like family bike rides, hikes, volunteer park cleanups, and more. Such programming allows parents and children to bond while being active.
Why It Matters for Health and Business Outcomes
While individual employee fitness has clear ties to satisfaction, productivity, and healthcare costs, the case for family fitness goes further:
Strengthens Support Systems
Exercising together strengthens family relationships, which research links to reduced loneliness and better mental health. Close-knit families also provide better support when health issues inevitably arise.
Drives Accountability
When employees have family members joining them in wellness programs, they feel more accountable to show up and hit their goals. As most adults spend minimal time socializing with colleagues outside work, family partners help drive results.
Enhances Work-Life Balance
Family fitness allows busy parent employees to incorporate movement into their day during time that’s already devoted to kids. This avoids the need to carve out separate workout blocks.
Supports Population Health
Getting kids and spouses active lays the groundwork for healthy habits across generations, helping prevent chronic disease down the line. Family fitness also reduces injury risk to child athletes, preventing parents from missing work to provide care.
Keys to Success for Employers
While the benefits of family fitness are clear, employers should do what they can to motivate participation. Here are some best practices for employers:
- Promote Family-Inclusive Messaging
Incorporate images of and messaging around families being active together in wellness campaign materials rather than only featuring individual employees. This signals that the programming is meant to be family-friendly. -
Incentivize Participation
Consider offering prizes or additional wellness account dollars for employees who complete family fitness challenges and share photos or stories to increase visibility. -
Evaluate Vehicle and Venue
Determine whether virtual or on-site offerings best suit your population's needs and resources. Consider partnerships with local gyms/studios to reduce barriers. -
Meet Parents Where They Are
Parents often cite lack of time as a key obstacle, so emphasize flexibility and convenience in family fitness offerings.
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