Program Activities

A comprehensive workplace wellness program offers a variety of activities and events that encourage employees with different health profiles to participate. Even companies with limited resources can implement some of the program activities listed below, focusing on those with the greatest impact such as tobacco cessation, weight management, active lifestyles, and diabetes prevention.

Based on your research and planning, programs you offer might include:

Diabetes Prevention and Management

• Offer diabetes education throughout the year. Lesson plans links are located on the left side of this page. 
• Publicize diabetes education messages in November during National Diabetes Month.
• Circulate diabetes-friendly recipes and host holiday cooking demonstrations
• Consider offering the National Diabetes Prevention Program as a covered benefit for your employees with prediabetes.

Tobacco Cessation

• Schedule classes to help employees stop smoking
• Feature stories in your company newsletter about employees who have kicked the smoking habit
• Participate in the Great American Smokeout

Weight Reduction and Management

• Offer weight reduction classes to help employees understand the effects of being overweight and learn strategies to help them lose weight
• Sponsor healthy eating workshops and food demonstrations during March, which is National Nutrition Month
• Offer a workshop on Healthy Eating

Physical Activity/Active Lifestyle

• Offer onsite exercise classes.
• Provide pedometers and offer rewards for the most miles walked
• Organize walking or biking teams for local nonprofit fundraisers, such as the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure or the American Heart Association Heart Walk
• Offer a workshop on physical activity

Blood Pressure Reduction

• Offer blood pressure screening during May, which is Blood Pressure Awareness Month
• Distribute CDC's blood pressure fact sheet to employees in May
• Give employees low salt recipes and offer cooking demonstrations in May

Heart Disease Prevention and Management

Give employees resources and tools from the Million Hearts Campaign or the American Heart Association and urge them to share it with someone they know who has diabetes.

• Offer a workshop on the link between diabetes and heart disease. Lesson plans links are found to the left on this page.
• Participate in Wear Red Day in February to raise awareness about heart disease during American Heart Month

Stress Reduction

• Offer a workshop on emotional well-being for people with diabetes
• Provide articles and other resources that discuss stress reduction on the job
• Organize support groups for people dealing with high stress in their lives