• Good physical health includes weight management, eating a nutritious diet, exercising, and getting enough sleep.

Eating right: Support employee nutritional health by sharing the importance of a healthy diet.

Tips like these can help employees with diet improvements:

• Portion sizes: To keep portions in control, try using a smaller plate. Portions are in the eye of the beholder, and a serving looks more generous when it’s on a smaller plate. In addition, try to eat more slowly. This gives the body a chance to sense when it’s full and makes it easier to say no to another helping.
• Eat the rainbow: To choose healthier foods, think about color. Vibrant fruits and vegetables contain important nutrients that reduce the risk for chronic disease.
• Fresh, not processed: Fresh fruits and vegetables have several advantages over processed or packaged foods. Whether sliced, chopped, steamed, or roasted, fresh fruits and vegetables are a great choice.
• Go for whole grains: Whole grains bring fiber into our diet, as well as important vitamins and minerals. Choose brown rice over white, mix barley into vegetable soup, or have a quinoa salad.
• Exercise: The CDC recommends people get 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise weekly or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise. In addition, strength training exercises are recommended on two or more days of the week.

Tips like these can help employees get the recommended amount of exercise:

• Start slow: Try moving for just a few minutes. Individuals will probably want to keep going because it feels good.
• Make time: One way to fit exercise into the day is to schedule it. Many people find that planning an activity first thing in the morning is a great way to get moving.
• Take a walk: Walking is a great form of exercise and requires no more equipment than a pair of comfortable shoes.

Use workplace challenges to encourage employees to move more. These can include:

• Exercise goals. Employees can set physical activity goals that are specific and time-bound. For example, a goal could be to walk for 10 minutes per day, five days per week for one month. After that goal is met, a new goal can be set. Associates can team up to encourage each other to meet their goals.
• Step counting. Associates can aim to take a certain number of steps per day, such as 8,000. Those who meet the goal could be rewarded with a new pair of walking shoes. Teams of associates could compete in a step challenge or aim to log enough miles to cover a certain distance in a month (such as from coast to coast, or from one city to another.)

Sleep: While sleep is vital to good health, more than one-third of Americans struggle to get a good night of rest. Getting enough sleep can help keep a person from getting sick and can reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Sleep will also improve mood and reduce the risk for injuries.

Offer employees tips for getting a good night’s rest:

• Establish a regular bedtime and get up at roughly the same time each morning.
• Create a relaxing sleep environment that’s dark and quiet.
• Cut back on caffeine, especially late in the day.
• Cut back on screen time for 30 minutes before going to bed.
• Try a meditative activity such as yoga or relaxation exercises before going to bed.