“I went on a walk at lunch… took advantage of the grassy long strip in front of the hospital. I enjoy my lunch break and my exercise… my heart loves me for it, too,” says Eva Hubbell, pharmacy technician, Southern California Region.

It’s National Employee Health and Wellness Day. Workers who stay fit help organizations thrive — with better morale and energy, reduced health care costs, and improved productivity. Inspire yourself and co-workers to be physically active with these tips:

• Push walking. Hold walking meetings with tips from the Healthy Workforce Healthy Meeting Essentials Guide, coordinate group walks, and share walking routes and trails.

• Provide access. Advocate exercise breaks, develop a walking path within your workspace, and recommend areas for storing sneakers and freshening up.

• Role model. When you walk 30 minutes a day, five days a week, your energy and good health inspire associates to follow suit.

Promote daily walking at work and everyone reaps the rewards. Another fun way to add physical activity to your workday is to take an Instant Recess® with your co-workers. Instant Recess includes short, 5-to-10 minute physical activity breaks that can be done anywhere, by anyone, in any attire. The routines can be adapted to include people of varied fitness levels and with limited mobility. The Instant Recess toolkit has everything you need to start an Instant Recess in your office, lab, call center, patient floor, or anywhere else.