Ready to adjust your fitness routine for the new year?

If you’re tired of your gym being closed and outdoor exercise is not an option, it’s time to check out some free fitness resources to keep yourself in tip-top shape. Plus, if your wallet is on a budget, free is always an incentive to give a workout a try — even if it’s a trial run.

Whether you’re into yoga, no-equipment workouts, or intense cardio sessions, there’s an app or online resource for you.

Below, you’ll find fitness resources for:

• Workout variety
• Short-on-time workouts
• No-equipment workouts
• Gentle workout options

In this post, we’ll review free fitness resources anyone can use if their regular gym is closed. As we go into 2021, make it your best year yet — physically and mentally —by using these exciting fitness resources.

Is there a vaccine for COVID-19?

The short answer: Yes.

On December 11, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued the first emergency use authorization (EUA) for a vaccine for the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in individuals 16 years of age and older. 

Below, we cover when you can expect the vaccine, who will get it first, and facts about the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine.

In times of overwhelm, finding joy may feel like life’s best kept secret.

Or maybe even a chore. Perhaps you don’t notice joy is missing until life feels too stressful, and, well, joyless.

When a life crisis hits or a string of bad luck ensues, it’s normal to think, “I don’t have time for relaxing, sparking joy, or slowing down.” It can be tough to find joy when life keeps throwing curveballs (ahem, 2020).

But alas, that’s when it’s pertinent you set aside time for finding joy.

Plus, joy benefits your overall life by:

• Raising your mood
• Supporting longevity
• Boosting your immunity
• Promotes a healthier lifestyle

In this post, you’ll find nine simple ways to seek joy and bring it into your life during the roughest of times. Here’s how:

There’s no denying handwashing prevents the spread of germs.

Between the pandemic and flu season, National Handwashing Awareness Week — which is December 1 through the 7 — is the ideal time to discuss the importance of handwashing at work.

Intentional handwashing is one of the best ways to protect yourself and your employees from getting sick.  

This week, consider taking some time to share handwashing facts while letting your employees participate in fun handwashing awareness activities.

Below, you’ll find interesting facts and creative activities to share and get your employees excited about handwashing.

World Kindness Day is November 13.

Right about now, we could all do or witness acts of kindness to lift our spirits.

When we are empathetic and kind, it can improve confidence, happiness, and overall optimism. And when others experience or witness our kindness, it may encourage them to do some good of their own.

Collective acts of kindness lift up both individuals and communities, which is why sprinkling a little extra sweetness out into the world on November 13 can start right in the workplace.

Ready to get started?

Below are ideas that can be tried both inside and outside the workplace. Whether your team works together in an office or remotely, they can spread empathy through different variations of these World Kindness Day activities.

Here’s a list of some of our favorite ideas:

In need of some fresh health tips to share with your employees?

Sharing health tips is a simple way to get wellness content in front of your employees without hassle — especially when they’re in an easy-to-digest format like the list in this post.

These are easy to share on your team’s Slack channel, in an email, at your next meeting, or even on your office bulletin board.

Below, you’ll find tips to encourage your employees to focus on their physical and mental health that they can start using as soon as today.

Ready for health points to share that will keep your team feeling their best?

Here are 35 health tips your employees will appreciate:

There is no denying anxiety levels are at an all-time high for many people.

This month alone, people Googled the keyword “natural anxiety supplements” 8,100 times. In March and April, at the height of the pandemic lockdowns, related terms for anxiety relief hit over 12,000 monthly searches.

Individuals everywhere are looking at how to reduce anxiety naturally. It’s a safe bet that some of those searches came from yourself or employees, too.

Luckily, anxiety management techniques are available, as are ways to learn how to reduce anxiety naturally. By sharing this post with your team, you’ll give them tools to learn how to reduce anxiety on their own terms.

Here’s a look at how to reduce anxiety naturally. No meds required.

Mindfulness in the workplace isn’t anything new.

In fact, companies like Apple, Google, and Nike are big proponents of it. The leaders of these Fortune 500 companies know the cost of burned out employees who have been “multitasking” for too long.

But, multitasking is a myth. Being mindful and focusing on one task at a time, it turns out, is way more productive.

With the current pandemic, working from home situations may start to feel like 24/7 work situations; lay-offs mean employees are taking on more work than normal to keep businesses afloat. And, with workers tethered to their phones, it's hard to shut off busy brains.

Focusing on being mindful and intentional can create space and time to respond instead of reacting throughout the workday.

This post will highlight simple yet effective ways to help team members be more mindful. Below, you’ll find ways to encourage workers to set daily intentions, set aside “playtime” sessions, and practice in-the-moment connections.

If you want to see your employees and your management team benefit from mindfulness, below are a few activities and ideas to introduce the idea in your workplace.

It’s no secret employee wellness is changing.

Thankfully, the 2020 UnitedHealthcare Wellness Checkup Survey results show Americans are making positive wellness changes. For employers who like to follow trends and update their wellness programs, now may be the perfect time to do so.

“Now is an opportune time for Americans to make an investment in their health, with employers in a crucial role to foster healthy habits among employees in the workplace and while working at home,” stated Rebecca Madsen, UnitedHealthcare chief consumer officer in a recent press release.

Given that the pandemic has created a hyperfocus on health and well-being, those surveyed reported updated changes in their wellness routines. For example, more than two-thirds of respondents said that walking has become their preferred exercise routine during the pandemic.

“The UnitedHealthcare Wellness Checkup Survey highlights the importance of implementing robust well-being programs that may foster whole-person health, reduce absenteeism, and curb care costs,” Madsen added.

Below, you’ll see the findings are a collection of opinions of health topics and preferences, which can help you further improve or inspire your next updates to your wellness program.

Are you wondering how to engage remote employees in wellness discussions?

With more teams working remotely these days, engaging remote employees with useful wellness ideas to inspire healthy behavior is a must.

Especially if you want to keep them as mentally and physically healthy as possible during an era where good health is more important than ever.

Plus, if you’re not engaging your remote workers, it could be costly.

Back in 2017, The Engagement Institute released a report that disengaged employees cost companies between $450 and $550 billion a year.

Yikes.

Remote work has its own challenges when it comes to navigating unique stressors like isolation and a more sedentary work environment. That just means you have to figure out how to get remote workers invested in virtual wellness initiatives.

Not sure how?

Here are 11 ways to engage remote employees with ease: