By Matt Vahey

The holidays are approaching fast, and lots of people abandon their usual diets and workout routines, and gain a few extra pounds as a result.

Based on studies, the majority of people tend to gain additional weight during the holiday season that starts at the Thanksgiving Day and ends with the New Years celebrations.

Here are 5 ideas business leaders can implement to help their employees stay fit and healthy during the holiday season.

1.) Introduce Healthier Choices at Holiday Office Parties

One of the easiest ways to help your employees stay fit during the holidays is to trim the fat from holiday office parties. Instead of providing a seemingly endless supply of traditional hors d’oeuvres, Christmas cookies, and alcoholic beverages, introduce healthier alternatives to this year’s party.

Many holiday treats, for example, can be made healthier by using oat flour, unsweetened applesauce, and egg whites. Avoid the processed meats high in sodium and saturated fats by substituting lean meats such as grilled chicken, turkey, and fish. If you’re going to include alcohol, stick to red wine and limit consumption.

2.) Encourage Hydration

While it’s important to encourage your employees to stay hydrated all year long, it’s especially critical to do this during the holidays. As we all know, shopping, parties, and holiday stress can easily lead to over-eating and weight gain.

The best way to counter this is by drinking plenty of water and staying hydrated. Often times when we are thirsty, our bodies send false signals to our brains, tricking us into believing that we are instead hungry.

By staying hydrated, we can better protect ourselves against these false hunger signals. Encourage your employees to stay hydrated by drinking at least 64 ounces of water daily.

3.) Health & Fitness Secret Santa Theme

We’re all familiar with the classic gift-giving game of Secret Santa, but what if we add a twist? Rather than having co-workers buy each other some random present, (that they may or may not even like or use) turn this year’s Secret Santa into a health and fitness theme.

Inexpensive gifts like foam rollers, compression socks, yoga pants, headphones, and shaker bottles are a great place to start. The fitness junkies in your company will love it and your employees that may have been hesitant to start exercising will finally have a reason to get in the gym! Who doesn’t enjoy playing with their new presents?

4.) Create a Holiday Fitness Challenge

Another culprit of holiday weight gain is lack of motivation. Creating a company-wide holiday fitness challenge is a great way to encourage enthusiasm towards health and wellness. Challenges can include activities such as walking, attending fitness classes, and sports-related events.

Avoid weight-loss style challenges that may leave some employees feeling insecure and self-conscious, while also potentially leading to unhealthy practices such as crash dieting. Be sure to incorporate daily and weekly goals to help employees stay on track.

These goals should be practical and achievable for participants of all fitness levels. To further promote participation and interest, try to include incentives such as prizes and rewards!

5.) Contact a Corporate Health & Wellness Company

Most employers know that one of the fundamental principles of maintaining a successful company is to invest in their employees. Contacting a corporate health and wellness company will supercharge your businesses environment by creating stronger, healthier, and more motivated employees.

Corporate health and wellness companies will empower your business by training your employees on-site and helping to encourage healthy lifestyle choices. Businesses that invest in corporate health and wellness experience increased efficiency and performance, while also improving overall company morale.

While businesses with corporate health and wellness programs benefit significantly throughout the year, these benefits are especially noticeable during the holiday season. During a time when many businesses experience decline in productivity and output, these businesses continue to profit.

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Matt Vahey is founder and president of VIDA Performance of Kennett Square. For more information on these tips and many more.contact Matt via email at mvahey@vidaperformance.com or call him at (302) 545-3678.

Remember, move well, live well!