I know you understand how effective strategic wellness initiatives can be for your employees, particularly when it comes to staff retention, injury and illness rates and performance.

I also know staff training is often put on the backburner when times are economically tight.

So I have come up with some simple and inexpensive ways to help you support your staff to make healthier choices now that the weather is warming up and their motivation to get healthy is on the rise again.

• TIP 1: Buy a blender (and ditch the toasted sandwich maker)

One of the biggest issues with low energy at work is not eating enough or not eating at all due to meetings and deadlines. This can be solved easily buy purchasing a blender for the staff kitchen.

Provide some smoothie recipes for inspiration and encourage staff to bring their own ingredients so that they can whip up a quick smoothie when they are short on time. It actually takes about the same amount of time to make a coffee! For a great smoothie recipe CLICK HERE

• TIP 2: Set a office step challenge that gets your staff moving more

Recent studies are now suggesting that sitting for long periods of time is just as detrimental to your health as second hand smoking. The easiest way to combat that is to make people aware of just how much they are moving.

So get your staff to either download a step counter on their smart phone or purchase some low cost pedometers. Then set a daily and weekly step challenge where the winner gets a prize. You could even divide people up into teams to encourage peer support – and there is nothing like a little healthy competition!

• TIP 3: Encourage a daily power break

Most people don’t get enough sleep, so come 3pm they are sluggish and looking for a sugar fix to keep them awake long enough to complete their work. Lack of sleep effects many things including attention span, ability to focus, ability to make good decisions and reaction time. One of the easiest ways to combat this 3pm energy slump is to make time for a 10-minute power break.

Simply download a mediation app like OMVANA for your smart phone, set a timer for 10 minutes, sit back in your chair (or go to a quiet room) and close your eyes. What this will do is give your body just that little bit of downtime it needs to replenish energy and re-focus. I know a partner in a major law firm that does just this every day and he swears it helps with his energy, sharpness and decision making ability.

If you are looking for some other easy tips to introduce into your workplace, visit my website download the free report ‘7 top tips to get your workplace healthier that won’t cost you a thing’.