How to promote heart health at work

1. Advocate healthy eating

2. Support regular physical activity

3. Promote a healthy work-life balance

4. Educate your employees

5. Offer international health insurance cover

Raising awareness about heart disease can build trust with your employees, showing that your organisation has a supportive work environment and takes care of its employees.

Let’s explore some of the different steps you can take to protect the heart health of your workforce.

Advocate healthy eating

Eating a healthy diet can reduce the chances of developing coronary heart disease, and there are many ways you can support your employees with this.

In communal areas, consider adding a fruit bowl so they can enjoy some healthy snacks throughout the day. If your work environment has vending machines, replace any unhealthy snacks with nutritious options, such as dried fruit, nuts or seeds, protein or granola bars.

Keeping hydrated is also important, helping lower the risk of heart failure. To assist with this, you could provide reusable water bottles or put posters around the office to promote regular hydration.

Support regular physical activity

You can support workers by encouraging them to get regular physical activity, which can lower their risk of developing heart disease.

You could introduce a wellness programme in your workplace, which can provide discounts on gym memberships or fitness tech to encourage exercise. Many of these programmes also provide rewards if users reach certain levels of activity, which acts as a useful incentive.

Additionally, you may think about implementing a cycle to work schemes, allowing workers to enjoy their commute in the outdoors. Promote regular breaks away from their desk as well, which can help your employees get their daily steps in.

Many workplaces offer lunch time fitness sessions to get workers moving. You could deliver a short workout class focusing on activities like yoga, pilates or cardio, enabling workers to return to work feeling energised and refreshed.

Promote a healthy work-life balance

Promoting a healthy work-life balance can reduce the risk of employee burnout, with a high amount of stress, especially in work situations, potentially being linked to heart problems.

Having open communication in the workplace can be beneficial, as well as providing training for managers on how to spot signs of stress and burnout. This can help to tackle problems early, and give supervisors the opportunity to create a plan that will support the worker.

Setting boundaries can encourage a healthy work-life balance, giving individuals time to spend with their loved ones and relax. This might include avoiding replying to emails outside of working hours where possible and asking managers to lead by example.

Encourage employees to take their lunch breaks away from their desks. This time can help to reduce stress levels and optimise overall workplace productivity.

Educate your employees

Educating your employees about the prevalence of heart disease and how to maintain their heart health can show them you support their wellbeing.

For example, you could invite health experts, such as cardiologists or nutritionists, to host a talk for employees to provide guidance on subjects like eating well and exercising.

Organising cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or automated external defibrillator (AED) training to your wider workforce can give employees practical knowledge of what to do in the event of a medical emergency and could even save lives.

Another way of raising awareness about heart disease is by offering access to educational materials, which could include newsletters and informational posters. Also consider giving access to digital health portals which contain resources like videos and videos on preventative health measures.

Offer international health insurance cover

Consider introducing international health insurance cover to support your employees’ health and wellbeing. With this, they can get access to leading private medical facilities around the world within their chosen area of cover, as well as the flexibility to choose where they are treated and who by.

International medical insurance can provide a variety of cover for your employees when they need medical treatment, including:

• Prompt access to diagnostics and eligible medical treatment

• GP & specialist consultations

• Prescription drugs and dressings

• Accident & emergency room treatment

• Hospital treatment

• Emergency medical evacuation

Plans may include things like employee assistance programmes (EAPs), which may support individuals with things like stress management, and the ability to seek a second medical opinion if they are unsure about their diagnosis or a proposed treatment plan.

Click here to find out more about the benefits of offering international health insurance to your employees.