Five Ways to Incorporate Wellness Into Your Meetings and Events

A healthy attendee is a happy attendee, and that's why wellness has made its way into the world of meeting incentive planning in a big way. There are many options when it comes to bringing health and wellness to your attendees. Here are just a few ideas to get you started.

Get Physical

Get attendees moving -- and thinking. Researchers have found that learning and idea generation is easier if the body, as well as the mind, is involved and engaged. That's why individually designed teambuilding group activities should include not only physical activity (such as circuit training, Zumba workouts, yoga sessions, and relay races) but also educational, all-encompassing wellness (mind, body, soul) aspects. Physical movement, no matter how minor, will stimulate creativity and enhance the overall well-being of event attendees. Consider introducing some fun prizes and let them indulge their competitive spirits, too.

Take It Outside

Never underestimate the power of sunshine. A conference room or event space might be necessary, but taking attendees outside for at least part of the day will pay off dividends. It's all about vitamin D, the so-called "sunshine vitamin. A "D-ficiency" can produce general tiredness and aches and pains -- the kinds of discomforts that can be exacerbated by sitting for long periods of time. An hour in the sun, whether it's in a nearby park, poolside, or at a rooftop restaurant, can radically improve attendees' mental states.
 
Spa Breaks

Need some stress relief? In my experience, spa breaks are the perfect solution, and they can add an element of surprise and delight to any event. Bring in a masseuse for chair massages, lowering anxiety, increasing circulation and relieving muscle pains and headaches. Or try 10 minutes' worth of easy yoga stretches, a surefire pathway to a clearer frame of mind that encourages circulation to joints and muscles. Top off the spa break with healthy, fortifying smoothies, made using organic and local ingredients.

Wellness Partnerships

Take advantage of the knowledge your local wellness community has to offer and enhance a luncheon with motivational, educational speakers. These talks will educate and inspire, covering nutrition, staying fit while traveling, how to recharge and more. At the Hyatt Regency Aurora-Denver, we're lucky enough to partner with the nearby Anschutz Health & Wellness Team, whose experts give tips on a variety of health-related topics to event attendees. It's a great break from the norm, and attendees can take what they learn home with them.

Healthy Cooking Classes

It can be very difficult to maintain a healthy diet when traveling, with unwise diet choices lurking in every hotel minibar. But you can help attendees skip the fast food with a personalized, interactive cooking class where they'll work with a trained chef in a professional culinary setting. They'll prep a full meal using nutritious (but still delicious) ingredients, and then enjoy the fruits of their labor afterwards. And attendees will be able to take this new knowledge home with them, a perfect way to extend wellness beyond the meeting or event.

Stephan Meier is the General Manager of Hyatt Regency Aurora-Denver Conference Center. Working in collaboration with the Anschutz Wellness Campus located across the street, the new IACC-certified conference center can help you infuse energizing, health-minded activities into meetings.

Reported by:  SuccessfulMeetings.com