22+ Virtual wellness ideas for remote employees
Keeping your remote team engaged and healthy is not easy, but it’s more important than ever.
With many companies allowing their employees to work from home, it becomes natural for employees to feel isolated, and it’s harder to build that sense of connection that once came naturally in an office setting. That’s where virtual wellness activities come in.
They help you bring balance, community, and energy into remote work and make everyone feel more connected, engaged, and cared for.
There are different virtual wellness activities for employees that can help your team reduce stress, build teamwork, and keep their spirits high. From Wellness Wednesday routines to interactive wellness challenges, there’s so much you can do to make your remote team happier, healthier, and more productive.
If you’re not sure how to go about organising these activities, there are wellness companies, experts, and apps that can give you access to various virtual wellness ideas.
In this guide, we’ll share some of the best ideas to help you support your remote team’s well-being, wherever they are.
Why implement virtual wellness in the workplace?
As more businesses allow their employees to work remotely, virtual wellness has become essential to keep your employees healthy and productive. The truth is that remote work is growing and more organisations are adopting the culture. For example, in a recent survey by Owl Labs, 11% of the workforce works fully remotely, which is a 4% increase from 2023.
The study also revealed that 27% of employees are hybrid workers, which shows that many companies are maintaining or expanding their remote options. Interestingly, this shift to remote work comes with its unique challenges, including mental health strains, feelings of isolation, and poor work-life boundaries.
To address these issues, many organisations are partnering with a corporate wellness coach and focusing on employee wellness by investing in virtual team wellness activities to improve their staff’s health, engagement, morale, and productivity.
For example, many organisations are already planning for Global Wellness Day with different ideas to engage their workforce. If you’re still not certain if you should embrace virtual wellbeing activities for your team, here are a few benefits why these programs are important:
Boosts productivity: Engaging your employees in healthy activities will make them more productive.
Reduces burnout: Wellness initiatives can help your team manage stress and prevent burnout.
Improves job satisfaction: When your workforce feels that you care about their well-being, they’re likely to feel happier and more loyal to your company.
Reduces absenteeism: When your team members are healthy, they’re less likely to take sick leaves and are more likely to be productive.
Attracts top talents: Investing in wellness activities for remote employees will make your company more attractive to top talent.
Top 22 wellness ideas for remote employees
Keeping your remote employees engaged and healthy can directly affect their productivity. It doesn’t matter if you’re just starting with wellness virtual activities or looking for more ideas to expand your current initiatives, our top ideas will inspire and support your remote workforce. Let’s get right into it!
#1: Daily step challenge
This is a perfect way to encourage your staff members to stay active by tracking their daily steps.
How to: You can use the Teamupp app to create a fun step challenge and encourage your team to sync their fitness trackers or smartphones to log their steps. To get started, download the app and create a corporate account. Next, set daily or weekly goals and you can even create friendly competition among your employees by displaying leaderboards.
Benefits: This challenge will promote physical activity, increase energy levels, and promote team spirit.
Price: From £0,5 to £1 per employee, depending on your subscription plan.
#2: Virtual meditation sessions
These are guided sessions designed to help your staff members reduce stress and relax more.
How to: You can schedule regular Zoom or Teams meetings with a meditation guide or use free resources like YouTube for guided sessions with your workforce.
Benefits: It reduces stress and improves focus and mental clarity.
Price: Free, unless you use a professional instructor.
#3: Team-building games
You can also host virtual games where your staff work as teams to compete against each other in friendly competitions.
How to: Use virtual platforms like TriviaMaker or Kahoot to host team-building activities like trivia or problem-solving challenges.
Benefits: It strengthens relationships, promotes teamwork, and offers a fun break from work.
Price: Free or minimal cost for premium versions of platforms.
#4: Wellness Wednesday activities
You can dedicate Wednesdays at work to wellness virtual activities to engage and improve the health of your teammates.
How to: Virtual wellness Wednesday ideas can be hosted each week and include different activities, such as virtual stretching sessions, creative workshops, or team lunches. Make sure you communicate the details of each week’s activity to your colleagues through email or team chat.
Benefits: It helps to build routine and supports your staff’s physical and mental health as well as keep them engaged.
Price: Free or low-cost, depending on the activity.
#5: Virtual cooking class
You can also organise a cooking class where your team members learn healthy recipes they can make at home.
How to: If you have some foodies at the office, talk to them to handle the class, or you can invite a chef or nutritionist to lead a live virtual class. You may want to share the recipes in advance so everyone can prepare to cook together during the session.
Benefits: It encourages healthy eating habits, provides a social activity everyone can participate in, and improves team bonding.
Price: Free with YouTube videos, unless you buy a virtual cooking class online.
#6: Virtual book club
Thinking of helping your team expand their knowledge and boost their cognitive functions? Start a book club and encourage everyone to read.
How to: Ask each person to read one book every month, and you can then have sessions where they discuss what they’ve read. You can include books on workplace wellness, personal growth, or even fiction.
Benefits: It helps to stimulate the brain and promote connection while offering a mental break from regular work.
Price: Free, unless you buy the books for your teams.
#7: Hydration challenge
With this challenge, you can encourage your teammates to drink more water daily and track their progress.
How to: Set daily water intake goals for your team, such as 2-4 litres a day, and use a shared Google Sheet or a hydration tracking app for everyone to log their progress.
Benefits: It helps your team stay hydrated and improves their physical health and energy levels.
Price: Free
#8: Mindfulness practice sessions
Here’s one of our top wellness Wednesday ideas for remote employees on mental health. Encouraging your workforce to participate in this exercise helps them to stay present and reduce anxiety.
How to: You can use Zoom or Teams to schedule short, guided mindfulness sessions. Mindfulness apps can be helpful or you can even just practise simple breathing exercises found for free on YouTube.
Benefits: It improves your staff’s mental well-being, reduces their stress level, and enhances their focus.
Price: Free, unless you purchase apps.
#9: Virtual wellness room
You can create a virtual wellness room where your employees can access wellness resources like guided exercises, inspirational quotes, or calming music.
How to: Create a shared folder on Google Drive or a dedicated channel in your team’s communication platform where staff can access these wellness materials.
Benefits: It gives your employees access to wellness resources that can support their mental health and self-care.
Price: Free.
#10: Desk stretching exercises
If you’re looking for simple virtual well-being session ideas, desk stretching is a top choice. It’s something everyone can do at their desk to relieve tension.
How to: Share YouTube videos on desk stretches and schedule regular reminders so everyone can take stretch breaks throughout the day.
Benefits: It reduces muscle tension and improves posture and flexibility.
Price: Free.
#11: Remote group workouts
Here’s one of our most recommended free virtual wellness activities to keep your remote team together and active.
How to: You can use Zoom or Teams to organise live workouts. Alternatively, there are group workout sessions available on YouTube that are easy for teams to keep up with.
Benefits: It promotes physical health, improves morale, and provides a sense of community.
Price: Free.
#12: Sleep hygiene workshop
This can be especially helpful for your busy remote workers. It will help them understand the importance of quality sleep and guide them on how to improve their sleep habits.
How to: Organise a virtual workshop or invite a sleep expert to talk to your team virtually. You can also share informative articles and tips through email.
Benefits: It improves sleep quality, overall health, and productivity.
Price: Free, unless you decide to invite a sleep expert.
#13: Virtual nature walks
You can encourage your remote workforce to take walks in nature and share their experiences on your group chat or in a live session.
How to: Set a goal for time spent outdoors every week, and ask your employees to share their stories or pictures from their walks during your virtual meetings.
Benefits: It supports relaxation, boosts mental well-being, and connects your team with nature.
Price: Free
#14: Virtual art therapy
Art is a way to help your employees relax and express their creativity.
How to: Organise virtual painting or drawing sessions, and give your staff digital art tools to use. You can also encourage them to use physical materials at home and share what they created.
Benefits: It reduces stress, improves creativity, and provides a fun, relaxing activity.
Price: Free or minimal cost for art supplies.
#15: Gratitude journaling
Your team can keep a journal of things they’re grateful for each day.
How to: Provide them with a digital journal template or use a shared Google Doc where they can make their daily gratitude entries.
Benefits: It promotes positivity, reduces stress, and improves overall well-being.
Price: Free.
#16: Weekly wellness challenges
You can launch weekly wellness challenges virtually to keep your remote workers motivated to improve their health.
How to: Use a tool like Microsoft Teams or Slack to communicate the details of your weekly challenge with everyone. You can include a hydration challenge, step challenge, or fitness challenge in the wellness virtual activities for each week. You can track your teammates’ progress or ask them to share updates.
Benefits: It promotes a sense of community, encourages healthy habits, and makes wellness fun.
Price: Free
#17: Virtual wellness workshops
This is another of our top virtual wellness challenge ideas because it can cover basically any wellness topic. You can host online workshops on stress management, fitness, nutrition, and just about anything else in the wellness space.
How to: There are plenty of resources online with experts discussing wellness topics on YouTube. Find someone reputable and create a schedule for your staff to listen to a new topic every week. You could ask them to try implementing one new change every week and see if they report any noticeable differences.
Benefits: It provides valuable knowledge to your workforce, improves their well-being, and promotes a healthy lifestyle.
Price: Free, unless you hire an expert to host in-person wellness workshops.
#18: Online fitness classes
There are many options for online fitness classes you can arrange to keep your employees active, including yoga, Pilates, and cardio classes.
How to: Talk to a local fitness instructor to work with your team or use free online platforms like YouTube to stream live or recorded classes. You can schedule the sessions weekly or bi-weekly.
Benefits: It can improve your team’s physical health and mood, and provides a break from their work routines.
Price: Free, unless you decide to hire an instructor.
#19: Virtual pet show
You can create a fun activity where each employee shows off their pets and shares funny stories about them.
How to: Schedule a Zoom call and ask your remote workforce to bring their pets to the screen. You can create different categories like “cutest pet” or “funniest pet moment” for extra engagement.
Benefits: It boosts morale and promotes a positive work culture.
Price: Free
#20: Mindful walking challenge
You can use this challenge to encourage your workforce to take mindful walks during breaks to clear their minds.
How to: Organise the challenge and send reminders to everyone to walk and focus on their surroundings. They can share pictures or their experiences after the walk in your group channel.
Benefits: It promotes mental clarity, improves physical health, and gives your teams a mental break.
Price: Free
#21: Virtual charity runs or walks
If you’ve been thinking of charitable virtual wellness challenge ideas, a virtual walk or run is a great option. The best part is that everyone can participate regardless of where they are.
How to: Organise a virtual race and encourage your workers to track their miles, and raise money for a cause. You can use apps to log everyone’s records.
Benefits: It promotes physical fitness and supports a good cause.
Price: Free, unless you use paid tracking apps.
#22: Virtual affirmation sessions
You can also host virtual sessions where your team members share and discuss positive affirmations.
How to: Set up a regular meeting where employees can talk about their favourite affirmations. It’s also a good idea to use guided sessions through video calls or YouTube videos to help teammates who are new to affirmations.
Benefits: It boosts confidence, improves mental health, and creates a positive environment.
Price: Free
Bonus: 5 free virtual wellness activities
Office Yoga: You can use YouTube yoga tutorials to guide your team.
Virtual running club: Create a group for your team to track their runs and encourage each other.
Virtual healthy snack swap: Ask your employees to share healthy snacks they love, with the recipe.
Online mindfulness moments: You can lead 5-minute mindfulness breaks to help your staff reset and reduce stress.
Work-life webinar: This will help them to improve their work-life balance as well as their time management skill.
Now that you know the top virtual wellness ideas you can use to engage your team, talk to us to help you bring these activities to life for your team. Try our Teamupp app today with a free demo!
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