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One healthy agency

May 24, 2011 | by Judy Kessel

One of our promotional ads from several years ago summarized our broad experience in healthcare with the tagline “One Healthy Agency.” It is important that StoneArch Creative is a healthy agency for several reasons.

Happy, healthy employees are the cornerstone of a great workplace, and a great workplace supports the creation of great work. As a creative medical marketing agency, we have a passion for health. It is only natural that we care about the health and well-being of our employees.

Recently, StoneArch Creative has begun the Stretch initiative. We want to help employees stretch their limits and opportunities for a healthier lifestyle. This is an effort to create a workplace that supports an employee’s quest for wellness at whatever level or place they are at. We provide access and opportunities for employees to make better choices about what they eat, how they move and how they handle stress. There is no regimented program that an employee must participate in, but instead a fun and supportive environment that makes it easier to make healthy choices. 

These are just some of the highlights of Stretch:

• Everyone received a dry fit workout shirt to kick off Stretch and to encourage movement in all aspects of their life
 
• Complimentary on-site chair massages are provided each quarter to help employees reduce stress
 
• Nuts, dried fruit and granola are now staples in the office as an alterative to less healthy snacks
 
• Sparkling water and vegetable juice have been added as alternatives to soda
 
• Healthy choices are also incorporated into company snacks and lunches at meetings
 
• Walking meetings are encouraged (who doesn’t want to hatch the next great idea while walking across the historic Stone Arch Bridge?)
 
• Short stretch/walking/yoga sessions occur at 10 am and 2 pm each day
 
• “Take the stairs Tuesdays” reminds employees to take the stairs to our 7th floor, rather than the elevator
 
• “Farmers Market Crawls” occur throughout the day, every Thursday, for groups to explore the downtown Minneapolis farmers market
 
• Regular wii and badminton competitions occur in the office (the perks of being in an open environment)
 
• We have purchased several memberships to Minneapolis’ Nice Ride bike sharing program to encourage movement and bike transportation in the Twin Cities. Employees can check bikes out at any time during the week, including weekends
 
• Our monthly calendar now highlights various healthy activities including yoga, tai chi and ride/walk to work

 
 
Infusing a healthy and active lifestyle into the workplace does not require a large budget. We are committed to health and want to make sure that staying healthy is as simple and friendly as possible. Employees led the planning of Stretch, and ongoing changes and additions will come directly from the staff. We encourage employees to teach and lead activities including tai chi, yoga and active miming rather than hiring outside instructors. Our goals for Stretch are simple … to help our staff become healthier and happier and to make StoneArch Creative the best place to work.