In my last article, Fitness 2024 — To Infinity and Beyond, I wrote about four of the more intriguing developments in fitness industry wellness: Limpia, Therapeutic Psychedelics, Immersive ASMR and AI-Powered Precision Nutrition. I wrote the article tongue-in-cheek since I thought that some of these trends were too far out for the mainline club attendee. But I may have spoken too soon.

This month, when I was researching fitness trends for 2024, something popped up that has become one of the top ten recent developments this year: Worksite Health Promotion. Wellness programs on steroids.

Employee health has long been a priority for the owners of U.S. corporations. As health care costs escalate, the demand for worksite health promotion programs that improve workers’ health and provide a return on investment has skyrocketed.

Strong evidence supports the effectiveness of WHP programs targeting smoking cessation, healthy nutrition, physical activity, and weight loss. Research has also shown a positive impact on systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels among participants and businesses recognize the impact of employee well-being on their bottom line.

WHP programs have been shown to lower health and productivity-related costs. A report from the American Medical Journal shows employers yield a $3–$15 return on investment for each dollar invested and an analysis of the programs estimates a $3.27 decrease in medical costs for every dollar spent. Besides the economic benefits, the value of such programs is apparent. Evidence shows WHP programs reduce absenteeism and increase productivity, a good thing.

Here’s a brief history. Many of today’s worksite health promotion programs originated from executive fitness programs that were created in the years after World War II. Business leaders who understood the benefits of a healthy lifestyle started these, and in-house corporate programs grew steadily throughout the 1970s. Well-appointed gyms staffed with fitness instructors and masseurs were standard fare for successful companies. Unfortunately, these perks were typically restricted to upper management and, therefore, had little influence on the health behaviors or health care provisions of most employees. Much has changed in the last fifty years.

In the mid-1970s, The Association for Fitness in Business was organized to provide networking and conferences. During the next decade, employer benefits focused on a broad spectrum of health issues beyond fitness, and these new programs began to be offered to employees across the board. Companies established new links between occupational medicine and human resources and strengthened previous relationships. The AFB, a big supporter of the shift from corporate fitness to worksite wellness, morphed into the Association for Worksite Health Promotion.

The Association for Fitness in Business

By the early 1990s, this group had over 2,500 members and operated at national and regional levels. Then, because of widespread economic pressures and corporate restructuring, the association fractured into smaller regional groups. The adoption of the worksite health promotion agenda by the American College of Sports Medicine and its Interest Group on Worksite Health Promotion allowed for continued scaled-down service. In 2009, this group expanded into a new affiliate association, the International Association for Worksite Health Promotion. Since then, corporate programs have been blossoming, to where Worksite Health Programs have become one of the top ten areas of interest in the Fitness Industry.