We’ve discussed the importance of exercise and the importance of a business’ culture in attracting and retaining employees, but what about actually creating a wellness program for your business?

A workplace wellness program adds to your company culture, AND can contribute to the overall success of your business. With both an emphasis on work hard and a work-life balance, healthy employees tend to be more productive, efficient, and happier in their jobs. And that’s not just the endorphins talking.

We have the stepping stones you can take to formulate an effective wellness program for your business:

1. Gauge employees’ needs and interest levels.

Before introducing a wellness program, make sure it’s something your employees want. To be clear, more likely than not, it will be. Over 85% of new businesses that have wellness programs state that it was well worth the initial investment.

More importantly, what are your employees’ preferences? Do many of them have an interest in yoga? What about a running club? Or, covering the cost of gym memberships? Answering these questions will give you a head-start in assessing the focus of your wellness program. And the best way to get these answers: simply ask your team.

2. Align your findings with your existing culture.

To note, you want to ensure your wellness program aligns with current values and the culture that you and your team have built. That being said, you can use feedback and findings to figure out what motivates your employees and even consult outside sources such as the CDC to determine your worksite health score. The aim here is to get both an A in effort and in execution.

3. Create incentives.

Once you figure out the direction you want to take your wellness program, ensure your employees know about it and can take advantage of it. Whether that’s creating a schedule of potential fitness classes or sending out reminder emails, let them know there’s new ways to step up their fitness game. Sustaining a wellness program can also be done with an incentive plan. Maybe that’s a Fitbit challenge or a point system. It’s not about the competition necessarily, but it’s about allowing your employees the time to pursue fitness and focus on their health.

The main thing to remember is that, like most things, creating and implementing a wellness program takes time. That whole Rome wasn’t built in a day thing rings true, even for exercise. But following these steps will get you on the road to constructing your own fitness masterpiece. Even if it’s not the Sistine Chapel.