For Global Employee Health and Fitness Month, we want to shine a light on our Wellness team. At UWM, their role is figuring out how to promote wellbeing at work and providing team members with a variety of health and wellness initiatives to participate in. They're elevating our game in sports leagues and driving us to new heights in fitness challenges. Let’s have a look at our Wellness team at work, giving us ample opportunities to come together as a team all year round.
Team Building At Its Best
Being active is always easier together and team sports are an excellent way to encourage wellness at work. UWM offers more than 15 sports leagues that our team members can join without having to leave campus. From soccer to floor hockey and even dodgeball, there’s something for everyone.
Many of our team members at UWM, like our President and CEO Mat Ishbia, were former college basketball players and athletes. So, it’s no surprise that the UWM basketball leagues are very popular here. From individual tournaments, with referees to officiate, to our annual March Madness events like the slam dunk or 3-point contest — the game is on.
During spring and summer, UWM hosts cornhole tournaments that fill up quickly. The demand has been so high, with one tournament totaling 300 participants — that three separate brackets were necessary to accommodate everyone who wanted to play.
Another favorite activity is Ping Pong. Registration for this league fills up in a matter of minutes. The top-notch play and large crowds reinforce its popularity and even Mat Ishbia participates.
Rising To The Challenge
At least once a quarter, we offer various health challenges to support our team members’ wellness at work. They offer a great opportunity to downsize big goals into actionable steps.
UWM recently ran a nutrition challenge, designed to help team members understand nutrition and how it affects our daily energy and overall mood. Weekly themes ranged from fiber to glycemic index and skin health. Our weekly leaderboard kept track of over 300 participants’ standing, fostering healthy competition by motivating team members to up their game and overtake each other. Toward the end, bonus challenges were needed to decide the top 3 winners.
Year over year, our most wide-reaching program is the Win By Losing Challenge. This 10-week weight loss challenge, where team members commit to weekly weigh-ins, features raffles as a fun reward. Team members who participate change their lives, with some losing 10% or more of their body weight. The results speak for themselves:
A Yearly Affair
One of our most anticipated annual events is the Wellness Fair, where dozens of local vendors are invited to promote their services on campus.
Most recently, a therapeutic massage vendor and PKSA Karate showcased the wide spectrum of services provided at the fair. While one offered massages that promoted stress management, the other offered a different kind of stress relief in the form of wooden boards for team members to karate chop with their hands. This engaging environment allows team members to check out local wellness resources and learn about their health benefits.
Creating A Balance
Wellness at work is a topic that needs to be addressed all year round. To aid team members in maintaining a nutritious lifestyle, the Food Delivery Truck provides free, fresh fruit and The Kitchen by Be Well brings an abundance of healthy food options that range from salads to wraps to smoothies.
These wellness perks are just a sneak peek into the world our Wellness team builds for us here at UWM. We’re deeply committed to keeping our UWM family fit and healthy and what better way than some friendly competition and fun challenges? So, if you're into breaking a sweat, learning new things about health or just interested in a game of dodgeball, UWM is where you want to be. Join our team!