A focus on well-being has become prominent in the workplace. Organizations aren’t asking why they need employee wellness programs — they want to know what the best implementation strategy is. The modality in which wellness initiatives are delivered impacts a program’s effectiveness.

There are benefits to both virtual and onsite wellness offerings, so considering the current state of a workforce is important. Virtual options work well for employee populations that are remote or geographically widespread, while onsite options are great for getting hybrid or onsite employees together to form connections.

Either way, Strive finds yoga is a popular staple in corporate wellness programs. Yoga touches on several pillars of comprehensive well-being, such as the physical, social, emotional, and spiritual. This article focuses on why virtual yoga classes are an attractive addition to wellness programs, but if you’re still trying to choose the best modality for your population, check out Understanding the Benefits of Onsite & Virtual Corporate Fitness Classes.

Benefits of Adding Live Virtual Yoga Classes to Employee Wellness Programs

In this post:

1. Why Pursue Yoga in the Workplace?

a. Stress Management

a. Productivity

a. Cultural Benefit

2. What to Consider Before Adding a Virtual Yoga Class for Employees

3. Live Corporate Yoga Classes Online

4. Strive Virtual Yoga Classes

Why Pursue Yoga in the Workplace?

Yoga is an effective way to ease employees onto a path of wellness. It’s convenient — you ultimately need willing participants — and its value is instantaneous. Adding yoga to corporate wellness programs is attractive to the modern workforce because it benefits stress management, productivity, and workplace culture.

Stress Management

From long hours and commuting to sedentariness and eating habits, worksites and corporate settings in the U.S. are rife with depression and cardiovascular diseases. Yoga is a holistic outlet for stress management and preventing lifestyle-related health costs.

Yoga places a unique focus on coordinating deep breathing with slow movements to increase blood flow, warm up muscles, and build strength. Mental and physical relaxation achieved with controlled breathing, physical movement, and mental imagery relieves stress and tension.

• Controlled breathing – inhaling while expanding the chest & abdomen and exhaling while compressing the front of the body helps the body relax
• Physical movement – balanced, functional movement (as opposed to sports-specific or muscle-specific) in all planes: flexion & extension, abduction & adduction, and rotation
• Mental imagery – guided imagery creates an experience in the mind that releases mood-boosting hormones and fosters the strong connection between body & mind

Productivity

In addition to stress management, yoga’s focus on mind-body balance strengthens interpersonal communication, emotional resilience, and positive morale. The mind-body connection boosts energy and enhances creativity and focus for an overall more positive and productive workforce. Yoga is also effective for injury prevention and pain relief which helps employees be fully present.

Cultural Benefit

Yoga is a fun and easy way to break up a workday. Fitness classes perceived to be more intense such as kickboxing or weight-lifting require a certain level of fitness and confidence. Yoga has a positive perception as a low-impact activity that brings people together to move, breathe, and recharge, making it less intimidating and easier to participate. Employees get the opportunity to form healthy connections in a unique way, and they bring those connections into the workplace culture.

Discover more on how to promote a culture of health in the workplace.

What to Consider Before Adding a Virtual Yoga Class for Employees

How do you know if employees will engage in virtual yoga classes? Ask them! Survey the interest level of the workforce and the days and times they can participate. Choose a wellness vendor that can accommodate various session times and durations. For employees to benefit from virtual yoga classes, there needs to be class consistency and cohesion, such as bi-weekly sessions rather than once a month. This allows employees to gain momentum, form habits, and build upon newly acquired skills.

In Strive’s experience, it’s also important to choose instructors open to customizing the class and being available for one-on-one questions or instructions.

Further considerations when selecting a wellness vendor for virtual yoga classes are if they handle:

• Sign ups/registration
• Liability waivers
• Coordination & management
• QA/QC
• Collecting & reporting of engagement data
• Smooth integration into existing wellness programs

Don’t let the challenge of finding and selecting an excellent vendor halt your efforts. Discover the 5 Best Corporate Yoga Companies here or learn more about virtual wellness for online employee wellness programs.

Live Corporate Yoga Classes Online

Whether a workforce is leveraging a remote or hybrid model or it’s dispersed globally or nationwide, employees struggle with feelings of isolation. Live virtual corporate yoga classes are a fun, interactive way to foster connections. Some instructors even welcome family and pets!

Eliminating travel time and creating an opportunity to participate from the comfort of their own space supports employee engagement as it’s convenient and low-pressure.

Strive Virtual Yoga Classes

Strive virtual yoga classes are fully administered, from screening and hiring qualified instructors to collecting and reporting engagement data. We host registration and liability waivers on our online platform and fully indemnify our clients of any risk.

Strive’s nationwide team of virtual instructors can accommodate any form (beginner yoga, restorative, classic, chair yoga, etc.) and experience level of yoga. Our classes range from 15-45 minutes and are live, interactive, and exclusive to each client (your classes won’t have employees from another organization participating). Book a discovery call to learn more about adding virtual yoga classes to your wellness program.