Support employee health with community-minded exercise

Published by HealthFitness on August 21st, 2026

Community-minded exercise, including group workouts such as running clubs, group fitness classes, and workouts of the day, continues to see strong interest. Offering these experiences as part of your fitness program can help participants build camaraderie and foster a sense of belonging.

For employers, creating opportunities for employees to connect through fitness can support participation, engagement, and a stronger sense of community.

Community-minded exercise gives people opportunities to find social support and connect with others in a supportive and welcoming environment. Participants are not only invested in putting in the time for themselves, but also in the community they are part of.

This support benefits both the individual and the community because it can motivate participants, increase engagement, and create accountability. Community-minded exercise can also accommodate different preferences and fitness levels, making it more inclusive and appealing to a wider audience. Encouragement from other participants can help individuals push themselves further than they might when working out alone.

Examples of community-minded exercise

One example of community-minded exercise includes two employees who started working out together at a leading manufacturing client site. The two men do not consider themselves workout buddies, but instead call each other accountability partners. Their accountability has resulted in both participating in every challenge over the past year. Their peer support and accountability have also had another positive impact: together, they have lost 66 pounds.

Another example is our HealthFitness team running a Women on Weights program at two client sites. The program creates a safe space for women who are not comfortable lifting weights to learn proper form and develop confidence and autonomy with weight training. The program has been successful and has grown to include men, making it more inclusive.

A third example of community-minded fitness is happening within our clients’ broader communities. At one client site, employees hosted a community fundraiser to increase awareness and highlight the client as an employer of choice.

The HealthFitness team supported the event, where employees from area businesses competed in fitness and recreational challenges to promote employee wellness and community involvement.

The team included 75 employees who competed in 21 events, including physical activity, sports, and recreational challenges. Events included relay races, volleyball, kickball, cornhole, bingo, and even a paper airplane contest.

Our HealthFitness team encouraged participation from the employee base and promoted the message that there was an activity for everyone. Volunteering was also an option. Our team had the strongest showing, comprising 19 percent of the 400 participants. Not only did this showcase our client, but the company also tied for second place and donated the winnings to the American Heart Association.

How employers can encourage community-minded exercise

Employers can create more opportunities for employees to connect through fitness by offering a variety of activities and experiences that reflect different interests, schedules, and fitness levels.

Consider these approaches:
  • Offer a variety of group fitness formats and activity levels.
  • Create opportunities for employees to participate together, both in person and virtually.
  • Encourage employee-led groups, challenges, and activities.
  • Make activities welcoming to people with different fitness levels and abilities.
  • Gather employee feedback to understand which activities resonate with participants.
  • Provide opportunities for volunteering and community involvement alongside fitness activities.
The goal is not simply to offer more activities. It is to create opportunities for employees to find connection, encouragement, and support in ways that feel relevant to them.

Building a stronger sense of community through fitness

Community-minded exercise can be a meaningful way to support employee health while creating opportunities for connection, encouragement, and belonging. By offering activities that bring people together and accommodate different interests and abilities, employers can create a fitness experience that supports both individual well-being and a stronger workplace community.

Whether through group fitness classes, employee-led challenges, accountability partnerships, or community events, fitness can provide more than an opportunity to be active. It can help people connect with one another and create a stronger sense of community at work.

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