Take the Healthy Meeting Pledge

January 5, 2018

This is the month to resolve to add ‘healthy’ to your checklist

Health clubs are busiest in January. It’s the month we start with shiny, new resolutions to mold our over-holidayed selves into the lean, fit Olympians we know have always been lurking inside us somewhere. (Come out, come out, come out wherever you are!) From past experience, we also know how fragile our conviction to do better can be. That’s why health clubs in February are less full.

Meetings are a lot like that, too. We design them for Olympians, but… things happen. The good news is that help is at hand. It’s the start of a brand-new year, so what better time to take the Healthy Meeting Pledge?

It’s a real pledge, created by National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity, and dozens of organizations have taken it, including the Union of Concerned Scientists and American Diabetes Association. It’s divided into two levels—standard and superior healthy meetings. (Superior is defined as doing all the standard things, and more.) For complete details, go to healthymeeting.org.

Here are highlights.

Physical Activity

Standard

Encourage standing and stretching within the meeting space
Replace some chairs with exercise balls
Offer raised tables for standing
Break up sitting time periodically
Lead short physical activity breaks

Superior

Meeting locations with walkable destinations (provide walking/running maps)
Hotel with a free fitness facility
Exercise stations in or near the meeting space
Walking meetings when practical

Beverages

Standard

Water is the default beverage
No full-calorie, sugar-sweetened drinks

Superior

No sugar-sweetened beverages

Food

Standard

Healthier condiments and dressings, and serve them on the side
Desserts cut into small portions at dinner; only fruit to finish at lunch
No candy bowls in the meeting space
Avoid fried foods

Superior

Whole grains only (51 percent by weight or whole grain as the first ingredient)
Alternatives to processed and red meats
Only fruit or other healthful desserts