5 Strategies to Build Inclusivity in the Workplace Through Movement

Corporate wellness has outgrown step challenges, office 5Ks, and fitness perks available to only a small portion of the team. 

Today’s workplaces are made up of people with different bodies, energy levels, ages, and relationships with movement. So, expecting one wellness program to work for everyone is unrealistic and often exclusionary.

Employee wellness isn’t about creating the “fittest” workforce. It’s about creating an accessible one.

In this article, we’ll break down what truly inclusive wellness looks like, especially around workouts and mobility. You’ll learn why traditional fitness programs leave many employees out, and the practical steps HR teams can take to make wellbeing more equitable, engaging, and human.

What’s the Problem With Traditional Corporate Fitness Programs?

For years, corporate wellness has focused on a narrow idea of “health”. Think steps, cardio challenges, gym reimbursements, and high-intensity workouts. 

On the surface, these programs appear motivating, but for a large portion of today’s workforce, they unintentionally create more barriers. Here’s why:

They assume every employee has the same physical ability

Traditional fitness programs are built around movement styles that many employees simply cannot participate in, including employees with:

• Mobility limitations
• Ongoing discomfort
• Disabilities
• Neurodivergence
• Older age
• Low energy
• Pregnancy or postpartum period

They reward competitiveness instead of accessibility

Weight-loss competitions or intense group workouts tend to reward the most athletic team members while leaving others behind. Employees who can’t safely participate may feel embarrassed or even pressured to overexert themselves. 

They rely on tools that aren’t inclusive

Not all health technologies work equitably across different bodies. (1) 

For example:

• Fitness trackers and wearables are often less accurate for darker skin tones.
• Many require expensive hardware that lower-income employees may not own.
• Some tools misread readings for people with disabilities or mobility differences.

When corporate fitness programs depend on technology with built-in bias, they unintentionally exclude exactly the people who may most benefit from wellness resources.

Read more: What’s New in Corporate Wellness in 2026?

Why Inclusive Wellness Matters

It reaches more employees (especially those who need support the most)

Traditional fitness programs only engage a small portion of the workforce. Inclusive wellness changes that by giving employees multiple ways to participate based on their mobility, energy levels, individual needs, or comfort.

When everyone has an accessible entry point, participation naturally increases.

In fact, research shows that inclusivity in the workplace boosts employee satisfaction by 32% and overall wellness by 43%. (2)

BetterMe has excellent tools for your business all in one place: a personalized approach to health and wellness, 1,500 workouts for every fitness level, a variety of meal plans and trackers to satisfy any dietary needs, mental health guides, and employer support. Discover all the options now!

It strengthens psychological safety, belonging, and culture

Movement is personal, and many employees avoid fitness programs due to body image concerns, cultural differences, or past negative experiences. Inclusive wellness removes these barriers by creating an environment where people feel welcome, not judged.

And it matters: 84% of employees say psychological safety is extremely or very important to their workplace experience (3). When people feel safe participating, they’re more likely to engage, resulting in a more collaborative, creative, and resilient workforce.

It supports long-term wellness and reduces burnout 

Inclusive programs prioritize sustainable, low-impact movement rather than competitive challenges, and the benefits are well-documented. 

Research on workplace exercise shows that programs focused on accessible movement can reduce repetitive strain injuries, work-related discomfort patterns, occupational stress, and burnout syndrome (4).

These formats support the body instead of overloading it. They can support comfort at work, mobility, and overall wellbeing, and may help some employees feel less strained during the workday.

Rather than pushing employees harder, inclusive wellness helps them reset and build habits that last. Over time, this may lead to fewer injuries, fewer sick days, and a more energized, productive workforce.

Read more: How to Build Psychological Safety in the Workplace

How HR Can Audit Their Current Wellness Offerings for Inclusivity

Use this short checklist to identify where your current offerings may be unintentionally excluding employees.

Accessibility

• Can employees with different mobility levels participate safely?
• Are there chair-based, low-impact, or alternative versions of exercises?
• Are facilities, spaces, and virtual platforms accessible to disabled employees?
• Are sensory needs (lighting, noise, crowds) taken into account?

Movement variety

• Do programs offer more than just high-intensity or gym-style workouts?
• Are mobility, stretching, and restorative movement included?
• Are on-demand or self-paced options available for employees who need privacy or flexible timing?

Inclusive instruction

• Are instructors trained to offer modifications for all abilities?
• Do they use inclusive, non-judgmental language?
• Do they avoid competitive framing (“Let’s see who can go hardest!”)?

Cultural & personal relevance

• Are programs culturally sensitive and welcoming to all identities?
• Do marketing materials and examples reflect diverse ages, body types, and abilities?

Technology & equipment

• Do employees need equipment that not everyone has (weights, yoga mats, resistance bands)?
• Are digital tools accessible on all devices?
• Can people participate without cameras if needed for privacy?

Flexibility

• Are sessions offered at varied times to support shift workers, parents, and global teams?
• Are recordings or on-demand options available?

Psychological safety

• Are programs free from competition, comparison, or body-focused messaging?
• Is participation optional and judgment-free?

Employee feedback

• Have you surveyed employees about what prevents them from participating?
• Do employees feel the current offerings fit their needs?
• Are ERGs (disability, LGBTQ+, neurodivergent, multicultural groups) involved in shaping wellness experiences?

5 Strategies to Make Wellness Programs Accessible to Everyone

1) Offer multi-level and accessible movement options

A one-size-fits-all fitness class doesn’t reflect the diversity and inclusivity in the workplace today. Employees have different bodies, energy levels, disabilities, and health conditions, so your wellness program needs to give them options.

Support disability inclusion in the workplace and different mobility levels by:

• Including chair yoga, desk stretches, and simple exercises for office workers
• Offering low-impact and restorative movement alongside more dynamic options
• Building modifications into every session (seated, standing, or lighter variations)

Many HR teams streamline this by partnering with corporate wellness platforms that already specialize in inclusive formats. 

2) Invest in inclusivity training for instructors and facilitators

Even with accessible formats, employees won’t join if the environment feels judgmental. This is where inclusivity training in the workplace becomes essential, especially for those leading movement sessions.

Strengthen workplace inclusivity by ensuring instructors:

• Use non-judgmental, non-body-shaming language
• Normalize modifications (“Choose the version that works for your body today”)
• Avoid competitive framing (“Who can go hardest?”)
• Respect camera-off participation and personal boundaries

Thoughtful facilitation is just as important as the content of the class.

Tip: For teams that need extra support, corporate wellness platforms like BetterMe offer 1-on-1 coaching with niche experts, giving employees a private, judgment-free space to work toward mobility, comfort support, or wellness goals at their own pace. 

BetterMe provides members with tailored plans that are based on their unique physical, psychological, and lifestyle needs and health goals. Start using BetterMe corporate wellness solutions to transform your team and business!

3) Build flexibility into how and when employees engage

Many employees are opting out of wellness because the format doesn’t work for their schedule, energy, or privacy needs. To encourage inclusivity in the workplace, wellness has to be flexible by design.

You can support this by:

• Offering short, bite-sized sessions (5–15 minutes) that fit between meetings
• Providing on-demand sessions so people can participate privately
• Allowing audio-only or camera-off options
• Scheduling sessions at different times to support global teams, parents, and shift workers

These adjustments turn wellness from a “nice extra” into part of everyday work life. 

4) Co-design wellness with employees who have diverse needs

If you want inclusive wellness, you can’t design everything from the top down. Because everyone experiences their bodies and safety differently, HR should actively involve employees in shaping programs.

You can:

• Invite input from disability, LGBTQ+, and multicultural ERGs
• Ask employees with chronic conditions what would help them feel comfortable joining
• Pilot new sessions with a mixed group and refine based on feedback
• Treat employee input as core data, not “nice-to-have” opinions

This approach not only promotes inclusivity but also provides real, grounded examples to reference when discussing your DEI and wellness strategy.

If you’re curious about wellness tips for employees, check out our earlier article.

5) Align wellness programs with existing DEI and diversity training initiatives

Inclusive wellness works best when it’s integrated into the company’s broader DEI efforts. Many organizations already run diversity training programs in the workplace, including gender diversity training and cultural diversity training, but wellness is often left out of these conversations.

By bringing wellness and DEI together, HR can help employees understand:

• How cultural norms influence comfort levels with movement, group exercise, and attire
• How gender identity and expression shape psychological safety in wellness spaces
• Why different bodies, abilities, and lived experiences require different wellness options
• How inclusive language and design reduce bias and increase participation

This approach ensures wellbeing becomes part of workplace inclusion itself, supporting genuine belonging across all identities and abilities.

Read more: How to Create an Inclusive Wellness Program for a Diverse Workforce

How HR Can Measure the Effectiveness of Inclusive Wellness Initiatives

A few simple metrics can help HR quickly assess whether inclusive wellness initiatives are working:

• Participation rate: Is engagement rising beyond the typical 20–30% seen in traditional programs?
• Diverse participation: Are employees across different abilities, ages, and schedules joining?
• Repeat engagement: Are people returning for sessions or using on-demand options consistently?
• Accessibility usage: Are modified, chair-based, or low-impact options being used?
• Psychological safety: Do employees report feeling safe, welcomed, and not judged when participating?
• Wellbeing impact: Are employees reporting reduced stress, better energy, or improved comfort at work?
• Employee feedback: Are barriers decreasing and satisfaction increasing over time?
• Business indicators: Is there any improvement in absenteeism, retention, or productivity linked to wellness participation?

Tip: Many corporate wellness platforms, such as BetterMe Business, offer dashboards and HR analytics that track participation rates, session attendance patterns, and utilization scores, providing clear insights into what employees use and how engagement changes over time. 

Read more: 5 AI Tools That Help HRs Automate and Scale Wellness

Common Challenges in Implementing Inclusive Wellness (And How to Solve Them)

Even the best wellness programs run into barriers. Here are the most common challenges HR teams face, along with quick, practical solutions.

• Are employees still opting out because the wellness activities feel too intense or intimidating? Reintroduce sessions with clear difficulty levels (“Beginner,” “Low-Impact,” “Chair-Friendly”) and highlight them in communications so employees can self-select options that match their comfort and ability levels.
• Do employees feel exposed or uncomfortable participating publicly? Offer camera-off options, on-demand sessions, and quiet participation modes. Normalizing “off-camera attendance welcome” increases psychological safety and engagement.
• Don’t employees understand how the program works or who it’s for? Create simple, clear communication: what’s offered, who each activity supports, and how to participate. Use FAQs, quick-start guides, and ERG involvement to clarify value for different groups.
• Does participation fade because employees forget sessions or struggle to build habits? Use reminders, calendar integrations, and habit-building nudges. A mobile-first tool like BetterMe Business helps reinforce consistency with gentle notifications and short-format options (1-15 minutes) that fit into unpredictable schedules.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How can we make wellness inclusive without significantly increasing HR workload?

Choose solutions that come with ready-made, expert-designed content and automated delivery, rather than building everything internally. Corporate wellness platforms like BetterMe Business can help standardize inclusive workouts, reminders, and reporting, so HR can focus on employee support rather than program creation.

• What’s the most common reason inclusive wellness fails to gain traction?

Lack of visibility and clarity. Employees engage more when they know:

1. What’s available,
2. Who it’s designed for, and
3. How to participate (privately or live).

Clear communication and simple entry points make the biggest difference.

• How much time do employees need to benefit from wellness activities?

Even 5-10 minutes of mobility or stretching a few times a week can meaningfully reduce stress and discomfort. Consistency matters more than session length.

The Bottom Line

Inclusive wellness isn’t complicated; it simply requires consistency. Employees engage when movement feels accessible and realistic for their bodies and schedules. 

The real challenge is maintaining that level of inclusivity every day, across every location, and for every employee group.

That’s where a corporate wellness platform like BetterMe Business can make a difference.

If you’re ready to offer wellness that truly meets everyone where they are, book a BetterMe demo.