Last Sunday, I had the honour of speaking at ISPO Munich, the world’s leading sports business trade fair, where Longevity Germany hosted a booth for the very first time.
My talk revolved around a topic I feel particularly passionate about: how to influence corporate health from the inside out, rather than only by HR or executive leadership. It was designed to spark a mindset shift: employees hold the power to make wellness not just a perk, but a part of company culture. Something I learned the practical way, through years and years of building wellness initiatives from within.
What is a Corporate Health Influencer?
This is a relatively new term. When I introduced the first wellness committee at my first company, I was early in my career and had no idea what I was doing... let alone knowing it was a proper role!
It's only now that I realize that I had become what is now called a Corporate Health Influencer, not part of HR, not part of management, but an employee who:
- Motivates colleagues through peer-driven change
- Helps people navigate and actually use the benefits available
- Acts as a feedback loop for leadership
- Connects high-level company goals with daily wellbeing
This role doesn’t require a promotion, only initiative, curiosity, and the desire to improve the place where you spend so much of your life.
What corporate wellness can look like, from lunch-time planks to global initiatives
One of my favorite examples comes from my time at ExpressVPN. Every afternoon at 15:45, a Slack bot would remind us: “It's plank challenge time!”. Employees from across the office would gather and spend 10 minutes planking and working out together. It was fun. It was a bonding ritual. And it lasted for all the years I worked there.
Over time, I began leading the initiative and working with HR on expanding it. We introduced things like:
- Yoga once a month
- Gym equipment in a dedicated room
- Morning/lunch/after-work workout videos
- Optional challenges with prizes (like arm-wrestling!)
- 15 minutes of meditation
Before ExpressVPN, I had also helped build an official Wellness Committee at Twitter, where we had:
- A basement gym with quality equipment
- CrossFit-style classes
- Painting workshops
- A Twitter team running the London Marathon
- Mental health talks and global programming
Same idea, different scale. The seeds can grow bigger than you expect. But wellness doesn’t always mean workouts. Small, intentional changes make a measurable difference. You can work with HR and management on introducing micro-habits & environment upgrades, such as:
- Walking meetings
- Plants and natural sunlight
- Hydration nudges
- Treadmills under the desk
- Healthy snack options
- Ergonomic setups, like standing desks
- Quiet areas for deep focus
Some initiatives cost money and require approvals. Others simply require someone to take the first step.
Why I became a Corporate Health Influencer, and why you should consider it too
Why did I do this? The answer is simple. Because I wanted there to be a wellness program at my company. And as always, for the best business plans, the most successful companies are the ones that solve a problem or a need you experience. You have a real stake at it. And as an employee, you are best positioned to succeed in this.
Along the way, though, I saw the broader impact:
Recruitment & retention:
Recruiters at ExpressVPN would time candidate interviews during the plank challenge, because it showed strong culture in action.
Improved performance:
Companies with comprehensive wellness strategies report around +10–12% productivity boost. Because of fewer sick days, health-promotion programs also reported a net saving of $358 per employee per year in health costs!
Skill development:
Leading wellness initiatives strengthened my communication, leadership, organization, and vendor-management abilities.
Real needs, solved internally:
Wellness doesn’t work when it’s a corporate checkbox. It works when driven by people experiencing the environment daily.
However, and this is crucial, employee-led wellness shouldn’t be employee-owned only wellness. It's about partnership:
Employees + HR + Leadership → sustainable change
We provide the insight and passion; they provide resources and scale.
How You Can Become a Corporate Health Influencer
If the idea excites you but feels overwhelming, here’s a simple roadmap I've used:
- Gauge the appetite
Start with an informal chat with HR or Benefits. What already exists? Is budget possible? - Get your manager on board
Discuss time commitment and expectations. Alignment here prevents friction later. - Formalize the partnership
Meet HR again, confirm manager support, and align on leadership buy-in. - Plan with intention
Clarify budget, communication strategy, roles and volunteers (ideally you can find more people to join you!), surveying employee need, a backlog of ideas (low/medium/high effort). - Launch, even if it’s small.
Momentum builds confidence. Celebrate wins early and iterate thoughtfully.
Remember: programs evolve. What starts as one weekly walk might become a thriving wellbeing culture.
Be the Spark
We spend most of our adult lives at work, which means work is one of the most important environments to rethink if we want to live longer, healthier lives.
You do not need permission.
You do not need a specific title.
You just need to care enough to begin.
At Longevity Germany, we believe in healthspan, not just living longer years, but better ones. If every workplace embraced this mindset, imagine the ripple effect!
So let me leave you with the same message I shared at ISPO:
The talk was only possible thanks to the incredible support of Jan Künster, who believed in our mission to bring real, science-backed longevity practices into everyday environments, including the workplace. Big thanks to him and the whole Corporate Health team!
