National Physical Fitness and Sports Month | May 2025
- Posted by Greg Wahlstrom, MBA, HCM
- Posted in Health Observance Calendar
Hospital Leaders Promoting Health Through Activity and Inclusion
Published: May 3, 2025
Each May, National Physical Fitness and Sports Month challenges individuals, institutions, and industries to promote movement, wellness, and lifelong activity. For hospitals and health systems, this observance is more than a marketing opportunity—it is a strategic lever for community engagement and internal culture transformation. Despite advances in medical technology, physical inactivity remains a root cause of chronic disease and health inequity. Leaders in healthcare must now integrate physical activity as a vital sign of public health and system vitality. Whether through hospital-based walking programs, staff fitness incentives, or community sports clinics, executive teams can shape a movement-first approach to preventive care. Just as hospitals invest in infrastructure and digital tools, they must also build environments that promote movement. According to the CDC, only 1 in 4 U.S. adults meets recommended physical activity guidelines. Hospitals are well-positioned to flip this script by modeling, enabling, and celebrating fitness across all populations. That’s why this May marks a powerful time to recommit to health through action.
Hospital wellness programs often emphasize biometrics and screening, but physical activity must become a daily habit embedded into clinical and organizational workflows. Leaders at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles have piloted inclusive fitness initiatives for staff and patients alike, reducing stress and boosting employee satisfaction scores. These efforts include step challenges, yoga breaks, and redesigned breakrooms that encourage movement. Such programs, when tied to incentive structures and team-based leadership, not only improve individual health but also reinforce system culture. Hospitals that provide safe, accessible outdoor spaces or partner with local parks departments can extend these benefits beyond their walls. Clinicians who model active lifestyles also help normalize movement for patients navigating diabetes, obesity, or cardiovascular disease. The message is simple: fitness is medicine. And when healthcare leaders embody that message, they activate a ripple effect of motivation, engagement, and resilience. Therefore, executive leadership must take ownership of wellness as an operational and cultural priority.
From an equity lens, physical activity must be addressed as both a health determinant and a privilege. Many underserved populations face structural barriers to recreation, including neighborhood safety, cost, or lack of space. Health systems that identify and address these barriers are practicing equity in motion. For example, Nuvance Health has incorporated physical activity counseling into community outreach, particularly among seniors and low-income patients. Their initiatives include home-based exercise kits, virtual mobility coaching, and subsidized access to wellness centers. For executives, this underscores a leadership imperative: equitable fitness access is preventive care. When boards and strategy officers invest in bike racks, fitness reimbursements, and inclusive programming, they are shaping a culture of movement that reaches every zip code. Staff-led walking rounds and community fitness fairs are additional tools for inclusion. By broadening how fitness is defined—and who gets to participate—leaders build healthier teams and healthier regions. That’s why diversity must be reflected in every step of hospital-based fitness strategy.
It’s also time to reimagine hospital design as a driver of physical activity. Too often, hospital architecture defaults to efficiency and confinement, but new models are emerging that prioritize walkability, daylight, and movement-friendly spaces. Executive facilities teams are exploring how campus planning can encourage 5-minute walking breaks, ergonomic standing zones, and even rooftop fitness areas. When physical movement is encouraged by design, wellness becomes instinctive instead of optional. Internal metrics like staff absenteeism, burnout, and musculoskeletal injuries can all be improved through structured wellness environments. Hospital cafeterias can also be reimagined to include nutrition and hydration cues that support physical activity. Leadership rounding on fitness achievements—like step goals or wellness milestones—can reinforce visibility and normalization. When senior executives participate in hospital-sponsored runs or mobility campaigns, it sends a clear message to employees and patients alike. Culture change begins at the top, and wellness is a metric leaders must champion from the front. For that reason, built environments and executive role modeling are essential.
As National Physical Fitness and Sports Month 2025 gains momentum, hospitals must seize the opportunity to lead through visibility, creativity, and accountability. Health systems are not just places of treatment—they are anchors for wellness in every community they serve. The more visible fitness becomes in our hospital walls, the more confident patients become in their journey to stay active and prevent illness. Board members, medical directors, and operations leaders all are essential in shaping what wellness looks like from the top down. Whether through hospital-sponsored fitness challenges, sports medicine programs, or outreach to youth athletic leagues, healthcare executives must rethink movement as mission-critical. And when fitness is embedded in strategy—not just HR—it becomes part of long-term sustainability and care equity. Let this May be the launch point for a new model of system-wide vitality. That’s what hospital leadership should stand for. And that’s why National Physical Fitness and Sports Month belongs on every calendar in healthcare.
Discover More
Looking to enhance your hospital’s wellness culture or expand into community-based movement programs? Explore these executive resources and observance guides.
Internal Links
- Operationalizing Health Equity in 2025: Strategies for Hospital Leadership
- 2025 Healthcare Observance Strategy Calendar
