Improve Your Fitness And Wellness Will Follow

March 9th, 2010 by Michael Greeves

What is the one thing people always say they want more than anything else? Good health is at the top of the list but too often, people are not willing to make the commitment to improve their overall wellness. Starting a fitness program is one of the most important things you can do to be healthy.

Fitness and wellness do go hand in hand and that is why the U.S Government launched the Healthier U.S. Initiative. It is a “national effort to prevent and reduce the costs of disease, improve people’s lives and promote community health and wellness.” The website HealthierUS.gov calls obesity an epidemic in the United States which must be addressed.

The key to losing weight is to burn fat and that can best be achieved through exercise. The small steps program which is part of the government initiative says you don’t have to go to the gym five days a week to meet your goals and shows how just taking a 45 minute walk a day can burn 300 calories. If walking for 45 minutes at one stretch sounds like too much, the report suggests three fifteen minute walks instead. Whatever physical activity you choose the goal is to be active for at least 30 minutes every day.

There are a wide variety of cardio activities to choose from for your workout. The key is to mix up your routine so it doesn’t get boring and you remain committed to it. One day you might walk outside, the next could be riding a bike and the third might be going for a swim. Whatever you choose to do, you want to get your heart pumping. The goal of cardio activity is to get your heart rate into the target range for your age group.

Exercise alone is not enough to achieve a healthier life, you also must alter your diet to include more fruits and vegetables and low fat meats. Making smart food choices will require you to watch portion size and count calories. The food and drug administration says to eat healthy you must avoid trans fats, saturated fats and foods that contain high levels of sodium and added sugar.

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Put The Whole Office On A Corporate Fitness Plan

March 5th, 2010 by Michael Greeves

As health insurance costs continue to rise, many companies are looking for ways to hold the line on expenditures. One way corporations have discovered that they can save money is by instituting a workplace wellness program. Your company can save money if your employees start a corporate fitness plan.

There are several advantages to corporate fitness plans that extend beyond the cost savings. Research shows that when a workforce is healthier, absenteeism is reduced and productivity goes up. Even if you cannot get discounted insurance premiums through a wellness program, studies show that you will achieve cost savings in other areas. The Wellness Councils of America report a $24 return for every $1 spent on a company wellness program for small businesses and a survey done by The Art of Health Promotion found companies which instituted employee health and wellness programs realized a 30% reduction in medical and absenteeism costs in less than four years.

For a corporate fitness plan to be successful it is absolutely essential that the company’s top leaders participate. Bosses need to put their time in the gym as an example for other workers to follow. In addition to working out, other healthy behaviors should be promoted. Incentives should be given to quit smoking and healthier food options should be made available in the corporate cafeteria and vending areas. Some corporations like the owner of the Cleveland Clinic have gone as far as to ban the hiring of smokers as part of its wellness program.

Companies who start a corporate fitness plan would be wise to offer incentives to get employees to participate. Some offer a reduction in their insurance co-pay if the workers will commit to a regular routine. In other offices, personal trainers are brought in to explain the benefits of working out and how to start an exercise routine. You could set up contests with prizes for the person who logs the most gym hours or loses the most weight.

Anything that can be done to boost participation will pay dividends down the road. Healthier and happier workers will be more productive ones.

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Adopt Your Own Health And Wellness Program

March 3rd, 2010 by Michael Greeves

The rage across America right now is health wellness programs being instituted by corporations. At the urging of the insurance companies, a number of firms are working with their employees to become more physically fit. The effort is being used to try and hold the line on health care costs, reduce absenteeism and develop a more productive workforce. Health and wellness programs educate people on the keys to living a longer, happier life.

Better health and wellness should be the goal of all of us whether we are part of a program at work or not. It starts with a healthy diet. Most of us know what we should be eating but too often it is easier to just grab some fast food. We make excuses that we don’t have the time to prepare healthier foods or we rationalize that one stop at the burger joint will not hurt us. Planning meals ahead of time will make it easier to make the healthy choices when you are pressed for time.

Scientific research shows that most of us eat too much saturated or trans fats which should be replaced by fresh fruits and vegetables. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has developed a food guide which encourages consumption of more dark green vegetables, legumes, fruits and low fat milk. The USDA guide spells out the proper amount of servings for each food type each day; 2.5 cups of fruit, 6 ounces of grains, 5.5 ounces of beef or legumes, and 3 cups of milk.

There are other lifestyle changes which should be part of any health and wellness program. If you are still smoking; researchers agree you must quit. The dangers of cigarettes have been well documented and tobacco use will cut years off your life. Having unprotected sex with multiple partners is another activity which must be curtailed. The threats of contracting AIDS or a sexually transmitted disease are too high. Driving drunk is another behavior which can sabotage your efforts at achieving a healthier lifestyle. Drinking alcohol itself is not necessarily bad but it must be done in moderation.

Living healthy and well comes down to making small positive choices each day that over time add up to a lifetime.  Tell us how you’re living healthy in the comments.

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Achieving Overall Wellness

March 2nd, 2010 by Michael Greeves

Who does not want to feel better and live longer? Overall wellness is at the top of the list of the goals for most Americans but too many people don’t have the willpower to commit to it or just don’t make it a high enough priority in their lives.

The old expression, “if you don’t have your health – you don’t have anything” is every bit as true today as it ever was. In fact, society today judges people more than ever on their appearance and their overall fitness. If you hope to compete for the best jobs and want to be accepted in most social circles sometimes it seems like you have to be thin to be in.

Overall wellness starts with a healthy diet. The government has done extensive research into eating healthy and has determined that the key is following the USDA Food Pyramid. Through the pyramid the USDA recommends what types of foods to eat and what quantity. A healthy diet is one that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products; includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts; and is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars. The USDA plan aims at helping you get the most nutrition out of the minimum amount of calories.

A good diet alone is not enough to guarantee overall wellness though. You also need to participate in some type of physical activity every single day. Scientific research shows that just a half hour a day of some kind of exercise will protect your heart and help you burn fat. Even if you can’t exercise for 30 minutes straight, the research shows you can get the same benefit from three ten minute sessions.

Meeting these health and fitness goals will improve your overall wellness and can extend the number of years you spend on the planet. A British study from the University of Oxford discovered that being overweight can take 10 to 15 years off your life. It concluded that the effects of being obese are every bit as dangerous as cigarette smoking on your overall wellness.

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10 Changes You Can Make to Reduce Health Care Costs

February 17th, 2010 by admin

As the cost of health care skyrockets here in the United States employers are looking to changes they can make in the workplace to lower the cost they put out for health care.  The following are a few simple changes you can do as an employer to have healthier, happier employees, and most importantly lower health care dollars spent in the workplace.  Many of these changes have been done successfully at both large and small companies and they all have seen the benefits of simple changes you as an employer can do.

1) Offer healthier meal options

Many employers have poor choices in the cafeteria that are high in fat and have little or no nutritional value.  For example how many employers have soda machines on in the cafeteria?  These high fructose drinks can lead to greater number of sick days and increase the risk of diabetes.  Try offering your employees a healthier hydration option like filtered water or natural fruit juices.  These juices can be high in immune boosting vitamins and reduce sick days.  Another cafeteria disaster can be the food offered.  Many of these foods are high in fat, low in fiber and contain tons of simple sugars “refined carbohydrates”.  These foods can lead to an afternoon crash in blood sugar and send productivity to a screeching halt.  Look to complex carbohydrates like whole wheat breads in sandwiches and increasing fiber intake with salads.

High fiber diets have been proven to lower cholesterol levels and prevent the need for expensive medications that can cost a company over $100 a month!  Offer your employees healthier options for snacking as well.  Instead of having that vending machine that have foods high in MSG that can lead to obesity, brain disorders, and more food cravings consider offering fruits and vegetable snacks.  Fruits and veggies increase satiety or feeling full.  When weighing out the costs of health care against proper diets eating right will always outweigh paying for expensive medications.

2) Make time in work day for exercise

Giving employees time to exercise can help the employer’s wallet in many ways.  It can lower the insurance costs of the company and decrease sick days.  Studies have shown that people who exercise have fewer sick days than those who do not make time for physical fitness.  Exercising releases endorphins into the blood stream and can help combat depression and improve employee morale.  Completing 20 minutes of moderate exercise can have the same stress reducing capabilities of the anti anxiety drug Diazepam (Valium).  Giving employee’s time to work out during the day will also encourage comradery and improve teamwork.  This will be shown in improved productivity and enhanced efficiency.  Make sure your employees get up to 30 minutes of exercise 3 to 5 times per week to notice these benefits.

3) Have physical activity professionals on hand

Making sure you have fitness professionals on hand will insure your employees are doing the right exercises and having them be accountable for their fitness.  The fitness professionals will assess your employees and track their progress to meet exercise goals.  They also will be an important motivational factor for your facility.  Hiring a personal trainer can also be beneficial for exercise groups and make the fitness training more affordable to the company.  The fitness professional will also correct balance which will decrease accidents in the workplace.  Another benefit to having trainers on site will be their ability to identify overworked muscles and possibly be able to prevent injuries by either stretching the overworked muscles or make suggestions to movements done repetitively in the facility.

4) Institute complimentary medicine at the facility (chiropractors and acupuncturists)

Complimentary medicine can help reduce greater medical costs such as surgeries and injuries.  Having chiropractors visiting the staff can help reduce pain and lead healthier lifestyles.  Many Chiropractors are also certified nutritionists and can help offer dietary advice.  Offices will not take up much space and as a cost savings you can have them in the facility one day a week or month.  Chiropractic care has also been proven effective not only in pain relief applications but also in digestive, immune, and headaches.

Acupuncture involves stimulating specific anatomical locations on the body for therapeutic purposes.  Practitioners will puncture the skin with a needle as a usual method of treatment however other methods may be used such as heat, pressure, friction, and suction.  Acupuncture has been proven effective in pain management especially lower back pain and headaches both of which contribute to slowing productivity and sick time.

5) Have healthy options for snacks in the office

One of the best things an employer can do is getting rid of that old friend the vending machine.  He has contributed to your employee’s high blood pressures and diabetes with his seemingly endless supply of sweet and salty snacks.  Look to having healthier lower calorie options available to your employees.  Healthier options include: Fruits like apples, bananas, grapes, and oranges can provide natural sources of sugar and provide sick day fighting vitamins.  Veggies like celery, carrots, green peppers, and broccoli can provide potent detoxifying fiber.

6) Give time for breaks for short meals throughout the day

Throughout the day blood sugar levels rise and fall.  When they fall your body becomes lazy and lethargic but by providing opportunities for small healthy nutrition breaks you can keep that from happening and by sparing 5 minutes you can improve productivity by a half hour.  Remember providing healthy options is key here look to offer up long lasting complex carbohydrate options like whole wheat and whole grains.  Complex carbohydrates will not quickly raise then drop the blood sugar like simple carbohydrates like those found in soft drinks.

7) Encourage or issue supplements to increase immunity and wellness

Many studies have shown that people on a good multivitamin take significantly fewer sick days that those who are not taking one.  Look to encourage a multivitamin that is designed to be taken throughout the day.  Some important vitamins are water soluble like Vitamin Bs and Vitamin C.  This means the vitamins are in the body for about 4-5 hours then leave us via the urine.  Need a quick example?  Vitamin B5 (pantathenic acid) is broken down and excreted in the urine and has a bright yellow color. Have you ever taken a once daily style multivitamin? Usually the urine is a bright color 3-4 hours after taking it but by the end of the day the urine has restored to a pale yellow color.  This is because the B vitamins are no longer in the bloodstream and thus not available to do their function.  Vitamin B’s are energy co-factors that help the body produce energy and improve alertness.  They also get depleted during stress.  What workplace has no stress right.  Stress can lead to depleted immune function and cost you increased insurance costs, sick pay, and a slump in productivity.

Another important supplement to encourage is omega 3’s.  Omega 3’s are consumed at extremely low levels compared to other fats.  These healthy fats can even promote weight loss and improve brain function.  They even have been shown effective in treatment of Attention Deficit Disorder!  How?  Your brain is made mostly of fat and craves specifically DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).  The options for supplements are numerous and encourage your employees to consult their physician before starting any omega 3 supplement.  One of the options available is flax seed oil which is high in ALA (alpha linoleic acid)  these omega 3’s need to be processed in the body down to the omega 3’s it uses called EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA.  These are those healthy omega 3’s that aid weight loss and brain function mentioned above.  Another omega 3 option is fish oils; these come already into the body as EPA and DHA as well as some other intermediary omegas as well.  Look to companies that have strict manufacturing standards due to high amounts of brain debilitating mercury in them.  Also look at the amounts of EPA and DHA instead of the total omega 3 amounts.

8) Put physical fitness tools in the workplace

By placing a gym right into your facility you will encourage employees to exercise right on site instead of having to drive to gyms.  Many companies have seen improvements in productivity and decreases in sick days from something as simple as putting fitness equipment in the workplace.  You can also encourage employees to exercise during lunch breaks as well.  This also will encourage comradery and improve team building.  Your employees will be grateful since they will not have to spend money on gym memberships and make poor decisions on fad fitness equipment that will not work.  Look having a complete gym with elliptical machines, free weights, and padded mats in addition to the standby treadmill.

9) Have health screenings throughout the year

Holding health screenings for your employees can help catch disease states in early stages.  Make sure to have the screenings for multiple diseases like hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, and cancers.  These screenings usually are done by local organizations at little or no cost to the employer.  By having these screenings you also will be able to pick up on any dangerous trends amongst your employees.  For example you would notice high cholesterol in employees with high fat lunches being served.  This then can help you as the employer make better decisions about work and the work environment.

10) Have health fairs that attendance is encouraged

Holding health fairs during lunch hours can help by showing your employees what types of health care options are available to them and their families.  Have a keynote speaker to deliver a talk to your employees once a quarter during their lunch break on different health topics.  This will help them make informed lifestyle decisions.  Have a variety of health care providers and services put up booths and give each one a stamp.  Then give your employees a “passport” of sorts to visit each table.  When the employees turn in the passports with all the stamps maybe offer them a free healthy lunch or a gift card to a grocery store.  This will encourage interaction during the health fair and give the providers a chance to present to the employees.

By encouraging your employee’s health you will notice that you have a happier, healthier, and more productive workplace.  Even by just implementing one of these changes into your business you will make a difference and encourage healthy lifestyles to yourself and those on the payroll.

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Yes, you can reduce your employee health costs this year!

January 26th, 2010 by Michael Greeves

The onus is on employers to lower their costs and expenses as much as possible.  One of the areas on which employers are focusing more and more is the costs associate with employees and their health.

Unfortunately, studies have shown that health costs in the corporate world are increasing in leaps and bounds and corporations are actively looking for ways to reduce these, in many cases, needless costs.

Of course, employees will be sick and employers need to realize that they must be sensitive to this.  They must also be corporate responsible and factor this into any of their strategic planning for the next years, however, part of this strategic planning should also include ways to reduce these costs by offering employees Corporate Wellness programs.

Indeed, these programs have started becoming quite popular in the corporate world and have already proven themselves to be a very realistic solution to the ever increasing health costs your company is experiencing.

Making sure that your employees are offered programs that are tailor made for their needs, for example,  blue collar workers may have different wellness needs than white collar workers,  and ensuring that these programs are well promoted and encouraged are key components in cutting your employee health costs.

It is obvious that healthier and happier employees will end up costing you less in the end, as they will be taking fewer sick days, as well as short term and long term leaves.  These are all incredibly expensive costs to any organization and even a small reduction in these leaves will immediately show on your bottom line.

Work place accidents are also incredibly draining on your corporate budget.  This is also an area that can be focused on and part of your Corporate Wellness program.  Make sure that your employees are well trained if they are handling toxic materials.  If heavy machinery is used, it is your responsibility to ensure that those using these machines are properly trained.

Ergonomically proper chairs, desks and computers are also important contributions towards your employees continued health.  Many employees have complained about poor backs and sore necks due to an improper office set up.  Although the costs of these changes may be considered higher in the front end, you will see a substantial reduction in paramedical costs and missed days of work.

Corporate Wellness programs are definitely the answer to your escalating employee health costs.

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Happy Employees

January 25th, 2010 by Michael Greeves

The corporate world is slowly, but surely embracing the fact that their employees are not just “worker” but rather, “real” people, with real problems and issues that go to work each day.  Although this may seem obvious to many and, admittedly, this view might have been shared by employers in the 1960’s and 70’s it was somehow lost in the decade of excess – the 1980’s. It seems that, at that point, loyalty and caring between employer and employee all but disappeared as the decade of “me, me, me” emerged.

It took us quite a while to find our balance and thankfully, employers are now trying to re-connect and re-engage with their employees by recognizing that these employees have needs in order to be happier and more productive in their workplace.

Therefore, employers asked themselves the very obvious, yet difficult question “how does workplace wellness create and keep my employees happy?” This is a totally legitimate question to ask before investing both time and money into a new program.  It is important to get a clear idea of what you expect out of the program in order to structure it so that it actually is beneficial for all involved.

A lot of research has been put into assessing what makes an employee happy and then, turning this into a fundamental part of the corporate wellness program.  Obviously, employees need to feel included and valued – they like to know that they are important to the corporation and not just “numbers”.   Employees also need for their employers to recognize that they have issues and lives outside of the workplace. Additionally, employees love to get extra benefits and they consider them perks of the job, which goes a long way into making them feel special.

Recognizing all of these facts and incorporating them into a corporate wellness program would be a smart move.   An employer who recognizes the fact that an corporate wellness program is a good idea and incorporates one is already sending a clear message to their employees “we value you”.  This will surely go a long way into making the employee feel heard and important.  Offering health, fitness, nutrition and other types counseling sessions is a great way to encourage your employees to exercise and eat better and offering them the opportunity of doing these sessions on company time would certainly be considered a corporate perk.

It is not that difficult to make your employees happy, you simply need to listen to them and to make sure that they understand just how valuable they are to your organization.

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So, you have the wellness program in place, now what?

January 22nd, 2010 by Michael Greeves

Fortunately, many employers are now offering their employees well structured corporate wellness programs. However, as with many new offerings, once the initial “thrill” of participation has subsided, many employers find themselves in the difficult situation of seeing decreases, at times quite significant, in the employee participation, over the longer run.

This is quite unfortunate and can be avoided if a longer strategic plan is drawn up and implemented as part of the initial launch of the corporate wellness program.  Everyone agrees that employee wellness is a number one priority for both employees and employers.  A healthy and fit employee will certainly be a happier and more rounded employee – prone to taking less sick days and, in turn, being more productive and diligent.  So, how do employers create interest in the corporate wellness program and more specifically, how can they make sure that this interest in maintained?

Motivation here is the word!   Diligent research needs to be done on what the key components of your wellness program will be.  These should definitely meet the fundamental needs of your particular employees and should be tailored made for them.  Enlisting the assistance of employee representatives will be quite helpful and is a logical step.  If the employees feel as though they are involved in the process, they will be more invested in having a successful end result.

Once the wellness program is launched, buzz should be created around it.  Market and sell the program to your employees through various communication methods and encourage them to do “a trial run” and to make sure to let you know their thoughts and comments.  Be clear about what the program offers and make sure that there are plenty of resources available to help the employee understand all the components of the program.

Communication and structuring is important, but realistically, we must also consider more tangible methods of encouraging and retaining participation and here is where you  can get creative by building up the “compete” aspect by setting up  types of various competitions between team of employees – with fun prizes given to the “winning” team.  You could also consider working on a “points” system where the employee would be given points for participation and could, in turn, redeem these points towards prizes or perhaps days off ?

There are several ways to promote and encourage employee participation in your corporate wellness programs and yes! You do get extra points for thinking “outside” the box!

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Company Wellness is your responsibility

January 22nd, 2010 by Michael Greeves

One of the biggest issues for employers today is company wellness – not only on the financial side, but also on the overall management of the wellness of their employees.   This is an area where costs have been dramatically increasing and an area that more and more employers are focusing on for the present and the future.

Strategizing for this type of issue is difficult as the company wellness relies heavily on the overall wellness of its employees.  It is astounding how expensive sick days, long term and short term absences as well as workplace accidents turn out to be at the end of a year.  It is important to have a strategy both short term and longer term in place to prevent these costs from escalating.

In short, the solution is Company Wellness – which starts with an employer who is willing to find solutions to employee absenteeism and work place accidents.   More and more employers are incorporating a well structured and tailored made corporate wellness program – which addresses the needs of the employees from both the physical and the mental aspects.  Encouraging employees, through programs and job fairs, to get knowledgeable about exercise, fitness and nutrition as well as to stop smoking or drinking  are excellent ways of reducing these costs as you will benefit from healthier and happier employees.

Company Wellness also defines an employer that offers its employees a healthy workplace, with clearly indicated dangerous materials.  If heavy or dangerous machinery is involved, you need to make sure that your employees are well trained on how to use them.  Issues such as toxic fumes, emergency exits and greener work environments should also be priority number one.   What about those candy and pop machines that you have in the cafeteria?  How about offering some healthier alternatives?

Finally, you may consider restructuring your internal policies, rewarding those employees who choose to participate in the corporate wellness programs but offering them prizes or perhaps, small salary increases or some type of corporate recognition that would make your employee feel as though their commitment to their health is also your commitment.

There are many ways to foster healthy company wellness and it starts from the top down.

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Corporate Wellness Programs and Better Health – yes, its possible!

January 21st, 2010 by Michael Greeves

With all the talk about healthcare reform these days, it is obvious that as the boomers age and the younger generation comes into the workforce; employee health is becoming more and more of a concern for both the employee and the employer.

Fortunately, an employer can contribute to the better health of its employees by structuring and implementing a corporate wellness program that can assist employees in maintaining their good health.  Nothing is more important than our health, whether it is physical and/or mental and a well-structured corporate wellness programs that addresses these two fundamentals can go a long way in creating a healthy and happy employee, as well as a healthy and happy bottom line.

One of the biggest perks and incentives, for the company, in creating these programs, is that not only can they see tangible results, almost immediately, in the form of more production, less time off and an overall happier work environment,  they are also seen as being a corporately responsible  organization who values their employees.  This is the type of message that you want your corporation to be sending out to its employees and its clients as it certainly does reflect back positively.

Another important aspect to consider is that a healthier, happier employee, who feels valued will often go above and beyond in their jobs – therefore, making a renewed commitment to you, their employer.  Studies have shown that when an employee is highly committed to their employer as well as to their job, they make fewer errors, are more focused and are more willing to represent the company to the outside world.  Having your employees say positive things about your services and products, as well as about you as an employer, is truly priceless.  Everyone takes notice of an employee that speaks well about their employers.

Of course, the financial aspect of employees in better health cannot be dismissed as much of the company’s profits are being directed towards escalating health costs.    Indeed, the price employers must pay in absenteeism days is simply mounting each year as more and more employees are taking much needed “sick days” and “mental health days”.  In fact, this is fast becoming one of the most difficult costs to manage, having increased dramatically over the last decade.

Corporate Wellness programs have been touted as a positive way to slow this trend and to aid employers in their efforts to help their employees get healthier and happier.

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