Corporate Wellness Blog

Organization Physical Activity Programs and Wellness – A Clear Message

Organization culture varies from employer to employer. Some corporations are strict and formal while others are more laid back. But one thing most have learned is that the health of their workers affects the health of the employer itself.

Because of this, many corporations have started organization health and Workplace Health Promotion Programs. By doing so, the company’s owners send a clear message to their staff members that health is a priority and must be taken seriously.

Just by the fact that the organization is willing to spend money to start and maintain a Employee Health Promotion Program indicates by itself that good health equates to dollars and Employee Health Promotion Program equates to active staff members.

No Smoking

A corporate health and Corporate Wellness Program can be as simple as a ‘no smoking’ policy to a menu of health and fitness services. Usually, the programs fall right in the middle. There are many health centers that provide Corporate Wellness Programs. A business has a variety of choices when it comes to deciding on how to deliver a Wellness plan.

• Hire an outside health trainer to deliver an employee program to current facility
• Utilize a professional in the original design of a new facility
• Develop a Worksite Wellness Program manager responsible for coordinating the organization health program
• Use an online health professional as a consultant

The first step in implementing any business fitness and Worksite Wellness Program is to evaluate the condition of the employees. The kind of work a business does will guide the focus of the program.

By way of example, a warehouse operation may be interested in developing employee strength to avert back and neck injuries. A building of office workers with sedentary jobs will need aerobic conditioning. A employer program is customized to meet the needs of its workers.

Web-based fitness trainers are professionals at designing programs for different sized groups. They can match exercises and diets to any situation. They can also save a corporation money by developing a plan that is streamlined yet effective.

Result Oriented

A employer fitness and Employee Wellness Program has direct adavantages, not just for the staff members, but for the employer as well.

• Declined Medical Care claims as employee health improves
• Less cases of obesity
• Reduced use of sick leave
• Employees able to deal with stress better
• Active workers less likely to be injured

It is not unusual to discover a fitness center in an office building anymore. Easy access to workout equipment and a fitness trainer encourages staff members to follow a program. By using an trainer, a employer can offer something for everyone – pregnant women, older staff members, walkers, active adults, mothers, overweight people, fathers and others.

Corporation Exercise Programs – A Merger

Corporation fitness sounds like buzz words, but it has become an valuable concept in the work place. Employees in the company world are willing to labor long and hard hours.

In exchange they expect the organization to be willing to make accommodations. A organization fitness plan is a comprehensive program that mergers organization and employee health needs.

Taking Stock

Corporations have a social responsibility. They take care of the environment, donate money to worthy causes and take part in school programs. But for many corporations, the social awareness begins with their very own employees.

The employees who are fit make better employees. Research studies have shown that up to 75 percent of illness is related to lifestyle. So for a organization fitness program to work it must educate employees fitness as a comprehensive lifelong plan. Since we spend at least 1/3 of our day at work, it only makes sense to make fitness available at the worksite.

• Screen for topics that could guide to primary health problems in the future, such as Blood Pressure (BP) and glucose levels
• Educate workers on nutrition
• Investigate stress levels as a function of employment
• Make exercise equipment or sessions available
• Make adequate time for involvement in fitness programs
• Provide disease prevention programs such as immunization
• Provide incentive programs for program participation

On A Mission

There are many ways a organization can start a organization fitness plan. A professional organization can be hired to write a complete fitness plan. Or a professional can endorse a organization create a plan the organization developed. The professional assistance can be internet based, at the worksite, or at a health club.

When a professional fitness employer is hired, employees are judged based on their workload. Individual exercise plans are put into place and progress is monitored. Some organizations hire a certified fitness trainer to coordinate directly with employees on an ongoing basis at the workplace.

Other organizations pay for the services of a trainer at the nearest health center. To read what personal fitness can do for your corporation visit this page.

There are many options a corporation can choose from. Businesses frequently establish fitness plans that cover employee families. By way of example, if the corporation purchased a corporation fitness center membership, families of workers are given use of the facilities also.

This promotes family unity in addition to fitness. Some corporations pay for fitness plans in their entirety. Others only pay part and the employee pays the balance. There are elaborate plans that offer classes and group exercises and seminars. There are simpler plans that offer access to basic fitness facilities.

But no matter what form the business fitness plan takes, as a minimum, the program will instruct on nutrition and support opportunity for exercises that tone, strengthen and enhance flexibility. A business that takes care of its workers finds that the workers will take care of the business.

Building a Company Exercise Team From Nine-To-Five

People spend a lot of time at their job, and work environments are full of stress. Downsizing, mergers, growing manufacturing requirements and extended hours take their toll on employee health.

It can be measured in growing absenteeism and more health costs. It is time to reverse the trend. Building a business exercise team could be the perfect solution. Driving each other to start a fitness program will reap big outcomes for the employees and the business.

Working Overtime

It is simple to find excuses to skip working out. One of them is always ‘not sufficient time’. But 2 walks for 15 minutes each has the same health benefit as 1 walk for 30 minutes. This fact makes building business exercise group programs simple.

Most employers hire a fitness expert. The fitness expert can develop a plan the company can manage itself or let the fitness expert create and monitor. Either way, there are lots of ways for employees to exercise during the day.

• Go on walks outside during breaks or lunch
• Go to sponsored exercise classes at an in-house gym or a local gym before or after work
• Use the stairs instead of taking the elevators, measuring the number of stairs each week
• Do stretching exercises every hour to keep refreshed and alert

But it works even better when teamwork is added to the mix. A corporation is as great as its employees. Every corporation operates on the concept of great teamwork to fulfill its mission and provide great customer service. What better way to begin that process than by building a corporation exercise group?

The rapport that is created among employees exercising together will carry over into the workplace itself. It is a well-known fact that group exercise promote cooperation and exercise offers the perfect common activity.

All humans need to exercise to maintain fitness. With a business fitness program, the business can convey its belief in team spirit, cooperative goals/objectives and strategy development.

A local personal trainer can be hired to come worksite or the organization can hire a web-based trainer. Either way, tracing the progress of each employee’s fitness level as they take part in the exercise group projects will encourage participation.

Moonlighting

There are numerous types of fitness programs that can be provided to advance a worksite.

• A mixture of aerobics exercises followed by strength movements
• Circuit training at the fitness center
• Tai Chi Ch’uan for relaxation and stress control
• Step classes
• Body sculpting
• A series of progressive exercise classes offering steady fitness change
• Specialty sessions for people over 55 or for pregnant women

On this page you can discover a personal trainer who can show how building a employer exercise group programs works.

A employer will discover that once staff members begin to feel fit, the fitness program will carry over into their personal life. Now that is healthy moonlighting!

Organizations are expected to be responsible in every way. They protect the environment, contribute to local area projects and pay taxes. They also care about the health of their staff members.

One of the benefits of wellness programs is they give employees every opportunity to improve their quality of life both at their place of employment and after their place of employment.

Wellness is not just about doing a few exercises. It is a all-inclusive service-oriented program that takes into account diet, overriding fitness and job fitness.

Benefits of Company Wellness Programs

The Benefits of Worksite Wellness Programs form a long list.

• Improvedemployee productiveness
• Greateremployee concentration
• Better morale
• Lower absenteeism

The benefits of wellness programs cannot be belittled. With one-on-one consultation and group programs, employees learn to manage stress in a positive manner.

This not only improves life at work, it improves customer service and the quality of life with our personal relationships. Everyone who works has experienced those days when work goes home with you because of the burden stress has on physical and mental wellbeing.

Stress creates a chemical that increases fat production in bodies.

A wellness program empowers staff members to deal with stress in such a manner they 1. lower stress caused sickness and 2. do not carry the stress of the job with them throughout non-job activities.

The benefits of a wellness program are the outcome of the use of exercise and nutrition planning to inform workers how to stay personally in-shape.

It is much easier for the body to manage stress when the whole body is in-shape. workers who are not active directly cost the organization an abundance of money in absenteeism, enhanced medical care costs and lost productivity.

Employee relations can also be affected as a result of employees who feel daily stress of work.

Advantages of Corporate Wellness Programs – Satisfaction Guaranteed

The Benefits of wellness programs are both tangible and intangible.

• Current chronic ailments are discussed to stop further physical deterioration
• Preventive Workplace Wellness Programs keep healthcare costs reduced over time
• Staff Members experience greater energy which boosts productivity
• Unhealthy snacking in the worksite is addressed
• Ergonomics are evaluated to cut employee injury potential
• Employee flexibility is improved
• Self-image of staff members is better
• Employee cooperation developed through recreational programs
• Solutions to health and fitness concerns are offered

The benefits of employer exercise program cover onsite and off-site services customized to match employer objectives. Even if a program is in place, it can be developed or expanded to meet the needs of the employer and its workers.

Periodic assessments, health education, health management and health consulting services are some of the many advantages of wellness programs monitored by Workplace Health Promotion Program professionals. Among the many choices available, a employer program normally will provide the following as a minimum.

• Aerobics
• Core muscle strengthening
• Muscle strengthening
• Improved flexibility
• Dietary analysis and modification

Wellness programs vary depending on the size of the business, location to fitness equipment and budget. But no matter what shape the Workplace Health Promotion Program takes, the Benefits of Workplace Health Promotion Programs will enhance overall employee satisfaction. This reaps big advantages for the business.

Help your workers be the very best they can be mentally and personally, by realizing the Benefits of Workplace Wellness Programs.

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Life on Loan -Rewards of Company Wellness Programs

It is simple for staff members to ignore the facts about their health when they are involved in just getting the job done. One of the big benefits of Workplace Wellness Programs is they bring health to the forefront of corporation awareness.

Obesity is a major problem and getting worse every day. But it is just one problem among many. Employee health maintenance has become so expensive that it is the fastest increasing component of many corporate budgets.

An effective Company Wellness Program can slow down the rate of increase and help employees realize they have a responsibility to themselves and their families to care for their own Health Promotion. Each individual is given a gift of life and it is imperative that life be cared for carefully.

Advantages of Company Health Promotion Programs

The rewards of wellness programs comprise of the following:

• Increased awareness of detrimental actions such as smoking
• Cut back in employee obesity and subsequent problems
• Convenience of programs for company and employees
• Tracing of employee exercise program outcomes
• Availability of a fitness consultant

Staff Members are judged one-on-one at the company or where there is company membership. Expert Workplace Health Promotion Program instructors create a custom fitted plan that insures the employee will have a physical activity program that fits their current physical condition and lifestyle.

One of the major reasons that exercise program fail is because people set unrealistic expectations. They are always ‘in debt’ to their program, unable to meet the specifications. A corporation personal trainer can stimulate each person set realizable mission and design a program that is progressive.

The rewards of wellness programs are well documented in reports and can be seen in decreased medical costs and higher productivity.

Rewards of Workplace Health Promotion Programs

At times a high interest rate can be a great thing for a corporation – like when there is high employee interest in a Worksite Wellness Program.

The advantages of Workplace Health Promotion Programs apply to the organization and the workers.

• Reducedhealthcare claims as employee health progresses
• Fewer cases of obesity
• Fewer cholesterol rates
• Greater cardiovascular health
• Reduced incidences of high Blood Pressure (BP)
• Reduced use of sick leave
• Enhanced stress management
• Active employees are less likely to be injured
• Reduced disability claims

Today, you can frequently discover a health and wellness room in an office building for employee convenience. That is an indication of the level of effectiveness of a fitness program.

The rewards of wellness programs cover avoidance of common healthcare conditions that once were considered rare.

The improvement in employee health nets the company a cut back in healthcare costs and that savings flows directly to the bottom line of the monetary report. There are really no negatives to a Wellness program.

The rewards of wellness programs are so outstanding; it is difficult to know why any organization would choose not to incorporate a fitness plan for their employees. Look online and see for yourself the world of opportunity to improve the health of your employees and your organization.

Information to evaluate your program comes from routinely collected screening and follow-up data of your program that look at process and outcomes of your program.

The Worker Health Program has available a computerized case-management system which includes queries that allow simple assessment of process and outcome results at any point in time.

Process Evaluation

Process evaluation looks at the  Workplace Wellness Program’s influence as seen at various points in time.

Information that is gathered from the various forms that wellness staff members fill out must supply you with the following:

• How many staff members were screened?
• How many workers who were referred to a doctor went?
• How many workers who expressed interest in health improvement programs went?
• How many employees who were referred to health improvement programs went?
• How many workers who went to health improvement programs completed them?
• How many employees are in follow-up caseload?

You can use this sort of process evaluation to evaluate and learn about the health of your program.

Outcome Evaluation

A central intention of the program is to better the health of workers. Information on how to judge how well your program is meeting this intention is called “outcome assessment” because you are evaluating the end results or outcome of your program.

In wellness programs, objectives are gauged by specific (outcomes) behavior changes and reductions in health risk levels. Have workers lowered their Blood Pressure (BP)? Have they lost weight? Are they working out more? Is alcohol consumption at a safe level? For example these are the types of questions you can ask to learn if you are reaching your objectives:

• For employees with high Blood Pressure (140 / 90 or higher or on medication) at screening, what percentage have it under control (below 140 / 90) a year later?
• What is the modification in average Blood Pressure (BP) levels among all workers with high Blood Pressure (BP) 1 year after assessment? Two years later?
• For workers with high blood cholesterol levels (above 240) at screening, what percentage has reduced their cholesterol to borderline-high levels (200-239)?
• For workers with borderline-high blood cholesterol levels, what percentages have reduced their cholesterol to the desirable range (below 200)?
• What is the change in average cholesterol levels among all staff members with high and borderline-high blood cholesterol levels 1 year after screening? Two years later?
• For staff members who were overweight at assessment, what percentage have lost 20 pounds or more a year later? Ten pounds or more? What is the average weight loss?
• For employees who were tobacco users at screening, what percentages have quit smoking? For at least a year?
• For staff members whose level of alcohol consumption put them at-risk at assessment, what percentage have quit drinking alcohol? Are consuming alcohol at levels considered safe by CDC standard procedures? Have reduced their drinking, but are still at-risk?
• For staff members, what percentages are exercising at least three times a week for at least 20 minutes?
• If fitness levels were gauged, what percentages have improved fitness?

Set a regular time such as every 6 months to look at which staff members your program is reaching and how effective it is at supporting them cut their health risks. Use this information to make new decisions about how to direct your program efforts. Then make the change you need to better your program.

Some may feel that evaluation is a frill; it is not. Assessment is a significant part of a wellness program. You will need to know what is working and what is not. Decision-makers who fund the program need to be updated on the performance of the program. Assessment will provide you with significant data to maintain and expand the program and convince management to continue to support the program.

Counselors must follow up on workers at least every 6 months throughout the career of the employee at the worksite. The goals and objectives of follow-up are to:

• Involve staff members who have health risks in treatment and risk reduction programs.
• Involve all staff members in health improvement programs and workplace-wide wellness activities.
• Support employees in carrying out the risk reduction or health improvement activities they have chosen.
• Help workers comply with their treatment regimens.
• Prevent relapse.
• Prevent workers from dropping out.
• Help staff members maintain behavior changes.

Follow-up can be conducted in person, by phone, mail, and via computer if the technology is available. Most preferable is an in-person contact. Computer programs which can do case load management are available to help counselors track information and perform follow-up.

Priorities for Follow-Up

People with multiple health risks must be at the top of the list. People in key positions such as union leaders or department heads with health risks must also be contacted early so that they learn what the program is about and can share the information with others.

People who need a medical assessment for high Blood Pressure (BP) or blood lipids ought to also be targeted early. Many employees will have seen their doctors as a result of the evaluation, but some will need more encouragement to do so. Those with no health risks can be followed up each year.

A follow-up counseling session can take 20 to 45 minutes. At minimum, follow-up must include those who were told to seek health care evaluation for elevated Blood Pressure (BP) readings, elevated cholesterol readings, or borderline elevated blood cholesterol readings with 2 or more other risk factors.

It may include those who were identified as at-risk for one or more of the other primary risk factors: at-risk levels of alcohol consumption, being overweight, and having low HDL.

Follow-Up With Physicians

A letter (see forms) must be sent to the physician or clinic of each employee who has elevated Blood Pressure, elevated blood lipids, or is under a physician’s care.

The letter should explain the program and should include the employee’s relevant, current health measurements.

Along with the letter, send a self-addressed return envelope. Follow-up with the physician must be repeated every 6 months until it is demonstrated that the employee is under satisfactory control.

Contacting the physician is significant for three reasons:

• The doctors receive workers’ health measurements taken at the worksite.
• You receive the Blood Pressure and cholesterol readings the doctor takes and information on the treatment the doctor prescribes. Many times the employee does not have this information or does not remember it. The information can be used when counseling the employee.
• Follow-up encourages physicians to pay closer attention to heart disease risk factors among their patients.

The menu approach offers staff members a range of options to support lifestyle changes. It allows people to choose the kind of help that suits their schedules and preferences.

The four basic types of programs include:
• Classes
• Minigroups
• Guided self help
• Individual counseling

Classes

Classes (8 or more) can be an effective means of offering education and social backing for behavior change. The length of a class can vary depending on topic requirements. It is not sufficient to offer only classes at a workplace.

Many workers are under time constraints with after work commitments and although they may be interested they simply cannot participate because of their schedules.

workers may be very eager to start a program but because of lack of participants to meet class quotas, the program is canceled. Many national companies such as the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, Weight Watchers, etc. offer classes; you must have little trouble in identifying a provider for class sort programs.

You may want to contact your local hospital, health department, or YMCA for possible options. For selecting a vendor to support a program you may want to review the section on program structure.

Minigroups

When there is not enough interest to establish a class, those who are interested in a given health topic can be formed into a minigroup (2 to 7).

The minigroup can cover the same content as a class but do so in a less formal manner. Presentation of information and discussion is the primary format of the minigroup.

Guided Self-Help

Most employees do not want formal help in making health changes; they prefer to do it on their own. In guided self-help, the wellness counselors provide backing, materials, and encouragement.

Meeting times can be arranged and contact can be made either in person, by phone, or computer. Materials can be made available at the workplace, or mailed to the individual. Some worksites now make information available via intranets or the Internet.

Individual Counseling

One of the most efficacious ways to help people change and better their health status is counseling (or coaching) on a one-on-one basis.

In published research studies, wellness programs which incorporated individual counseling as part of the program process achieved significantly higher participation rates and achieved greater risk reduction/risk elimination than standard group programs. Research studies have determined that individual counseling is both cost effective and cost beneficial.

A wellness counselor ought to be trained in screening techniques, for in certain situations, they may be required to both screen people and counsel them. They ought to know how to do the following:

• Review employee health risks
• Contact staff members who have health risks.
• Counsel staff members on a one-on-one basis, helping them set objectives and goals, solve issues, and get expert help when they need it.
• Help workers follow their treatment recommendations and make lifestyle and health behavior changes.
• Recruit staff members into health improvement programs, such as weight loss and smoking cessation.
• Work with staff members on a one-on-one basis using guided self-help.
• Conduct classes and minigroups if necessary.
• Work with Worksite Wellness Program Committee participants to plan and conduct workplace-wide wellness activities.

Wellness counselors are health generalists; they must have basic knowledge about a wide range of health subject matters and health risks.

Counselors must be able to talk with staff members about their health care issues and the treatments prescribed by their doctors. They must have a good overview of diet, exercise physiology, pathophysiology of disease, pharmacology, psychology, and behavior modification skills.

The educational program ought to include approaches to stress awareness/reduction at the environmental level and at the individual level.

Social, physical, and employer stressors must be explained and methods to ease or elevate stressors must be presented. At the individual level how changes in attitudes and behaviors help one to cope with stressors; learning techniques to minimize stress response, such as meditation, relaxation response, and exercise.

Content of the program ought to offer the following:
• Identifying sources of stress
• Relationship of stress to health
• How the individual experiences stress, personal, family, work
• Solutions for coping and managing stress
• Techniques for reducing stress
• Value of stress, both detrimental and beneficial
• Practical steps of incorporating stress reduction into lifestyle

Personnel delivering stress management programs ought to have training in psychology, behavioral sciences, or related disciplines such as mental health professionals, counselors, health educators, psychologists, and psychiatrists. Training in a reputable program on how to instruct the stress management course including group process skills is a must.

A nutrition education program must include a nutritional needs assessment, education counseling, and referral as significant.

Educational sessions and materials should include the following information:

• The relationship of diet and chronic diseases
• Improving eating patterns
• Relationship of diet and proper weight maintenance
• Exercise
• Stress
• Blood Pressure
• Cholesterol
• Diabetes and other chronic diseases.
• Nutritionally accurate information regarding the relationship of health to diet, including cholesterol, fats, fiber, alcohol, carbohydrates, salt, sugar, and vitamin/mineral supplementation.

Methods for identifying healthier foods and incorporating low-calorie, high nutrient foods into eating habits. Guidelines for working on eating habits should be based on or consistent with national recommendations such as The Food Guide Pyramid.

Instructor ought to be a registered dietitian, registered nurse, or have a baccalaureate degree or higher in health education with training in diet. If an allied health professional instructs the program, a consultation and review of the program design by a registered dietitian is recommended.

It is recommended that smoking cessation programs subscribe to the Code Of Practice for Smoking Cessation Programs.

Smoking cessation programs ought to be multi-component with a focus on skills to build positive voluntary behavior change practices. Useful techniques include establishing reasons for stopping, understanding the smoking habit, various techniques for stopping and remaining a non-smoker, overcoming the issues of stopping, short-term objective setting, weight management, stress management, effect of exercise, relationship of alcohol consumption to urges to use tobacco. Use no aversive or scare tactics.

In programs that use aids such as the “patch” or medications such as “Zyban” appropriate consultation must be available on the usage of these aids.

The instructor should have formal training in tobacco cessation from a nationally recognized company such as American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, or a nationally recognized commercial program such as Smoke Enders.

Evaluation of success is occasionally very dubious in tobacco cessation programs. Measurement of success should include participation rate, including the number implementing the program, the number completing the program, and the average number per session. Also included, number and percent who stopped smoking at the end of the program, and the number and percent who had not resumed smoking by the end of one year.