Featured Post

Corporate Wellness : Use of tobacco Bans Get Mixed Review.

At the end of the day, is it worthwhile to ban use of tobacco on the premises at your company? It depends on the steps you take to support workforce attempting to kick the habit, finds a recent published study .  The Journal of Tobacco Policy and Research found that smokers do, indeed  take...

Read More

Corporate Fitness Programs

Posted by Corporate Wellness | Posted in Corporate Wellness | Posted on 16-06-2011

0

Corporate Fitness Programs: In Japan, there is a prescribed workout period (usually before work) for employees. It will not be long till the U . S . follows suit, however the method could end up being different. With the passing of the medical care reform bill, individuals will notice a great deal of adjustments to American health care. Many organizations already are taking a additional active part in their employees health and fitness than just investing in their medical plan. They have introduced their very own company fitness programs.

Organizations implementing fitness and wellness programs are extremely conscious of the advantages of having a healthy staff. When personnel are healthy, you will find a lower number of instances of absenteeism and also a lot fewer claims on their medical care insurance. In addition to that, corporate fitness and wellness programs can enhance employee morale, increase productivity, and improve performance.

For corporate fitness programs to be successful, it can be crucial for business leaders to set the example. Company owners in addition to managers must be seen actively engaging in these programs. Practicing what they preach makes it much simpler for the organization management to persuade employees to participate in the programs and embrace a healthier life style.

The scope of corporate fitness programs vary per company. Some companies provide on-site gym facilities, while others give out free gym memberships. There are actually businesses that organize boot camps, and there are those that purchase total health and wellness programs from company fitness and wellness providers. A lot of businesses include health and wellness information and facts in their communication with employees whether by newsletters, posters at the worksite or through the company intranet.

Ideally, a organization’s fitness and wellness program needs to be integrated and multi-faceted. It should focus not only on workers physical health, but also on their mental, emotional, and spiritual health. All efforts must be centered on creating an environment that inspires people to be healthy, happy, and more productive.

Any corporate fitness program’s objective is to enable staff members to manage better whatever stress they may have. Fitness solutions needs to be tailored to every worker’s specific needs. It may also be necessary to hire an in-house health coach who can help workers set their personal objectives and goals, monitor their accomplishments, and guide them on healthy living.

Here are some ways you can inspire your staff members to get involved in your company wellness and fitness program:

o Encourage your staff members to visit their doctors for a physical checkup to include tests on their blood sugar, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and other indicators.

o Give out information on different medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and arthritis. Address other health related issues like obesity, smoking, alcoholism, and substance abuse.

o Encourage good nutrition at work. Consider carefully the types of food dispensed by vending machines at the workplace. Give workers access to nutritious recipes, meal planners, and other info on good nutrition.

o Acknowledge staff achievements in company newsletters and other internal publications.

o Design incentive programs for workers participating in your company fitness program. Staff members can earn points by participating in fitness activities and achieving their health objectives. Accrued points could be traded for awards that also encourage healthy lifestyle.

Examples of incentives you can use are added vacation leave credits, flexible work time options, decreased charges on medical health insurance, private training session with a personal trainer, membership to fitness clubs, free massages, gift cards to health food stores or healthy restaurants, exercise clothes and related equipment, and other small items like T-shirts, water bottles, wrist bands, etc.

Corporate Wellness : Health Promotion Program Return On Investment.

Posted by Corporate Wellness | Posted in Corporate Wellness, Wellness Programs | Posted on 04-12-2010

0

Is your organization’s ROI decreasing? Are the costs of your organization’s medical insurance premiums increasing?

If you said yes to either or both of these questions it is most likely because your workforce are not getting what they need for work at their highest potential. A good way to change this is through the use of health promotion programs.

Health promotion programs are a great way to lessen the stress felt by workers while working, help the physical and psychological health of all individuals, develop a safer, more fun work environment, and consequently increase the productivity of all workers and decrease the cost of medical insurance for the business.

There are numerous ways that corporations can go about increasing corporate wellness. Among the most popular ways is by building a fitness center that the workforce of the business can use before or after working.

By building an on-site fitness center, businesses are showing that they’re concerned with the health of their personnel and that they’re willing to help with the physical and mental wellness of their workers.

A gym is also promoting necessary healthy strategies such as weight reduction, needed daily aerobic activity, and just in general, everybody’s want/ need to stay healthy and fit. In order for all personnel to stay safe while exercising, a organization must employ staff whom are properly trained and certified as fitness trainers.

There are also many other options that companies have, to go about building worker health promotion programs. One other choice is to hold exercise classes such as yoga, spin, or walking, or to hold educational classes that teach about how to eat healthy, give general health education, or teach more, fun ways to exercise.

Another excellent way to improve a wellness program is to hold support groups for tobacco use cessation, weight loss, or dealing with cancer. With a combination of all these different ideas and wellness programs, companies can create successful wellness programs that help not only the individual staff members, but also the corporation as a whole.

Corporate Wellness : Investing In Fitness and Health Promotion Programs.

Posted by Corporate Wellness | Posted in Corporate Wellness, Wellness Programs | Posted on 03-12-2010

0

In order for organizations to be performing at their maximum potential they must create fitness and wellness programs that all their staff members can participate in.

Fitness and wellness programs are essential for a successful organization because they decrease the stress felt by staff members, they help the physical and psychological health of person, and they create safer and sometimes more fun work environments.

The effect of those changes is an increase in productivity by staff because there are less sick days and when they’re at work they’re more willing and able to do so.

In order to have a successful fitness and health promotion program the corporation must create an outcome-oriented operating plan. There are eight steps to create a complete and successful operating plan for health promotion programs.

1. Come up with a vision statement which includes goals the business is trying to meet.  The fitness and wellness program vision statement must also satisfy the overall corporation’s vision statement.

2. Make sure to set objectives that the business and the staff members are attempting to accomplish through the use of a fitness and wellness program.

3. Come up with goals that the corporation and staff can use to accomplish their goals.

4. Create a timeline which tells when the health promotion program is being implemented and when the goals and goals set should be accomplished.

5. Come up with a realistic budget which includes the cost of the incentives used to encourage staff, materials used for the wellness program, and individuals employed to teach classes, or promote safety while exercising.

6. Advertise and market the health promotion program to all staff via email, bulletin boards, newsletters, and meetings.

7. Develop an implementation plan which includes detailed information on what health promotion programs will be offered, and when.

8. Come up with an examination plan which includes surveys and participant investigations to determine whether the wellness program is working or not.

With these eight steps businesses can develop successful fitness and health promotion programs that better the health of personnel while reducing stress and increasing the overall productivity of the individuals and the business in general.

Corporate Wellness : Creating Successful Corporate Wellness Programs.

Posted by Corporate Wellness | Posted in Corporate Wellness, Wellness Programs | Posted on 02-12-2010

0

In order for a organization to be the most productive and successful it may be it needs to incorporate the use of wellness programs. Wellness programs use different forms of illness prevention, stress management, and exercise, to create and maintain a high level of well being in all personnel.

Staff Member health promotion programs are becoming increasingly more well-liked in corporations because research has been done proving that health promotion programs increase the productivity in workforce and decrease the costs of providing medical insurance premiums for workforce.

There are many ways a corporation can go about creating health promotion programs, but the most successful way is to come up with an outcome oriented operating plan. In order to create a successful operating plan, there are a few steps that a corporation must follow.

First, the company must come up with a vision statement for the health promotion program which also incorporates and assists to strive towards the overall vision statement for the company.

Second, they have to come up with goals for which the employees and the organization as a whole must strive towards, and goals which provide ways for the goals to be met.

Thirdly, a timeline ought to be developed which includes when the staff and the organization should strive to meet the goals set for them, and dates for when the health promotion program will be implemented and eventually be investigated.

Next, a budget must be developed which includes costs for individuals employed to carry out the health promotion programs, materials used for the health promotion programs, and the health promotion programs given to staff to encourage them to participate in the health promotion programs.

After the budget is finalized, the wellness program ought to be advertised to the staff through the use of newsletters, meetings, emails, and bulletin boards. Finally, the wellness program ought to be initiated and sign-ups ought to become available for staff to attend the classes, groups, and wellness programs provided.

After the health promotion programs have gone on for a while, they should be analyzed through the use of surveys and personal wellness evaluations.

Hopefully, after reviewing  the surveys and examinations, organizations will find that the staff member health promotion programs were a success and that the productivity of all personnel has gone up.

Corporate Wellness : Simplified Health Promotion Programs.

Posted by Corporate Wellness | Posted in Corporate Wellness, Wellness Programs | Posted on 01-12-2010

1

Health promotion programs are one of the many ways for organizations to encourage their staff members to become healthier individuals.  The ways that staff members behave, eat, and live inside and outside of the workplace directly affects their work ethics, productivity, and psychological health.

Corporations can hope that their staff have healthful habits, but unless action is taking place and health promotion programs are created, the company is not taking an active role in gaining healthier and more productive staff.

While the physical attributes of an worker are often most noticeable, often overlooked is the staff member’s mental health, which is just as important as physical health.

One way that businesses can include psychological health in their health promotion programs is to provide inexpensive alternatives or assistance with psychological health and counseling services.

Stress can also be relieved by massage therapy, which is a benefit that companys can offer as an incentive.

Physical health also directly relates to mental health; as people  who are in better physical health normally find that physical exercise helps to alleviate stress.

Businesses can encourage physical fitness by permitting personnel to take short breaks to go for a walk, discounts on health and fitness center memberships, and informational meetings to give tips and ideas about keeping in shape.

A lot of businesses also offer lunchtime classes such as group exercise or yoga in order to encourage mid-day exercise. Some businesses even offer contests with prizes for employees who lose the most weight over a reasonable amount of time.

While physical health is sometimes more obvious than mental health, mental health often has a greater affect on staff members. Without wellness programs and encouragement to remain mentally healthful, staff members are more likely to become stressed.

And when an staff member is stressed, burned out, or distracted by personal issues, that staff member becomes less productive and a greater financial burden on the company.

Corporate Wellness : The Other Side of Corporate Wellness.

Posted by Corporate Wellness | Posted in Corporate Wellness, Wellness Programs | Posted on 30-11-2010

0

Employee wellness is important to the U.S.’s workforce. There’s certainly room for wellness programs. Nonetheless, some groups do not support wellness programs in the workplace. Here are two common reasons why –

Corporate Wellnes and Privacy Rights

Privacy rights seem to be the primary opposition to health promotion programs. Some individuals  believe that companys have no right to tell personnel to eat healthy or lose twenty pounds.

This opinion seems to be made stronger by the hundreds of companies seeking the help of law firms to begin more assertive health promotion programs. What a individuals does with his/her body is certainly a privacy issue.

Nonetheless, wellness programs were initiated to be stimulating ways to help workers get fit by offering incentives and free health programs. When company wellness is brought back to its original mission and participation was not monitored or mandatory, there would be far less privacy issues.

Corporate Wellness –  Incentives or Penalties

Consequences rarely motivate someone like incentives do. Groups opposing health promotion programs are citing that some companies are threatening unhealthful staff with consequences for not participating or succeeding in their health promotion program.

An example of such a case is a business based in Indianapolis that started deducting $10.00 from each paycheck for every staff member with a Body Mass Index above 29.9 because not enough employees were utilizing the organization’s health promotion program.

Staff Members are much more likely to take part in health promotion programs when there are incentives such as cash bonuses, time off work or free products rather than the threats of consequences.

Even though both of these reasons are precise ones to oppose health promotion programs, both issues can easily be resolved by bringing employee health promotion back to its main mission.

These programs were not meant to invade privacy or punish unhealthy person, and the majority does not. They were and are meant to be a benefit to both the employer and staff member.

By stimulating and supporting health promotion program participants, organizations will likely experience success.

Corporate Wellness : Quality Wellness Programs.

Posted by Corporate Wellness | Posted in Corporate Wellness, Wellness Programs | Posted on 29-11-2010

0

When your organization is struggling in the midst of these tough economic times, the first staff member benefit cut that may seem reasonable is the organization health promotion program. Nonetheless, that is a enormous mistake.

Company health promotion programs promote health, and a healthful worker is a happy one! When your organization is facing a major budget shortfall and needs to drastically reduce benefit costs, consider minimizing the expense rather than cutting it altogether.

One great way to promote wellness in the midst of a budget crunch is to compose and distribute a wellness newsletter for normal health promotion program activities. Even if the health club memberships need to be suspended for a short time, your company can still encourage workforce to stay on track with their health promotion program objectives.

A wellness newsletter could be packed with exercising tips, dates of upcoming group meet-ups such as worker walking or running groups and information about current health news. These newsletters can cut costs while still showing staff members that their business is genuinely interested in their health and overall well being.

Although monetary incentives could  be put on hold with a tight budget, recognizing employees’ wellness efforts is still important. A simple certificate of achievement can be just the motivation someone needs to stay on track.

Another great way to recognize employees’ achievements is to post their success in the wellness newsletter. Each newsletter can list the workforce who have reached their objectives within the past month.

The newsletter could also highlight one employee’s journey to fitness and success as a motivation to colleagues who are just beginning.

Corporation health promotion programs do not need to cost a lot of money. Simply encouraging personnel and showing that their company cares about their well being is enough to motivate a lot of individuals  to stick with health promotion programs.

A wellness newsletter is an inexpensive way to promote employee health promotion.

Corporate Wellness : Benefits the of Corporate Wellness Programs.

Posted by Corporate Wellness | Posted in Corporate Wellness, Wellness Programs | Posted on 28-11-2010

0

Educating workforce about wellness services is the best way to raise overall productivity and staff member wellness. One of the best ways to give information about being healthful is to have wellness programs targeted on how to change life choices.

This in turn will give a better quality of life. With a focus on wellness in the worksite and wellness services, both employers and staff members will benefit greatly.

One way to make staff member health promotion programs more appealing is by offering a free staff member biometric screening. Health screenings serve a few purposes.

They can help detect predispositions to certain illnesses by giving staff members a chance to get their blood work, blood pressure checked, Body Mass Index (Body Mass Index) checked, and blood sugars checked.

It might seem like the health promotion program cost is high, nevertheless, the wellness ROI’ll be excellent if overall healthcare costs go down.

Employee wellness programs should attempt to reward and have wellness program incentives. Offering support on an ongoing basis, diet counseling and providing feedback for a healthier lifestyle, creates momentum to help staff members on the track for overall well being.

A broad range of health solutions could be addressed through health promotion programs.

Effective communication is essential to promoting the success of health health promotion programs. A mission statement, clear goals, and goals ought to be set by the employer. Staff Members will then be given their individual goals to meet and goals to follow.

Worksite culture and environment could be a strong influence on behavior. That being said, it’s true that using wellness ideas could be effective in promoting and adopting a healthy lifestyle.

There are bunch of ideas and benefits that staff can have when they take benefit of wellness programs. Some of them include – weight loss, improved physical fitness, lower stress levels and improved self-esteem.

Fitness and wellness programs are able to deliver these results. Employers can also benefit from wellness programs. Some of the benefits include – reduced health care cost, reduced absenteeism, reduced rates of disease, better morale and increased productivity.

In the long run, this is advantageous to everyone in the company. Locating the right wellness programs takes time, but is worth it.

Corporate Wellness : How to Implement a Health Promotion Program.

Posted by Corporate Wellness | Posted in Corporate Wellness, Wellness Programs | Posted on 27-11-2010

0

As health insurance premiums rise it is crucial that you take into consideration what you as an corporation can do to keep them as low as possible. Implementing a wellness program is an excellent place to start.

The health of a corporation’s workers will have a big impact on productivity, absenteeism, job satisfaction and the bottom line profit.  The various ways to begin a these wellness programs are endless.

There’s a direct link between the health and happiness of a organization’s staff and the organization’s financial profitability.

An easy way to implement a health promotion program is by offering health testings at work once a year. Promoting healthful consuming is also an option. Instead of placing chips and cookies in a vending machine, offer a more healthful option at a cheaper cost making it an easier decision for personnel.

By offering some sort of gym or exercise equipment on a workplace it gives workers the choice to work on their health during their break rather than snacking or taking a smoke break. By beginning any or all these suggestions as an business you can help your workers start making healthful decisions with their life.

A health promotion program can be as intricate or as simple as you desire. Once upper-level management has expressed the desire to begin this health promotion program you should appoint a individuals or group of individuals  who are interested in overseeing it.

This person or group of people  should develop a plan and set goals. Introduce living healthful to personnel by providing literature, screenings, healthful consuming options and exercise plans.

Make certain that you’re building a supportive environment your employees would feel good about making healthy life options in. Finally, assess how the health promotion program has helped your employees and organization as a whole.

Corporate Wellness : Advantages Health Promotion Programs.

Posted by Corporate Wellness | Posted in Corporate Wellness, Wellness Programs | Posted on 26-11-2010

0

Organizations everywhere are turning to wellness programs to help raise productivity and lower the cost of insurance premiums. There are numerous advantages to offering a wellness program.

As an worker of a business that offers these health promotion programs, it is imperative that you use those health promotion programs to your advantage.

As an worker, such a health promotion program can help you become a much healthier individuals. Depending on what a organization offers you are able to learn how to reduce stress, keep your sugar levels in control, maintain an appropriate physical fitness level and even lose weight.

Another positive effect that a wellness program has on workforce is that as they become healthier people they’ll save money on prescription medicines no longer needed which could also lead to lower healthcare costs.

The support you’ll receive from your peers will help you reachyour health objectives. Creating a supportive atmosphere provides personnel with the backing they need to change their habits.

From eating a healthy lunch together to forming a racquetball tournament, you’ll develop a feeling of camaraderie between colleagues. Some companies even set up teams to participate in local marathons. Social influences are a major part of a healthy life style.

You will be getting encouragement from colleagues as well as encouraging others around you to live healthy.

If the business you work for offers this type of health promotion program count yourself lucky and take advantage of it. Having business support is a good begin to living a healthier lifestyle.

A health promotion program can help make a positive change in your job, life and the community.

From reading hand-out literature to exercising with coworkers, a wellness program is a good begin to assisting you achieveyour health and fitness objectives.