Posts from — July 2009

Organization Fitness Programs and Wellness – A Clear Message

Company culture varies from business to business. Some employers 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 business itself.

Because of this, many businesses have started corporation health and Corporate Health Promotion Programs. By doing so, the company’s owners send a clear message to their workers that health is a priority and must be taken seriously.

Just by the fact that the business is willing to spend money to implement and maintain a Workplace Wellness Program indicates by itself that good health equates to dollars and Workplace Wellness Program equates to active employees.

No Smoking

A corporate health and Worksite 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 offer Worksite Wellness Programs. A organization 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
• Design a Worksite Wellness Program manager responsible for coordinating the company fitness program
• Use an web-based health expert as a consultant

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

For example, a warehouse operation may be interested in starting employee strength to avoid back and neck injuries. A building of office staff members with sedentary jobs will need aerobic conditioning. A business program is customized to meet the needs of its staff members.

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

Result Oriented

A company fitness and Corporate Wellness Program has direct adavantages, not just for the employees, but for the company as well.

• Reduced Healthcare claims as employee health advances
• Fewer cases of obesity
• Less use of sick time
• Workers able to deal with stress better
• Stronger employees 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 expert encourages staff members to follow a program. By using an expert, a company can provide something for everyone – pregnant women, older staff members, walkers, active adults, mothers, overweight people, fathers and others.

Company Physical Activity Programs – A Merger

Company fitness sounds like buzz words, but it has become an significant concept in the work place. Workers in the business world are willing to manage long and hard hours.

In exchange they expect the corporation to be willing to make accommodations. A corporation fitness plan is a all-inclusive program that mergers corporation 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 companies, the social awareness begins with their very own staff members.

The employees who are fit make better employees. Studies have shown that up to 75 percent of illness is related to lifestyle. So for a business exercise program to work it must teach employees fitness as a all-inclusive lifelong plan. Since we spend at least 1/3 of our day at work, it only makes sense to make fitness available at the workplace.

• Test for concerns that could drive to primary health ailments in the future, such as Blood Pressure (BP) and glucose levels
• Inform staff members on diet
• Examine stress levels as a function of employment
• Make exercise equipment or classes available
• Make adequate time for involvement in fitness programs
• Offer disease deterence programs such as immunization
• Offer incentive programs for program participation

On A Mission

There are many ways a employer can start a employer fitness plan. A professional employer can be hired to write a complete fitness plan. Or a professional can advocate a employer start a plan the employer developed. The professional assistance can be internet based, at the workplace, or at a fitness center.

When a professional fitness organization is hired, employees are evaluated based on their workload. Individual exercise plans are put into place and progress is monitored. Some companies hire a fitness professional to work directly with employees on an ongoing basis at the workplace.

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

There are many choices a company can choose among. Businesses frequently establish fitness plans that comprise of employee families. By way of example, if the company purchased a company health club membership, families of employees 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 provide classes and group exercises and seminars. There are simpler plans that provide access to basic fitness facilities.

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

Establishing a Organization Exercise Team From Nine-To-Five

People spend much time at their job, and work environments are full of stress. Downsizing, mergers, increasing production specifications and extended hours take their toll on employee health.

It can be gauged in growing absenteeism and more health costs. It is time to reverse the trend. Building a company exercise group could be the perfect solution. Encouraging each other to start a exercise program will reap big results for the employees and the company.

Working Overtime

It is simple to find excuses to skip exercising. 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 organizations hire a fitness trainer. The fitness trainer can develop a plan the organization can manage itself or let the fitness trainer begin and monitor. Either way, there are lots of ways for staff members to exercise during the day.

• Take walks outside during breaks or lunch
• Frequent sponsored exercise courses at an in-house fitness center or a local fitness center before or after work
• Take the stairs rather than taking the elevators, calculating the number of stairs each week
• Engage in stretching exercises every hour to remain refreshed and alert

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

The rapport that is created among staff members working out together will carry over into the workplace itself. It is a well-known fact that group movement promote cooperation and exercise gives the perfect common activity.

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

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

Moonlighting

There are a myriad of types of exercise programs that can be provided to profit a worksite.

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

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

A business will find that once workers begin to feel in-shape, the exercise program will carry over into their personal life. Now that is healthy moonlighting!

Corporations are expected to be responsible in every way. They protect the environment, contribute to local area projects and pay taxes. They also are concerned about the health of their employees.

One of the benefits of wellness programs is they give workers every opportunity to enhance their quality of life both at their job and after their job.

Wellness is not just about performing a few exercises. It is a comprehensive service-oriented program that takes into account nutrition, central fitness and job fitness.

Benefits of Company Wellness Programs

The Advantages of Workplace Health Promotion Programs form a long list.

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

The benefits of wellness programs can’t be underestimated. With one-on-one consultation and group programs, employees learn to manage stress in a positive demeanor.

This not only betters life on the job, it betters customer service and the quality of life with family and friends. Everyone who works has had those days when work goes home with you because of the burden stress has on physical and mental wellness.

Stress creates a chemical that increases fat creation in bodies.

A wellness program empowers employees to deal with stress in such a manner they 1. reduce stress caused ailments and 2. do not carry the stress of employment with them throughout non-work activities.

The advantages of a wellness program are the result of the use of exercise and nutrition planning to train workers how to stay physically fit.

It is much easier for the body to manage stress when the whole body is fit. staff members who are not healthy directly cost the company a lot of money in absenteeism, enhanced medical costs and lost productivity.

Employee relations can also deteriorate as a result of workers who feel daily stress of employment.

Benefits of Company Wellness Programs – Satisfaction Guaranteed

The Advantages of wellness programs are both tangible and intangible.

• Existing chronic illnesses are discussed to prohibit further physical deterioration
• Preventive Company Health Promotion Programs keep healthcare costs reduced over time
• Employees experience greater energy which expands productiveness
• Unhealthy snacking in the worksite is addressed
• Ergonomics are evaluated to lower employee injury potential
• Employee flexibility is improved
• Self-image of workers is increased
• Employee cooperation developed through active programs
• Solutions to health and fitness topics are offered

The benefits of company physical activity programs cover on-Site and off-site services customized to match company objectives and goals. Even if a program is in place, it can be modified or expanded to suit the needs of the company and its workers.

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

• Aerobics
• Core muscle toning
• Muscle strengthening
• Greater flexibility
• Dietary analysis and modification

Wellness programs vary depending on the size of the organization, availability to fitness equipment and budget. But no matter what shape the Company Health Promotion Program takes, the Advantages of Company Health Promotion Programs will improve central employee satisfaction. This reaps big rewards for the organization.

Help your employees be the very best they can be mentally and physically, by realizing the Advantages of Employee Health Promotion Programs.

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Advantages of Corporate Health Promotion Programs – Life on Loan

It is simple for employees to ignore the facts about their health when they are involved in just getting the work done. One of the big advantages of Corporate Health Promotion Programs is they bring health to the forefront of corporation awareness.

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

An effective Worksite Health Promotion 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 and Wellness. Each person is given a gift of life and it is imperative that life be cared for carefully.

Rewards of Employee Health Promotion Programs

The rewards of wellness programs comprise of the following:

• Improved awareness of detrimental behaviors such as smoking
• Cut back in employee weight and subsequent ailments
• Convenience of programs for corporation and staff members
• Documenting of employee physical activity program outcomes
• Accessability of a fitness consultant

Employees are evaluated one-on-one at the company or where there is company membership. Expert Workplace Wellness 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 big reasons that exercise program fail is because people set unrealistic expectations. They are always ‘in debt’ to their program, unable to meet the requisites. A corporation personal trainer can stimulate each individual set realizable goal and design a program that is progressive.

The benefits of wellness programs are well documented in reports and can be seen in lower healthcare costs and higher work rate.

Rewards of Employee Wellness Programs

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

The rewards of Employee Wellness Programs apply to the business and the staff members.

• Reducedhealth care claims as employee health progresses
• Fewer cases of obesity
• Less cholesterol rates
• Increased cardiovascular health
• Fewer incidences of high Blood Pressure
• Reduced use of sick leave
• Enhanced stress management
• Active workers are less likely to be injured
• Less disability claims

Today, you can generally discover a health and wellness room at the office for employee convenience. That is an indication of the level of effectiveness of a physical activity program.

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

The betterment in employee health nets the business a reduction in healthcare care costs and that savings flows directly to the bottom line of the monetary report. There are really no negatives to a Wellness program.

The benefits of wellness programs are so outstanding; it is hard to know why any corporation would choose not to put together a fitness plan for their staff members. Look on the web and see for yourself the world of opportunity to improve the health of your staff members and your corporation.

Information to evaluate your program comes from regularly gathered evaluation 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 Assessment

Process assessment looks at the  Company Health Promotion Program’s effect as seen at various points in time.

Information that is gathered from the various forms that wellness workers fill out ought to supply you with the following:

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

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

Outcome Assessment

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

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

• For employees with high Blood Pressure (140 / 90 or higher or on medication) at evaluation, what percentage have it under control (below 140 / 90) a year later?
• What is the shift in average Blood Pressure (BP) levels among all staff members with elevated Blood Pressure (BP) 1 year after evaluation? Two years later?
• For staff members 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-elevated blood cholesterol levels, what percentages have reduced their cholesterol to the desirable range (below 200)?
• What is the shift in average cholesterol levels among all staff members with high and borderline-high blood cholesterol levels 1 year after assessment? Two years later?
• For workers who were overweight at screening, what percentage have lost 20 pounds or more a year later? Ten pounds or more? What is the average weight loss?
• For workers who were smokers at assessment, what percentages have quit smoking? For at least a year?
• For employees whose level of alcohol consumption put them at-risk at evaluation, 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 employees your program is reaching and how effective it is at assisting them cut their health risks. Use this information to make new decisions about how to direct your program efforts. Then make the modification you need to improve your program.

Some may feel that evaluation is an extravagance; it is not. Evaluation is a essential part of a wellness program. You will need to be aware of what is working and what is not. Decision-makers who fund the program need to be updated on the success of the program. Evaluation will support you with essential data to maintain and expand the program and convince management to continue to support the program.

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

• Involve employees who have health risks in treatment and risk reduction programs.
• Involve all workers in health improvement programs and worksite-wide wellness activities.
• Support workers in carrying out the risk reduction or health improvement activities they have chosen.
• Help workers comply with their treatment regimens.
• Prevent relapse.
• Prevent staff members 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 ought to be at the top of the list. People in key positions such as union leaders or department heads with health risks ought to 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 care evaluation for high Blood Pressure (BP) or cholesterol must also be targeted early. Many workers 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 annually.

A follow-up counseling session can take 20 to 45 minutes. At minimum, follow-up must include those who were told to seek medical evaluation for high Blood Pressure (BP) readings, high cholesterol readings, or borderline high 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 major risk factors: at-risk levels of alcohol consumption, being overweight, and having low HDL.

Follow-Up With Physicians

A letter (see forms) ought to 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 must explain the program and must include the employee’s relevant, current health measurements.

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

Contacting the physician is significant for three reasons:

• The doctors receive staff members’ health measurements taken at the workplace.
• You receive the Blood Pressure (BP) 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 modification. The length of a class can vary depending on topic requirements. It is not sufficient to offer only classes at a worksite.

Many workers are under time constraints with after work commitments and although they may be interested they simply can’t take part because of their schedules.

staff members may be very eager to start a program but because of lack of participants to meet class quotas, the program is canceled. Many national organizations such as the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, Weight Watchers, etc. offer classes; you should have little trouble in identifying a provider for class type 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 create 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 support 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 successful ways to help people change and better their health status is counseling (or coaching) on a one-on-one basis.

In published 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 established that individual counseling is both cost effective and cost productive.

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

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

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

Counselors must be able to talk with workers about their health care problems and the treatments prescribed by their doctors. They should have a good overview of nutrition, exercise physiology, pathophysiology of disease, pharmacology, psychology, and behavior change skills.

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

Social, physical, and company stressors ought to be explained and methods to ease or elevate stressors ought to 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 should support 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 negative and positive
• Practical steps of incorporating stress reduction into lifestyle

Personnel conducting stress management programs should 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 teach the stress management course including group process skills is a must.

A nutrition education program should include a nutritional needs assessment, education counseling, and referral as essential.

Educational sessions and materials should include the following information:

• The relationship of nutrition 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 improving eating habits must be based on or consistent with national recommendations such as The Food Guide Pyramid.

Instructor must 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 tobacco cessation programs subscribe to the Code Of Practice for Tobacco Cessation Programs.

Smoking cessation programs ought to be multi-component with a focus on skills to build beneficial voluntary behavior modification practices. Useful techniques include adopting reasons for quitting, understanding the smoking habit, various techniques for stopping and remaining a non-smoker, overcoming the concerns of quitting, short-term goal setting, weight control, stress management, importance of exercise, relationship of alcohol consumption to urges to smoke. Use no aversive or scare tactics.

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

The instructor must have formal training in tobacco cessation from a nationally recognized business 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 at times very dubious in smoking 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.