Health And Wellness In The WorkplaceHealth And Wellness In The Workplace

Business Exercise Programs and Wellness – A Clear Message

Corporation culture varies from organization to organization. Some businesses are strict and formal while others are more laid back. But one thing most have learned is that the health of their staff members affects the health of the organization itself.

Because of this, many companies have started organization fitness and Corporate Wellness Programs. By doing so, the company’s owners send a clear message to their staff members that fitness is a priority and should be taken seriously.

Just by the fact that the corporation is willing to spend money to create and maintain a Workplace Wellness Program indicates by itself that fitness equates to dollars and Workplace Wellness Program equates to healthy staff members.

No Smoking

A corporate fitness and Corporate Health Promotion 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 fitness centers that provide Corporate Health Promotion Programs. A company has a variety of choices when it comes to deciding on how to deliver a Wellness plan.

• Hire an outside health expert to deliver an employee program to current facility
• Utilize a professional in the original design of a new facility
• Establish a Employee Health Promotion Program manager responsible for coordinating the organization health program
• Use an internet-based fitness trainer as a consultant

The first step in beginning any corporation fitness and Company Wellness Program is to evaluate the condition of the employees. The kind of work a corporation does will drive the focus of the program.

By way of 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 company program is customized to meet the needs of its staff members.

Online fitness trainers are professionals at designing programs for small and large groups. They can modify exercises and diets to any circumstance. They can also save a corporation money by developing a plan that is streamlined yet effective.

Result Oriented

A company fitness and Worksite Wellness Program has direct rewards, not just for the staff members, but for the company as well.

• Decreased Healthcare claims as employee health progresses
• Less cases of obesity
• Reduced use of sick leave
• Staff Members able to deal with stress better
• Active workers less likely to be injured

It is not unusual to find a gym in an office building anymore. Easy access to workout equipment and a fitness professional encourages employees to follow a program. By using an professional, a organization can provide something for everyone – pregnant women, older employees, walkers, active adults, mothers, overweight people, fathers and others.

Organization Physical Activity Programs – A Merger

Business fitness sounds like buzz words, but it has become an valuable concept in the work place. Staff Members in the organization society are willing to labor long and tough hours.

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

Taking Stock

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

The staff members who are fit make better staff members. Research studies have shown that up to 75% of illness is related to lifestyle. So for a employer physical activity program to work it must educate staff members 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.

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

On A Mission

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

When a professional fitness business is hired, workers are evaluated based on their workload. Individual exercise plans are put into place and progress is monitored. Some corporations hire a fitness professional to coordinate directly with workers on an ongoing basis at the worksite.

Other companies pay for the services of a trainer at the nearest gym. To read what personal fitness can do for your employer visit this page.

There are many choices a organization can choose among. Companies frequently establish fitness plans that include employee families. By way of example, if the organization purchased a organization gym membership, families of staff members 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 employer fitness plan takes, as a minimum, the program will instruct on nutrition and provide opportunity for exercises that tone, strengthen and improve flexibility. A employer that takes care of its staff members finds that the staff members will take care of the employer.

Building a Corporation Exercise Team From Nine-To-Five

People spend an abundance of time at their place of employment, and work environments are full of stress. Downsizing, mergers, more manufacturing specifications and extended hours take their toll on employee health.

It can be measured in rising absenteeism and growing health costs. It is time to reverse the trend. Establishing a corporation exercise team could be the perfect solution. Motivating each other to start a physical activity program will reap big outcomes for the staff members and the corporation.

Working Overtime

It is easy 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 employer exercise group programs easy.

Most companies hire a fitness expert. The fitness expert can develop a plan the employer can manage itself or let the fitness expert implement 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 health club or a local health club before or after work
• Take the stairs rather than taking the elevators, calculating 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 business is as good as its workers. Every business operates on the concept of good teamwork to fulfill its mission and provide great customer service. What better way to begin that process than by building a business exercise group?

The rapport that is created among staff members working out together will carry over into the worksite 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 and objectives and strategy development.

A local personal trainer can be hired to come workplace or the corporation can hire a online 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 many types of physical activity programs that can be provided to benefit a workplace.

• A mixture of aerobics exercises followed by strength movements
• Circuit training at the health club
• 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 discover a personal trainer who can show how building a employer exercise group programs works.

A company will discover that once employees begin to feel healthy, the physical activity program will carry over into their personal life. Now that is healthy moonlighting!

Businesses 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 advantages of wellness programs is they give employees every opportunity to enhance their quality of life both at their place of employment and after their place of employment.

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

Benefits of Employee Wellness Programs

The Advantages of Workplace Wellness Programs form a long list.

• Improvedemployee work rate
• Greateremployee concentration
• Greater morale
• Reduced absenteeism

The benefits of wellness programs can’t be miscalculated. With one-on-one consultation and group programs, staff members learn to manage stress in a positive manner.

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 significance stress has on general wellness.

Stress generates a chemical that improves fat creation in bodies.

A wellness program enables staff members to deal with stress in such a manner they 1. decrease stress caused sickness and 2. don’t carry the stress of work with them throughout non-work activities.

The advantages of a wellness program are the outcome of the use of exercise and nutrition planning to educate staff members how to stay physically in-shape.

It is much easier for the body to manage stress when the whole body is fit. workers who are not active literally cost the business much money in absenteeism, increased healthcare costs and lost productivity.

Employee relations can also suffer as a result of employees who feel daily stress of employment.

Advantages of Corporate Wellness Programs – Satisfaction Guaranteed

The Advantages of wellness programs are both tangible and intangible.

• Current chronic illnesses are addressed to prohibit further physical deterioration
• Preventive Employee Wellness Programs keep medical care costs reduced over time
• Workers experience greater energy which expands productivity
• Unhealthy snacking in the worksite is addressed
• Ergonomics are studied to reduce employee injury potential
• Employee flexibility is increased
• Self-image of workers is greater
• Employee cooperation developed through active programs
• Resolutions to health and fitness problems are provided

The advantages of organization exercise program include on-Site and off-site services customized to match organization goals. Even if a program is in place, it can be modified or expanded to match the needs of the organization and its staff members.

Regular assessments, health education, health management and health consulting services are some of the many benefits of wellness programs monitored by Company Wellness Program experts. Among the many choices available, a company program normally will provide the following as a minimum.

• Aerobics
• Core muscle toning
• Muscle building
• Better flexibility
• Dietary examination and modification

Wellness programs vary depending on the size of the corporation, availability to fitness equipment and budget. But no matter what shape the Company Wellness Program takes, the Benefits of Company Wellness Programs will improve overriding employee satisfaction. This reaps big advantages for the corporation.

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

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Advantages of Corporate Wellness Programs – Life on Loan

It is easy for staff members to ignore the facts about their health when they are involved in just getting the job done. One of the primary advantages of Employee Wellness Programs is they bring health to the forefront of company awareness.

Obesity is a big 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 growing component of many corporate budgets.

An effective Company 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 Wellness. Each individual is given a gift of life and it is imperative that life be cared for carefully.

Benefits of Corporate Health Promotion Programs

The advantages of wellness programs comprise of the following:

• Better awareness of detrimental conduct such as smoking
• Decline in employee obesity and subsequent ailments
• Convenience of programs for business and employees
• Tracing of employee exercise program results
• Location of a fitness consultant

Employees are judged one-on-one at the business or where there is business membership. Professional Workplace Health Promotion Program instructors create a custom fitted plan that insures the employee will have a exercise program that matches their current physical condition and lifestyle.

One of the primary reasons that physical activity programs fail is because people set unrealistic expectations. They are always ‘in debt’ to their program, unable to meet the requirements. A company personal trainer can help each individual set realizable intention and design a program that is progressive.

The benefits of wellness programs are well documented in reports and can be seen in decreased medical care costs and higher work rate.

Rewards of Corporate Wellness Programs

Sometimes a high interest rate can be a good thing for a business – like when there is high employee interest in a Employee Health Promotion Program.

The benefits of Workplace Wellness Programs apply to the employer and the workers.

• Reducedmedical care claims as employee health advances
• Fewer cases of obesity
• Less cholesterol rates
• Greater cardiovascular health
• Less incidences of high Blood Pressure
• Fewer use of sick time
• Better stress management
• Healthy workers are less likely to be injured
• Fewer disability claims

Today, you can generally find a fitness room in an office building for employee convenience. That is an indication of the level of effectiveness of a exercise program.

The rewards of wellness programs include prevention of common healthcare conditions that once were considered rare.

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

The benefits of wellness programs are so outstanding; it is hard to understand why any business would choose not to put together 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 business.

Information to evaluate your program comes from regularly gathered assessment 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  Workplace Wellness Program’s impact as seen at various points in time.

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

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

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

Outcome Evaluation

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 workers lowered their Blood Pressure? Have they lost weight? Are they exercising 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 elevated Blood Pressure (BP) (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 levels among all employees with elevated Blood Pressure 1 year after assessment? Two years later?
• For workers with elevated 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 modification in average cholesterol levels among all employees with high and borderline-high blood cholesterol levels 1 year after screening? Two years later?
• For staff members who were overweight at evaluation, 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 workers 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 guidelines? Have reduced their drinking, but are still at-risk?
• For staff members, what percentages are working out at least three times a week for at least 20 minutes?
• If fitness levels were measured, 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 reduce their health risks. Use this information to make new decisions about how to direct your program efforts. Then make the change you need to improve your program.

Some may feel that an assessment is an extravagance; it is not. Assessment is a significant 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 offer 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 workplace. The goals 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 staff members comply with their treatment regimens.
• Prevent relapse.
• Prevent workers from dropping out.
• Help employees 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 healthcare evaluation for high Blood Pressure or blood lipids ought to also be targeted early. Many staff members will have seen their doctors as a result of the assessment, 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 medical assessment for elevated Blood Pressure readings, elevated blood lipid 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 high Blood Pressure, high cholesterol, 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 ought to be repeated every 6 months until it is established that the employee is under satisfactory control.

Contacting the physician is valuable for three reasons:

• The doctors receive staff members’ health measurements taken at the worksite.
• 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 providing 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 workplace.

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

employees 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 should 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 provide a program you may want to review the section on program structure.

Minigroups

When there is not sufficient 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 workers 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 efficacious ways to help individuals 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 shown that individual counseling is both cost effective and cost constructive.

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

• Review employee health risks
• Contact workers who have health risks.
• Counsel employees on a one-on-one basis, helping them set goals/objectives, solve concerns, and get expert help when they need it.
• Help workers follow their treatment recommendations and make lifestyle and health behavior changes.
• Recruit employees into health improvement programs, such as weight loss and smoking cessation.
• Work with employees on a one-on-one basis using guided self-help.
• Conduct classes and minigroups if necessary.
• Work with Corporate 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 employees about their healthcare issues and the treatments prescribed by their doctors. They should 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 business 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 positive
• Practical steps of incorporating stress reduction into lifestyle

Personnel conducting 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 ought to include a nutritional needs assessment, education counseling, and referral as significant.

Educational sessions and materials ought to 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 (BP)
• 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 bettering eating habits must be based on or consistent with national recommendations such as The Food Guide Pyramid.

Instructor should 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 must be multi-component with a focus on skills to build beneficial voluntary behavior modification practices. Useful techniques include implementing reasons for quitting, understanding the smoking habit, various techniques for stopping and remaining a non-smoker, overcoming the concerns of quitting, short-term intention setting, weight management, 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 must be available on the usage of these aids.

The instructor ought to 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.

Assessment of success is sometimes 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.