Worksite Wellness ProgramsWorksite Wellness Programs

Corporation Fitness Programs – A Merger

Corporation fitness sounds like buzz words, but it has become an important concept in the work place. Workers in the company world are willing to manage long and difficult hours. In exchange they expect the company to be willing to make accommodations. A company fitness plan is a comprehensive program that mergers company 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 businesses, the social awareness begins with their very own workers. The workers who are fit make better workers. Studies have shown that up to 75 percent of illness is related to lifestyle. So for a company physical activity program to work it must educate workers 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 lead to big health ailments in the future, such as Blood Pressure and glucose levels
• Train workers on nutrition
• Investigate stress levels as a function of work
• Make exercise equipment or seminars 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 company can start a company fitness plan. A professional company can be hired to write a complete fitness plan. Or a professional can stimulate a company create a plan the company developed. The professional assistance can be internet based, at the worksite, or at a fitness center. When a professional fitness company is hired, workers are evaluated based on their workload. Individual exercise plans are put into place and progress is monitored. Some businesses hire a certified fitness trainer to coordinate directly with workers on an ongoing basis at the worksite. Other businesses pay for the services of a trainer at the nearest fitness center. To read what personal fitness can do for your company visit this page. There are many options a company can choose from. Corporations often establish fitness plans that include employee families. For example, if the company purchased a company gym membership, families of workers are given use of the facilities also. This promotes family unity in addition to fitness. Some businesses 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 company fitness plan takes, as a minimum, the program will instruct on nutrition and supply opportunity for exercises that tone, strengthen and improve flexibility. A company that takes care of its workers finds that the workers will take care of the company.

It is easy for workers to ignore the facts about their health when they are involved in just getting the job done. One of the big rewards of Worksite Wellness is they bring health to the forefront of company awareness. Obesity is a big 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 Wellness Program can slow down the rate of increase and help workers realize they have a responsibility to themselves and their families to care for their own Health Promotion. Each person is given a gift of life and it is imperative that life be cared for carefully.

Benefits of Worksite Wellness

The rewards of wellness programs include the following:

• Better awareness of detrimental actions such as smoking
• Decline in employee obesity and subsequent ailments
• Convenience of programs for company and workers
• Tracing of employee physical activity program results
• Accessability of a fitness consultant

Workers are evaluated one-on-one at the company or where there is company membership. Professional Worksite Wellness Program instructors create a custom fitted plan that insures the employee will have a physical activity program that meets their current physical condition and lifestyle. One of the big reasons that fitness 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 stimulate each person set realizable objective and design a program that is progressive. The rewards of wellness programs are well documented in reports and can be seen in reduced healthcare costs and higher productivity.

Benefits of Worksite Wellness

Occasionally a high interest rate can be a good thing for a company – like when there is high employee interest in a Worksite Wellness Program. The rewards of Worksite Wellness apply to the company and the workers.

• Lesshealthcare claims as employee health progresses
• Less cases of obesity
• Less cholesterol rates
• Better cardiovascular health
• Less incidences of high Blood Pressure
• Less use of sick time
• Improved stress management
• Stronger workers are less likely to be injured
• Less disability claims

Today, you can generally discover a exercise 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 include deterence of common healthcare conditions that once were considered rare. The improvement in employee health nets the company a decline 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 rewards of wellness programs are so outstanding; it is hard to understand why any company would choose not to incorporate a fitness plan for their workers. Look on the web and see for yourself the world of opportunity to improve the health of your workers and your company.

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 workers. One of the advantages of wellness programs is they give workers 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 comprehensive service-oriented program that takes into account nutrition, central fitness and job fitness.

Benefits of Worksite Wellness

The Benefits of Worksite Wellness form a long list.

• Betteremployee productivity
• Betteremployee concentration
• Better morale
• Reduced absenteeism

The advantages of wellness programs can’t be underestimated. With one-on-one consultation and group programs, workers learn to handle stress in a productive demeanor. This not only improves life at work, it improves customer service and the quality of life with family and friends. Everyone who works has had those days when the job goes home with you because of the burden stress has on general wellness.

Stress produces a chemical that expands fat generation in bodies.

A wellness program empowers workers to deal with stress in such a manner they 1. lower stress caused illnesses and 2. don’t carry the stress of work with them throughout non-job activities. The advantages of a wellness program are the result of the use of exercise and nutrition planning to educate workers how to stay personally healthy. It is much easier for the body to handle stress when the whole body is healthy. workers who are not active indisputably cost the company much money in absenteeism, enhanced healthcare costs and lost productivity. Employee relations can also be affected as a result of workers who feel daily stress of work.

Benefits of Worksite Wellness – Satisfaction Guaranteed

The Benefits of wellness programs are both tangible and intangible.

• Current chronic ailments are discussed to avoid further physical deterioration
• Preventive Worksite Wellness keep healthcare costs reduced over time
• Workers experience improved energy which expands productivity
• Unhealthy snacking in the worksite is discussed
• Ergonomics are evaluated to lower employee injury potential
• Employee flexibility is improved
• Self-image of workers is improved
• Employee cooperation developed through active programs
• Answers to health and fitness topics are provided

The advantages of company fitness programs include onsite and off-site services customized to match company goals and objectives. Even if a program is in place, it can be modified or expanded to meet the needs of the company and its workers. Periodic assessments, health education, health management and health consulting services are some of the many advantages of wellness programs monitored by Worksite Wellness Program professionals. Among the many options available, a company program normally will offer the following as a minimum.

• Physical Exercise
• Core muscle toning
• Muscle toning
• Better flexibility
• Dietary analysis and changes

Wellness programs vary depending on the size of the company, accessability to fitness equipment and budget. But no matter what shape the Worksite Wellness Program takes, the Benefits of Worksite Wellness will improve central employee satisfaction. This reaps big rewards for the company. Help your workers be the very best they can be mentally and personally, by realizing the Benefits of Worksite Wellness .

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 easy assessment of process and outcome results at any point in time.

Process Assessment

Process evaluation looks at the Worksite Wellness Program’s influence 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 workers 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 workers who were referred to health improvement programs went?
• How many workers who went to health improvement programs completed them?
• How many workers are in follow-up caseload?

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

Outcome Assessment

A central intention of the program is to improve the health of workers. Information on how to judge how well your program is meeting this intention is called “outcome evaluation” 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? 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 find out if you are reaching your objectives:

• For workers with elevated 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 modification in average Blood Pressure levels among all workers with elevated Blood Pressure 1 year after evaluation? 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-elevated 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 workers with high and borderline-high blood cholesterol levels 1 year after evaluation? Two years later?
• For workers 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 evaluation, 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 standard procedures? Have reduced their drinking, but are still at-risk?
• For workers, 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 workers your program is reaching and how effective it is at helping them lower 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 a frill; it is not. Evaluation 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 performance of the program. Assessment will support you with significant data to maintain and expand the program and convince management to continue to support the program.

The keys to a efficacious wellness program are persistent one-on-one outreach and follow-up counseling to encourage health improvement, adherence to treatment regimens, changes in lifestyle behaviors, and to prevent relapse. Periodic outreach and follow-up procedures support workers with a safety net which keeps them involved in the program and prevents treatment dropout and relapse. Counselors ought to 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 workers 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 workers from dropping out.
• Help workers 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 elevated Blood Pressure or cholesterol ought to 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 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 care evaluation for elevated Blood Pressure 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 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 cholesterol, or is under a physician’s care. The letter ought to explain the program and ought to 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 shown that the employee is under satisfactory control. Contacting the physician is important 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 workers 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 support for behavior change. 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 even though they may be interested they simply can’t take part 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 businesses such as the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, Weight Watchers, etc. offer classes; you ought to 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 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 major 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 support, 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 worksite, 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 improve 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. Studies have shown that individual counseling is both cost effective and cost productive. A wellness counselor ought to be trained in evaluation techniques, for in certain situations, they may be needed to both screen individuals and counsel them. They ought to know how to do the following:

• Review employee health risks
• Contact workers who have health risks.
• Counsel workers on a one-on-one basis, helping them set goals and 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 workers 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 Worksite 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 subject matters and health risks. Counselors must be able to talk with workers about their medical care concerns and the treatments prescribed by their doctors. They ought to have a good overview of nutrition, exercise physiology, pathophysiology of disease, pharmacology, psychology, and behavior change skills.

The educational program ought to 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 ought to 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 lowering stress
• Value of stress, both negative 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 teach 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 nutrition and chronic diseases
• Improving eating patterns
• Relationship of nutrition 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 bettering eating habits ought to 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 nutrition. 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 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 concerns of stopping, short-term objective setting, weight control, stress management, effect 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 ought to 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. Assessment of success is occasionally very dubious in tobacco cessation programs. Measurement of success ought to include participation rate, including the number beginning 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.

Participatory exercise programs ought to include education on benefits of regular exercise and risks of a sedentary lifestyle, its influence on cardiovascular health and diseases, its relationship with weight control and stress management, and aerobic exercise options. Discussion and practice of safe principles of exercise – warm up, cool down, frequency, intensity, duration, flexibility and strength components. The program follows standard procedures by the American College Of Sports Medicine. Safety precautions ought to include the following:

• Informed consent prior to beginning exercise with clear and complete written and verbal standard procedures of possible risk, purpose of exercise, exercise format to be followed, opportunity for questions, and a signed informed consent with date.
• A screening/evaluation of participants to determine if medical care evaluation is significant for exercise such as the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q, see forms).
• Measurements of Blood Pressure and resting heart rate are useful evaluation information to determine exercise readiness.
• Members who fail screening are medically referred and ought to get a written clearance from their physician to exercise.
• The basic content of an aerobic physical activity program ought to include

Warm up 5 – 10 minutes Aerobic exercise 20 – 40 minutes Cool down 5 – 10 minutes Exercise instructors ought to have education and training in exercise physiology, physical education, physical therapy or comparable discipline, or possess a current certification by a nationally recognized sports medicine or exercise association, and be CPR certified.