According
to an article in The New York Times, the average American is at risk for cardiovascular
disease (CVD) even if that individual is physically active (The New York Times,
2011). When a person is physically active in terms of recreational time, he or
she is still subject to CVD due to prolonged inactivity caused by the average
job requiring employees to sit for excessive lengths of time. The sedentary job
environment in today’s society combined with increased commute time to/from
work, deskbound job duties, and the excessive consumption of foods of minimal
nutritional value, high fat and high calories puts most office workers at an
increased risk for CVD. Although the outlook may seem bleak, your local health
professional can provide simple and effective solutions to combat the problems
associated with lethargic workplace environments.
The
role of a health professional in the workplace can be as simple as providing
employees with sound nutritional advice, exercising tips, and other healthy
living guidelines. With today’s individual being at a higher risk for CVD due
to the lifestyles and jobs they choose, it is very important for the health
professional to get involved in workplace wellness.
Workplace
wellness programs have a proven track-record of increasing worker productivity,
creating a happier work environment, increasing staff morale, lower
absenteeism, and most importantly, lowering insurance costs for both the
employer and the employee. Healthy employees
make for a healthier work environment. A
health professional with a vast knowledge of workplace wellness is worth the
investment.
Reference
Rabin, R.C. The Hazards of the Couch. The New York Times.
January 12, 2011.
My sister who works for a company called APEX Capital informed me this week that they have implemented workplace wellness for the last year and it has helped increase productivity, and overall moral of its employees. Their program simply asks those who would like to be involved in receiving incentives for incorporating workplace wellness into their work schedule to wear a body bug, which tracts their progress throughout the day. They receive points for the amount of extra activities that they do throughout the day. At the end of the month, the person with the highest number of points can receive prizes such as paid time off, an increase in their quarterly bonus, a few days of early dismissal/ late arrival, etc. Employees feel more motivated to use the work out facility on campus, which was not used much in the past, as well as the outdoor trail around the building. Co workers are joining each other on breaks to take “buddy walks” and more people are getting involved in APEX’S incentive program. I really wish more companies would get on board with workplace wellness programs.
ReplyDeleteWorkplace wellness programs are too few and far between in my opinion. There are so many corporate companies that I know of that do not offer anything like this. I have a friend who works for a company that actually allows them to work out with their fitness professional for an hour a day while they are on the clock. Let me tell you, that is the healthiest group of employees I have seen. It makes sense, because you know that these employees feel better, have more energy, less health problems and therefore are more productive. In my opinion this is money well spent! You can’t put a price on health and it helps to get paid to stay in shape!
ReplyDeleteI have worked at HEB since I was 16 and a couple years ago HEB begin to incorporate a companywide wellness program. At each store someone was designated as a “Wellness Champion.” I was asked to help with this task at the Stephenville store. As the “Wellness Champion” you have to be a positive role model and find a way to make people WANT to be active and eat healthier. As fitness professional a healthy lifestyle seems like a simple concept, but I learned that to the general public it is very confusing. There are so many fad diets and weight loss schemes out there, and a lot of people are willing to try crazy things that don’t even work! I think the more companies can help their partners to be healthy, the better their company will be.
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