Workplace Wellness

Healthy employees equal a healthy bottom line.

Many Americans struggle to fit exercise and wellness into their lives. Long workdays, often spent sitting at desks, can be a black hole when it comes to practicing healthy habits.

Workers spend so much of their time at work—wouldn’t it be wonderful if they could take steps to maximize their health during the workday? AvMed Health Plans works with businesses every day to help them improve the health of their employees while maintaining a healthy bottom line. In addition to providing affordable health plan options, AvMed supports clients with wellness education.

“Having healthier employees is an advantage for everyone,” says James M. Repp, AvMed senior vice president of sales and marketing. “A healthier workplace is more productive and more energetic. Workplace wellness programs are a win-win for both the employer and the employee.”

Workplace wellness is a way for employers to cut costs. In a case of practicing what you preach, AvMed rolled out an employee wellness program that evaluated employees' fitness by taking biometric measurements such as weight, body mass index, blood pressure, cholesterol levels and glucose levels. After determining the baseline biometrics, goals are set for employees based on guidelines and recommendations from the American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association. Measurements are taken again after one year of participating in the program, and employees receive financial rewards based on their improvements.

Wellness tools keep employees motivated. Consider the following ideas:

• Lunch-and-learn sessions with health professionals, including fitness trainers, nutritionists and doctors
• Free access by phone and online to a certified healthcare coach
• Health-risk assessments
• Online health information and tools such as meal planners and exercise planners
• Monthly wellness newsletter
• Weight-loss contests
• Discounts to fitness centers
• Weight Watchers (which comes to the workplace once each week)
• Classes such as yoga and Pilates

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 Adding Wellness to Your Workday

• Take the stairs instead of the elevator

• Park farther away from your building.

• Set an alarm to ring once each hour to remind yourself to stand up and move or stretch.

• Gather co-workers for fitness activities, such as taking a walk before or after work, or working out to a DVD at lunchtime.

• Get a headset for your phone so you can stand up and move around during phone calls.

• Wear a pedometer to track how much you walk each day. Your goal should be 10,000 steps per day or at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily, according to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

• Talk to the managers at local gyms. Many will be willing to arrange a group discount for your workplace’s employees.

 

 

Tags: Human Resources, Workforce