Wellness Watch December 2009

It’s the Most Wonderful… and Stressful Time of the Year!

The holidays are upon us with family gatherings, gift giving, work parties, and for many of us, high expectations of grand celebrations. That coupled with the effects of the economy can motivate some of us to pull the covers over our head and reemerge sometime in January. Before the grandeur begins to numb your senses, think about how you can keep a season of holiday cheer in perspective for yourself and for your employees. Here are some ideas:

Give to yourself: To stay stress-resilient, be sure to continue your exercise routine and make healthy eating choices. Having a strong foundation of healthy habits will help you rebound from a stressful situation, and will remind you that moderation is the key.

Give to others: If your budget allows, onsite chair massage is a stress reducing gift that can be given to staff to show appreciation for hard work, and at the same time benefit the organization with more productive employees.

Reduce the hustle and bustle: Allow flextime for employees to do their holiday shopping during non-peak shopping hours. Organize a small craft/vendor fair at the workplace so holiday shopping can be done with ease. At the same time, raise money for a good cause by donating vendor fees to a charitable organization.

Stay within your budget: Financial worries can be a stressor throughout the year and particularly during the current economic climate. Create a holiday gift budget and stick to it.

Check your list: Organization and good planning will help reduce the last minute runs to the store. If you are hosting a gathering, plan your menu and create a shopping list. Write down your gift list and don’t forget to include your spending limit.

A long winter’s nap: Get 7-8 hours of sleep daily. If you are having trouble falling asleep, create your “to do list” for the next day and allow for some downtime before bed. To help you relax, listen to music or try meditation, visualization or progressive muscle relaxation. Avoid caffeine and alcohol six hours before bedtime.

Forget about perfection. If you’re beginning to feel overwhelmed ask for help. This is a time for giving and sharing. A gathering can be made easy by asking your guests to bring a dish to pass. Have family members help with baking and chores around the house.

Keep this as your holiday mantra

Good food, good friends, good times…in moderation!

The Fitness Works at Work team wishes you a happy holiday season and a healthy 2010

Wellness Watch September 2009

In Search of ROI

As a health promotion program provider, we are sometimes asked by clients what will be my return on investment from my wellness program? It is a fair question with a complicated answer. There have been many studies over the years which have documented the effectiveness of wellness programs, some saying that for every one dollar of investment, an organization can realize up to $5 in return in future heath care costs.^{1, 2} These studies are usually meta-reviews of a number of smaller studies or a study with a large employee population based over a series of years. Most organizations which are running wellness programs aren’t at a point where they are willing to invest the time, money and effort into that kind of study.

There has been some research in two areas where an ROI on projected future use of the health care and pharmaceutical benefit may be realized – in smoking cessation and obesity reduction measured by BMI.^{3, 4} This is not surprising since most know the impact of smoking and obesity on disease prevention.

However, a study published in the April 2009 Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine suggests that poor health among workers is far costlier that just medical costs because poor health impacts productivity. In a recent Employee Benefit News podcast, the lead researcher of the study, Ronald Loeppke, MD, MPH, stated that the full cost of poor health is 30% medical and pharmaceutical costs and 70% health-related productivity costs shown by absenteeism and presenteeism (an employee is at work but not working up to full capacity because of medical considerations.) He suggests that instead of focusing exclusively on ROI, employers should consider VOI – value of investment. The health of a workforce is a performance driver and enhanced productivity is of great value and leads to a greater bottom line. To quote Dr Loeppke: “Enlightened employers are increasingly looking to the benefits of good health as an investment to be leverage rather than just looking at the health care benefit that has to be managed.”

So how does this relate to on-site wellness programs? It means that a company which is working to provide a culture of wellness by offering a variety of health promotion events and activities in areas of weight management, increased physical activity, smoking cessation, stress management, for example, is on the right track. The more in-depth and consistent the programs can be directed to behavior change, the higher probability that an ROI will be realized down the road in health care costs. But keep in mind that the true value of your wellness program investment is likely to show up in increased productivity and performance and that is what really affects the bottom line.

Wellness Watch July 2009

Summer Wellness

Wellness programming has a seasonal rhythm to it. In January the focus is on quitting smoking and starting an exercise program. Spring is a good time to encourage weight loss as the summer beach season approaches and the fall is a time to encourage employees to get back to a healthy routine after the summer vacation time. What to do in the summer? In July and August, with vacations and sometimes shorter workweeks, participation can drop in on-site health promotion events. However, wellness program continuity is important. Here are some suggestions for simple activities to keep wellness awareness alive during the summer heat wave.

Information Tables — Once a month set up a table in the cafeteria or other high traffic area. They require no pre-registration and are accessible to all employees. Ask your EAP to come in and provide information on parenting, elder care, finance or any other topic of interest to your population. Check with your food service vendor and see if their staff RD can provide a table on barbeque safety and summer healthy food. Ask a local health club or other local wellness service provider to come in with information in exchange for exposure to your employees. Add a raffle to each table to encourage employees to stop by.

Food Service Events — Speaking of your food service….ask them to think healthy if they are going to do a summer barbeque event. Along with the usual fare at these events, suggest that they add a few healthy alternatives to the usual burgers and hot dogs.

Company Picnic — Although the economy is dictating cut-backs and conserving, holding an outdoor company event can still be a good idea. It doesn’t have to be over the top. Piggy-back with your food service vendor (see above) and schedule some fitness events and games. Organize a company walk, set up fitness challenges, and if there is some money to spend, bring in a portable climbing wall or some other outdoor equipment that will generate fun and physical activity. Fostering a positive culture in a down economy is important.

Farmer’s Market — Host a fresh produce event by inviting local fruit and vegetable growers to sell their produce in your parking lot. Check out some local markets in your area at http://www.localharvest.org/organic-farms/.

Charity Events — There are many charity walks and runs that take place in the summer and fall. Select a charity and prepare a team of employees to take part in the event. Hire a personal fitness trainer to come onsite and offer instruction in how to walk or run a 5K. The Walking Site http://www.thewalkingsite.com/events.html has a list of many of the events that take place.

Summer is also a good time to plan events for the fall and winter and to start looking to see where you want your wellness program to go in 2010. Schedule appointments with your EAP and health care provider and start the process.

One final note — Taking vacations in the summer or other times of the year is important to recharge and relax. Encourage employees (and yourself!) to disconnect from work by not checking work email and work messages. Put on the away message physically and mentally!

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Move 2009 Activity Challenge is a Success!

Encouraging employees to meet the ACSM’s recommendation for 150 minutes a week of moderate physical activity was the goal of FWAW’s Move 2009 Challenge offered in May and June. Employees formed teams of four and collectively they had to accumulate 2009 minutes of activity over a four week period. They could walk, run, cycle, take fitness classes, all of which counted toward their 2009 minutes. Over 500 employees who formed 125 teams in 12 FWAW client companies took part. The result: every single team reached their 2009 minute goal. Team members received Move 2009 t-shirts for the accomplishment and are ready to join Move 2010 next year.