Health And Wellness Programs

How does physical activity fit into a full-time employee’s busy schedule? Often, it doesn’t.

One possible solution to this challenge is to make exercise a part of the work day. Clearly, being active at work is advantageous for staff members.

But employers also benefit from having fit, energetic and healthy staff members who are more productive.

The challenges

Your job takes up a lot of your time. In addition to the hours you spend actually working, there’s the time required to get to and from work and take lunch and rest breaks during the work day.

In the end, there are a not many hours left over for the rest of your life. This work life imbalance is specifically true for Alberta, where statistics show that we work exceptionally hard.

Many jobs today are sedentary, and many American Citizens drive to work. the pressures of work might also cause us to eat lunch at our desks and skip breaks.

Then, after work or on the weekends we juggle household chores, family responsibilities and social engagements.

Wellness Programs -  Get began on a workplace fitness program

Management plays a key role in creating a culture that promotes health. the leaders at your workplace influence the various policies and the informal or formal practices, and these policies and practices affect your attitude towards healthful active living.

Begin by talking to your boss about the advantages of a healthy active workplace. the best way to ensure the success of a workplace fitness program is to have the management on side and cheering you on.

Ask your boss to consider taking these actions -

• Send a memo or message about the importance of health and healthful living that encourages staff to take an active break each day.

• Provide for flexible work hours that help staff to be more physically active. for  instance, they might need to take a longer lunch break to attend an exercise class, making up the time by coming to work early or staying late.

• Make available a meeting room or other suitable office space for noon-hour yoga or exercise classes, and hire a teacher to lead them, or use videos.

When your boss agrees to support a workplace fitness program, don’t forget to say thanks.

You do not need an on-site health club

Only very big companies can afford onsite fitness facilities like exercise equipment or squash courts. Still, most corporations can take other low cost steps to support staff members who wish to become more active.

For  instance -

• Arrange for discounted fees for staff members at a fitness center, recreation centeror YMCA facility.

• Install showers and a place to hang a towel. (Be certain the showers are cleaned regularly and that women who use them will feel secure.)

• Install bike racks or a locked enclosure that is safe, conveniently located and well lighted.

• Hold walking meetings and set up lunch-hour walking groups

• Make employees aware of safe and pleasant walking routes near the workplace, as well as nearby facilities that offer exercise plans (such as walking, swimming, running, yoga, stretching).

• Hire a qualified instructor to teach staff about health, fitness and how to become more active.

Any size and kind of workplace can support workers who wish to be physically active. It’s highly desirable to get management on side.

Even when your boss isn’t supportive, you can still find ways to get moving more. Make certain to set up activities for groups and person, and encourage your colleagues to join in.

We all know that physical activity is an important part of health and wellness. But sometimes it’s hard to find time for physical activity.

Lack of time is the number one barrier that people  say avoids them from participating in physical activity on a regular basis.

The good news is that even short sessions of exercise help your health. Research has shown that 10-minute sessions that add up to between 30 and 60 minutes a day can produce meaningful health benefits.

Also, there are numerous ways busy people  can use to be more active. These strategies include -

• multi-tasking

• being active at work

• being active with loved ones

• scheduling activity into daily life

Different strategies work for different individuals . Being familiar with the different strategies is key to adopting and maintaining an active lifestyle.

Read on to check out strategies you can attempt. With enough commitment, some of them are sure to work for you.

Strategy #1 -  Multi-tasking

The first strategy you can try is multi-tasking. This means doing things you already do, but in a more physically active way.

This way you get done what you need to get done and you get exercise at the same time.

For  instance, you’re already travelling to work and other places. Instead of taking the car or the bus every time, try using active methods of transportation like biking, skating, walking and skateboarding.

If you can’t use active transportation for a whole trip, try to be active for at least part of the trip. If you are riding the bus, for instance, get off several blocks early and walk the rest of the way.

Active transportation benefits your body by increasing your activity level, and it also benefits your neighbourhood and the environment by lowering the number of cars on the road.

You can also get exercise while doing housework and chores.

When you are working around home, attempt to be creative and look for the active option. for example, when you are cleaning the crack between the fridge and the counter, why not move the fridge so you are able to clean the area better and build your strength at the same time?

For outdoor work, choose the old-fashioned way of doing things, as they are normally more active. for  instance, use a snow shovel rather than a snow blower.

Strategy #2 -  be Active at Work

A lot of American Citizens spend eight hours a day or more working at a sedentary job. Here are several simple ways to keep your body moving during the workday.

The physical activity will revitalize you and help you be more productive.

When you are working at your desk, try sitting on a stability ball or disk for part of your day (30 minutes to an hour). This gives your back and abdominals a workout.

Take active breaks at least once a day. During your coffee break, try doing some yoga, stretching or taking a quick walk.

You may find that walking up and down the stairs several times does a better job of rejuvenating you than the java jolt.

Speaking of the stairs, take them instead of the elevator whenever you can. the stairs in your building are an opportunity to get your heart pumping.

Organize walking meetings at work. Getting outside and having meetings in a less formal establishing is a excellent way to be active, makes the workday more fun and encourages creative ideas for work projects.

Strategy #3 -  be Active With Your Loved Ones

Do exercise with your family, friends, neighbours and pets. With this strategy, you and your loved ones are doing some great multi-tasking together -  enjoying quality time with each other and getting some exercise that you all need to be healthy.

Go for walks, swims or bicycle rides together. Play Frisbee, soccer and other games and sports together. When you take your kids to the park, play with them in lieu of just watching them play.

A lot of community facilities offer courses that keep you and your kids active at the same time. Research these courses and take one or two.

You can even be active when you’re watching your kids do activities without you. for  instance, if your child plays hockey, take the opportunity to walk up and down the stairs in the stands several times.

If you feel self-conscious about doing it alone, why not gather a group of parents to do it together?

Strategy #4 -  Schedule Exercise into Your Day

Schedule your physical activity directly into your daytimer. Make certain to set a specific time and place for exercising. Make your physical activity appointments a priority, just as important as any other appointment you put in your daytimer.

To help you stay committed to your exercise appointments, you may want to make appointments that involve other individuals  -  such as by meeting with a fitness trainer, taking an exercise class or jogging with a friend.

If you’re not sure how many appointments to make or what you should be doing during your appointments, try consulting with a fitness trainer. A fitness trainer can help you create a physical activity plan and schedule.

The bottom line -  figure out what works best for you. Experiment with the strategies. Find inspiration by talking to other individuals  about how they keep active and what strategies they use.

Be creative and patient while you figure out what strategies work best for you. and be aware that your “best strategy” may change from time to time.

With enough effort, you will discover what works for you. Then, run with it!

• Commit to workplace exercise in policy statements and commit funding to exercise initiatives.

• Obviously communicating the benefits of being physically active during the workday reinforces the corporation’s commitment to helping all employees be active.

Use meetings, bulletin boards, newsletters and e-mail to reach as many employees as possible at least once a year.

• Offer flex time for exercise. Invite employees who actively commute to work or exercise at lunchtime to make up any missed time later in the day.

• Allow staff to work part time, so that they can participate in exercise.

• Include a physical activity account in your benefit plan to pay for or subsidize fitness memberships, assessments, classes, counselling or instruction.

• Give interest-free loans for staff members to purchase bikes or good walking footwear/runners.

• Conduct periodic surveys of staff physical activity preferences, and offer a selection of options to suit those interests and needs.

• Hire qualified individuals  to lead stretch breaks or physical activity programs or classes. for help in finding accredited fitness leaders, visit Alberta’s Provincial Fitness Unit.

• Recognize workers who participate in physical activity. Survey workers first to determine how they prefer to be recognized, e.g., through corporation newsletters, appreciation lunches, rewards and/or thank you notes.

• Provide child care and other family-friendly amenities during physical activities that occur after work.

• Avoid scheduling meetings over lunch.

• Make sure to encourage active breaks in lieu of coffee breaks.

• Have active fundraisers rather than bingos. for example, employees might climb the Calgary Tower stairs or take turns riding a stationary bicycle for 24 hours.

• Make birthday celebrations active times. Instead of a lunch, invite the birthday individuals to choose an activity. Options could include a session with a yoga instructor or an evening ski trip.

• Promote a casual dress day. One study found that staff members who dress casually were more physically active.

• Be sure that your building’s stairwells are clean, attractive and safe, and post signs encouraging workers to use the stairs.

• Establish a wellness newsletter or intranet.

• Promote the Activity Tracker and encourage staff members to track their physical activity every week.

• be creative, and make the most of the workspace you have. for example, mark off a safe walking path inside or around the building.

You might also set up a training circuit, highlighting features of the worksite such as stairs.

• Offer physical activity opportunities at different times to accommodate night-, shift-, and part-time staff members.

• for staff members in remote or satellite offices, offer equal access to key programs via the intranet. Adapt challenges to suit their environment and take benefit of local facilities and resources.

• Make exercise available to employees with special needs. Adapt information and activities for any staff who are visually impaired or physically disabled as well as for people  who speak English as a second language.

• Educate staff members about physical activity using information from reputable sources such as the Alberta Center for Active Living.

• Offer facilities that invite on-site exercise. Possibilities include bike racks, an exercise room, change rooms with lockers and showers, and safe and attractive grounds for walking.

• Hold walking meetings.

• Be certain to encourage workers to walk to peers’ offices instead of e-mailing or phoning.

• Make sure to set up a stretching room. This low-cost initiative requires only a room, stretching mats, stability balls and medicine balls. Put up posters that show stretches and exercises.

• Give incentives like shoe bags, ball caps, T-shirts or water bottles to reward staff participation.

• Loan out pedometers for three months, so that staff members can find out how many steps they normally take and how much activity they need to add to get basic health benefits.

• Make space for workers to plant and maintain a flowerbed or garden at the workplace. Use any resulting produce for meetings and potluck lunches or donate it to charity.

• Plan a workplace wellness fair.

• Hire a licensed fitness professional to design and manage an onsite fitness facility.

• Supply staff members with active wear that shows off the company logo.

• Organize a launch event to create excitement about upcoming activities and to create a social climate that establishes being active as the norm.

• Organize and promote monthly or bi-monthly business events that are fun and active, e.g., picnics with physical games, staff tournaments and dragon boat racing.

Be sure to encourage families to join in by including all-ages events such as relay races, soccer matches, bocce ball and baseball games.

• Start a swim club at a local pool. Invite groups of employees to swim the distance of a nearby lake. Convert kilometres to lengths and reward employees who complete the swim.

Be sure to set up a challenge between staff members and managers to see who covers the greatest distance.

• Post a sign-up board where staff can enroll in a group or find a buddy to participate in activities of interest.

• Arrange a company badminton tournament that lasts several months, with each worker playing once a week. Post the results as the tournament progresses.

• Organize an office Olympics, World Cup, Wimbledon or Masters Games. Invite teams to compete in several activities over a month. Reward everyone who participates.

• Create a point system in which one minute of activity equals one point. Be sure to set a target, and post a chart where all workers can track their points. Reward the first group to reach that target.

• Co-ordinate a stair climb challenge. Post a chart at the top of the stairwell, and encourage staff members to track the number of flights of stairs they climb each workday.

Be certain to set up teams, and award a prize to the first team to climb the equivalent of Mount Everest.

• Post and promote a sign-up board for lunchtime walking groups.

• Organize a walk “across the USA ” Choose a route, figure out how many steps it’d take to walk that distance and challenge employees to do it.

Give or loan pedometers to workers, and ask them to record the number of steps they take. Or, if you cannot afford pedometers, track the minutes walked. Make sure to set up a challenge between workers and managers to see who can walk across the U.S.  first.

• Co-ordinate a walk to work club. Acknowledge employees who either walk to work or walk to public transit.

• Have a volunteer group leader guide weekly lunchtime power walks.

• Coordinate a million-step challenge. Form groups, challenge each group to walk a combined sum of a million steps and reward the winner. Departments or sites could compete with each other and with management.

• Challenge employees to walk 10,000 steps a day. Purchase pedometers for all participating employees or, when you cannot afford that, make pedometers available at a lowered rate.

Provide tips for increasing daily steps, and reward workers who succeed.

There is no single right way to approach wellness programs but winning programs share common success factors. These include commitment from management, employee involvement, adequate resources, and a policy concerning health that goes hand in hand with the corporation’s mission, vision and values.

Wellness Program -  A Range of Approaches

Although the goal is to eventually have a long-term, extensive wellness program, some companies prefer to start with a single program at a basic level.

For  instance, the first steps could be as simple as offering lunch-hour sessions on first aid or healthful eating; or they might launch a pilot project to find out how interested staff members are to ensure staff members needs are being met before taking on anything more ambitious.

This approach provides a chance to show the impact on staff members and the workplace so management will be more willing to consider a bigger and more far-reaching strategy.

Other companies plan a variety of programs to meet the needs of the different types of individuals  that make up their workforce. and some decide to develop a sound company case, complete with a health strategy, before attempting any type of program.

Businesses want to ensure that a new program is fully integrated with their overall company vision and mission.

Wellness Program -  Success Factors

Whether your company chooses to think large from the outset or to start with something smaller, always rememberthe following key success factors -

• support and participation from management;

• worker involvement in planning;

• programs that meet staff member needs;

• a realistic budget; and

• continuous review.

In sports, a game plan is a series of steps that a team must follow to accomplish its goal of winning. Most winning teams plan to win. Organizations also need game plans, even when they do not call them by that name.

Good planning will help to ensure that your wellness program happens the way you want it to, and that costs could be identified in advance and kept within budget. Good planning avoids small problems from becoming bigger.

Steps in Planning a Wellness Program

Obtain management support. You may need to create a business case to convince managers that the wellness program is a business strategy-that staff member health and job satisfaction affects their productivity. Staff Members need to see evidence that  executive management believes in and is committed to staff member health.

Establish a planning committee. Members can include representatives from staff member groups as well as from human resources (HR), health and safety, and communications.

Collect information. to prove that your program is beneficial, establish a benchmark before the program begins. You may wish to look at worker satisfaction, absenteeism rates, stress levels, drug costs or WCB expenses.

Assess what workplace facilities are available to support workers to make healthful choices like showers and change areas or a secure place to store a bicycle. Assess worker needs through a recent survey or questionnaire, suggestion box or focus group. Communicate the results.

Develop the plan to reflect the information accumulated. Include program objectives, activities and how you are going to measure whether your objectives were met.

Keep the plan flexible. You could have to change direction in response to employee feedback or changes in the corporation’s structure.

Get management approval. Support for staff time and a budget are needed.

Put activities in place. Offer a variety of activities that develop awareness, increase knowledge, develop skills, and provide social interaction.

Activities could include walking clubs, participation in national campaigns such as Corporate Wellness Week, SummerActive, WinterActive, corporate challenge, golf days, and newsletters that provide information about community resources.

Workplaces can also make it easier for employees to make healthful options by providing flextime to allow employees to fit activity in when it’s convenient or by subsidizing programs in cooperation with community or private fitness facilities. A policy on catering for meetings can ensure that healthful foods are offered.

Evaluate the plan. Share your successes with others, learn from your mistakes and modify activities.

A wellness program doesn’t have to be complicated or a immense investment. Just do it. Get support from management, bring several committed people  together to generate some ideas and get began.

How does it feel to walk into your workplace? Do people  look happy? is the place well lit and cheerful? Do you feel welcome, wanted and energized? Or do you feel a gloom come over you, and count the hours until you can leave?

The influence of the worksite environment on the wellness of staff members is profound. First there is the physical look, feel, smell, and sounds of the place. Then you are affected by the policies, like whether others are allowed to smoke around you.

After awhile, more subtle factors begin to affect you. Do your attempts to adopt a healthier lifestyle get recognized at work, or are they sabotaged? Are your managers inspiring you by being healthy role models? Do you get regular opportunities to learn healthier behavior?

In a supportive environment, staff members feel that the organization they work for provides them with encouragement, opportunity, and rewards for healthy lifestyles.

And the spirit that results is highly contagious. Staff Members who feel cared are naturally more loyal and productive.

The following ideas will help you transform your workplace environment into one that indeed supports the wellness of your workers and organization.

Wellness Program Ideas for Creating Supportive Environments

Wellness Friendly Facilities

When you enter a worksite, do you feel comfortable? Could you be glad working there? is there enough light and clean air? Are there pleasant work areas, places to eat decent food, take a walk before lunch? Close your eyes. How does it smell? Sound? Do the staff members have enough space?

There’s no doubt that our physical environment affects us, from basic safety matters to subtle factors that may cause  or reduce stress. Healthy environments often have these features -

• Vending machines with healthful food options like low-fat milk, fruits, sugar-free and caffeine-free beverages and low-calorie snacks

• Workout area, walking paths, playing fields, basketball hoop, or other exercise opportunities onsite or nearby

• Cafeteria offers healthful foods including a salad bar with low-fat dressing

• Natural light is used whenever possible; all lighting is appropriate and adequate

• Heating and ventilation is adjustable, comfortable and healthy

• No cigarette machines, ashtrays, or tobacco use areas on-site

• Noise levels are safe and conducive to concentration

• Make sure to work station furniture conforms to ergometric standards

• Safety hazards have been eliminated

• Lockers and showers are available for workers who workout before work or during breaks

• Stairs are clean and well lit, convenient and pleasant to use

Familiarity may make it hard to evaluate a worksite. People  get used to stressful conditions and forget that conditions ever bothered them.

It may be useful to ask people  who are unfamiliar with your workplace to walk through with you. Specialist consultants can also help.

Proactive Wellness Policies

One clear way to influence behavior is through policies and procedures. If nurses aren’t allowed to work more than twelve hours in a row, there will be fewer medication errors.

If parents are permitted flextime to attend to their children’s needs, they will be less stressed. If workers can apply unused sick days to planned vacation time, they will save them up in lieu of calling in sick to use them all.

Supportive corporate policies may include -

• Seatbelt use required in corporation automobiles

• Alcohol and drug policies are appropriate to the industry

• Emergency procedures are developed, known, and practiced

• Flexible work schedules allow staff members to exercise, attend children’s school conferences, etc.

• Nonsmoking policy is enforced

• Excessive overtime is discouraged

• Membership at fitness facility is partially reimbursed

• Shift staff members are scheduled to allow adequate rest

• Medical care coverage rewards good health

• Absenteeism policy rewards workers who don’t use sick days

• Staff Member assistance program available to help employees with chemical dependencies, depression, family problems

• Significant consequences are given for unsafe, unhealthy, prohibited behavior.  Your business may have a policy against alcohol use during work hours, but when everyone looks the other way when someone comes back from lunch smelling like beer, the culture is one that permits drinking at lunch-and one in which written policies may be safely ignored.

Prohibited behaviors should be confronted promptly. Otherwise your policies become mere lip service instead of springboards to health.

Consistent Recognition and Rewards for Success

Attention, praise, and rewards are given for wellness achievements.

You can show you value wellness by celebrating your programs and those who’ve made lifestyle improvements in corporation newsletters, on bulletin boards, and at annual banquets, meetings, and celebrations. Incentives are a direct way to show appreciation, too.

Wellness mentors are sought and applauded, too. Workers who support others’ efforts to improve their health are noticed and appreciated. Colleague modeling and mentoring courses can encourage those who enjoy assisting others to step forward into a new role.

Managers Model and Support Healthful Behavior

Nothing could say “We encourage you to exercise often” better than a manager going on a bike ride during the lunch hour–or your supervisor sitting next to you in a weight management class.

Wellness activities promote relaxed interaction between individuals  from different departments and at different levels in the chain of command. That promotes relaxed communication and a feeling of solidarity that is pure gold.

Managers can also provide support for employees who are working on bettering their health. It does not take anything fancy-just a “good job” or “nice to see you at the fitness club” can put a glow on the cheeks of most of us.

Managers can also help by authorizing workers the flexibility to attend wellness events.

Ongoing Wellness Programs

It’s important to give staff members the sense that the wellness program is a permanent and important part of the organization, not a company fad. That can begin as soon as a new employee is hired.

New employees are oriented to the wellness program as one of the worker benefits. Information about the program must be presented by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable individuals who invites the new worker to participate.

The workers are familiar with the ongoing programs.

The programs and wellness staff are well known in the business. Opportunities to participate are abundant and it’s easy to sign up.

A wide variety of awareness courses are offered. There are topics of interest for everyone.

These are fun and easy events that could be done within your organization to motivate healthy behaviors during a contest or during other times. the goal is to encourage staff member participation. Some examples -  

• Create a sub-committee of enthusiastic staff members who will help promote the fitness program by offering ideas, suggestions and encouragement to fellow workers.

• Develop monthly mailbox flyers to promote a contest or provide fitness-related education/encouragement information.

• Send a weekly voicemail on each participant’s telephone with encouraging wellness messages.

• Provide regular cumulative health progress reports.

• Offer low-fat or heart-healthful lunch selections once a week in your cafeteria or have employees bring a healthful snack to share, with a recipe book compiled at the end of the contest or specified time (such as a National Nutrition Month in March).

• Distribute worker gifts (pedometers or other novelty item related to some aspect of your contest theme) as registration begins.

• Allow workers “Fitness15-Minute Walk Breaks;” business time to walk, exercise, etc. If appropriate, you might use a space not currently used to set up a treadmill, elliptical bicycle, some free weights and meditation music.

• Hold a T-shirt design contest.

• Create posters to map contest (or fitness) progress and to serve as reminder of your goals -

• Use push pins or other identifiers for each individual to put up in the office showing how they have progressed - workers can get very creative with this and design pins that reflect their personalities.

• Use a bar graph to compare progress.

• Use a “thermometer” kind graphic and color in progress - consider a different, fitness-related graphic all together and color it in as you progress.

• Offer aerobic dance or walking videos in your conference or break rooms.

• Compile a list of organized events in the community that offer opportunities to get workers exercising by participating as a team (below are just a few) -

• Race for the Cure

• March of Dimes Walk America event

• Juvenile Diabetes Research

• Foundation Walk to Cure

• American Heart Association’s Heart Walk

• American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life

• American Lung Association’s Lung Run

• Local marathons or special community walks or runs

• Create or attend a health-and-fitness retreat or workshop.

• Hold a soup-and-salad luncheon followed by a hula-hoop contest!

• Use the mall as an alternate walking location during inclement weather.

• Designate “Move it Mondays” - allow employees to take an additional 10 minutes during lunchtime for exercise.

• Designate “Tasty Tuesdays” - provide employees with low-calorie treats/snacks.

• Designate “Walking Wednesdays”- allow workers to take an extra 10 minutes at lunchtime to walk, or “Wacky Wednesdays” that allow workers to explore new exercises.

• Designate “Thirsty Thursdays” - make healthy smoothies or juice drinks for workers.

• Designate “Fresh Fruit Fridays” for staff - offer seasonal fruit treats.

• Send weekly exercise tips to employees via the most effective communications car in your workplace.

• Partner with another corporation representative for local media events coordinated through your advertising and marketing or communication department.

• Make certain to encourage departmental teams to challenge each other (examples -  Patron Service, Advertising and Marketing, Medical Support).

• Establish walking clubs with executive/supervisory leadership.

• Seek out local aerobic opportunities or courses through churches, community groups, college, YMCA, etc.

• Contact a few local area fitness clubs and ask when they can or will offer group discounts for fitness programs, waive enrollment fees, or set up a 12-week program as opposed to signing an extended contract.

• Hold a Frozen Yogurt Social - “Reap the Advantages of Fitness.”

• Map out a walking track around the building including the number of laps required for one mile.

These are short informational “Health Tips” in an e-mail format on many different health-related topics. You can appoint someone within your organization to find specific topics on the Internet from sites that are in the public domain or topics can be purchased from corporations.

Some licensed sources include -

• Hope Health

• Sound Ideas, Inc.

• Centers for Illness Control and Prevention

• National Institutes of Health

These e-mails can be sent daily, weekly or monthly. Our experience indicates weekly is the best frequency.

If the majority of your employees don’t have e-mail, consider providing the information to them through -

• Bulletin boards

• Check stuffers

• Mailbox stuffers

• Newsletters

SAMPLE #1 Corporate Wellness E-mail Messages

From -  Wellness Program

To -  Wellness Team

Subject -  Layering for Exercise

One way to help ensure enjoyment of a winter walk (or run) is to be certain you are dressed properly for the weather. and the secret to that, for a winter workout, is to dress in layers.

Layer 1 — Prevent 100 percent cotton in the first layer, next to your skin. Cotton holds perspiration. Wear underwear made from manmade fabrics to wick perspiration away from skin.

Layer 2 — A zippered sweatshirt and sweatpants will keep you warm. Just open the zipper when you get too warm.

Layer 3 — When needed, over the sweatsuit, you can add a waterproof and windproof jacket. When it’s very cold, you may want to wear a jacket made with goose down.

Hands — Mittens will keep your hands warmer than gloves.

Feet — Wear socks made from wool or manmade fabrics that keep your feet dry and warm. Avoid 100% cotton socks. Do not wear sneakers or boots that fit too tightly … this will restrict blood flow and your feet will end up feeling colder.

Head — About 40% of your body heat is lost through your head. Wear a hat and cover your ears.

Lips — Don’t forget lip balm with sunscreen … even in winter!

SAMPLE #2 Corporate Wellness E-mail Messages

From -  Wellness Program

To -  Wellness Team

Subject -  Energy Increases

Need an energy increase? Here are some ideas for tapping into your own energy sources — and most require little effort.

• Get an extra hour of sleep. No surprise here — it could make a large difference in your energy level the next day.

• Eat less more often. Have small, balanced meals or snacks throughout your day for a steady supply of fuel and energy. Make note of which foods seem to boost your energy level.

• Drink plenty of water. Dehydration contributes to fatigue, which you can offset by drinking water throughout the day.

• Prevent alcohol and caffeine. Both can contribute  to dehydration and fatigue. They also tend to disrupt sleep patterns.

Wellness Seminars are learning sessions planned and organized by you to meet specific goals. Decide on a topic and pick a speaker. Pick a site for the “Lunch and Learn” session, normally a lunchroom or break room.

Depending on your budget and objectives, workers can brown bag the lunch or you might provide the meal. Meetings could be mandatory or elective, your choice.

Experience tells us the most success will be achieved when these Wellness Seminars are elective and when the business provides lunch.

Goals for Wellness Seminars

Education on a specific medical problem. You might want to pick one of your group’s top diagnoses. Examples are -

• Diabetes - diabetes prevention and care by a certified diabetic educator

• Heart disease - cardiovascular health (individual counseling sessions with a nutritionist)

• High blood pressure

• High cholesterol

• Flu and pneumonia

• Breast cancer - breast health or breast self-exam sessions can be taught by a trained instructor

Education on health insurance benefits -

• Diabetes - what are the covered benefits, where to purchase diabetic supplies, support groups for staff members with diabetes.

• Wellness Program Benefits

• Well baby/child care.

Education on the importance of enrolling in your health plan or local health department’s health education programs or disease management (DM) programs. Example programs -

• Diabetes

• Respiratory

• Low-Back Pain

• Cardiovascular

• Tobacco use

Community Resource Speakers for Wellness Seminars

• Local health plan office

• Local heart association

• Local cancer society

• Pharmacies - many pharmacists are available to speak on pharmacy-related issues.

• Pharmaceutical Companies - many companies have standard presentations developed for employers that are provided free of charge to use at your own direction. Some examples are -

• Know Your Numbers (high cholesterol) - Pfizer

• Respiratory Wellness (flu and pneumonia) - Pfizer

• Men’s and Women’s Health - Pfizer

• Local health clubs/fitness trainers/YMCA - can discuss walking safety, benefits of walking, swimming and aerobics.

• Yoga and/or Pilates instructors

• Running, cycling club representatives

• Local hospital nutritionists

• Stamp Out Tobacco use - Tobacco Coalition representatives

Topics for Wellness Seminars

• Bicycling - benefits and opportunities for cycling

• Nutrition and health (Heart Healthful lunch for all attendees)

• Cardiovascular health

• Women’s health issues

• How to recognize the signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke

• National Employee Fitness Day within the office establishing - Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness representatives can promote event

• Exercise tolerance and healthful heart issues

• Starting an exercise plan- include the importance of seeing the physician prior to the beginning of any new exercise program

• Self-defense

• Domestic abuse

• Safety in general

• Exercise safety

• Walking/running benefits and safety tips Tobacco dangers and avoidance