Other key benefits to wellness programs include:

• Greater loyalty and employee retention. Nearly 70% of employees that participate in a wellness program are more likely to stay with an employer
• Employees who participate in a wellness program report better health and are less costly for the company’s medical program
• Wellness programs are correlated with financial health. Forty-eight percent of employees who participate in a wellness program say they feel in control of their finances. Good health is associated with the opportunity to earn a living and accumulate wealth

Despite these key benefits, health and wellness programs are only utilized between a range of 10%-39% of employers. Amongst the top industries utilizing health and wellness programs include non-profits, manufacturing and health care companies, and large companies with more than 1,000 employees.

Click here to read the Annual Study of Employee Benefits Trends

Our comments:

One component that is missing from the study is the importance of health/wellness programs as a method to prevent employee injury. These programs help to encourage a culture focused on prevention – treating the body and addressing risk before the onset of an injury happens.

For more information in how InjuryFree implements an onsite prevention and rehabilitation center on-site, please visit our Employee Maintenance Center page.

• 10% of all food purchased in restaurants is consumed in the car
• Americans now spend more money on fast food than on higher education, personal computers, computer software, or new cars COMBINED
• The typical American now consumes 3 hamburgers and 4 orders a French Fries EVERY week

Source: Fast Food Nation

Lead author Diana Fernandez, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., an epidemiologist at the URMC Department of Community and Preventive Medicine, said her study is among many that associate high job pressure with cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, depression, exhaustion, anxiety and weight gain. It’s time to improve corporate policies that better protect the health of workers.

“In a poor economy, companies should take care of the people who survive layoffs and end up staying in stressful jobs,” Fernandez said. “It is important to focus on strengthening wellness programs to provide good nutrition, ways to deal with job demands, and more opportunities for physical activity that are built into the regular workday without penalty.”

Over and over, Fernandez’s team heard the same story from the upstate workers: after spending the day sitting in stressful meetings or at their computers, they looked forward to going home and “vegging out” in front of the TV.

Anecdotally, researchers also discovered that when pink slips were circulating, the snacks highest in fats and calories would disappear quickest from the vending machines. Some workers said they did not take the time to eat well or exercise at lunch because they were fearful of repercussions from leaving their desks for too long.

Approximately 32 percent of adult men and 35 percent of adult women are obese in this country. When the prevalence of overweight and obesity are combined, 68 percent of adults fit the category (72 percent prevalence among men; 64 percent among women), according to a recent report in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

In conclusion, the study suggests that workplace wellness programs should not only offer ideas on how to be healthy, but should examine the organizational structure and provide ways to minimize a stressful environment for everyone.

Read the full article here.

Source: University of Rochester Medical Center (2010, March 25). Study connects workplace turmoil, stress and obesity. ScienceDaily. Retrieved Apr 15.

The Word Health Organization (WHO) organized today’s event in an effort  to raise awareness in health across the globe.

Communities are encouraged to open their city streets for health-related activities. This year’s campaign, “1000 cities – 1000 lives” invites participants to submit photos and stories related to their involvement in raising awareness of health in local communities.

Education is an important awareness tool. InjuryFree is proud to be presenting to the Washington Chapter of ASSE today, discussing ways to increase the health and function of employees. Come see the presentation if you are in Washington! In addition, I will be submitting photos on Facebook today about all the ways that InjuryFree is working to increase the health of employees everywhere.

What are you doing to increase the health of your community? Or yourself? Or your family? Share your stories!

Multiple research findings establish that having adequate serum levels of Vitamin D substantially lowers incidence rates for many  cancers, including breast, colon, ovary, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and several others. Information on the Vitamin D Seminar is available here.

I have been reading more and more about the positive effects that Vitamin D can have.  I am looking forward to the new information that will come out as a result of this seminar on April 9^th. I am wondering if anyone out there has started taking their Vitamin D supplements? If so have you had any positive effects noted? Any negative?

InjuryFree has many friends and family that are living with fibromyalgia.  As more research comes out, we are excited to help them cope with the symptoms of their disease.  Even more exciting – some relief can come from a non-medicinal approach!

We will continue to watch out for more exciting news regarding symptom reduction for those suffering with fibromyalgia.  Stay tuned!

Cited from CFO.com January 13th by Alix Stuart

In a recent article published on CFO.com, the author contends that less than half (around 40%) of companies using wellness programs such as employee-assistance or health-improvement programs actually see a return on investment. In fact, he reports that only 19% of companies can capture the costs of using these programs, and 62% underestimate the amount they spend.

Amongst the reasons why wellness programs can be problematic in determining a return on investment are:

• They are difficult to quantify
• The programs are managed often by multiple vendors (no streamlining) – over 58% of employers utilizing wellness programs have two to five vendors
• There is a lack of discipline – changing employee health behavior can be challenging

To read  “Do Wellness Programs Make Cents?” click here

If you were asked to rate your overall health and well-being, what areas of your life would you evaluate to determine a response?

Areas of our lives including relations with family and friends, jobs, emotional and mental health, stress, the economy; they all play a role in determining our overall well-being. Imagine all the aspects of your life represent the individual wooden bricks in a game of Jenga. In Jenga the object is to remove as many bricks as you can before the tower comes crashing down. Regrettably most adults unknowingly view their lives much like a game of Jenga. Removing a brick is similar to neglecting aspects of your life which at the moment seem unimportant. Overtime these simple acts of neglect add up, weakening an individual until one day…Jenga!

The cause for this unintentional neglect stems from errors in self perception and prioritization. In a 2010 study conducted by the Philips Center for Health and Well-being, the raw data showed that “74% of Americans rate their overall health and well-being as very good or good”(PRNewswire). The Philips Center then asked the survey participants to rate the importance of varying aspects of their lives, creating a weighted statistical analysis. The result, participants overall health and well-being rating dropped to 55%. The reason for this 19 point drop is due to a disconnect between our perceived and actual well-being. According to the National Center for Health Statistics 67%  of Americans are overweight or obese. In the study, only 39% of the participants considered themselves to be overweight or obese. When participants were asked to rate their overall fitness, 80% declared they were in excellent health. The CDC states 36% of Americans do not exercise at all, and 32.5% exercise only once every 4 weeks. This data reveals an alarming disconnect between our perceived and actual health, but what is the source?

Most of us lead extremely busy lives and are forced to prioritize. As a result many of the things we should do get pushed to the wayside.  Why should someone spend the extra money on a gym membership, yearly visits to the doctor, or healthier food when they feel fine? Instead of purchasing a gym membership, someone could save up for their next oil change, baby diapers, or a flat screen TV.

It becomes even harder to be preventative when times are tough.  Try and tell someone they should schedule their yearly dental cleaning when they are out of work and lost their health insurance. There is very little incentive to be preventative when it comes to one’s health. It’s a conscious choice that we all must struggle to make. Just because you are healthy today does not mean you will be healthy tomorrow, and prevention is the cheapest way to remain healthy. Thirty six dollars a month for a gym membership pales in comparison to a $30,000-$40,000 dollar heart bypass surgery.

There are literary hundreds of other examples I could give in an attempt to scare people into adopting a preventative lifestyle. The truth is, developing a preventative lifestyle is a difficult choice to make since its rewards go largely unnoticed. When you were young, how did you figure out a stove top was hot? You likely burnt the heck out of your hand and never placed it there again (deliberately). Sadly for most health conditions there is no learning curve. You can only develop conditions like diabetes once. Be healthy. Be preventative.

• Resolution 1: Exercise. Exercise 30-60 minutes, three times a week. It is simple and very effective, and you will thank yourself for making the resolution. The healthier you are, the more productive you will be. Also by partaking in exercise, you decrease the risk of developing repetitive stress injuries.

• Resolution 2: Stretch. Stretching is one of the simplest things you can do to help keep your body in check, and you will be less susceptible by straining your muscles when performing exercise, or just simply bending over to pick an item off the floor. Stretching increases blood flow and reduces muscle tightness. Stretch at least 3 times a day, holding the stress for approximately 30 seconds.

• Resolution 3. Drink Water. Drink approximately 6-8 glasses of water a day. Water hydrates your muscles, tendons and ligaments and helps to reduce muscle fatigue and cramping. Proper hydration is often overlooked and it can be a factor in injury and fatigue.

• Resolution 4: Evaluate Your Workspace for Ergonomic Improvements. Review how you work and what tasks you perform. Review if there are ways to improve your workstation set-up, or call a Virtual Ergonomist to go over your issues. Use sound ergonomic principles to adjust the task (e.g. computer/reviewing documents) or tools (e.g. keyboard/mouse) to make the workstation more comfortable and convenient.

• Resolution 5: Evaluate Your Tools. Consider an ergonomic product or device to help with your tasks. Ergonomic tools come in many forms. An ergonomic keyboard, contoured mouse or phone headset may be ideal solutions, for an example, to help with your work tasks.

• Resolution 6: Maximize Your Rest Time. If you do not get a full night of sleep, it will effect your work day. Lack of sleep has dramatic effects on your physical capabilities and your mental acuity and judgment.

• Resolution 7: Reduce Stress. Ergonomics involves the reduction of stress. Typically it focuses on reducing repetitive stress while performing a given task, however external stress (physical and mental) can have a serious impact on your health. Therefore, you should try and reduce your stress as much as possible.

• Resolution 8: Check in with your Doctor. Getting a physical medical exam should be a priority. It’s recommended every year or two, since it keeps you aware of any problems that may be developing. It allows you to treat the onset of physical issues quickly, such as early ergonomic intervention to help prevent repetitive injuries.

• Resolution 9: Keep a Journal. Keeping a journal to identify ergonomic changes and progress is a great idea to track your development and improvements over time. Keeping track of your symptoms will help identify ergonomic solutions.

• Resolution 10: Treat Yourself. Reward yourself for sticking to your resolutions. A healthier life is rewarding enough, but a dinner or spa treatment at the end of the month or quarter makes it that much more satisfying!

One of the most common New Year resolutions is to improve  our physical fitness at the gym. In fact, the month of January is the busiest for health clubs in enrollments and attendance. Although many people have great intentions to enroll in a gym, did you know that on average between 20%-30% of all new attendees drop out after 90-days?

How can you maintain your fitness resolution?

• Reflect on why you made your resolution. Do you have health-related reasons? Do Do you want to look “better” for an upcoming event such as a reunion or wedding? Or do you want to simply incorporate a healthier lifestyle? When you find yourself distracted away from your resolution, keep the reasons why you made it in the forefront of your thoughts.

• Celebrate your successes. Share your improvements with others – you will find motivating partners a valuable asset in your journey, and you can learn helpful tips and insightful stories along the way.

• Don’t hesitate. If you want to incorporate a healthier lifestyle in the New Year, then do it. Hesitating in where to begin will only detract you for your resolution further.

• Keep a schedule. Plan how many days or at what times you will work out. Blocking time in calendars helps us to mentally prepare for what lies ahead. Tracking your progress in a journal can also help in noting your successes and note areas for improvement.

• Stay motivated. Sure, it’s easy for these words to be printed vs. being put into action, however we are continuously challenged to keep that resolution going. Every day from the smallest of excuses (e.g. “it’s too cold outside” or “I’m too tired”) to feeling intimidated to workout in a room full of seemingly “beautiful” people, we can get further and further distracted from accomplishing our fitness goals. Understand that fitness is a lifestyle change. It will take time to gradually feel better, see results and recognize the true value you have undertaken for well-being.

Be wary road-blocks to your resolution

If you made it past the 90-day mark, eat a healthy diet at work and in the home, and realize you are still struggling with your health or may be disappointed by the results, consider an unforeseen culprit found at the gym – not in your refrigerator. The gym “snack bar” serving multiple “healthy” alternative snacks, beverages and opportunities to relax after a good workout, may be adding additional calories to your diet.

Burning between 300-400 calories (on average) by doing cardio exercise may not burn enough calories to warrant the amount of calories consumed in a sports drink, smoothie or energy bar typically available for purchase at the gym. If you consume a pre-workout energy bar and drink a post-workout smoothie, you may have just consumed over 600 calories!

Do drink water plenty of water – stay away from beverages at the gym containing sugar. If you are hungry, consider bringing fruits and yogurt which tend to be low in calories and are high in water content – an instant solution to feeling full.

Plan on a healthy 2010? Share your fitness resolution goals with us!