Wellness at work

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Be well: Practicing health and wellness at work

More than two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese, both of which are dangerous health conditions that fuel chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and cancer. The sum of direct and indirect costs of these conditions each year? Over $80 billion.1 Employers bear the brunt of that bill. Wouldnt it be great if you could control those costs? Well, with a corporate wellness program, you might be able to. Practicing health and wellness is an important part of day-to-day life for everyone and it carries with it an array of physical, mental and emotional benefits, all of which are essential to a productive and successful personaland professionallife. Wellness is an all-encompassing concept. Its about practicing preventative behaviors and adopting a healthy lifestyle over the long-term. Theres so much more to good health and wellness than choruses of an apple a day But, as always, less is more. In fact, it all comes down to some pretty simple rules, rules you, as an employer and role model, can help solidify: Sleep well, eat well, stay hydrated and get moving. Let this Blue Paper act as a guide to developing a corporate wellness program of your own. It begins with a brief crash course of what to consider before beginning and follows with four sections that expound on each of the four rules, including easy-to-implement workplace initiatives and individual ideas for each. Take advantage of this leadership opportunity to help your employees become happier, healthier versions of themselves and experience the benefits of wellness at work!

Meeting wellness needs at work

Wellness programs became popular in the economic boom of the late 80s and early 90s, so theyve been around for a while.2 Over time, however, theyve

1 Health and Wellness at Work.Health and Wellness at Work. Johnson & Johnson, n.d. Web. 06 Sept. 2012. <http://www.jnj.com/connect/caring/patient-stories/Health-and-Wellness-at-Work>. 2 Ibid.
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become noticeably more in-tune to the notion of self-care, which means empowering employees to take the lead when it comes to their own health.3 A 2008 survey by Buck Consultants revealed that 74 percent of American companies named reducing health care costs as their number one motivator.4 For a better idea of your business health care costs, retrieve HR and benefit-related resources. If your company is like many others, you will find that an astounding 85 percent of claims come from a mere 15 percent of claimants.5 Take a look at the conditions driving your health care costs and zero in on one or two of the most problematic issues. When it comes to business, the savings to be had by investing in and implementing a wellness program are substantial. Studies indicate that for every dollar invested in a wellness program, companies saved an average of $3.14.6 Thats a 3-1 return on investment (ROI) which, in terms of business, islets be honestfantastic. An additional wellness program literature review found considerable reductions in sick leave, health care costs and medical claims.7 Once youve decided to take the concept of a wellness program to the next level, youll need to take care of a few administrative items: Create a committee.8 Designate a group of interested and committed employees to serve on a wellness committee. They will be responsible for recruitment, program promotion and activity or event planning. Be sure to include members from different departments, shifts and locations if applicable. They should plan on meeting on a monthly or bi-monthly basis. N ame a coordinator.9 Have the committee appoint a coordinator to oversee the project. Choose someone who is very dedicated to the program, someone who believes in the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and wants to help others become more mindful of their

3 Wisconsin Worksite Wellness 2010. Department of Health Services , Division of Public Health and Wisconsin Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Program. Dec. 2010. Web. 6 Sept. 2012. <http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/ health/physicalactivity/Sites/Worksite%20pdfs/Toolkit%202010%20FINAL%204-20-11.pdf>. 4 Lastowka, Lauren. 8 Ways to Promote Wellness in the Workplace.8 Ways to Promote Wellness in the Workplace | Inc.com. Inc.com, 11 Jan. 2011. Web. 06 Sept. 2012. <http://www.inc.com/guides/2011/01/8-ways-topromote-wellness-in-the-workplace.html>. 5 Health and Wellness in the Workplace.Health and Wellness in the Workplace. Health and Wellness in the Workplace, n.d. Web. 06 Sept. 2012. <http://healthandwellnessintheworkplace.org/>. 6 Ibid. 7 Ibid. 8 Wisconsin Worksite Wellness 2010. Department of Health Services , Division of Public Health and Wisconsin Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Program. Dec. 2010. Web. 6 Sept. 2012. <http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/ health/physicalactivity/Sites/Worksite%20pdfs/Toolkit%202010%20FINAL%204-20-11.pdf>. 9 Health and Wellness in the Workplace: Ideas for Health Promotion Activities.Health and Wellness in the Workplace: Ideas for Health Promotion Activities. Infinite Wellness Solutions, n.d. Web. 06 Sept. 2012. <http:// www.infinitewellnesssolutions.com/health-and-wellness-in-the-workplace.html>.
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wellness. If you havent got anyone on-site, refer to local fitness clubs. Set aside a budget. Depending on the size and scope of the wellness program youd like to bring to life and whether or not you plan on running it with the help of in-house staff or an outside vendor, experts estimate the cost per employee to range between $150 and $300 per year with an annual ROI of $400-$900 per employee.10 S tart the conversation. Get the buzz going with intranet notifications, e-blasts, leaflets on notice boards, or even a blurb on wage slips. In so doing, avoid too much talk of how this is a smart decision for the company and instead emphasize the importance of a healthy lifestyle and the positive impact it will have on their personal and professional lives.11 H ave a physician visit. Bring in a doctor or health care professional to speak at length about wellness and the advantages of a healthier lifestyle. You can choose to hold it during the lunch hour when most employees have off, or you can make it a special event at a different time. As an incentive to draw prospective participants, you can make it billable time. Use that as a venue to distribute more specific program information. O ffer a health-risk assessment.12 To really bring the message home, offer a free health-risk assessment. Enlist a local health care facility to help you or contract with a company that specializes in workplace wellness. Set aside a day for employees to get a snapshot look at their current state of health thus allowing them to gauge their level of wellness. As word of your new corporate wellness program continues to spread, youll probably be a little overwhelmed by so many inquiries about it. For that reason, its a good idea to keep the program simple and focus on the handful of problems areas you intend to address. As an example, consider four basic rules to wellness featured below: Sleep well, eat well, stay hydrated and get moving.

10 Wisconsin Worksite Wellness 2010. Department of Health Services, , Division of Public Health and Wisconsin Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Program. Department of Health Services , Division of Public Health and Wisconsin Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Program. Dec. 2010. Web. 6 Sept. 2012. <http://www.dhs. wisconsin.gov/health/physicalactivity/Sites/Worksite%20pdfs/Toolkit%202010%20FINAL%204-20-11.pdf>. 11 Health and Wellness at Work.Health and Wellness at Work. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Sept. 2012. <http://healthandwellnessatwork.com/>. 12 How to Encourage Health and Wellness at Work.How to Encourage Health and Wellness at Work. Intuit, n.d. Web. 06 Sept. 2012. <http://smallbusiness.intuit.com/news/Work/home-balance/19367179/How-toEncourage-Health-and-Wellness-at-Work.jsp>.
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Sleep well: Go for 6-8 hours each night

According to recent data, the average American works approximately 47 hours each week.13 Outside of work there is family and friends and day-to-day errands, often leaving one to wonder where to fit in those extra hours of sleep, 6-8 to be exact. Its no easy task to make that kind of time, but our bodies are expert communicators when it comes to a lack of sleep. Fatigue, moodiness and reticence to undertake any unnecessary challenges we all know that feeling. However, more often than not, insufficient sleep has less to do with trouble falling asleep and more to do with ineffective stress management throughout the day. Risks, benefits and ways to work it into the workplace Insufficient sleep is no laughing matter. According to a University of Chicago study, sleep loss inhibits basic metabolic functions like processing and storing carbs and regulating hormone secretion.14 And, in the long term, inadequate sleep tendencies are linked to an array of health problemsserious oneslike obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.15 The less sleep, the greater the risk of a diagnosis like the ones above, all of which can shorten life. More immediately, sleep deprivation impacts judgment, mood and ones ability to learn and retain information16, which has everything to do with presenteeism. Presenteeism is a serious problem whereby workers are on-site and on the payroll, but working at a lower rate of productivity. Eliminate presenteeism and bump up productivity with a wellness program that highlights the benefits of sleep. Emphasize the importance of sleep as an integral element of your employees wellness routines with these workplace ideas: H ost a sleep specialist. Bring in someone able to speak to the common sleep problems your employees may have. Ensure there is enough time for a presentation and a discussion so that your team has a chance to ask questions and interact with your guest. Normalize a flexible schedule. For days when your team may not

13 Health and Wellness in the Workplace.Health and Wellness in the Workplace. Health and Wellness in the Workplace, n.d. Web. 06 Sept. 2012. <http://healthandwellnessintheworkplace.org/>. 14 Gerard, Cathy. Boost Your Metabolic Power Hour by Hour.Muscle & Fitness HersSept. 2012: 80-83. Print. 15 Sleep and Disease Risk.Sleep and Disease Risk | Healthy Sleep. Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, n.d. Web. 07 Sept. 2012. <http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/consequences/ sleep-and-disease-risk>. 16 Consequences of Insufficient Sleep.Consequences of Insufficient Sleep | Healthy Sleep. Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, n.d. Web. 07 Sept. 2012. <http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/ matters/consequences>.
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get enough sleep, allow them the flexibility to come in at a later time as long as they dont miss any meetings and put in the same amount of work before leaving for the day. C ombat fatigue with power naps. In case one of your team members hits a wall and cant seem to recover, encourage them to take a short nap. Power naps generally dont exceed 20 minutes, but despite the short time frame, they can be just the ticket to renewed awareness and a rejuvenated sense of creativity. If your employees take advantage of a power nap, have a system in place to ensure theyre making up for time lost while they catch up on counting their sheep. At the end of the day, we cannot function without sleep. It is time for our bodies to come down from the elevatedand taxingstress levels that too often define the work day. Take small steps to give your body enough rest time and help your employees do the same lest they become a chronic disease statistic. Here are some ways to practice individual wellness when it comes to sleeping: G et into a routine. Our bodies are clocks. As such, its crucial to keep your body on a schedule, one that remains the same regardless of work day or weekend. T he bed is for sleeping. Avoid eating and drinking in bed and eliminate distractions like television and the computer. Restrict caffeine. Make 2:00 p.m. your last call for caffeine and limit alcohol consumption as you near bed time. M editate. Because sleeplessness is oftentimes the result of unmanaged stress, resolve to deal with stress as soon as you feel necessary. Meditation is a tried-and-true method of managing the effects of stress. Morning, afternoon or night: Find a time to call your own, sit quietly and gather your thoughts. In fact, more and more companies are incorporating meditation into their stress reduction programs.17 Use wellness program participants as a resource. Ask them how they changed their sleep routine and which methods worked best. Consider compiling individual tips from your team to create a brochure or intranet-accessible document. Not only is this an effective way to collect and disseminate

17 Patel, Jennifer. Five Trends Shaping Health and Wellness at the Workplace.Five Trends Shaping Health and Wellness at the Workplace. Corporate Wellness Magazine, 3 Mar. 2012. Web. 06 Sept. 2012. <http://www.corporatewellnessmagazine.com/article/five-trends-shaping-health.html>.
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information, but its an effective in-house marketing campaign that also instills a sense of purpose among those who are taking part in the new wellness program.

Eat well: Get into good eating habits

Poor diet (in addition to sedentary lifestyles) is the primary culprit contributing to an epidemic of overweight and obesity affecting men, women and children in all segments of our society.18 According to Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a 2010 report by the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Americans can attain and maintain a healthy weight and promote their overall health with the help of two easy guidelines: Consume fewer calories and make more informed food choices by opting for items with less sodium and less calories from solid fats, added sugars and refined grains.19 Risks, benefits and ways to work it into the workplace Sometimes, hard work can make our appetite come to life. And when the body is fed, so is the brain. Look at it this way: Having healthy food on-hand may be just the ticket to that much more creativity! Heres how: B ring in healthier options. Be mindful of fat and sugar content in the food options you offer. Incorporate healthier eating options in your vending machines, common areas and cafeterias. Fruits and vegetables. Provide healthy snack alternatives like a fruit basket or a vegetable tray. Vegetables, for instance, have a high water content, which works well to assuage appetite. B rown bag it. The office cafeteria may offer healthy options, but sometimes its healthier (and more cost-effective) to make your lunch on your own. Something like a chicken salad wrap, a leafy green salad and an apple will keep your appetite at bay the rest of the day! H ave a contest. Foster a friendly healthy eating and weight loss competition by having monthly weigh-ins and fun rewards for the most weight lost. Trying out healthier food options and being that much more careful about what you eat doesnt have to make you groan. There are loads of great-tasting lowcalorie recipes out there. To help your employees along as they explore their

18 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, 2010. Web. 6 Sept. 2012. <http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/DietaryGuidelines/2010/PolicyDoc/ExecSumm.pdf>. 19 Ibid.
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options, have a Friday potluck lunch where everyone brings along a new highprotein, low-fat or heart healthy recipe they found. Itll get your team talking about something beyond project work and deadlines and move them to keep thinking about wellness long after lunch! E verything in moderation. Aim to eat a variety of colors at each meal and avoid overindulging in any one thing. (Read: Watch portion sizes.) H ave quieter meals. Sans television. Sitting in front of the tube can lead to eating more than your body actually needs. Plan ahead. Be thinking of your meals a day or two or a week in advance, then grocery shop accordingly. C hew gum.20 Hungry? Keep a stash of gum in the office pantry to stave off unruly appetite attacks. Youve heard it before: You are what you eat. Literally. Food items with trans-fat or too much sugar can wreak havoc on your body and the way it operates. Respect yourself and keep it working like a well-oiled machine by fueling it with the right food choices.

Stay hydrated: Drink water as often and as frequently as you can

Theres a reason the cardinal rule of eight glasses of the good stuff a day is so essential: Your body uses its water supply to perform basic physical, mental and metabolic processes. The less water you have, the less able you are to perform basic tasks. Water is also a natural way for your body to flush out toxins. A group of French researchers even found that increasing cellular water levels promotes fat loss,21 and a group of German researchers found that the colder the water, the greater the effect on metabolic rate.22 Risks, benefits and ways to work it into the workplace Your team is with you at work over eight hours a day, five days a week oftentimes more. Chances are good theyre going to want water occasionally. And youll want them to have water, too, because good hydration is fundamental to even the most basic processes, like thinking. Between coffee, tea and good

20 Stoppani, Jim, and Kathleen Ferguson. 25 Ways to Melt Off Fat Today.Muscle & Fitness Hers Jan. 2011: 78-82. Print. 21 Blechman, Steve, and Thomas Fahey. Lost the Bloat, Trim the Fat: 29 Best Fat-Loss Tips. FitnessRxFeb. 2011: 76-82. Print. 22 Stoppani, Jim, and Kathleen Ferguson. 25 Ways to Melt Off Fat Today.Muscle & Fitness HersJan. 2011: 78-82. Print.
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ol H2O, do everything you can to ensure that youve got enough water for your thirsty workers. Y ou can never have too much water. Have a water cooler at the ready. A way with sugar. Provide alternatives to sugary soda and juices. Fill up on tea. Did you know green tea aids in weight loss? It is known to improve blood sugar regulation and increase metabolism.23 And its a great energy-booster for those mid-afternoon crashes. Not drinking enough water can seriously hamper your bodys ability to burn fat. Take for example a study by the University of Utah: Those who drank eight cups of water each day for one week burned more calories than a group who drank just four cups per day.24 Whether its fat loss that is compelling you forward or a new and improved enthusiasm for wellness and staying healthy, here are a few more ideas to help you drink more water more often. D rink before you dish. Consume a large glass of water before meal times to prevent overeating. And hey, you might not be as hungry as you thought: Its easy to confuse hunger with thirst. A dd fresh fruit. Just like the restaurant: Add a slice or seven of lemon (or lime or berries) to your water. K eep it close. Have a pitcher of cold water readily available in your refrigerator at home. Make your commitment to drinking water visible, too. Use your management status in a small, but positive way: Showcase your commitment to wellness, even if only by carrying a water bottle or thermos of green tea into meetings and around the office. It takes commitment to inspire commitment, so take this leadership opportunity to do just that.

Get moving: Commit to physical fitness

Better eating habits are all well and good, but manifesting wellness in terms of eating alone will not produce meaningful results. Encourage your employees to add a little exercise to really get the metabolic fire burning. According to a pool of 18 studies performed by the Harvard School of Public Health, they discovered that people lose 2.5 pounds more by combining diet with exercise, compared to dieting alone 25 Even more impressive were the results of one study indicating
23 Blechman, Steve, and Thomas Fahey. Lost the Bloat, Trim the Fat: 29 Best Fat-Loss Tips.FitnessRx Feb. 2011: 76-82. Print. 24 Sygo, Jennifer. Fat Loss Made Easy.Oxygen2012: 136-37. Print. 25 Ibid.
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that successful losers should aim to cut calories, exercise consistently and receive regular encouragement from professionals or support groups to maintain weight loss.26 Risks, benefits and ways to work it into the workplace Over 2,000 people were surveyed in a recent Australian study. Of them, those who watched more than 40 minutes of television per day had higher waist circumferences, blood pressure and blood glucose levels than those who watched less. From this research, they deduced that sitting for prolonged periods of time severely compromises the bodys ability to burn fat. Communicate with your team that its okay to get up, stretch and take a quick walk when they feel their energy levels ebb. Consider these other helpful get moving initiatives worth implementing at the office: P rovide access to a fitness center. Carve out a space for an on-site fitness facility or partner with a local gym or fitness center to make exercise a more accessible and affordable option. O ffer incentives. Whether its insurance discounts, gift cards, or an hours paid leave for getting a flu vaccination,27 its essential to recognize and reward the positive steps team members take to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Get a bike rack. For some of your employees, it might be convenient to bike to work, but do you have a place for them to park their bikes once they get there? Distribute pedometers. Give away pedometers to kick off a get moving campaign. Highlight the team member with the most steps at the end of the week or month and reward them with an early release from work one afternoon. On an individual level, shoot for 30-60 minutes of moderate activity 3-5 times a week in order to see and feel results. And if you really want to cheer on your team, urge them to up the ante by exercising at high intensity and more frequently. Some additional tips to move more often in and around the office are below: Walk in. Park farther away to get in a leisurely walk before getting to your desk.
26 Ibid. 27 How to Encourage Health and Wellness at Work.How to Encourage Health and Wellness at Work. Intuit, n.d. Web. 06 Sept. 2012. <http://smallbusiness.intuit.com/news/Work/home-balance/19367179/How-toEncourage-Health-and-Wellness-at-Work.jsp>.
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C limb up. Then, instead of taking the elevator, use the stairs. Sit pretty. Replace your desk chair with a stability ball to engage your core muscles throughout the day.28 S ign up for a race. A little competition is healthy, too. Register for a race down the road to stay on your toes and get some of your team to join you.

Any time you exercise, you raise your heart rate. Your heart is the most important muscle in your body and its important to keep yours in tip-top shape. Pursue cardio activities like running and biking to improve your heart health and encourage others to look beyond the exasperation of physical activity to see the larger picture: A strong heart for a long, healthy life.

Conclusion
Wellness programs are investments, but consider this: Not long ago Johnson & Johnson developed an employee health and wellness program for its U.S.-based workforce. The cost was approximately $400 per employee per year, but the company noted marked overall improvement within the realm of employee health and productivity levels.29 Now, according to Efrem Dlugracz, Vice President of Corporate Benefits, The rate of heart disease at Johnson & Johnson is 41 percent below national standards.30 And hypertension: Seventy-five percent below national standards.31 Johnson & Johnson isnt the only company to have experienced the myriad advantages of a successful corporate wellness program. General Motors, Motorola, PepsiCo, Bank of America, Citibank, and Union Pacific Railroad all reported substantial ROI in employee health.32 They specifically showed decreased costs associated with prescriptions, health care premiums, short-term disability, absenteeism and presenteeism. As a rule, tremendous rates of ROI like the kind experienced by these companies is most often attributed to successful engagement and involvement initiatives: Great savings come with wide-spread participation.33

28 Tips to Improve Health and Wellness at Work.Tips to Improve Health and Wellness at Work. Dr David Geier, n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2011. <http://www.drdavidgeier.com/tips-to-improve-health-wellness-work/>. 29 Health and Wellness at Work.Health and Wellness at Work. Johnson & Johnson, n.d. Web. 06 Sept. 2012. <http://www.jnj.com/connect/caring/patient-stories/Health-and-Wellness-at-Work>. 30 Ibid. 31 Ibid. 32 Health and Wellness in the Workplace.Health and Wellness in the Workplace. Health and Wellness in the Workplace, n.d. Web. 06 Sept. 2012. <http://healthandwellnessintheworkplace.org/>. 33 Health and Wellness at Work.Health and Wellness at Work. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Sept. 2012. <http://healthandwellnessatwork.com/>.
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If you decide to institute a wellness program within your workplace, make it a point to monitor employee participation and progress through evaluations and metrics, both of which will paint an accurate picture of the state of the program. Check once at six weeks to see if employees are sticking to it and then again at six months to see if the change appears to be a lasting one.34 Conduct annual or twice annual reviews thereafter for the most salient data. There are countless physical, mental and emotional benefits that come with good health and wellness. Ultimately, encouraging and incorporating a commitment to health and wellness at work will benefit you, your team and your clients. Heres to your health!

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34 Wisconsin Worksite Wellness 2010. Department of Health Services , Division of Public Health and Wisconsin Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Program. Dec. 2010. Web. 6 Sept. 2012. <http://www.dhs.wisconsin. gov/health/physicalactivity/Sites/Worksite%20pdfs/Toolkit%202010%20FINAL%204-20-11.pdf>.
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