By Armand Tecco
It’s easy to grasp the proven benefits of work-site wellness programs. When people are motivated to practice healthy lifestyle habits, such as regular exercise and good nutrition, they become more productive employees with higher morale as well as fewer absences and health problems. Companies who offer work-site wellness programs are able to recruit and retain better workers while benefiting from lower insurance premiums and other expenses tied to a less fit workforce.
According to a 2012 report in the American Journal of Health Promotion, employees who participated in a health-improvement program had fewer medical costs than non-participants. In addition, employer savings outpaced the program costs after three years with a return on investment of almost $3 to $1. Makes sense!
What’s more difficult to figure out is how to determine which programs to offer and how to implement them in your workplace. Here are some helpful guidelines:
FIND WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD AND CAN ACCOMMODATE.
Even on a relatively modest budget and in a small office setting, most businesses can launch at least one wellness program for the employees.
(1) Health education seminars to address the specific concerns of your staff, such as injury and illness prevention, stress coping skills, and smoking cessation.
(2) Weight management campaigns that help employees reach their personal weight loss goals over a period of several weeks.
(3) Health coaching sessions to motivate, educate, and inspire participants to reach a variety of personal health & fitness goals. The one-on-one sessions can be conducted by telephone or in-person.
(4) Health screenings and assessments, such as blood pressure, cholesterol, body composition, and many others. They are often part of an overall Health Fair held in an open area.
(5) Group exercise classes, ranging from cardio and toning workouts to yoga and Pilates.
CAREFULLY PLAN YOUR ON-SITE FITNESS CENTER.
If you decide to offer your employees an on-site fitness center, you’ll have many ways to make a positive impact on their health & well-being.
(1) Hire an experienced fitness consultant to work with you and your architect firm to design the facility’s layout. To maximize the space, consider aesthetics, traffic flow, and functionality.
(2) Rely on an unbiased consultant to select the proper type and quantity of exercise equipment. Otherwise you may spend too much or end up with the wrong apparatus.
(3) Ensure a well-managed, actively promoted fitness center by hiring a fitness management company that can staff your facility and run the daily operations.
Allowing employees to exercise without supervision is unsafe and exposes the company to potential liability. On the other hand, a qualified fitness staff can attract employees and provide a myriad of supplemental services and programs – such as the five listed above as well as personal training, fitness testing & evaluation, team building, incentive programs, marketing & promotion, management reporting, and equipment maintenance.
– Armand Tecco, M.Ed., is president and founder of HealthEase, Inc., a leading corporate fitness management company that designs and manages on-site fitness centers as well as provides a wide range of health & fitness programs and services to promote employee wellness. Armand has a B.S. degree in Fitness Management and a Master’s degree in Exercise Physiology. Visit HealthEase at www.healtheasefitness.com