What goes into a corporate wellness program?

Since healthcare costs are on the rise, employers are looking at every alternative possible to save money. One thing several employers have started paying attention to is corporate wellness programs. Proper health depends on proper diet and exercise. Over half of Americans are overweight and several other Americans are making poor lifestyle decisions that impact their health.

When employees are in shape, they are less-likely to become susceptible to viruses and contract head colds and flu bugs. Healthy employees are more alert and more productive. People that are in shape can deal with stress better and they tend to avoid work-related injuries. So how can you get started with a corporate wellness program? Keep reading to find out more about wellness programs:

As stated previously, employees that are out of shape are more susceptible to workplace accidents and injuries. These individuals tend to take more sick leave and they make more mistakes at work. If you can incorporate exercise into your daily workplace regime, your employees will be more productive and less-likely to take time off work. When our employees exercise, they are less likely to visit the doctor and this will start to reduce your healthcare costs. Another benefit to exercise is that your profits will increase because employees spend more time at work and they are focused on getting the job done correctly.

Have a fitness expert come in and assess the exercise levels of your employees. Your employees will provide information on where they currently stand and what their goals are for losing weight or getting in shape. The fitness expert will design an exercise routine that is designed for each employee in conjunction with a healthy eating program.

Divide your staff members into groups and have them compete against one another to lose weight and improve their health. It is easier to exercise when you have someone to support and encourage you along the way, which is why dividing your employees into groups is a great idea.

Offer exercise classes at the office. Try offering aerobic classes, spinning classes, or yoga classes during the week. This will help your employees find time to exercise and it's a wonderful way to exercise when you don't have access to a gym. Depending upon how much money you want to spend on your corporate wellness program, you may consider offering health classes for the employee's family.

One area you need to focus on is improving your employee's diets. Since so many employees are overweight, they are causing the healthcare costs to increase and many of them don't even realize it. Clear out the vending machines and start offering some healthier alternatives for your employees like fresh fruits and vegetables. You can hire a company to come in and take care of your vending machines and stock them with healthier snacks. Consider offering granola bars, peanuts, meat and cheese snacks, bottled water, fruit drinks, and milk instead of the other office snacks in the vending machines. When employees have limited access to unhealthy snacks, they are less-likely to be tempted to eat them when they get the "munchies" in the middle of the day.

The last thing you need to do to incorporate a proper wellness program is to start offering stress-reducing tips. Employees don't always get the proper amount of rest they need in order to perform their job duties. Start encouraging your employees to take short 20 minute power naps during the day. Our bodies naturally get tired about 8 hours after we arise from the night and this is when you need to lay down for a few minutes to let your body re-charge.