The Best Way to Ensure the Success of a Wellness Program? Measure the Results!

 

Having a corporate wellness plan in place is the first step in improving the health and productivity of your employees. The second step? Measuring the return on your investment.

Although spending on corporate wellness programs continues to rise, with an increase of $220 per employee from 2009 to 2010, a large component of these programs is still missing. According to a recent survey, only 37% of corporate wellness programs have a system in place for measuring results.  Although this may seem like a priority only for the businesses footing the bill, research has actually shown that the programs are more effective for employees when results are measured, and when the employees can track their own progress.

Similar to systems like Weight Watchers or The Biggest Loser challenges, where employees meet weekly for “weigh-ins” or meetings to discuss their progress, corporate wellness programs also need check points and support systems. These mechanisms help to ensure employees feel challenged as well as motivated and supported through the process of a wellness program.

Here at Wellness Workdays, we focus not only on creating a custom program, catering to the needs and goals of you and your employees, but we also ensure there is a way to track your employee’s progress throughout. Through systems such as our Strategic Consulting, we sit down with each and every company to determine what works best for you, in your setting, and with your people. Programs like our Olympic Circle provide accountability and incentives for the employees themselves. While we can all make wellness a priority, by providing both progress reporting and rewards for employees, you can raise self-esteem and promote wellness as more than just a benefit, making it a priority.

When considering the beneficial aspects of a corporate wellness program, make sure you consider a way to measure if the program is actually working. What concepts do your employees find helpful? Difficult? Motivating? Frustrating? Having a system in place for measuring return-on-investment ensures that you can adjust the program to best suit your employees. By recently completing my Wellness Council of America’s (WELCOA) Well Workplace University certification on How To Demonstrate A Return-On-Investment, we are able to measure benefits for your employees…and for your organization.

Staying Fit While On Shift

Finding time to fit in some daily exercise can be difficult when working a typical 9-5pm. For shift workers, the challenge can be even greater. Pulling a double or triple shift can often mean that healthy habits get pushed aside. Late night snacking, large doses of caffeine, and trouble sleeping are often coupled with atypical work hours.

According to a 2008 study from the Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, shift work is associated with increased BMI (body mass index), obesity and health problems such as insomnia, chronic fatigue, anxiety and depression. Additionally 20-75% of shift workers complain of gastrointestinal difficulties whereas only 10-25% of day workers report similar problems. One study found that gastric ulcers were prevalent in 2.4% of shift workers compared to 1.0% of day workers; an additional study found that the ratio could be as high as eight times greater for shift workers.

Many of these issues are due to the simple fact that shift workers are functioning on a different schedule than the average employee. Even though the amount of food ingested by the average shift worker has not been found to differ from a day worker, the effects of the skewed timing of meals are clearly present. Shift workers are also often on opposing sleep schedules compared to their families, which can effect both sleep quality and create a lack of time for leisure activities.

There are however ways, within both the workplace and at home, to cope with a difficult schedule and make healthy habits a priority.

At Work

·      Try to get small amounts of physical activity in throughout the day. Take walks with a co-worker or investigate what facilities your company has on-site. Even a children’s playground can be turned into a space for getting your heart pumping!

·      If your company has vending machines or a catering facility, suggest some healthy alternatives to salty chips and sweets. Popped chips, whole grain granola bars and even fresh fruit are offered in vending machines and won’t weigh you down for the rest of your shift.

·      Try to avoid too many kicks of caffeine. Sparkling water can help prevent your mouth’s boredom without keeping you awake off-shift.

·      Consider bringing meals from home. Having healthy, satisfying meals will ensure you stay on task and will help maintain a balanced nutritional intake of protein, carbohydrates and fat. A lean turkey and swiss sandwich on whole grain bread or even some of last night’s leftovers are much better options than your typical cafeteria snack foods.

At Home

·      Try to avoid eating during typical meal-times when you aren’t actually hungry. Although you don’t want to miss out on time spent at the table with the family, stick with a small snack or a beverage if you aren’t particularly hungry for the meal.

·      Consider getting exercise at home before or after shifts. An early-morning run or even sets of squats, lunges and push-ups can easily be accomplished in 30-minutes and will leave you more energized for the day (or night) ahead.

·      Make leisure-time at home an active and family-based affair. Bike riding and group sports can include many participants, which allows you to both get some exercise and spend much-needed time with family and friends.

Although shift work can be difficult and physically challenging, there are ways to combat the effects of not adhering to the typical schedule. Most importantly, remember that your health and well-being must come first, no matter the hour of the day.

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We consume how many billion burgers?! Check this out!

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It's a Fact: Exercise Reduces Stress

Did you know that scientists have located a part of the brain that controls our reaction to stress? Researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)  have found a specific circuit in the brain that reacts to stress and determined that physical exercise improves that specific part of the brain's ability to be resilient. Basically, the research confirms what a lot of us have believed for a while - that physical activity lowers stress levels. But more than that, consistent physical exercise wards off depression and mood disorders.

Scientists at the NIMH located this circuit in the brain by using lab tests on mice. Groups of mice who have lived a basically sedentary life are put in close quarters with mice who have had plenty of opportunity to exercise. (Mice, especially males, tend to get intensely aggressive when they are housed together in confined spaces.) In this environment, the mice who had lived a basically sedentary life exhibited greater signs of depression (especially after losing a confrontation with another mouse - what the researchers termed a "social defeat" - like losing a big argument at the office) and retreated into the more isolated and dark parts of the testing space. Meanwhile, the mice who had gotten plenty of exercise handled social defeats better, staying active, and stayed close to the rest of the mice in lighted areas.

A central target of this research is understanding how stress contributes to mood disorders and why some animals and people seem resilient to the same stresses that can make others ill. The NIMH and others are trying to determine if there are ways to fix abnormalities in how the brain deals with fear memories or other stressors.

It's an interesting concept that makes sense. If you exercise, on a consistent basis, not only will your body be more resilient to fighting disease, but your mind will be more resilient as well.

What do you think of this research? Does it make sense? How does your activity level affect your mood and ability to handle the stress in your life? Post a comment here, on Facebook or on Twitter.

Sunscreen: New Labeling Will Help You Know Which is Right for You

After a few weeks of early summer heat, I thought it would be a good time to talk about sunscreen, especially after the Food and Drug Administration's recent rule changes that should really help you make better sun protection choices starting next summer. The FDA's new guidelines are designed to "reduce consumer confusion," said Dr. Janet Woodcock, the director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. 

Starting in 2012, sunscreen products may be labeled "broad spectrum" if they block UVB radiation and a percentage of UVA radiation. UVB is the major cause of sunburn, but both can cause premature skin aging and skin cancer. Broad spectrum sunscreens with an SPF over 15 can now claim to reduce the risk of skin cancer and premature aging - because the FDA has determined that they do. Also, you will no longer see sunscreens with an SPF listed above 50. Instead, the bottle will be labeled 50+. According to Dr. Woodcock, "We don't have sufficient data to show that those [sunscreens] with an SPF higher than 50 provide greater protection." 

Products will also no longer be able to called "sunblock," because there is no evidence that they can actually block all of the radiation in sunlight. One last claim that will be eliminated starting in 2012 is that sunscreens are "waterproof" or "sweatproof." Sunscreens can only now be called "water resistant" and must clearly state how long that protection lasts - generally 40 or 80 minutes.

Unfortunately, you probably won't see any of these label changes this summer (although some at the FDA are hopeful that sunscreen companies will adopt the rule changes before next summer), but this definitive information from the FDA should be a good guideline for you during the high sun exposure months this summer.

Sunscreen is integral to protecting your skin from burns, skin damage, premature skin aging, and skin cancer. Any sunscreen with an SPF less than 15 is basically just lotion. Remember to try to stay out of the sun during peak times, usually 10am-2pm, if possible and use a "broad spectrum" lotion liberally and reapply regulary.

Do you have a family member who is lax about sun protection? How do you try to keep your family safe from excessive sun exposure? Leave a comment or drop a question about how your family can stay safe this summer.

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