Deadlines. Pressure. Burn-out. We all have heard of these terms as they relate to job stress. Some of us wittingly or unwittingly have placed ourselves in a daily onslaught of this experience. This is very unhealthy and totally unnecessary. In this article, we will look at the 3 warning signs of corporate and job stress and what to do to solve them. As always, the simplest path usually turns out to be the most obvious and effective one. Read on and find out if you are suffering these 3 warning signs of workplace stress and let us get rid of this problem for good.
The 3 Warning Signs of Job Stress:
Warning Sign #1 - You Have A Constant Feeling of Overwhelm - You have so much on your plate of to do that you feel that there is just not enough hours in the day to do it all. And you do so want to do it all - and sometimes all at the same time!
Warning Sign #2 - Loss of Sleep - Your feeling of overwhelm spills into your evenings and up to the moment that you go to bed. Your head is still swimming with the worry of what must or should be done tomorrow. This leads to easy insomnia.
Warning Sign #3 - Feeling Tired All of the Time - If you allow yourself to feel and become overwhelmed and thus this leads to a loss of sleep, you will feel fatigue most of your day which will in turn cause more stress, more overwhelm and more loss of sleep - a vicious cycle. It's no wonder how so many people can eventually become clinically depressed.
How To Relieve The Stress and Enjoy More of Your Life and Your Job
Step #1 - Get A Book or Take A Home Study Course on Time Management - And Use It! - Very simple. Very obvious. And very necessary. When you get down to it, there is really no such thing as time management, because you can't manage time. Time will keep marching on no matter what we do or don't do. You must understand that all time management courses are about life management. This is the secret of the sauce. You must learn to list, limit, compartmentalize your daily activities by schedule and by priority. You must know that everything is not and cannot be the most important thing to do. As Calvin Coolidge said, "You can do something at once, but not everything at once." Organize yourself the same way you went to high school and had to study several subjects as part of the curriculum. There was a time that you had to start your first class, let's say at 8:00 a.m. The hour passes. The bell rings. You stop. Now, you have 10 minutes or so to get to your next class. You begin your second class at 9:10 a.m. An hour passes. The bell rings again to sound the finish of your second class. You stop; whatever you didn't finish today, you would just take up from where you left off and start there tomorrow. This is the same way that you must manage your time and your life as well.
Step #2 - Change Your Diet From High-Fat To Low-Fat and Avoid Fast Food Eating - Diet plays a very important part to your living a stress-less life. Eat balanced nutritious meals, keeping them at about 600 calories per meal, and eat as many as 3 to 5 of these small meals every 3 hours. This will definitely help your heart by help lowering your cholesterol. Stress and heart failure are definitely connected. A healthy heart is a healthier life.
Step #3 - Start A Program of Progressive Weight-Resistance Exercises - This is the magic ingredient of the stress-relieving tips that I have given here. Working out with weights will increase and release the natural relaxing chemicals of your body called endorphins which are nature's natural stress-relievers and sleep-enhancers.
By doing at least these 3 things consistently, you will well be on your way to saying goodbye to corporate stress forever. Ordinary things consistently done produce extraordinary results.
WORKSITE WELLNESS HOUSTON
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Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Corporate-Wellness-For-Baby-Boomers---The-3-Warning-Signs-of-Job-Stress-and-How-to-Easily-Solve-it&id=4117314] Corporate Wellness For Baby Boomers - The 3 Warning Signs of Job Stress and How to Easily Solve it
Friday, July 9, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Corporate Wellness - Is Stress Running Your Team Into the Ground?
Being the business leader, chances are that you have, through education and experience, several ways you successfully cope with work stressors. You do this not only to perform better at work but also to not let work impact the rest of your life. But are your employees as good you are, or are you just assuming that because you can, they can too? Often we are mistaken.
There are really only two ways to deal with stress and if you are not aware of these techniques, you are more likely to succumb to all the ill effects accompanying excessive stress. For the record, excessive stress is not a measure of the stressor itself, but the individual's resistance and coping abilities. So what are these techniques? I'd like to call them Eliminate or Accept & Deflect. Let me briefly describe both to you.
Eliminate (the stressor)
Let's say the stressor is your workplace, the easiest way to get rid of the stress is to change workplace. It is that simple. Remove the stressor and you remove its effect on you. Now I am not advocating running from your problems (only you know what the underlying issues may be), only to illustrate how effective fully eliminating your stressor can be.
Accept & Deflect (the stressor)
Unfortunately we cannot always eliminate what stresses us out. Let's say the stressor is a person at your workplace, it's not likely that you can remove him/her or remove yourself without quitting your job (which is more often than not something you don't want to do). So you need to learn how to live with it. You need to literally accept that he or she is there and deflect the impact he or she has over you. Every time we let someone push our buttons, it's because our personal barriers are weak and that we - let - them - do - it - to - us. People can only affect you if you let them, while the solution is easier said than done; it's the only way. We can't change everything, but what we can change is our response and our reactions.
Essentially it doesn't matter what the stressor is, if it's a person, a past or future event or something beyond our control. If it's affecting us in a negative way, it needs to be dealt with. My wish is that you are now more aware of what tools to use and how to implement them for yourself, but also, for your team. Your company cannot run without you and you cannot run a successful company without a fully functioning team. Good luck making Corporate Wellness a part of your business!
CORPORATE WELLNESS COSTS HOUSTON
CORPORATE WELLNESS AUSTIN
Anders N W Lindgreen,
Specialising in [http://www.corporatewellnesssunshinecoast.com.au/]Corporate Wellness. You should follow me on Twitter [http://twitter.com/thefirmfitness]here.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Corporate-Wellness---Is-Stress-Running-Your-Team-Into-the-Ground?&id=4339926] Corporate Wellness - Is Stress Running Your Team Into the Ground?
There are really only two ways to deal with stress and if you are not aware of these techniques, you are more likely to succumb to all the ill effects accompanying excessive stress. For the record, excessive stress is not a measure of the stressor itself, but the individual's resistance and coping abilities. So what are these techniques? I'd like to call them Eliminate or Accept & Deflect. Let me briefly describe both to you.
Eliminate (the stressor)
Let's say the stressor is your workplace, the easiest way to get rid of the stress is to change workplace. It is that simple. Remove the stressor and you remove its effect on you. Now I am not advocating running from your problems (only you know what the underlying issues may be), only to illustrate how effective fully eliminating your stressor can be.
Accept & Deflect (the stressor)
Unfortunately we cannot always eliminate what stresses us out. Let's say the stressor is a person at your workplace, it's not likely that you can remove him/her or remove yourself without quitting your job (which is more often than not something you don't want to do). So you need to learn how to live with it. You need to literally accept that he or she is there and deflect the impact he or she has over you. Every time we let someone push our buttons, it's because our personal barriers are weak and that we - let - them - do - it - to - us. People can only affect you if you let them, while the solution is easier said than done; it's the only way. We can't change everything, but what we can change is our response and our reactions.
Essentially it doesn't matter what the stressor is, if it's a person, a past or future event or something beyond our control. If it's affecting us in a negative way, it needs to be dealt with. My wish is that you are now more aware of what tools to use and how to implement them for yourself, but also, for your team. Your company cannot run without you and you cannot run a successful company without a fully functioning team. Good luck making Corporate Wellness a part of your business!
CORPORATE WELLNESS COSTS HOUSTON
CORPORATE WELLNESS AUSTIN
Anders N W Lindgreen,
Specialising in [http://www.corporatewellnesssunshinecoast.com.au/]Corporate Wellness. You should follow me on Twitter [http://twitter.com/thefirmfitness]here.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Corporate-Wellness---Is-Stress-Running-Your-Team-Into-the-Ground?&id=4339926] Corporate Wellness - Is Stress Running Your Team Into the Ground?
Friday, May 7, 2010
Corporate Wellness Solutions To In-Corporate 'Balance' Into Your Business
Imagine a company with happy, healthy employees, who handle the daily stresses of their job with ease and equanimity. Many studies have shown a link between job satisfaction and health, and some of the signs that your organisation is suffering are: sickness, absence, employee turnover, little socialization between employees, employees lunching at their desk (and you thought this meant they had high work ethics), no atmosphere, and low morale. (C. Cooper, 2006)
The key to better employee job satisfaction and a happier, healthier workplace is by leading people and leading your organisation in a way that promotes qualities of confidence, self esteem and health and proves to your employees that you have their interests as a part of your bottom line. Did you know that by utilising a Corporate Wellness Program in your company you can expect not only better employee morale but you will have a higher performing organization and greater results.
It is a cause and effect solution in how human capital and other seemingly intangible assets are linked to create a process, that enhances customer and financial results. Can you afford not to bring in a Corporate Wellness Program and still expect your company to thrive?
Speak to any business manager and the answer is the same: retention is a key issue that effect business success. "Companies often invest heavily in recruitment and development, yet many aren't taking the necessary steps to protect and retain that investment," states a top business coach when broached on the subject. It is a well proven fact that businesses large and small benefit on multiple fronts when they introduce a Corporate health and fitness program into their workplace. Positive outcomes of employee and managerial health and fitness solution are:
Reducing absenteeism and related costs
Staff recruitment and retention
Improving staff morale, motivation and productivity
Lowering the risk of stress and musculoskeletal related litigation
Can help as an integral part of your health and safety policy
Helping employees cope with stress related problems
Provide early intervention with diagnostic scanning
More and more managers are waking up to the benefits of workplace well being. It's clear that if we take healthy people and place them in an unhealthy environment - no matter what degree of hardiness and resilience they may have to begin with - the unhealthy environment will create unhealthy individuals. Is that how you sometimes feel? You arrived there full of energy and now you are stressed up to the max... or perhaps just the thought of going into work makes you feel mentally or even physically ill?
The symptoms are often difficult to treat and easily misdiagnosed because they hide behind other primary disorders such as... chronic absenteeism, nagging colds and flu, mental and physical illness as well as a lingering sense of dissatisfaction around the workplace. More often now we here reports of employees suing their company for putting them under stress. In one extreme case a Telstra employee committed suicide due to work related pressures... Makes you cringe, doesn't it?
Statistics reveal that the costs associated with loss of workplace well being can create a myriad of problems i.e. the occasional mental health day, or "sicky", is more often than not used to address family responsibility, social outings, friends associations, etc. Ultimately faced with mounting pressure, some employees simply just leave, at more often than not inconvenient times, leaving a big mess for some other unfortunate employee to clean up.
A recent survey of 1,100 Australians found that 25% of workers consider themselves to be desk potatoes, while 21% are tied to their desks for six to eight hours without a chance to stretch their legs. The survey, conducted by recruitment firm Talent2, also found that 47% of workers believe employers have an obligation to encourage and even subsidise fitness at work. In 2003, 38 per cent of AMP's employees participated in a health promotion activity. Of these, 98% found it beneficial and 68% were inspired to make a lifestyle change.
Popular programs can include: massage, yoga, pilates, nutrition, weight loss, smoking cessation, and exercise and can also include boot camps of various types to suit your organization. These program can build team cohesiveness, greater job satisfaction, and have wellness benefits that will eventuate in greater success for the entire company.
'balancenoosa' specialise in the preparation and administration of Corporate Massage, Pilates, Yoga and Corporate Fitness Programs. We are flexible with booking arrangements. We prefer to visit your premises and determine the optimal format for your session. We gauge factors such as the space available, lighting, number of participants and their skill level. Reward an entire team with pilates and massage, or energise a team with a fitness program and yoga. Perhaps a morning stretch class would do the trick?
One of our uniquely tailored 'balancenoosa' Corporate Wellness solutions will assist employees in dealing with the situation at hand i.e. the work load may remain the same, they will have more control of their emotions feelings and general well being. It's the Supervisors or Manages job to make the work load manageable. It's our job to ensure the people doing the job have a healthy mind set and the ability to complete the work and at the same time not becoming burnt out.
Helen Eames owns 'balancenoosa' an innovative business whose motto is, "wellness that comes to you" set in the heart of Noosa on the Sunshine Coast, Qld. Australia. 'balancenoosa' specialises in bringing specialist in different disciplines to your premises, allowing you to book the session of your choice and wait in the comfort of your own home.
'balancenoosa' also specialises in Corporate Wellness Solutions suitable for any organisation and Helen Eames the owner can be contacted via the website at: http://balancenoosa.com.au/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Corporate-Wellness-Solutions-To-In-Corporate-Balance-Into-Your-Business&id=1108553] Corporate Wellness Solutions To In-Corporate 'Balance' Into Your Business
The key to better employee job satisfaction and a happier, healthier workplace is by leading people and leading your organisation in a way that promotes qualities of confidence, self esteem and health and proves to your employees that you have their interests as a part of your bottom line. Did you know that by utilising a Corporate Wellness Program in your company you can expect not only better employee morale but you will have a higher performing organization and greater results.
It is a cause and effect solution in how human capital and other seemingly intangible assets are linked to create a process, that enhances customer and financial results. Can you afford not to bring in a Corporate Wellness Program and still expect your company to thrive?
Speak to any business manager and the answer is the same: retention is a key issue that effect business success. "Companies often invest heavily in recruitment and development, yet many aren't taking the necessary steps to protect and retain that investment," states a top business coach when broached on the subject. It is a well proven fact that businesses large and small benefit on multiple fronts when they introduce a Corporate health and fitness program into their workplace. Positive outcomes of employee and managerial health and fitness solution are:
Reducing absenteeism and related costs
Staff recruitment and retention
Improving staff morale, motivation and productivity
Lowering the risk of stress and musculoskeletal related litigation
Can help as an integral part of your health and safety policy
Helping employees cope with stress related problems
Provide early intervention with diagnostic scanning
More and more managers are waking up to the benefits of workplace well being. It's clear that if we take healthy people and place them in an unhealthy environment - no matter what degree of hardiness and resilience they may have to begin with - the unhealthy environment will create unhealthy individuals. Is that how you sometimes feel? You arrived there full of energy and now you are stressed up to the max... or perhaps just the thought of going into work makes you feel mentally or even physically ill?
The symptoms are often difficult to treat and easily misdiagnosed because they hide behind other primary disorders such as... chronic absenteeism, nagging colds and flu, mental and physical illness as well as a lingering sense of dissatisfaction around the workplace. More often now we here reports of employees suing their company for putting them under stress. In one extreme case a Telstra employee committed suicide due to work related pressures... Makes you cringe, doesn't it?
Statistics reveal that the costs associated with loss of workplace well being can create a myriad of problems i.e. the occasional mental health day, or "sicky", is more often than not used to address family responsibility, social outings, friends associations, etc. Ultimately faced with mounting pressure, some employees simply just leave, at more often than not inconvenient times, leaving a big mess for some other unfortunate employee to clean up.
A recent survey of 1,100 Australians found that 25% of workers consider themselves to be desk potatoes, while 21% are tied to their desks for six to eight hours without a chance to stretch their legs. The survey, conducted by recruitment firm Talent2, also found that 47% of workers believe employers have an obligation to encourage and even subsidise fitness at work. In 2003, 38 per cent of AMP's employees participated in a health promotion activity. Of these, 98% found it beneficial and 68% were inspired to make a lifestyle change.
Popular programs can include: massage, yoga, pilates, nutrition, weight loss, smoking cessation, and exercise and can also include boot camps of various types to suit your organization. These program can build team cohesiveness, greater job satisfaction, and have wellness benefits that will eventuate in greater success for the entire company.
'balancenoosa' specialise in the preparation and administration of Corporate Massage, Pilates, Yoga and Corporate Fitness Programs. We are flexible with booking arrangements. We prefer to visit your premises and determine the optimal format for your session. We gauge factors such as the space available, lighting, number of participants and their skill level. Reward an entire team with pilates and massage, or energise a team with a fitness program and yoga. Perhaps a morning stretch class would do the trick?
One of our uniquely tailored 'balancenoosa' Corporate Wellness solutions will assist employees in dealing with the situation at hand i.e. the work load may remain the same, they will have more control of their emotions feelings and general well being. It's the Supervisors or Manages job to make the work load manageable. It's our job to ensure the people doing the job have a healthy mind set and the ability to complete the work and at the same time not becoming burnt out.
Helen Eames owns 'balancenoosa' an innovative business whose motto is, "wellness that comes to you" set in the heart of Noosa on the Sunshine Coast, Qld. Australia. 'balancenoosa' specialises in bringing specialist in different disciplines to your premises, allowing you to book the session of your choice and wait in the comfort of your own home.
'balancenoosa' also specialises in Corporate Wellness Solutions suitable for any organisation and Helen Eames the owner can be contacted via the website at: http://balancenoosa.com.au/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Corporate-Wellness-Solutions-To-In-Corporate-Balance-Into-Your-Business&id=1108553] Corporate Wellness Solutions To In-Corporate 'Balance' Into Your Business
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Tips on Improving Corporate Health & Fitness
Employers can and should encourage healthy lifestyles from their employees. It not only improves their productivity which is good for the company, it DIRECTLY saves health care costs!
An amazing study just came out of Duke University. The study looked at workers' compensation data for 11,728 Duke University employees who received health-risk appraisals over a seven-year period.
What were the results for obese employees (compared to those who are not obese) as published in the Journal of Internal Medicine?
* Obese employees filed twice the number of workers' compensation claims
* Obese employees' medical costs from those claims were seven times higher
* Obese employees stayed out of work 13 times longer after a work-related injury or illness
* Obese employees medical claims cost per 100 employees per year was 51,019 USD compared to $7,503 USD for non-obese workers
* Obese employees lost 183 days of work per 100 employees as compared to 14 days for non-obese workers (that's 13 times more!)
Yeah but those guys were OBESE. Well it doesn't look good for the overweight/mildly obese either...
* Overweight employees took four times the number of days off after being injured or getting sick at work.
* Mildly obese employees took five times as many days off after being injured or getting sick at work.
And what are employers doing? The study reveals that...
"As many as 40 percent of employers are giving workers products, cash or health insurance discounts to lose weight," said Laura Linnan, the study's principal investigator and a professor at the University of North Carolina's School of Public Health.
Employers are getting scared off as well. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, assistant professor of medicine and health economist at Stanford University co-authored a 2005 study that showed employers compensate for anticipated higher medical costs of obese workers by paying them less than slimmer employees and passing them over for promotions.
What are we gathering from this?
Being fat is bad for employees (that's most of us) because it costs us in terms of career advancement and money, and its bad for employers because its affecting their profit margins when they pay for all these health costs.
Simple problem yes, simple to fix, not quite. We need to approach this troubling issue with a corporate fitness solution. 3 things that employers must do...
1. Adopt a fitness culture starting from the CEO knowing that it is best for the company
"We all know obesity is bad for the individual, but it isn't solely a personal medical problem -- it spills over into the workplace and has concrete economic costs," Dr. Truls Ostbye -author and professor of community and family medicine.
Well, if its not a personal or private medical problem then it becomes a community problem. That means the problem is larger, but the solution is also more permanent. Community solutions just work better. They work for gang violence and for addiction to vices. From my experiences as a fitness professional, community solutions work for health goals as well. Kickboxing, pilates, yoga, aerobics and other fitness classes or group activities have a higher penetration rate (about 12-15% in most health clubs) than personal training (2-3%). I believe that people stay on longer in group classes as well.
A community solution to corporate fitness has to be built into the company culture. Usually this is dictated by a CEO or a board of directors. If they are reading this article they are probably aware of the health challenges facing companies in this day and age. They are also probably aware that companies which have an adaptive culture that is able to handle changing circumstances tend to do really really well. 2-3 times as well profit-wise according to some studies. In addition, setting a fitness culture shows concern for employees (and allows them to be more productive) and in the long run costs less than paying for medical bills. As a minor side note, your employees will look healthy too and that in itself has its own host of benefits.
Once the CEO has decided that a fitness culture is needed and is in fact the course that the company needs to take, he can implement it in the same way he makes most culture changes.
* Align your company culture with your strategic goals (being fit saves money, makes your employees more productive and more attractive to customers, and increases profit)
* Develop a specific action plan that can leverage the good things in your current culture and correct the unaligned areas. (free employee breakfasts on Fridays may be good, but making it doughnuts and pancakes is BAD)
* Brainstorm improvements in your formal policies and daily practices. (allocate some work time to fitness and health education and activities, ensure managers lead by example, bringing healthy food into the cafeteria, allow 15 min breaks during work for healthy snacks)
* Develop models of the desired actions and behaviors. (how many hours a week minimum that an employee must exercise, social support and encouragement to make healthy eating not just acceptable but preferable, all management staff must enthusiastically take part)
* Communicate the new corporate fitness culture to all employees (tell everybody about it)
* Over-communicate the new corporate fitness culture and its actions to everyone. (tell everybody about it again and again, with checks to ensure that the new culture is followed)
Remember, often people don't do what you EXPECT. They do what you INSPECT.
2. Look for a professional you can trust
A respected fitness professional is a real asset to a corporation. Think about it. Companies get accounting firms to do their accounts and taxes, they get law firms to do their legal documents, and they get business consultants to check their business processes. So is it a big stretch to think that they should get a fitness professional to take care of company health and fitness?
Not at all. The best fitness pros will know how to approach corporate fitness. They will be able to advise on the set up of health facilities, run fitness classes, be good public speakers on more general topics like nutrition, and be able to give individual training programs for more difficult cases of extreme obesity or employees with past injuries and medical conditions.
3. Only accept success
No CEO would accept sub-standard work by an employee, neither would they accept failure on important projects, they wouldn't accept a lack of integrity with regard to finance either. Shouldn't this be the case with the company fitness program?
Like I mentioned in point 1, this new program has to be enforced. It's a kind of "tough love" that needs to happen. Hey Mr. CEO...take attendance at fitness classes, walk around the cafeteria at lunch to see what people are eating, do your managers speak as positively and motivationally about the fitness program as they do about meeting project deadlines?
There are only good things that can come out of a corporation that has a fitness focus. Corporate fitness has come a long way. I do know of companies that have gyms and health facilities for their staff.
But as usual we need to look for the person before we provide the place and the program. In this case there are 2 people. The fearless CEO with a vision and the fitness professional who can deliver the results.
Coach Jonathan Wong, is a sought after Singapore personal trainer and performance expert who has helped hundreds of clients in Singapore achieve their fitness, fat loss and sports performance goals. He is also a fitness author and a member of Singapore Men's Health Advisory Panel. Visit his website for a free 1500 page e-book, blog, newsletter and constant updates. http://www.coachjon.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Tips-on-Improving-Corporate-Health-and-Fitness&id=1882279] Tips on Improving Corporate Health & Fitness
An amazing study just came out of Duke University. The study looked at workers' compensation data for 11,728 Duke University employees who received health-risk appraisals over a seven-year period.
What were the results for obese employees (compared to those who are not obese) as published in the Journal of Internal Medicine?
* Obese employees filed twice the number of workers' compensation claims
* Obese employees' medical costs from those claims were seven times higher
* Obese employees stayed out of work 13 times longer after a work-related injury or illness
* Obese employees medical claims cost per 100 employees per year was 51,019 USD compared to $7,503 USD for non-obese workers
* Obese employees lost 183 days of work per 100 employees as compared to 14 days for non-obese workers (that's 13 times more!)
Yeah but those guys were OBESE. Well it doesn't look good for the overweight/mildly obese either...
* Overweight employees took four times the number of days off after being injured or getting sick at work.
* Mildly obese employees took five times as many days off after being injured or getting sick at work.
And what are employers doing? The study reveals that...
"As many as 40 percent of employers are giving workers products, cash or health insurance discounts to lose weight," said Laura Linnan, the study's principal investigator and a professor at the University of North Carolina's School of Public Health.
Employers are getting scared off as well. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, assistant professor of medicine and health economist at Stanford University co-authored a 2005 study that showed employers compensate for anticipated higher medical costs of obese workers by paying them less than slimmer employees and passing them over for promotions.
What are we gathering from this?
Being fat is bad for employees (that's most of us) because it costs us in terms of career advancement and money, and its bad for employers because its affecting their profit margins when they pay for all these health costs.
Simple problem yes, simple to fix, not quite. We need to approach this troubling issue with a corporate fitness solution. 3 things that employers must do...
1. Adopt a fitness culture starting from the CEO knowing that it is best for the company
"We all know obesity is bad for the individual, but it isn't solely a personal medical problem -- it spills over into the workplace and has concrete economic costs," Dr. Truls Ostbye -author and professor of community and family medicine.
Well, if its not a personal or private medical problem then it becomes a community problem. That means the problem is larger, but the solution is also more permanent. Community solutions just work better. They work for gang violence and for addiction to vices. From my experiences as a fitness professional, community solutions work for health goals as well. Kickboxing, pilates, yoga, aerobics and other fitness classes or group activities have a higher penetration rate (about 12-15% in most health clubs) than personal training (2-3%). I believe that people stay on longer in group classes as well.
A community solution to corporate fitness has to be built into the company culture. Usually this is dictated by a CEO or a board of directors. If they are reading this article they are probably aware of the health challenges facing companies in this day and age. They are also probably aware that companies which have an adaptive culture that is able to handle changing circumstances tend to do really really well. 2-3 times as well profit-wise according to some studies. In addition, setting a fitness culture shows concern for employees (and allows them to be more productive) and in the long run costs less than paying for medical bills. As a minor side note, your employees will look healthy too and that in itself has its own host of benefits.
Once the CEO has decided that a fitness culture is needed and is in fact the course that the company needs to take, he can implement it in the same way he makes most culture changes.
* Align your company culture with your strategic goals (being fit saves money, makes your employees more productive and more attractive to customers, and increases profit)
* Develop a specific action plan that can leverage the good things in your current culture and correct the unaligned areas. (free employee breakfasts on Fridays may be good, but making it doughnuts and pancakes is BAD)
* Brainstorm improvements in your formal policies and daily practices. (allocate some work time to fitness and health education and activities, ensure managers lead by example, bringing healthy food into the cafeteria, allow 15 min breaks during work for healthy snacks)
* Develop models of the desired actions and behaviors. (how many hours a week minimum that an employee must exercise, social support and encouragement to make healthy eating not just acceptable but preferable, all management staff must enthusiastically take part)
* Communicate the new corporate fitness culture to all employees (tell everybody about it)
* Over-communicate the new corporate fitness culture and its actions to everyone. (tell everybody about it again and again, with checks to ensure that the new culture is followed)
Remember, often people don't do what you EXPECT. They do what you INSPECT.
2. Look for a professional you can trust
A respected fitness professional is a real asset to a corporation. Think about it. Companies get accounting firms to do their accounts and taxes, they get law firms to do their legal documents, and they get business consultants to check their business processes. So is it a big stretch to think that they should get a fitness professional to take care of company health and fitness?
Not at all. The best fitness pros will know how to approach corporate fitness. They will be able to advise on the set up of health facilities, run fitness classes, be good public speakers on more general topics like nutrition, and be able to give individual training programs for more difficult cases of extreme obesity or employees with past injuries and medical conditions.
3. Only accept success
No CEO would accept sub-standard work by an employee, neither would they accept failure on important projects, they wouldn't accept a lack of integrity with regard to finance either. Shouldn't this be the case with the company fitness program?
Like I mentioned in point 1, this new program has to be enforced. It's a kind of "tough love" that needs to happen. Hey Mr. CEO...take attendance at fitness classes, walk around the cafeteria at lunch to see what people are eating, do your managers speak as positively and motivationally about the fitness program as they do about meeting project deadlines?
There are only good things that can come out of a corporation that has a fitness focus. Corporate fitness has come a long way. I do know of companies that have gyms and health facilities for their staff.
But as usual we need to look for the person before we provide the place and the program. In this case there are 2 people. The fearless CEO with a vision and the fitness professional who can deliver the results.
Coach Jonathan Wong, is a sought after Singapore personal trainer and performance expert who has helped hundreds of clients in Singapore achieve their fitness, fat loss and sports performance goals. He is also a fitness author and a member of Singapore Men's Health Advisory Panel. Visit his website for a free 1500 page e-book, blog, newsletter and constant updates. http://www.coachjon.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Tips-on-Improving-Corporate-Health-and-Fitness&id=1882279] Tips on Improving Corporate Health & Fitness
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