Archive for June, 2009

Health Tips A to Z : Worksite Wellness Programs

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

Company health and fitness are not just words to be spouted so people think the company cares about its workers. Health and fitness are significant concepts that are just as vital to a company as finance and sales.

That’s because the health of its employees is one of the major determinants of the health of the employer. Organization employees labor long and difficult hours and at times the price they pay becomes an unhealthy lifestyle.

A responsible employer does not want its employees to be worried with a myriad of somber health problems. A Workplace Health Promotion Program is a consolidation of an employees desire to fit exercise into a busy schedule and a company’s desire for a active labor force.

It’s a takeover of poor health affecting business work.

Employee Health Promotion Programs – Benefits

Bearer bonds are owned by whoever has them in hand. Their value to the individual who carries them is realized by ownership. Health operates under the same concept.

An employee and the business must take ownership of the Company Wellness Program concept. A business has many options as to how it creates a health and Company Wellness Programs.

• A consultant employer writes a employer specific fitness plan
• A Corporate Health Promotion Program professional and the business jointly create a fitness plan
• An internet based fitness professional can be utilized
• A personal trainer at a gym develops a organization program
• Business can create its own plan without assistance from outside professionals.

A Employee Wellness Program may center around a program at a gym. It can also be based at the worksite itself, making it easily accessible to workers.

Utilizing a consultant provides means the employer gets knowledge based assistance in evaluating workers. Each employee gets an evaluation of basic health status. Customized fitness plans are instituted and progress is monitored.

A qualified consultant can be available at the health center, or visit onsite as schedules. Some employers hire a fitness trainer to work directly with staff members on an ongoing basis at the workplace. Other employers pay for the services of a trainer at the nearest health center.

The company health and Employee Wellness Programs vary. A company may institute a fitness plan that includes staff members and their families by paying for family membership at the fitness center.

The advantages of this plan is that the whole family can use the health club, which encourages participation. Many  employers pay for the entire cost of the Workplace Health Promotion Program at a health club.

Some corporations pay a portion while the employee must pay the difference. Others only pay part and the employee pays the balance. Some business fitness plans are multi-layered and offer a wide range of exercise classes and seminars on diet.

There are group activities and daily tips for improving health. Some plans are very simple in that most of the internal Worksite Health Promotion Program is mostly information. All exercise is done outside the corporation at the gym.

It doesn’t matter what form the plan takes. The point is that a Employee Health Promotion Program is significant for the success of the company and the health of the employees. Taking care of its most significant assets, the employees, only makes sense.

Employee Wellness Programs – Like Stock Options?

Companies offer stock options, whereby employees can buy stock in the employer. It is another form of ownership. Staff Members have many choices when it comes to fitness.

Their health needs, genetics, work environment and current physical condition all play into the structure of the Company Wellness Program. It is up to the company to offer a program that involves all workers so that maximum benefits are realized on both sides.

In other words, workers have plenty of choices and the organization realizes real dollar savings through a healthier labor force.

Health Tips A to Z : Corporation Fitness Program

Monday, June 29th, 2009

Company Fitness Program – Group Effort

Employers are expected to be socially responsible in today’s culture. It used to be workers had few amenities, because the business didn’t see any benefit to the business.

Times have changed drastically. Corporations now know that the health of its employee workforce is indicative of the health of the organization itself. The organization physical activity program was introduced to encourage healthy employee lifestyles, even while at work.

Half The Time

Stress is a huge factor in how we control a heavy workload. Stress impacts our physical and mental wellbeing. It even creates a chemical that is processed into fat by our bodies. A corporation exercise program uses exercise and health information to train workers how to stay physically healthy.

When in-shape, the body and mind is much better able to control stress. Stress has a lot of side effects. It can cause inattention, sickness and high Blood Pressure (BP). These effects in turn cost the organization a lot of money in absenteeism, poor productiveness and higher healthcare costs.

A corporation physical activity program makes fitness a priority in the corporation among its workers. In return, a physical activity program provides many rewards to the corporation.

• Increased work rate because of improvements in health
• Greater employee concentration due to minimization of stress effects
• General better morale
• Declined absenteeism

You usually hear people who are under an abundance of stress say, “I do not know why I did that” when they make a mistake. The truth is they probably really do not be aware of that their concentration is misdirected because of stress.

I Want to Participate

A business physical activity program can take many forms.

• Fitness Program can be set up at the business’s facility and managed by an employee
• Organization fitness program  can have a organization membership with a nearby fitness club
• Exercise Program can be under contract with a fitness trainer who comes to the employer’s facility and coordinates the program, including employee assessments
• Exercise Program can be managed by an employee workplace using the services of a web based fitness program

A company fitness program can be modified in almost any way necessary to accommodate the company and its workers.

Usually, in any program, seminars are available periodically also to inform workers of current health problems and trends. As a minimum, a corporation program normally will offer the following:

• Aerobics for cardiovascular conditioning
• Abdomen strength building
• General muscle toning
• Exercises for improved flexibility

More elaborate programs will provide employee courses, workshops and health club equipment. Organization programs can be adapted to any organization and any budget.

Why Will This Work

We spend an abundance of time at our place of employment. It’s simple for workers to skip working out, blaming it on lack of time. Using professional fitness services like those found here takes away the excuses that are costing the employer money.

Health Tips A to Z : Corporation Physical Activity Programs and Wellness

Sunday, June 28th, 2009

Corporation Exercise Programs and Wellness – A Clear Message

Organization culture varies from company to company. Some organizations are strict and formal while others are more laid back. But one thing most have learned is that the health of their staff members impacts the health of the company itself.

Because of this, many organizations have started corporation health and Employee Wellness Programs. By doing so, the company’s owners send a clear message to their workers that health is a priority and ought to be taken seriously.

Just by the fact that the corporation is willing to spend money to implement and maintain a Corporate Wellness Program indicates by itself that good health equates to dollars and Corporate Wellness Program equates to healthy workers.

No Smoking

A corporate fitness and Worksite Health Promotion Program can be as simple as a ‘no smoking’ policy to a menu of health and fitness services. Usually, the programs fall right in the middle. There are many fitness centers that provide Worksite Health Promotion Programs. A organization has a variety of choices when it comes to deciding on how to deliver a Wellness plan.

• Hire an outside health expert to deliver an employee program to current facility
• Utilize a professional in the original design of a new facility
• Create a Employee Health Promotion Program manager responsible for coordinating the company fitness program
• Use an internet-based health trainer as a consultant

The first step in starting any corporation fitness and Corporate Wellness Program is to evaluate the condition of the workers. The kind of work a corporation does will guide the focus of the program.

For example, a warehouse operation may be interested in developing employee strength to avoid back and neck injuries. A building of office workers with sedentary jobs will need aerobic conditioning. A company program is customized to meet the needs of its workers.

Online fitness trainers are professionals at designing programs for different sized groups. They can modify exercises and diets to any postion. They can also save a company money by beginning a plan that is streamlined yet effective.

Result Oriented

A company fitness and Employee Health Promotion Program has direct benefits, not just for the employees, but for the company as well.

• Declined Medical Care claims as employee health advances
• Reduced cases of obesity
• Less use of sick leave
• Workers able to deal with stress better
• Healthy workers less likely to be injured

It is not unusual to discover a gym in an office building anymore. Easy access to workout equipment and a fitness professional encourages employees to follow a program. By using an professional, a company can provide something for everyone – pregnant women, older employees, walkers, active adults, mothers, overweight people, fathers and others.

Health Tips A to Z : Organization Exercise Programs

Saturday, June 27th, 2009

Business Physical Activity Programs – A Merger

Employer fitness sounds like buzz words, but it has become an valuable concept in the work place. Workers in the corporation society are willing to work long and difficult hours.

In exchange they expect the corporation to be willing to make accommodations. A corporation fitness plan is a complete program that mergers corporation and employee health needs.

Taking Stock

Employers have a social responsibility. They take care of the environment, donate money to worthy causes and take part in school programs. But for many organizations, the social awareness begins with their very own staff members.

The employees who are fit make better employees. Studies have shown that up to 75 percent of illness is related to lifestyle. So for a organization fitness program to work it must teach employees fitness as a complete lifelong plan. Since we spend at least 1/3 of our day at work, it only makes sense to make fitness available at the worksite.

• Screen for topics that could guide to primary health ailments in the future, such as Blood Pressure (BP) and glucose levels
• Inform employees on diet
• Examine stress levels as a function of employment
• Make exercise equipment or sessions available
• Provide adequate time for involvement in exercise program
• Provide disease deterence programs such as immunization
• Offer incentive programs for program participation

On A Mission

There are many ways a company can start a company fitness plan. A professional company can be hired to write a complete fitness plan. Or a professional can endorse a company begin a plan the company developed. The professional assistance can be internet based, at the workplace, or at a health center.

When a professional fitness organization is hired, employees are assessed based on their workload. Individual exercise plans are put into place and progress is monitored. Some businesses hire a certified fitness trainer to work directly with employees on an ongoing basis at the workplace.

Other companies pay for the services of a trainer at the nearest health center. To read what personal fitness can do for your business visit this page.

There are many options a business can choose among. Corporations often establish fitness plans that include employee families. For example, if the business purchased a business gym membership, families of workers are given use of the facilities also.

This promotes family unity in addition to fitness. Some employers pay for fitness plans in their entirety. Others only pay part and the employee pays the balance. There are elaborate plans that provide classes and group exercises and seminars. There are simpler plans that provide access to basic fitness facilities.

But no matter what form the employer fitness plan takes, as a minimum, the program will instruct on nutrition and provide opportunity for exercises that tone, strengthen and improve flexibility. A employer that takes care of its employees finds that the employees will take care of the employer.

Health Tips A to Z : Establishing a Employer Exercise Team

Friday, June 26th, 2009

Growing a Company Exercise Team From Nine-To-Five

People spend an abundance of time at their job, and work environments are full of stress. Downsizing, mergers, increasing production specifications and extended hours take their toll on employee health.

It can be measured in growing absenteeism and growing health costs. It is time to reverse the trend. Growing a business exercise team could be the perfect solution. Driving each other to start a physical activity program will reap big outcomes for the workers and the business.

Working Overtime

It is simple to find excuses to skip working out. One of them is always ‘not sufficient time’. But 2 walks for 15 minutes each has the same health benefit as 1 walk for 30 minutes. This fact makes building employer exercise team programs simple.

Most businesses hire a fitness professional. The fitness professional can develop a plan the employer can manage itself or let the fitness professional start and monitor. Either way, there are lots of ways for staff members to exercise during the day.

• Go on walks outside during breaks or lunch
• Attend sponsored exercise classes at an in-house health club or a local health club before or after work
• Climb stairs instead of taking the elevators, measuring the number of stairs each week
• Perform stretching exercises every hour to keep refreshed and alert

But it works even better when teamwork is added to the mix. A organization is as good as its employees. Every organization operates on the concept of good teamwork to fulfill its mission and provide great customer service. What better way to begin that process than by building a organization exercise group?

The rapport that is created among employees working out together will carry over into the worksite itself. It is a well-known fact that group movement promote cooperation and exercise offers the perfect common activity.

All humans need to exercise to maintain fitness. With a corporation physical activity program, the corporation can convey its belief in team spirit, cooperative goals and strategy development.

A local personal trainer can be hired to come worksite or the employer can hire a internet-based trainer. Either way, tracking the progress of each employee’s fitness level as they take part in the exercise group projects will encourage participation.

Moonlighting

There are numerous types of fitness programs that can be offered to benefit a worksite.

• A mixture of aerobics exercises followed by strength movements
• Circuit training at the gym
• Tai Chi Ch’uan for relaxation and stress control
• Step classes
• Body sculpting
• A series of progressive exercise classes offering steady fitness change
• Specialty classes for people over 55 or for pregnant women

On this page you can find a personal trainer who can show how building a business exercise group programs works.

A corporation will find that once employees begin to feel in-shape, the physical activity program will carry over into their personal life. Now that is healthy moonlighting!

Health Tips A to Z : Benefits Of Employee Wellness Programs

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

Organizations are expected to be responsible in every way. They protect the environment, contribute to local area projects and pay taxes. They also are concerned about the health of their workers.

One of the benefits of wellness programs is they give staff members every opportunity to improve their quality of life both at their place of employment and after their place of employment.

Wellness is not just about doing a few exercises. It is a all-inclusive service-oriented program that considers diet, central fitness and job fitness.

Advantages of Workplace Health Promotion Programs

The Benefits of Corporate Health Promotion Programs form a long list.

• Betteremployee productivity
• Betteremployee concentration
• Greater morale
• Lower absenteeism

The advantages of wellness programs can’t be belittled. With one-on-one consultation and group programs, staff members learn to control stress in a constructive manner.

This not only betters life at work, it betters customer service and the quality of life with our personal relationships. Everyone who works has experienced those days when the stress of the job goes home with you because of the impact stress has on general wellbeing.

Stress creates a chemical that expands fat generation in bodies.

A wellness program enables staff members to deal with stress in such a manner they 1. lower stress caused sickness and 2. don’t carry the stress of employment with them throughout non-work activities.

The benefits of a wellness program are the result of the use of exercise and nutrition goal setting to teach staff members how to stay physically in-shape.

It is much easier for the body to manage stress when the whole body is healthy. employees who are not active directly cost the business a lot of money in absenteeism, greater healthcare costs and lost productivity.

Employee relations can also suffer as a result of employees who feel daily stress of the job.

Advantages of Company Wellness Programs – Satisfaction Guaranteed

The Advantages of wellness programs are both tangible and intangible.

• Current chronic illnesses are addressed to avoid further physical deterioration
• Preventive Worksite Wellness Programs keep healthcare costs lower over time
• Staff Members experience greater energy which expands productivity
• Unhealthy snacking in the workplace is addressed
• Ergonomics are studied to decrease employee injury potential
• Employee flexibility is increased
• Self-image of employees is improved
• Employee cooperation developed through physical activity programs
• Resolutions to health and fitness concerns are given

The advantages of business exercise program cover onsite and off-site services customized to match business goals. Even if a program is in place, it can be changed or expanded to suit the needs of the business and its staff members.

Regular assessments, health education, health management and health consulting services are some of the many advantages of wellness programs monitored by Employee Health Promotion Program experts. Among the many choices available, a organization program normally will provide the following as a minimum.

• Physical Exercise
• Core muscle building
• Muscle strengthening
• Greater flexibility
• Dietary analysis and changes

Wellness programs vary depending on the size of the business, availability to fitness equipment and budget. But no matter what shape the Workplace Wellness Program takes, the Advantages of Workplace Wellness Programs will enhance overriding employee satisfaction. This reaps big benefits for the business.

Help your workers be the very best they can be mentally and physically, by realizing the Benefits of Company Health Promotion Programs.

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Rewards of Workplace Wellness Programs – Life on Loan

It is easy for workers to ignore the facts about their health when they are involved in just getting the work done. One of the major advantages of Employee Health Promotion Programs is they bring health to the forefront of organization awareness.

Obesity is a major topic and getting worse every day. But it is just one topic among many. Employee health maintenance has become so expensive that it is the fastest growing component of many corporate budgets.

An effective Corporate Wellness Program can slow down the rate of increase and help workers realize they have a responsibility to themselves and their families to care for their own Health and Wellness. Each person is given a gift of life and it is imperative that life be cared for carefully.

Benefits of Company Wellness Programs

The advantages of wellness programs include the following:

• Better awareness of detrimental actions such as smoking
• Reduction in employee weight and subsequent ailments
• Convenience of programs for company and workers
• Tracking of employee physical activity program results
• Availability of a fitness consultant

Staff Members are assessed one-on-one at the corporation or where there is corporation membership. Expert Employee Health Promotion Program instructors create a custom fitted plan that insures the employee will have a fitness program that meets their current physical condition and lifestyle.

One of the major reasons that physical activity programs fail is because people set unrealistic expectations. They are always ‘in debt’ to their program, unable to meet the specifications. A employer personal trainer can help each person set realizable objective and design a program that is progressive.

The advantages of wellness programs are well documented in reports and can be seen in reduced medical care costs and higher productiveness.

Rewards of Corporate Health Promotion Programs

At times a high interest rate can be a good thing for a corporation – like when there is high employee interest in a Workplace Health Promotion Program.

The advantages of Company Wellness Programs apply to the organization and the employees.

• Lesshealthcare claims as employee health improves
• Less cases of obesity
• Reduced cholesterol rates
• Increased cardiovascular health
• Reduced incidences of high Blood Pressure (BP)
• Fewer use of sick time
• Enhanced stress management
• Active employees are less likely to be injured
• Less disability claims

Today, you can usually find a exercise room in an office building for employee convenience. That is an indication of the level of effectiveness of a fitness program.

The advantages of wellness programs comprise of prevention of common healthcare conditions that once were considered rare.

The increase in employee health nets the organization a cut back in medical care care costs and that savings flows directly to the bottom line of the financial report. There are really no negatives to a Wellness program.

The rewards of wellness programs are so outstanding; it is hard to be aware of why any organization would choose not to include a fitness plan for their employees. Look online and see for yourself the world of opportunity to improve the health of your employees and your organization.

Health Tips A to Z : Measuring Program Results

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009

Information to evaluate your program comes from regularly collected assessment and follow-up data of your program that look at process and outcomes of your program.

The Worker Health Program has available a computerized case-management system which includes queries that allow easy assessment of process and outcome results at any point in time.

Process Assessment

Process assessment looks at the  Corporate Wellness Program’s influence as seen at various points in time.

Information that is gathered from the various forms that wellness employees fill out should supply you with the following:

• How many employees were screened?
• How many workers who were referred to a doctor went?
• How many workers who expressed interest in health improvement programs went?
• How many employees who were referred to health improvement programs went?
• How many staff members who went to health improvement programs completed them?
• How many workers are in follow-up caseload?

You can use this sort of process evaluation to evaluate and learn about the health of your program.

Outcome Evaluation

A central intention of the program is to better the health of staff members. Information on how to judge how well your program is meeting this intention is called “outcome assessment” because you are evaluating the end results or outcome of your program.

In wellness programs, objectives are gauged by specific (outcomes) behavior changes and reductions in health risk levels. Have employees lowered their Blood Pressure? Have they lost weight? Are they working out more? Is alcohol consumption at a safe level? By way of example these are the types of questions you can ask to find out if you are reaching your objectives:

• For workers with elevated Blood Pressure (BP) (140 / 90 or higher or on medication) at assessment, what percentage have it under control (below 140 / 90) a year later?
• What is the shift in average Blood Pressure (BP) levels among all workers with elevated Blood Pressure (BP) 1 year after screening? Two years later?
• For staff members with high blood cholesterol levels (above 240) at screening, what percentage has reduced their cholesterol to borderline-high levels (200-239)?
• For employees with borderline-elevated blood cholesterol levels, what percentages have reduced their cholesterol to the desirable range (below 200)?
• What is the change in average cholesterol levels among all workers with high and borderline-high blood cholesterol levels 1 year after screening? Two years later?
• For workers who were overweight at screening, what percentage have lost 20 pounds or more a year later? Ten pounds or more? What is the average weight loss?
• For employees who were smokers at screening, what percentages have quit smoking? For at least a year?
• For workers whose level of alcohol consumption put them at-risk at assessment, what percentage have quit drinking alcohol? Are consuming alcohol at levels considered safe by CDC ground rules? Have reduced their drinking, but are still at-risk?
• For staff members, what percentages are working out at least three times a week for at least 20 minutes?
• If fitness levels were measured, what percentages have improved fitness?

Set a regular time such as every 6 months to look at which workers your program is reaching and how effective it is at supporting them lower their health risks. Use this information to make new decisions about how to direct your program efforts. Then make the change you need to better your program.

Some may feel that evaluation is a frill; it is not. Screening is a necessary part of a wellness program. You will need to be aware of what is working and what is not. Decision-makers who fund the program need to be updated on the effectiveness of the program. Evaluation will offer you with necessary data to maintain and expand the program and convince management to continue to support the program.

Health Tips A to Z : The keys to a successful wellness program are persistent one-on-one outreach and follow-up counseling to encourage health improvement, adherence to treatment regimens, changes in lifestyle behaviors, and to prevent relapse. Regualr outreach and follow-up procedures provide employees with a safety net which keeps them involved in the program and prevents treatment dropout and relapse.

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009

Counselors should follow up on workers at least every 6 months throughout the career of the employee at the worksite. The objectives and goals of follow-up are to:

• Involve employees who have health risks in treatment and risk reduction programs.
• Involve all staff members in health improvement programs and workplace-wide wellness activities.
• Support staff members in carrying out the risk reduction or health improvement activities they have chosen.
• Help staff members comply with their treatment regimens.
• Prevent relapse.
• Prevent workers from dropping out.
• Help staff members maintain behavior changes.

Follow-up can be conducted in person, by phone, mail, and via computer if the technology is available. Most preferable is an in-person contact. Computer programs which can do case load management are available to help counselors track information and perform follow-up.

Priorities for Follow-Up

People with multiple health risks ought to be at the top of the list. People in key positions such as union leaders or department heads with health risks ought to also be contacted early so that they learn what the program is about and can share the information with others.

People who need a healthcare assessment for high Blood Pressure (BP) or blood lipids ought to also be targeted early. Many workers will have seen their doctors as a result of the screening, but some will need more encouragement to do so. Those with no health risks can be followed up annually.

A follow-up counseling session can take 20 to 45 minutes. At minimum, follow-up must include those who were told to seek health care assessment for high Blood Pressure readings, high blood lipid readings, or borderline high blood cholesterol readings with 2 or more other risk factors.

It may include those who were identified as at-risk for one or more of the other primary risk factors: at-risk levels of alcohol consumption, being overweight, and having low HDL.

Follow-Up With Physicians

A letter (see forms) must be sent to the physician or clinic of each employee who has elevated Blood Pressure (BP), elevated blood lipids, or is under a physician’s care.

The letter must explain the program and must include the employee’s relevant, current health measurements.

Along with the letter, send a self-addressed return envelope. Follow-up with the physician should be repeated every 6 months until it is established that the employee is under satisfactory control.

Contacting the physician is valuable for three reasons:

• The doctors receive workers’ health measurements taken at the workplace.
• You receive the Blood Pressure (BP) and blood lipid readings the doctor takes and information on the treatment the doctor prescribes. Many times the employee does not have this information or does not remember it. The information can be used when counseling the employee.
• Follow-up encourages physicians to pay closer attention to heart disease risk factors among their patients.

Health Tips A to Z : Menu Approach of Services

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

The menu approach offers workers a range of options to support lifestyle changes. It allows people to choose the kind of help that suits their schedules and preferences.

The four basic types of programs include:
• Classes
• Minigroups
• Guided self help
• Individual counseling

Classes

Classes (8 or more) can be an effective means of offering education and social support for behavior change. The length of a class can vary depending on topic requirements. It is not sufficient to offer only classes at a workplace.

Many employees are under time constraints with after work commitments and even though they may be interested they simply cannot participate because of their schedules.

employees may be very eager to begin a program but because of lack of participants to meet class quotas, the program is canceled. Many national organizations such as the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, Weight Watchers, etc. offer classes; you ought to have little trouble in identifying a provider for class type programs.

You may want to contact your local hospital, health department, or YMCA for possible options. For selecting a vendor to offer a program you may want to review the section on program structure.

Minigroups

When there is not enough interest to create a class, those who are interested in a given health topic can be formed into a minigroup (2 to 7).

The minigroup can cover the same content as a class but do so in a less formal manner. Presentation of information and discussion is the major format of the minigroup.

Guided Self-Help

Most workers do not want formal help in making health changes; they prefer to do it on their own. In guided self-help, the wellness counselors provide support, materials, and encouragement.

Meeting times can be arranged and contact can be made either in person, by phone, or computer. Materials can be made available at the workplace, or mailed to the individual. Some worksites now make information available via intranets or the Internet.

Individual Counseling

One of the most successful ways to help people change and better their health status is counseling (or coaching) on a one-on-one basis.

In published research studies, wellness programs which incorporated individual counseling as part of the program process achieved significantly higher participation rates and achieved greater risk reduction/risk elimination than standard group programs. Studies have demonstrated that individual counseling is both cost effective and cost constructive.

A wellness counselor must be trained in assessment techniques, for in certain situations, they may be required to both screen people and counsel them. They must know how to do the following:

• Review employee health risks
• Contact staff members who have health risks.
• Counsel employees on a one-on-one basis, helping them set objectives and goals, solve concerns, and get expert help when they need it.
• Help staff members follow their treatment recommendations and make lifestyle and health behavior changes.
• Recruit workers into health improvement programs, such as weight loss and smoking cessation.
• Work with employees on a one-on-one basis using guided self-help.
• Conduct classes and minigroups if necessary.
• Work with Workplace Health Promotion Program Committee members to plan and conduct worksite-wide wellness activities.

Wellness counselors are health generalists; they must have basic knowledge about a wide range of health issues and health risks.

Counselors must be able to talk with staff members about their medical care problems and the treatments prescribed by their doctors. They should have a great overview of nutrition, exercise physiology, pathophysiology of disease, pharmacology, psychology, and behavior modification skills.

Health Tips A to Z : Stress Management

Sunday, June 21st, 2009

The educational program should include approaches to stress awareness/reduction at the environmental level and at the individual level.

Social, physical, and organization stressors should be explained and methods to ease or elevate stressors should be presented. At the individual level how changes in attitudes and behaviors help one to cope with stressors; learning techniques to minimize stress response, such as meditation, relaxation response, and exercise.

Content of the program should offer the following:
• Identifying sources of stress
• Relationship of stress to health
• How the individual experiences stress, personal, family, work
• Solutions for coping and managing stress
• Techniques for reducing stress
• Value of stress, both detrimental and beneficial
• Practical steps of incorporating stress reduction into lifestyle

Personnel conducting stress management programs must have training in psychology, behavioral sciences, or related disciplines such as mental health professionals, counselors, health educators, psychologists, and psychiatrists. Training in a reputable program on how to instruct the stress management course including group process skills is a must.

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