Wellness programs are a second-hand
response to an evident need for people to take better care of themselves. The
programs often are sponsored by employers as a means of making their workforce
more stable and healthy. For a FREE wellness program consultation, please call 1-888-324-6178 today.
The programs are work-centered because it is in a company’s best interests to encourage employees to become more health. Sometimes the programs are initiated by a workplace insurance company for the same reason: to improve the physical conditioning and stamina of employees. But the insurance company’s interest is in reducing medical claims on policies.
The Wellness Councils of America have estimated that eight in 10 health insurance claims are a consequence of people being in chronically health because they do not practice good wellness habits. In other words, the sick employees are tobacco users, eat poorly or immoderately, fail to exercise with any regularity, and generally are hurting themselves and denying their employers full productive capacity.
Businesses that are not large enough to run their own preventive / wellness programs for employees sometimes let insurers do so. The outside providers health and wellness programs, provide a nurse or exercise specialist to work with employees, and produce health assessments by which employers can monitor their progress and partner with their doctors along the way.
Programs offered by insurers include nutrition classes, where food values and consumption habits are taught. These can help obese employees as well as workers who simply are not eating the foods necessary to produce needed energy and mental acuity. Some programs will offer extended weight loss activities, playing on the group dynamic to encourage individual effort.
Probably the most popular wellness programs are exercise events. These can range from on-campus or after-work aerobic classes to strength-building and flexibility activities. The key to success of such programs is long-term commitment. In recent decades, smoke cessation programs have become popular as cigarette smoking continues to lose its cachet.
Besides the health benefits that accrue to participants in wellness programs, other rewards sometimes are given by companies. Prizes of one kind or another are offered to those who endure in their exercise, smoke cessation, or weight loss programs. And health insurance companies sometimes offer discounts to participants whose health has measurably improved.
