Steps to improve your workplace wellness

With employees spending eight to 10 hours of their day in the workplace, it is important for businesses to have an environment of wellness present. Studies show that when companies provide wellness programs, employees feel valued and businesses save money while improving their productivity.

Our nation is in a health crisis. About 65 percent of American adults are not physically active, contributing to astounding rates of heart disease and a huge increase in type II diabetes. This costs the U.S. billions in health care each year. According to the American Heart Association, "Obesity-related diseases account for nearly 10 percent of all medical spending in the United States." Heart disease and type II diabetes are obesity-related diseases that stem from poor nutritional habits and sedentary lifestyles.

Businesses taking a proactive step toward health not only help reduce their employees' disease rates, but they benefit the employer as well. Many companies see a return on their workplace wellness investments in as little as one year. Healthy employees have less absenteeism, higher productivity rates, lower health care costs and serve as a positive advocate for your company.

When many think of wellness, they tend to dwell only on physical wellness, that of being active. Although this aspect may have the most profound effect on our lives, overall wellness is comprised of six different areas, all of which are just as important and are dependent on each other. These areas are:

* Social

* Emotional

* Intellectual

* Spiritual

* Environmental

* Physical

One of the most often overlooked wellness aspects is environmental. This plays very big part in creating a healthy workplace. Office environments most often are stressful due to heavy workloads, the economy, employee relationships and the general office atmosphere. When employees don't get along and are constantly at odds with each other, this creates an overly stressful work environment that affects your entire business.

Thankfully, as a manager, there are ways you can help relieve conflict in a positive manner. Team building and communication activities can be very helpful. Even eliminating little stressors such as which employees sit next to each other can help a great deal. If the workplace is hostile or overly stressful, chances are it has huge health implications for your employees, while negatively impacting the overall productivity of your workplace. Unmanaged stress leads to hypertension, stroke, cardiovascular disease, increased risk of diabetes and in some instances cancer. Hypertension and diabetes are two of the three leading health issues that cause employees to miss work.

Wellness programs can be implemented along a wide cost spectrum from promoting physical activity to adopting a comprehensive wellness program. Your scope of wellness programs will probably depend on your company's size and capabilities. By doing little things, you can change your office environment and your employees' lives.

When starting a wellness program make sure you include all areas of wellness. Look at office relationships, managing stress, encouraging physical activity and healthy eating as well as getting regular medical and dental exams, and smoking-cessation programs. Find out what your employees' needs are and what your business' capabilities are. Use your resources and think outside the box. For example, you might be able to partner with a fitness facility close to your business. Or if you have empty space available, utilize it to start your own fitness center. Ask employees to donate their home's idle exercise equipment and old exercise videos (you do want to make sure that this equipment is safe for use, but you might be surprised at how many donations you will get). Empty offices can also be used for relaxation rooms, where employees can go to get away from work for a few minutes. Soft lights and soothing music go a long way. Your program doesn't have to be huge and expensive to have life changing impact on your company.

Here are 10 easy ideas that can add up to huge wellness benefits.

* Provide each employee with a company cup and encourage them to fill it with water eight to ten times a day.

* Give your employees a movement break - 10 minutes devoted to walking.

* Replace candy dishes with fruit bowls.

* Start an office team to participate in local walking and running events. As your team trains together, it will help build positive office relationships.

* Friday Fitness Day bring in local fitness instructors to lead a class for your employees - yoga, tai chi, pilates, body toning, aerobics, etc.

* Walking meetings don't sit in the boardroom: go out for a walk and have your meeting.

* Offer chair massages for employees during your most stressful times five to 10 minutes can be very beneficial.

* Give your employees a yearly wellness account and reimburse them for fitness center memberships, purchase of exercise equipment, sports equipment, exercise clothing, etc. This amount depends on what your company can afford some people might be happy with as little as $25.

* Encourage your employees to attend a health fair or sponsor a health fair at your company.

* Hold monthly potluck lunches featuring healthy foods and desserts.

These are simple and affordable options that you can quickly implement. Remember, when your employees feel better, they'll have more confidence and energy. And feeling good, they'll do a better job for you. Everybody wins.

To get started on your own wellness program go to these helpful resources:

http://www.health.gov/paguidelines, www.americanheart.org/workplacewellness.org and www.uswwa.org. In addition, TMCC's Workforce Development and Continuing Education Division's customized business training is experienced at conducting employee wellness workshops.

Andrea Simone-Call is the lead instructor for physical education, personal training and corporate wellness for TMCC's Workforce Development and Continuing Education Division. Contact her at acall@tmcc.edu.