Corporate America agrees that employee wellness programs are good for business. According to the 2011 Employee Benefits report by SHRM, 60% of firms surveyed currently offer some type of employee wellness programming. Fitness center reimbursements are offered by 30% of the organizations surveyed, while 24% provide an onsite fitness center.

The case for employee wellness programming includes favorable data on reduced health care costs and increased worker productivity, among other metrics.

The usual data, however, may be failing to capture two of the most profound benefits of physical activity based employee wellness programs: improved mental health and increased mental performance.

As a result, many firms may be missing an opportunity to implement physical activity-based worksite programming that could lead to greater innovation and execution.

Two recent articles illuminate this opportunity.

A McClatchy commentary by IHRSA’s Executive VP of Public Policy notes: “The benefits that exercise brings to mental health are just one more reason why we need to implement public policies and community strategies that facilitate physical activity…When an individual is both physically and mentally well, he or she is more productive, more innovative, takes fewer sick days, contributes more to the gross domestic product, and collects fewer employer and government-paid disability and unemployment claims. In short, investing today in America’s physical and mental health is investing in our country’s future prosperity.”

A paper by Jack Groppel and Ben Wiegand of Wellness & Prevention, Inc. dives deeper into the biology of business performance and the relation to physical activity. “Remaining sedentary for extended periods (e.g. sitting at a workstation or in meetings for long periods of time) impairs the flow of blood and oxygen — particularly to muscles — which can often lead to fatigue,” write Groppel and Wiegand. “Engaging in physical activity can create brief periods of hyperoxygenation in the brain and increasing oxygen intake has been shown to enhance energy, mental performance and memory recall.”

In fact, Groppel and Weigand cite data suggesting that mental performance-enhancing biochemical changes in the brain may be spurred by as few as three hours/week of brisk walking.

As the health club trade association, we know there is a great opportunity for fitness centers to position their programs and facilities as evidence-based outlets for improving the mental health and performance of employees. But there are, of course, other practices that an employer can adopt, such as conducting walking meetings and encouraging employees to take fitness breaks throughout the day. Maybe even a little Instant Recess?

We’d love to hear from any organization that has had success marketing physical activity as a valuable tool to increase employee mental health…

We have all heard about the benefits of exercise for improving our health. But with long work days and busy family lives and personal obligations, setting aside time every day to exercise 30-60 minutes can be challenging. What if you could find ways to get exercise where you work? It is likely that improved health and increased exercise actually make you more productive while you're at work, so you might have added incentive. What steps can you take that could improve your physical fitness, your health and wellness, and even increase your work productivity?

• Use the stairs instead of elevators. If you have to go up several floors in your building during the day, you might as well exercise while doing it.
• Park toward the back of the parking lot and walk into and out of work. Don't circle the lot for minutes looking for a spot close to the front door. Park at the back of the lot and walk to the entrance. That extra 100 yards adds up if done every day.
• Start a walking club or fitness class with your colleagues. Running, walking, yoga, aerobics, and other forms of exercise with others will improve collegiality among coworkers. Meeting to do it together will provide motivation by making it less likely that you will skip the exercise sessions.
• Replace your office chair with a stability ball. It is not exercise, per se, but you can improve your core strength by using a Swiss ball as your office desk chair.
• Wear running shoes to work. Wear your dress shoes only when necessary. Not only will the running shoes help with walking longer distances from the parking lot or during breaks at the office, but they will also serve as a reminder to use them if you see them throughout the day.
• Break up exercise into small periods during breaks. While 30-60 minutes of walking is ideal, several 10-15 minute sessions can be effective as well. Look for breaks in your schedule and use them to perform some of your fitness activities.
• Keep some dumbbells or resistance bands at your desk. Similar to walking, weights and other forms of resistance training require little space or preparation time. A few exercises in each small break can add up to a complete workout.
• Replace email and the phone as a means of communication. Rather than pushing emails back and forth to coworkers, get up and walk to their desks. Talk in person. You might be surprised that you actually accomplish more in less time, and you will burn a few calories each time too!

Do you have any other ideas to stay active at your job? Share them here!

 If there is a magic marketing scheme or program to induce greater levels of physical activity for all children and adolescents, it will likely be found in the same location as the fountain of youth.  More likely, we will increase physical activity levels through the convergence of several messages and signals about the importance of exercise.  Those messages may come from a variety of sources, including parents, siblings, friends, television, the internet, etc.

Activity habits begin at an early age, so the messages from parents can be critical.  Active parents = active kids.  But how to get busy working parents more active when they already feel strapped for time?

On September 13th, I had the opportunity to attend an event that holds great promise for increasing physical activity rates among employees and, in turn, changing the message that the children of employees are receiving from their parents about the importance of physical activity.

The CEO Pledge, a key component of the country’s first-ever National Physical Activity Plan, was launched at the HERO Forum in Phoenix, Arizona—the annual conference of the Health Enhancement Research Organization that draws a large audience of professionals committed to the improvement of employee health management. Chief Executive Officers who take the pledge will vow to improve employee health and wellness by producing opportunities and resources for physical activity before, during, or after the workday.

“The National Physical Activity Plan is inspiring action by leaders from multiple disciplines, creating an historic movement to increase physical activity among all Americans,” said Dave Pickering, a strategy leader for the Plan and CEO of Preventure. “Today, the CEOs of America’s businesses—both large and small—were asked to pledge their commitment to the betterment of their companies and employees, and to become part of the solution to our nation’s health care challenges.”

The text of the pledge reads:
For the betterment of my company, our employees, their families, and our country, I pledge to improve employee health and wellness by providing opportunities and resources for physical activity before, during or after the workday.

CEOs who take the pledge will be encouraged to share best practices to help create a national culture of physical activity supported by worksites.

Notably, the launch of the CEO Pledge occurred on the heels of research by Church et al. asserting that Americans are now far less active at the worksite than in previous decades.  Proponents of the Pledge are quick to point to the business benefits of a more physically active workforce. 

The CEO Pledge is also good for families.  We know that physically active moms and dads can have a heavy influence on the activity levels of their kids.  And we know that physically active kids can influence their parents, creating a wonderfully reinforcing environment for healthy lifestyles.

Do you know of a CEO that might be willing to sign the CEO Pledge?