It’s time for that weekly staff meeting which can range from one to many hours of conversation, reporting, strategizing - and most importantly - a lot of sitting.  Deciding to become a wellness champion, you suggest a “Moving Meeting” to get some physical activity, which may also increase natural vitamin D and spark creativity with coworkers.  In addition to providing more movement throughout the workday, you have also helped to lower your coworkers’ risk of cardiovascular disease and other causes of mortality by reducing their sedentary time.

Moving Meetings, among many other wellness strategies, can become a part of your worksite’s culture.  Employee wellness programs are gaining speed in corporate America, providing benefits to employers (e.g. reduced health insurance costs), and to employees, (e.g. increasing access to necessary health screenings).  The latest data shows an employer’s Return on Investment (ROI) to be $6 for every $1 spent on workplace wellness.  In a recent research report sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and conducted by RAND Health, it was noted that almost half of employers in the U.S. are offering wellness program initiatives.  The report also noted that meaningful improvements were seen in exercise frequency, smoking, and weight control for wellness program participants compared to nonparticipants. 

Within the Affordable Care Act (ACA), employee wellness programs are supported as a means of reducing chronic illness by improving health and controlling health care costs while protecting consumers from unfair practices.  Final rules regarding employee wellness programs, which support and further outline guidelines for two types of wellness programs, were released in May 2013 and become effective in January 2014.  These include participatory wellness programs that are available to all employees without requirement to meet a health-related standard and health-contingent wellness programs where a reward is offered to individuals who meet a health-related standard.  The final rules go further for health-contingent wellness programs outlining five additional requirements to limit health status discrimination.  Click to read the entire final rules regarding employee-based wellness programs.

In regards to providing wellness for all employees the final rules consist of terminology such as “reasonably designed”, “uniform availability”, and “reasonable alternative standards.”  These phrases protect consumers from being discriminated against in relation to health status, and allow employees with medical conditions, which may or may not include employees with disabilities, to equally receive wellness-related rewards.  It is also important to note that the final rules do not override other laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which requires reasonable accommodations for employees with known disabilities to allow them to participate.  Employees with disabilities are more likely than their coworkers to have secondary health conditions; therefore adding a level of inclusion to worksite wellness programs is both the smart and right choice.    

Here are some tips to get you started:

• Include employees with disabilities in wellness program planning either on the wellness committee or working closely with the wellness coordinator to ensure program activities are accessible and meet the needs of all employees.
• Create inclusive marketing materials by using images of people with and without disabilities, person-first language, and inclusive terminology such as “Moving Meeting” and “Run.Walk.Roll 5k”.
• Ensure accessibility of marketing materials by providing a variety of formats such as audio, picture-based, large print and accessible electronic formats.
• Provide relevant incentives for employees with a variety of abilities.   
• Create accommodations when appropriate.  For example, a walking program encouraging 10,000 steps a day may not be appropriate for all employees.  Instead allow employees to track steps or movement throughout the day and encourage an increase in activity.
• Provide a map of accessible routes to increase physical activity throughout your worksite’s campus instead of only promoting the stairs.
• Consider a smoke-free workplace policy which will impact all employees, but especially employees with disabilities, since they are more likely to smoke cigarettes (25.4% vs. 17.3%). 
• Include healthy options in vending machines and ensure they are accessible to employees who may use a wheelchair.

The culture of a worksite can make or break participation in employee wellness programs.  To reap the benefits both for employers and employees, consider creating a culture of inclusion, welcoming all employees to improve their health. 

Additional Resources:

• Deskercise!  20 Ways to Get Moving While you Work  
• Retaining Employees in your Worksite Wellness Program toolkit

There were 810 million people over age 60 worldwide in 2012, according to the United Nations Population Fund. Harvard Professor Dr.David Bloom, a world-renowned demographer and economist, has revealed that every week over one million people around the world turn age 65. Yet, addressing population aging is less about the numbers of older people and more about their diversity.

A lifetime of diverse experiences, and the behaviors they have created, makes the 65-and-over age group an extremely unique segment of the population.These experiences and behaviors impact everything, from where and how people live, to their health status and quality of life. Meeting this group’s expectations and needs requires you to understand who they are. Consider, for example, their physical and cognitive abilities; health; age; work or marital status; sex; sexual orientation; race and culture, as well as whether or not they have children or grandchildren, access to transportation, and disposable income. This is why the older-adult market will challenge your creativity, strategic thinking, planning and implementation processes, and why one-size-fits-all solutions fail miserably with these individuals. To address this group, you will first need to establish this group’s wants and needs. Once you do so, think about what kinds of products or services you will create and deliver to meet the expectations of this large, diverse market.

A thought to ponder: Is the lack of diversity in your offerings limiting your success?

Safety is of utmost importance in the Y.  For an organization dedicated to nurturing the potential of every child and youth, improving the nation’s health and well-being, and supporting and giving back to our neighbors and community, the Y engages in many safety related programs and practices so that each person who steps foot into the Y leaves the Y a better, healthier person.

One such program Y’s actively participate in is concussion management in youth sports.  By following the CDC’s HEADS UP program, Ys are using the CDC’s youth coaches and parent HEADS UP trainings so that all adults know how to prevent concussions from happening, but also recognize symptoms and circumstances when a concussion might have occurred, and what to do about it. Along with proper protocols for making sure kids don’t continue to participate in activities should they have sustained a concussion, Ys also have recommendations (and in most states, laws to follow) that determine when and how a child suspected or diagnosed with a concussion can “return to play”.  Regardless of whether kids are active in team or individual sports, organized or “pick-up” games, inside the gym or outside on a field, safe and deliberate procedures have to be followed so that kids get regular physical activity that is safe and healthy.

A second safety oriented program found in hundreds of Ys across the country are youth and adult swim lessons.  As the summer heats up, Y swim instructors teach literally thousands of children, youth, teens and adults how to not just be safe in and around water (pools, water parks, lakes, rivers, and oceans), but also how to enjoy the water for the fitness and well-being benefits it offers.  Whether it be to swim laps, play water games, skin or scuba dive, do water exercises, or just splash around, Y swimming lessons are vital to keeping everyone safe around the water, while also creating another means for enjoyable physical activity.  We all know how hard it is to get some kids out of the water, even after hours of swimming around, playing made up games, diving, or hanging onto mom or dad’s neck.  Knowing how to swim is vital to any child or adult.  Learning how to swim can be fun, especially if done by a trained, empathic instructor, like the one’s you’ll find at the Y.

You may also find bike safety programs, lifeguard training, babysitting certifications, CPR, and First Aid trainings at your local Y.

During these summer months, get and stay active, in a safe and sensible way.  What are your summer plans for staying active?  What safety tips can you share?  Will you be indoors or outside?  Are you planning on trying something new?  Learning or perfecting a new skill?