25 October 2014

WORKPLACE WELLNESS - What is Workplace Wellness?

By Faudzil Harun




WHAT IS WELLNESS?
The word “fitness” means the ability to perform physical activities. This includes discussions on the strength of your muscles, joints and ligaments; the state of your endurance; and the power in which your body is capable of moving. This does NOT mean “health.”"Wellness," in essence, covers all areas of health: mental healthemotional healthphysical healthspiritual healthsocial healthrelationship health, and so on. Basically, these are all the different components in a person's life that can affect their overall "well-being."


WHAT IS A WORKPLACE WELLNESS PROGRAM?
A workplace wellness program is a health promotion activity or organization-wide policy designed to support healthy behavior and improve health outcomes while at work. These programs consist of activities such as health education, talk consulting, weight management, group weight loss program, medical screening, on-site fitness programs, group and personal coaching and more.



WHY WORKPLACE WELLNESS PROGRAM IS IMPORTANT?
Every day the working community is accumulating stress from daily various sources such as long hours travelling in traffic jams, travelling in the rain, travelling in people-packed public transport, long hours working, facing conflicting of ideas, handling angry customers, dealing with employee attitude & behavioral problems, meeting datelines, and many more. 

Employee health affects more than just medical costs. A healthy workforce is a more productive workforce. Between 70 to 90 percent of health care spending is caused by preventable and modifiable health risks. Unhealthy lifestyle choices and lack of exercise often lead to chronic diseases, lowering productivity and causing losses to business. It is the energetic and creative people that makes business grow.


According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:
59% of employees do not get adequate exercise
50% or more have high cholesterol
27% have cardiovascular disease
26% are overweight by 20 percent or more
24% have high blood pressure




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