Wellness Programs Prevent Back Injuries

November 10, 2010 No Comments

There is a relationship between an employees’  overall fitness, wellness,  and weight and the occurrence of on-the-job back injuries.    One progressive organization (a nursing home) has developed a comprehensive wellness program to help and incentivize their employees to maintain a healthy lifestyle.   This program has virtually eliminated their work related back injuries.   It consists of the following components:

Part I – The 5K Challenge

Healthy, conditioned people can usually run a 5K (5000 kilometers) race in under 40-minutes.  To provide their employees with an incentive to regularly exercise, this employer gives any employee who can run a 5K race in under 40 minutes $100 USD.   The employee can run the race at anytime during the calendar year, and each employee is eligible for one $100 award each year.   If the employee should run more than one sub 40-minute 5K race during  a calendar year, the employees’ name is put in a box for a chance at a quarterly drawing for $250.

Part II – Weight Loss The BMI Way

This employer has developed an employee weight loss incentive program that uses the National Heart Lung & Blood Institutes’ BMI formula to calculate their employee’s BMI.  The BMI (body mass index) is a measurement of a person’s body fat based on height and weight.   Employees’ BMI is calculated at the beginning and end of the calendar year.   Those who achieve (or maintain) a BMI of 29.9 or less (and whose BMI did not increase during the year) are given a $100 payment.   Payouts are once each year.

 Part III – Healthy Meals

Eating  healthy at work is often a challenge.  Many employers have cafeterias that serve high fat foods.  This nursing home: removed the deep fat fryers from their kitchen, got rid of unhealthy vending machine food, and now offers a salad bar in their cafeteria every day for a healthy eating option that did not exist before.

 Part IV – Exercise At Work

This nursing home built state of the art exercise and locker rooms right on the premises.  Employees are encouraged to use the exercise equipment before or after work.  Exercise therapists are available to train employees in the proper use of exercise equipment, and develop personalized exercise plans.

Note: Do not start any exercise or diet program without the prior approval of your doctor.

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