Corporate Fitness and Active Aging

With Halloween right around the corner, it is quickly creeping up on us.  Those creative little minds leave us trying to figure out what costumes we will be coming up with.  Mummies and super heroes to princesses and rock stars the costumes are unlimited.  I’m in charge of the butterfly this year, grabbing wings from the play closet and a leotard from the gymnastic drawer I think we have it pretty easy this year.  What extremes do you go to for that perfect costume to make your youngster happy to go trekking for candy, do you buy or craft the costumes yourself?

The festivities that surround the holiday such as costume parties, fall festivals, and trunk or treat events make it important to keep your family safe.   Costume accessories should be plastic and not become a hazard, talk to you child about being safe in their costume.  Consider how you can help keep your child seen while out in the dark hours; provide them with a flash light and instruct them to remain on the sidewalks.  Our household decided this year we will be handing out glow sticks and glow necklaces to help promote safety in our neighborhood.  Pairing these with pretzels and minimal candy options we definitely went with the safe and healthier Halloween options to promote wellness.  Is your house a strictly candy house, or have you gone to the ways of play-doh and pretzels?

For more tips to have a SAFE HALLOWEEN the CDC has provided some tips to prepare your child to have an enjoyable and safe Halloween!  Trick or Treat!!

This blog was written by Kara Gootee-Robinson. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.

Summer has arrived along with barbeques, pool parties, ball games, and all those outdoor activities we enjoy this time of year. When those events are planned, you are most likely prepared to wear your hat and sunglasses and to apply sunscreen. But what about those everyday occurrences? Long walks from the car to the office, a bicycle commute to work, walk-at-work events, or simply enjoying your lunch outside expose the skin to harmful ultraviolet rays.

Tips for Reducing Skin Cancer Risk

Skin cancer kills thousands of Americans each year. The main cause of skin cancer is ultraviolet radiation, and there are many ways to prevent skin cancer and reduce your risk:

• Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when UV rays are the strongest.
• Use sunscreen daily, with an SPF of 15 or higher.
• Protect your skin with long sleeves, a hat, and sunglasses.
• Self check―be sure to watch for changes in your skin.

Promote Employee Sun Safety

July is UV Safety Month and a great time to promote sun safety for your employees. Spread the word in your workplace. Let your coworkers and employees know how easy prevention is. Easy ways to increase awareness and encourage sun safety in the workplace include the following:

• Post signs and posters about sun safety.
• Offer skin cancer screenings onsite.
• Provide sunscreen samples.
• Designate a shaded area for outdoor lunch breaks.

Even on a cloudy day, grab that hat and apply sunscreen because even on the haziest of days the sun’s rays are powerful and damaging!

People always ask me, "what's your secret?" and I laugh and tell the it's no secret.  Thanks to a huge lifestyle change and the wonderful support system of work buddies, friends, and The Body Shop (worksite fitness center) and it's staff (NIFS) I have lost almost 100 pounds, maybe more!

A couple of years ago, the girls I ate lunch with every day decided to lose weight.  I had been down the path before and was not excited.  I hadn't weighed myself in well over a year and had no intention of starting.  Because my friends were doing it, and I didn't want to eat lunch alone, I gave a half hearted effort.  I decided to stop drinking regular soda and participate in whatever physical activity they did.  And that is exactly what I did, and miraculously my clothes started getting bigger.  We were just walking on the treadmill or outside at our lunch time and giving up soda and I could see results. 

As the initial loss, whatever it was, had slowed because the changes I made were only mild, and as I saw my friends who were already participating in Weight Watchers begin to lose more rapidly, I wanted to make bigger changes too.  So I had to finally weigh myself.  By this time, I had started at a size 24 and was now in a 22, and some 20's, but still hadn't stepped on a scale.  When I finally did I weighed 238 lbs.  I cried the entire day, and thought how did I let myself go this far?  And so I began to count calories, and changing everything about my life.  Eventually through regular physical activity, tracking what I ate and counting calories, I have made huge changes.  It's still a struggle every single day, but when I fall off the wagon, I started again immediately and you know what, the struggle is worth it.  I have zero health issues and I can keep up with my kids.  I look like a different person and I feel like a different person, a happier, much healthier person.

Do you have a support system at work to motivate each other to reach your weight loss and health goals?

This blog was written by Kara Gootee-Robinson. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.

April is the perfect month to start walking for exercise, or to simply ease back into a workout regimen. It is easy to do and can be done anywhere. All you need is a good pair of tennis shoes.

There are many health benefits associated with walking. It helps to lower LDL levels (“bad cholesterol”), raise HDL levels (“good cholesterol”), lower blood pressure, reduce risk of type-2 diabetes, manage weight, improve mood, and increase overall fitness level.

How to Start a Walking Program

Remember to begin slowly when starting a walking program. Take a few minutes to prepare yourself at the beginning of every walk. Wear comfortable clothing and protective shoes. Begin each walk with a five-minute warm-up at a comfortable pace and then stop to stretch major muscle groups. This will increase your heart rate and help prevent injuries. After each workout, cool down for five minutes at a comfortable pace.

It is important to follow proper technique when walking. Head should be held high, shoulders down and relaxed, arms swinging naturally at side, and feet should be shoulder-width apart.

Setting Exercise Goals

Setting realistic goals will keep you motivated and more focused on the end result. Make a few short-term goals such as “I will walk three times each week.” Also set a long-term goal so you know what you are working toward. An example of a long-term goal is, “I will be able to walk three miles after three months of walking.”

Tracking progress will help keep you motivated. It will also show improvements over time. Record in a notebook the date and how long each walk was.

The most important thing is to have fun! If you enjoy what you are doing, you will continue doing it. Change your walking route often to prevent you from getting bored. Try walking at lunch and invite a few coworkers to join you!

This blog was written by Kara Gootee-Robinson. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.

March is designated as National Nutrition Month and has been making a healthy impact worldwide for nearly 30 years. Eating healthy does not have to be complicated, time consuming, or boring. All it takes is a little thought and a positive attitude. Follow these 5 tips for a healthier you and a happier dinner plate!

Tip 1: Start in the produce section when grocery shopping.

Fill the cart with many fresh fruits and vegetables. Fresh produce packs a healthy punch with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Focus on color by rainbow shopping. Look for fruits and veggies that are green, yellow, red, purple, orange, and white in color. The more colors you purchase, the better.

Tip 2: Always have healthy snacks on hand.

Keeping a small stash of almonds, dried fruits, whole-wheat crackers, granola bars, or pretzels in your bag or desk drawer will come in handy when a snack attack hits. Although vending machines are convenient, cravings may take control of food choices, leading to an unhealthy purchase. Be prepared and avoid unnecessary calorie consumption.

Tip 3: Enjoy foods from all five food groups.

Consuming a variety of foods from each food group helps to fuel the body. However, it is important to make healthy choices. Choose foods that will be both filling and satisfying without sacrificing too many calories. For example, a peanut butter sandwich on whole-wheat bread will be more filling, supply the body with ample energy, and yield less calories than a piece of chocolate cake.

Tip 4: Be knowledgeable about portion sizes and include variety in each meal.

A serving does not mean whatever makes it on the plate. Follow serving sizes on packages and in recipes to help keep calories in check. Using smaller plates will help keep excess food consumption to a minimum. At every meal, foods from the fruit and vegetable groups should take up half of the plate while the other half should be equally divided by grains and proteins.

Tip 5: Drink plenty of water.

Water is essential to the body. Consuming approximately 64 ounces of water daily helps replenish any fluids lost through functions such as sweating, urinating, and breathing. Water also helps the heart to pump blood efficiently. While other fluids such as 100% fruit juice, sports drinks, and tea assist in replenishing fluids, they also contain calories. For a calorie-free way to reload, fill up with H2O.

Recently, the cost of health care has risen to over $2.5 trillion and is projected to increase, on average, 6.1 percent per year until 2019.  These costs have also risen for employers who pay for their employees' health plans.

Rates are rising due to employees' family members also becoming ill.  This forces employees to use more money and potentially miss work when a family member is sick.  An ill child can take a toll not only on the parents, but the company they work for.

The Cost of Unscheduled Absenteeism

The average annual cost for a company due to unscheduled employee absenteeism is estimated to be over $760,000.  These unplanned absences include personal days, or days one must stay home to care for an ill child.

Loss of productivity and administrative costs are the main issues when it comes to these missed days.  The extra work is then taken on by other workers, or less-effective replacements, therefore causing a loss of efficiency in the company.  Also, these replacements cost the company extra money, or the company needs to pay another employee overtime for their service.  Unplanned absences are responsible for 21 percent of productivity loss per year versus 15 percent for those absences that were previously planned.

Sick Child Care Helps Avoid Unscheduled Absences

A possible solution for companies to avoid spending an overabundance of money on these absences, would be to offer sick child care.  These services are becoming more popular among businesses.  Placing a child care program in a business has an immense impact on the company's expenditure.  When a child care assistance program is in place, the company spends less money than if the parent were absent from work.  This type of program can have an enormous impact on a company and may be worth the investment.