Company Health Promotion

Do you find it challenging to stay aroused when attempting to make changes to your health? Are you aware that changes must be made in your daily life but you don’t know where to begin? If so then wellness coaching might just be the solution you have been seeking.

Wellness coaching is a service provided by trained experts who work with you individually to help you reach your wellness goals. Wellness coaching motivates, guides, and supports individual’s for reach sustainable behavioral changes by offering creative solutions to their problems.

Wellness coaching provides individually designed programs to meet your unique needs by focusing on physical, mental, and emotional health. They help you become proactive in your life by eliminating unhealthful behaviors and making wellness a priority.

Benefits of Wellness Coaching for Your Employees

Employees could benefit  from wellness coaching in a variety of ways. Wellness coaching can help individuals decrease major health risks in their lives by changing high risk behaviors.

Some of the many reasons why workers work with wellness coaches are to get in shape, lose weight, reduce stress, quit use of tobacco, and develop balance in their lives. Wellness coaches assist individuals with current health problems as well as preventing future health issues.

Because each program that a wellness coach creates is unique to suit the needs of the customer, they can be certain that it’ll be a program that is right for them. A lot of busy staff members mistakenly believe that they do not have the time for wellness coaching.

Fortunately wellness coaching specialists are able to provide their services in a variety of convenient ways. While electronic coaching through the use of e-mails and instant messaging has become a popular method due to its convenience, telephone and face-to-face interactions may also be used.

Staff Members have the ability to achieve their objectives and improve their lives through the assistance of wellness coaching.

Advantages of Wellness Coaching for the Company

The overall advantages of wellness coaching for a company are remarkable. Worker high risk behaviors like tobacco use and obesity cost corporations millions of dollars every year.

These high risk behaviors often cause avoidable disease and keep employees from coming to work. Wellness coaching guides, supports, hold patrons accountable, and ensures that they receive continued motivation to help them achieve their wellness goals and eliminate unhealthy behaviors in their lives.

By starting wellness programs and using wellness coaching in their organizations, corporations reduce the risk of avoidable disease in their organizations.

This improves the overall health of staff members, decreases health care and insurance costs, decreases absenteeism, and ultimately enhances performance and productivity.

When employees experience the advantages of higher levels wellness in their lives it causes an improvement in job attitude, energy, and morale.

Companies that utilize wellness coaching for their employees experience the advantages of higher productivity.

In today’s fast paced world our busy lives leave little time, energy, or motivation for people  to focus on their own needs.

Those that do seek to improve their wellness traditionally turn to friends, family, specialists and published materials for support and information. All too often those support structures fail to make a lasting difference.

This happens for a number of reasons. Friends and family might not be capable of helping. Working with professionals is time consuming and expensive and very few of us are effective at taking published, generic information and applying it to our own lives.

Gold’s Fitness Club Winston-Salem has created a new web-based program that expands the range of support available to those wishing to make healthy lifestyle changes.

The program, Gold’s Health Club Health Coach, focuses on the daily challenges of making positive lifestyle changes and has the benefits of being more personalized and efficient than generic, published information and less intense and costly than specialist face-to-face counseling.

Utilizing a collaborative problem-solving model the goal is not to give advice, but rather to help person think through the issues and come to their own conclusions.

The coach offers ideas for consideration, helps the individual generate ideas of their own, helps the individual consider the various ideas, choose a direction, and then supports them in the implementation of their decision.

Difficult the conventional wisdom that relationship formation requires in-person interaction; Gold’s Gym has found that members and coaches are able to build significant relationships via internet based communication.

Utilizing industry leading technology a Gold’s Health Club Health Coach can offer members a secure, user-friendly personal website where they can access their coach in a real-time or via email with responses delivered in less than 24 hours.

The site allows coaches to hand choose relevant articles that are written on a consumer level and that are targeted to the issue at hand and add them to a member’s web-based personal library.

The site also contains various programs and tools which are designed to assist the coach and member to set, implement and track specific goals.

The collaborative relationship formed between member and coach enhances the quality ice and efficiency of service. the familiarity that a coach develops with a member’s circumstances and meaningful relationships authorizes them over time to more quickly offer useful ideas and assistance.

With traditional call-in assistance lines, the time intensive exercise of getting background and contextual information is repeated each time. IN that scenario efficiency is lost.

Moreover, Gold’s Fitness Center Health Coach has created a protocol based on key principals from the field of psychotherapy and behavior modification.

The protocol is embedded within a proprietary problem-solving that is based on the concept that people  often act without a good understanding of a problem. Their responses then complicate matters and often make matters worse.

Gold’s Fitness Center Health Coach offers the opportunity to step back, take a second look at what’s going on, and quickly asses the factors influencing the situation. But, having an idea of “what” to do is very different than actually “doing” something about it.

Individuals  need help with the follow-through. Also, after figuring out “what” to do, Gold’s Gym Health Coach focuses on implementation.

Here Gold’s Health Club Health Coach builds on sound research and experience from the field of behavior modification that has to do with goal-establishing and with implementation support.

The result is a highly customized, effective, user-friendly way of improving the wellness of an individual. the efficient nature of the internet based relationship permits Gold’s Fitness Center Health Coach to keep the price point within reach of virtually whoever.

Information to evaluate your program comes from routinely gathered screening and follow-up data of your program that look at process and outcomes of your program.

The Worker Health Program has available a computerized case-management system which includes queries that allow easy assessment of process and outcome results at any point in time.

Process Analysis

Process evaluation looks at the program’s impact as seen at various points in time.

Information that is accumulated from the various forms that wellness staff members fill out ought to supply you with the following –

• How many staff members were screened?

• How many workers who were referred to a physician went?

• How many employees who expressed interest in health improvement programs went?

• How many employees who were referred to health betterment programs went?

• How many employees who went to health improvement programs completed them?

• How many staff members are in follow-up caseload?

You can use this type of process evaluation to evaluate and learn about the health of your program.

Wellness Program Outcome Analysis

A central objective of the program is to improve the health of workers. Information on how to judge how well your program is meeting this objective is called “outcome examination” because you are investigating  the end results or outcome of your program.

In wellness programs, objectives are measured by specific (outcomes) behavior changes and reductions in health risk levels. Have staff members decreased their blood pressure? Have they lost weight? Are they exercising more? is alcohol consumption at a safe level?

For  instance these are the types of questions you can ask to find out if you are reaching your objectives –  

• for workers with high blood pressure (BP) (140 / 90 or higher or on medication) at screening, what percentage have it under control (below 140 / 90) a year later?

• What is the change in typical blood pressure (BP) levels among all workers with high blood pressure (BP) 1 year after screening? Two years later?

• for staff members with high blood cholesterol levels (above 240) at screening, what percentage has decreased their cholesterol to borderline-high levels (200-239)?

• for workers with borderline-high blood cholesterol levels, what percentages have decreased their cholesterol to the desirable range (below 200)?

• What’s the change in average cholesterol levels among all staff members with high and borderline-high blood cholesterol levels 1 year after screening? Two years later?

• for staff members who were overweight at screening, what percentage have lost 20 pounds or more a year later? Ten pounds or more? What is the typical weight loss?

• for staff members who were smokers at screening, what percentages have quit use of tobacco? for at least a year?

• for employees whose level of alcohol consumption put them at-risk at screening, what percentage have quit drinking alcohol? Are eating alcohol at levels considered safe by CDC guidelines? Have reduced their drinking, but are still at-risk?

• for employees, what percentages are exercising at least three times a week for at least 20 minutes?

• If fitness levels were measured, what percentages have improved fitness?

Make sure to set a regular time such as every 6 months to look at which employees your program is reaching and how effective it’s at helping them reduce their health risks. Use this information to make new decisions about how to direct your program efforts. Then make the change you need to improve your program.

Some may feel that examination is a frill; it is not. Analysis is a necessary part of a wellness program. You will need to know what is working and what is not.

Decision-makers who fund the program need to be updated on the performance of the program. Examination will provide you with necessary data to maintain and expand the program and convince management to continue to support the program.

The keys to a successful wellness program are persistent one-on-one outreach and follow-up counseling to encourage health improvement, adherence to treatment regimens, changes in lifestyle behaviors, and to prevent relapse.

Periodic outreach and follow-up procedures provide staff members with a safety net which keeps them involved in the program and avoids treatment dropout and relapse.

Counselors should follow up on workers at least every 6 months throughout the career of the worker at the worksite. the goals of follow-up are to –  

• Involve employees who have health risks in treatment and risk reduction programs.

• Involve all staff members in health betterment programs and worksite-wide wellness activities.

• Support workers in carrying out the risk reduction or health improvement activities they have chosen.

• Be certain to help workers comply with their treatment regimens.

• Avoid relapse.

• Avoid workers from dropping out.

• Be certain to help staff members maintain behavior changes.

Follow-up may be conducted in individuals, by phone, mail, and via computer if the technology is available. Most preferable is an in-person contact.

Computer programs which can do case load management are available to help counselors track information and perform follow-up.

Priorities for Follow-Up

People  with multiple health risks must be at the top of the list. People  in key positions such as union leaders or department heads with health risks should also be contacted early so that they learn what the program is about and can share the information with others.

People  who need a medical investigation for high blood pressure (BP) or cholesterol should also be targeted early. A lot of employees will have seen their physicians so of the screening, but some will need more encouragement to do so. Those with no health risks can be followed up yearly.

A follow-up counseling session can take 20 to 45 minutes. at minimum, follow-up must include those who were told to seek medical analysis for high blood pressure readings, high cholesterol readings, or borderline high blood cholesterol readings with 2 or more other risk factors.

It might include those who were identified as at-risk for one or more of the other major risk factors –  at-risk levels of alcohol consumption, being overweight, and having low HDL.

Follow-Up With Physicians

A letter (see forms) should be sent to the physician or clinic of each worker who’s high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or is under a physician’s care.

The letter should explain the program and should include the employee’s relevant, current health measurements.

Along with the letter, send a self-addressed return envelope. Follow-up with the physician should be repeated every 6 months until it’s determined that the employee is under satisfactory control.

Contacting the physician is important for three reasons –

• the doctors receive employees’ health measurements taken at the worksite.

• You receive the blood pressure (BP) and cholesterol readings the doctor takes and information on the treatment the doctor prescribes.

Many times the staff member doesn’t have this information or doesn’t remember it. the information may be used when counseling the staff member.

• Follow-up encourages physicians to pay closer attention to heart illness risk factors among their patients.

The menu approach offers employees a range of choices to support lifestyle changes. It allows people  to select the kind of help that suits their schedules and preferences.

The four basic types of programs include –

• Classes

• Minigroups

• Guided self help

• Individual counseling

Classes

Courses (8 or more) may be an effective means of providing education and social support for behavior change. the length of a class can vary depending on topic requirements. It isn’t sufficient to offer only classes at a worksite.

A lot of staff members are under time constraints with after work commitments and although they could be interested they simply can’t participate because of their schedules.

Employees may  be very eager to start a program but because of lack of participants to meet class quotas, the program is canceled.

A lot of national organizations such as the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, Weight Watchers, etc. offer classes; you should have little trouble in identifying a provider for class type programs.

You might want to contact your local hospital, health department, or YMCA for possible choices. for selecting  a provider to provide a program you might want to review the section on program structure.

Minigroups

When there is not enough interest to create a class, those who are interested in a given health topic can be formed into a minigroup (2 to 7).

The minigroup can cover the same content as a class but do so in a less formal manner. Presentation of information and discussion is the major format of the minigroup.

Guided Self-Help

Most employees don’t want formal help in making health changes; they prefer to do it on their own. In guided self-help, the wellness counselors provide support, materials, and encouragement.

Meeting times may be arranged and contact may be made either in person, by phone, or computer. Materials may be made available at the worksite, or mailed to the individual. Some worksites now make information available via intranets or the Internet.

Individual Counseling

One of the most successful ways to help person change and improve their health status is counseling (or coaching) on a one-on-one basis.

In published studies, wellness programs which incorporated individual counseling as part of the program process achieved significantly higher participation rates and achieved greater risk reduction/risk elimination than standard group programs. Studies have demonstrated that individual counseling is both cost effective and cost beneficial.

A wellness counselor ought to be trained in screening techniques, for in certain situations, they may be required to both screen person and counsel them. They should know how to do the following –  

• Review staff member health risks

• Contact employees who have health risks.

• Counsel staff members on a one-on-one basis, helping them set objectives, solve problems, and get specialist help when they need it.

• Make certain to help staff members follow their treatment recommendations and make lifestyle and health behavior changes.

• Recruit workers into health improvement programs, such as weight loss and smoking cessation.

• Make sure to work with staff members on a one-on-one basis using guided self-help.

• Conduct classes and minigroups when necessary.

• Be certain to work with wellness committee members to plan and conduct worksite-wide wellness activities.

Wellness counselors are health generalists; they must have basic knowledge about a wide range of health topics and health risks.

Counselors should be able to talk with employees about their medical problems and the treatments prescribed by their physicians.

They should’ve a good overview of nutrition, exercise physiology, pathophysiology of illness, pharmacology, psychology, and behavior change skills.

The educational program should include approaches to stress awareness/reduction at the environmental level and at the individual level.

Social, physical, and organizational stressors ought to be explained and methods to ease or elevate stressors ought to be presented.

At the individual level how changes in attitudes and behaviors help one to cope with stressors; learning techniques to minimize stress response, like meditation, relaxation response, and exercise.

Content of the program ought to provide the following –

• Identifying sources of stress

• Relationship of stress to health

• How the individual experiences stress, personal, family, work

• Solutions for coping and managing stress

• Techniques for decling stress

• Value of stress, both negative and positive

• Practical steps of incorporating stress reduction into lifestyle

Personnel conducting stress management programs should’ve training in psychology, behavioral sciences, or related disciplines such as mental health experts, counselors, health educators, psychologists, and psychiatrists.

Training in a reputable program on how to teach the stress management course including group process skills is a must.

A nutrition education program ought to include a nutritional needs assessment, education counseling, and referral as necessary.

Educational sessions and materials ought to include the following information –

• the relationship of nutrition and chronic illnesss

• Improving consuming patterns

• Relationship of nutrition and proper weight maintenance

• Exercise

• Stress

• Blood pressure (BP)

• Cholesterol

• Diabetes and other chronic conditions.

• Nutritionally exact information regarding the relationship of health to diet, including cholesterol, fats, fiber, alcohol, carbohydrates, salt, sugar, and vitamin/mineral supplementation.

Methods for identifying healthier foods and incorporating low-calorie, high nutrient foods into consuming habits. Guidelines for bettering consuming habits must be based on or in line with national recommendations like the Food Guide Pyramid.

Instructor must be a registered dietitian, registered nurse, or have a baccalaureate degree or higher in health education with training in nutrition.

When an allied health specialist instructs the program, a consultation and review of the program design by a registered dietitian is recommended.

It is advised that smoking cessation programs subscribe to the Code of Practice for Tobacco use Cessation Programs.

Tobacco use cessation programs ought to be multi-component with a focus on skills to build positive voluntary behavior change practices.

Useful techniques include establishing reasons for quitting, understanding the tobacco use habit, various techniques for stopping and remaining a non-smoker, overcoming the problems of quitting, short-term goal setting, weight control, stress management, importance of exercise, relationship of alcohol consumption to urges to smoke. Use no aversive or frighten tactics.

In programs that use aids such as the “patch” or medications such as “Zyban” appropriate consultation should be available on the usage of these aids.

The instructor should’ve formal training in use of tobacco cessation from a nationally recognized organization such as American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, or a nationally recognized commercial program such as Smoke Enders.

Analysis of success is sometimes very dubious in smoking cessation programs. Measurement of success should include participation rate, including the number starting the program, the number completing the program, and the typical number per session.

Additionally included, number and% who stopped use of tobacco after the program, and the number and% who had not resumed use of tobacco by the end of one year.

Participatory fitness programs should include education on advantages of regular exercise and risks of a sedentary lifestyle, its impact on cardiovascular health and illnesses, its relationship with weight control and stress management, and aerobic activity options.

Discussion and practice of safe principles of exercise – warm up, cool down, frequency, intensity, duration, flexibility and strength components. the program follows guidelines by the American College of Sports Medicine.

Safety precautions should include the following –

• Informed consent prior to beginning exercise with clear and complete written and verbal instructions of possible risk, purpose of exercise, exercise format to be followed, opportunity for questions, and a signed informed consent with date.

• A screening/evaluation of participants to determine if medical examination is necessary for exercise such as the Exercise Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q, see forms).

• Measurements of blood pressure (BP) and resting heart rate are useful screening information to determine exercise readiness.

• Participants who fail screening are medically referred and should obtain a written clearance from their doctor to exercise.    

• the basic content of an group fitness program ought to include –     

Warm up   5 – 10 minutes

Aerobic exercise   20 – 40 minutes

Cool down   5 – 10 minutes

Exercise instructors should have education and training in exercise physiology, physical education, physical therapy or comparable discipline, or possess a current certification by a nationally recognized sports medicine or exercise association, and be CPR certified.   

Program offered is consisitent with scientific and medical recommendations for weight loss, reflects a multi-disciplinary approach which offers four components –  behavioral, exercise, nutrition, and maintenance, and is in accordance with the document Guidance for Treatment of Adult Obesity. It includes –    

• Screening to verify that the participant lacks medical or psychological conditions which would make weight loss inappropriate, and to identify the participant’s level of health risk, classifying participants not only on excess body weight, but also because of associated medical conditions and overall heath risk.

• Referral for participants who are morbidly obese who’d require medical guidance for weight loss.

• Informed consent, explanation of potential physical and psychological risk from weight loss and regain, likely long-term success of program, full cost of the program, credentials of the staff.

• Identification of factors to participant’s weight status, serving as the basis for an individualized weight loss plan which includes the weight goal and plans for nutrition, exercise, and behavioral components.

• Weight goal of participant is reasonable based on personal and family weight history not solely on height and weight charts; initial weight loss goal doesn’t exceed loss of 10 percent of body weight, 1-2 pounds per week.

• Explanation of unsafe weight loss methods.

• Daily calorie level is modified to meet each participant’s advised rate of weight loss.

• Daily caloric intake is not less than 1,000 calories; if less, doctor monitoring is required.

• Food plan designed so participants can pick foods which meet 100 percent of all the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) except for calories. Nutritional supplementation could be used to achieve RDAs, nonetheless shouldn’t greatly exceed RDAs.    

• Nutrition education encouraging permanent healthy eating habits based on the Food Guide Pyramid.    

• Participant involved in meal planning and food selection.    

The protein, fat, carbohydrate, and fluid content of the food plan meet safety recommendations –     

Protein   Between 0.8 and 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of goal body weight, but no more than 100 grams of protein a day.

Fat   10 – 30 percent calories as fat.

Carbohydrate   At least 100 grams per day.

Fluid   At least one liter of water daily.

• Exercise component ought to be a significant portion of the program and be both didactic and experiential.

• Participant is appropriately screened for exercise using a screening questionnaire such as the Par-Q Readiness Assessment (see forms). Instruction on recognizing untoward responses to exercise.

• Participants work towards 30-60 minutes of exercise 5-7 days per week.

• No appetite suppressant drugs.

• Maintenance plan offered for continued support.

• Weight control programs must be conducted by a registered dietitian or by degreed health professionals with training in nutrition with consultation by a registered dietitian.

• Trained lay leaders may assist when supervised by nutrition specialist.

Note –  There’s an interactive version of Guidance for the Treatment of Adult Obesity at e-Guidance for the Treatment of Adult Obesity.