Starting a fitness program doesn't have to be complicated...it can be a "walk in the park" with a little guidance from a good fitness coach.

The Best Time to Start a Fitness Program

By Valerie S. Nosek

When is the best time to start a fitness program? Whether you’re talking about diet or exercise, people often vow to start health and wellness activities at particular times…how often have you heard:

“I’m starting my diet on Monday.”

“After the holidays, I’m going to start eating better and exercising.”

“When I get back from vacation, I’ll work on getting in shape.”

But really, the best time to start a fitness program (if you don’t already have one in place) is right now. Unfortunately, procrastination is often used as an excuse for putting off the positive action that could be taken immediately.

One person who has been successful at lifestyle change put it this way:

“Your body does not know what day it is…Procrastination leads to a cycle of days, then months, then years. If you are thinking about starting a fitness program or a diet, put down your Twinkie and start now, not tomorrow!”

The article, “Procrastinating Health & Fitness,” went on to point out “not many people procrastinate brushing their teeth, using toilet paper, or combing their hair before going out. Most people consider this personal hygiene as a non-negotiable part of life.”

Shouldn’t diet and exercise be on this list as a non-negotiable? We think so.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

When Benjamin Franklin made the remark above, he could have been talking about what we know about disease prevention and wellness today. Health care professionals agree that the majority of chronic diseases are preventable (or even reversible in some cases) when people make healthy lifestyle choices.

“Nutrition, smoking cessation, substance abuse prevention, stress reduction and exercise are all modifiable lifestyle risk factors,” said Stephanie Patek, an Ease @Work acccount representative and certified fitness coach.

Getting Started

Employees should always check with their doctor. It’s always important to start with the healthcare provider in order to find out if there are any current health risk factors that would impact an exercise plan. (However, even with certain health issues, a fitness plan is not out of the question. It just has to meet the criteria or limitations your employee’s doctor specifies.)

Encourage use of available resources. “Insurance usually doesn’t cover preventative wellness services, such as nutritional or fitness coaching, until problems surface or symptoms show,” Patek says. So “think outside the box” on how to access needed information and/or support.

Libraries offer a wealth of educational resources on health, wellness and fitness…at no out-of-pocket cost! Use library resources to develop a “get started” plan, or step-up a plan already in place.

Suggest employees find a mentor in a friend who is practicing a healthy lifestyle.

Explore programs at the local community center, church, YMCA/YWCA or other fitness center. Watch for free informational wellness-related seminars at hospitals or healthcare centers.

Wellness committees and human resource professionals. Many employers have already implemented wellness initiatives in the workplace; others, aware of the need for a healthier workforce, are in the process of developing programs. Find out if your employee assistance program (EAP) is a comprehensive provider. Does your EAP offer nutritional coaching, smoking cessation, fitness coaching along with stress management?

And don’t forget…awareness is key. Your EAP should be your partner in promoting awareness of available wellness programs by providing flyers, employee newsletters, on-site visibilities and seminars.

Call us, we can help…Ease@Work offers comprehensive and fully integrated EAP services. We also offer assistance with developing or expanding your organization’s wellness program.

• 20 percent of people 45 and older reported health problems due to financial stress.
• About one fifth, 22 percent, have delayed seeing a doctor due to cost.
• 16 percent had to use retirement savings or other savings to pay for medical care.
• 21 percent have cut back on other expenses in order to afford their medical care.
• One in six, 16 percent, are not confident they will be able to afford health care this year.

The survey also found that health problems due to financial stress is having a greater affect on individuals 45-54 and 55-64, than on those ages 65 and older (22 percent and 25 percent vs. 13 percent, respectively).

Insurance Premiums on the Rise
Mounting health care costs are contributing to the financial woes felt by many. Over the last five years health insurance premiums for families have increased by 65 percent. The average cost of health insurance for an American family now exceeds the yearly income of a minimum wage worker. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, insurance premiums have increased 119 percent from 1999 to 2008, while workers’ earnings have risen just 29 percent.

With increasing premiums and deductibles, preventative care is more important than ever. Staying healthy is one way of keeping dollars spent on medical care in check.

Ease@Work can help your organization develop an employee wellness plan and we can help you in promoting existing wellness initiatives. In addition to traditional EAP services, Ease offers nutritional coaching, legal and financial consultation and resources to employees – giving individuals a full compliment of employee assistance services for better health and well-being. 

Employers have jumped on the health and wellness wave, understanding that keeping their employees healthy helps their bottom-line. These days, it’s an oddity if an employer hasn’t encouraged participation in a wellness program, encouraged employees to eat less trans-fat, eat more whole foods, exercise thirty minutes a day, take time for relaxation, etc.

Yet with all of our efforts, it is often that we see the same health-conscious group participate, while the rest opt out. You see, ultimately, most adult Americans don’t get their 5 to 9 servings of fruits or veggies, or 30 minutes of daily exercise. So we watch as disinterested employees continue with unhealthy habits – our hands tied as not to be the “acting physician” and overstep our boundaries.

As Managers, Supervisors or HR professionals, confronting an employee with our opinions about their unhealthy habits is out-of-line. However, we may have an avenue to get them turned around if, and only if, those habits are impacting their work performance.

Often, Supervisors ask:

“I know I can make a referral for absenteeism or anger management, but what if one of my employees has high cholesterol or blood pressure and I want them to see the dietitian?”

Or,

“I have an employee whom I am concerned about. He’s rapidly dwindling away and I’m not sure what health issues he’s dealing with. Can I refer him?”

The short answer is that if there is nothing performance related and the employee appears to be just plain unhealthy, then the answer is “no,” a formal management referral would not be appropriate.

However, if the employee has been missing work, requiring “down time” on the job as a result of feeling fatigued, or you are noticing lack of attention to detail, less productivity or anything else performance related, we may suggest that you consult with our Clinical Manager.

Americans are experiencing self-induced disease and mortality at an all-too-early age, and this directly effects the workplace. We care for our employees and want them around as long as possible. With that, even if there is resistance, we encourage you to continue to put healthy practices and initiatives into place.

But, for those instances when performance suffers due to poor health, possibly then, it may be appropriate to move forward with a “healthy” referral. Ultimately, a referral to the EAP may give the employee the resources to get them back to health… and back to working productively.

Ease@Work employee assistance program services can help HR professionals and managers/supervisors decide if a management referral is appropriate. A dedicated account manager offers personal and highly qualified consultation for your most difficult, and sensitive, employee issues.