A Tribute to Corporate Wellness

The health space is exploding with growth – and it shouldn’t come as any surprise, as we see top companies entering the market (think Apple Watch). Even more interesting, health plans are evolving to shape better benefits for those employees who take a vested interest in their health. United Healthcare has developed a plan called “All Savers Motion” that promotes employees engaging in as little as 30 minutes of activity with Hat Trick Motion. The program rewards members for this activity through motion credits, which can be redeemed to reimburse members for medical expenses.

As we see the space continue to evolve, I am really loving the re-focus in corporate wellness initiatives. We spend about 25% of our time at work (for those who work the typical 9-5) and yet for so long there has been this idea of “burning the midnight oil.” What is great is that we are changing! Probably the most interesting insertion into the health space in my opinion is Virgin Group. While my perception of them has always been that they are a flight and travel company, they have developed Virgin Pulse – focused on corporate wellness benefits. The disconnect between my perception of them and what they are doing in this space piqued my interest, so I subscribed to their white paper assuming I was going to receive some fluff piece with little value. Instead what was provided was a seven-page PDF containing background information about corporate wellness, the benefits of implementing within your company and then wrapping up with the sales pitch. The great part about this piece, is they are continuing to follow up with more content and more information about how to improve and implement corporate wellness initiatives at your company and the benefits of doing so.

The facts don’t lie: Integrated Benefits Institute reports that $227 billion is lost each year due to a lack of productivity caused by poor health. Interestingly, employees who don’t get enough sleep are 32% less productive, where as those who exercise during their workday get a cognitive uplift of 23%. These stats were pulled from Virgin Pulse’s resources, which if you are as interested as I am in the space I definitely recommend checking them out here.

So, what does this mean and how can we take this ever evolving space and leverage it to our advantage? Here are a few things I’m doing: getting out and running during my lunch. It’s completely refreshing and you come back to the office ready to take on the word with new ideas! Carrying around water to encourage myself to stay hydrated. Picking up the apple instead of the cookie. And honestly, probably purchasing the Apple Watch to stay on top of my personal health.

(Photo: Flying by flickr user Nicolas Alejandro via Attribution 2.0 License)