Recently, The Economist covered the topic of income inequality in the U.S. According to research, 18.3% of the U.S. population hold 85% of the country’s wealth. The last time the country saw comparable stats was in 1929 when roughly 18.4% of individual in the U.S. held the same share of the nation’s income. A related NPR story reported that the bottom 40% of earners generate 0% of America’s income.

What does this mean to the fitness industry? (more…)

Once you’ve understood the importance of workplace wellness, thinking of ways to implement health and fitness promotion into your company culture is the next step. Integrating wellness into your corporate community follows some of the similar steps you would take in starting a new work project.

* Evaluate your company’s needs and goals. Now that you are familiar with some of the employer benefits to having a corporate wellness program, articulate the target benefits that are most relevant to your organization. Are you seeking to reduce health care costs? Improve employee retention, morale, and productivity? Be sure to express these goals so that they are relevant, attainable, and measurable.

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Most of us are familiar with the healthy rewards of exercising regularly. Hardly a day goes by where we are not reminded of these benefits by friends, family, and the media reporting recent study findings. Research has shown that consistent exercise produces the following benefits:

* longer life,
* increased energy,
* reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, certain types of cancer, and other chronic illnesses,
* decreased stress and anxiety,
* a stronger skeletal and muscular systems, possibly delaying the onset of osteoporosis,
* enhanced mental clarity and creative thought, and
* a healthy weight management aid

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Seeing that Americans are not exercising as much as the Surgeon General recommends, incorporating wellness and activity at the workplace provides a solution to placing health living within reach. Promoting healthy behavior at work has benefits beyond the individual employee, relevant to the employer and overall organization. With the tools for health education and fitness instruction, employers can reap the following rewards from workplace wellness programs:

*Reduced rates of absenteeism
* Increased productivity
* Decreased health care costs
* A return from $1.49 to $13 for every dollar invested in wellness
* Higher employee attraction and retention
* Heightened employee morale and energy levels
* Lower disability costs and workers’ compensation claims

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We are all familiar with the benefits of exercise, a healthy diet, and overall fit lifestyle. Exercise has been linked to lengthening life spans, reducing stress & depression, increasing your energy, and aiding in weight management along with a number of rewards. Combined with sound nutrition, this healthy lifestyle can help in preventing a number of illnesses and conditions: obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and in many cases, cancer.

For years, we have used the benefits of exercise as a reason to get active, join a health club, and participate in recreational activities. However, in the past few years, the number of health club members have remained the same, at about 16% of the total American population over the age of 6. Another 3% utilize their health clubs as non-member patrons. In a recent study conducted by the Physical Activity Council, it was found that over 64 million Americans do not participate in any form of physical activity. Cost and convenience are prevailing barriers that keep Americans from joining gyms and engaging in physical activity.

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