Should my Business Have a Corporate Wellness Strategy

As a business owner, you have likely noticed the changing way companies approach employee wellness. Specifically, businesses are starting to take their employee's fitness and health very seriously. Many have come to the conclusion that the best solution to fight increasing healthcare costs is through employee wellness. Regrettably, many business owners are trying to implement corporate wellness programs without the knowledge or experience for success. The end result is many programs will fail.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states, "a decline in the overall health of employees in a workplace, contribute to an increase in health-related expenses for employers and employees, and lead to lower productivity and/or days of work missed." However, while obesity is one of the most expensive and common health problems, maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help prevent related chronic diseases. A corporate wellness program, targeted at helping employees stay healthy, has become an essential human asset management strategy.
What exactly is a corporate wellness program? It is either a policy or promoted health activity devised to encourage and support healthy behaviors and improve healthy outcomes for your employees. Typically, a corporate wellness program will include health and fitness education,
group (or personal) training and coaching, weight management programs, and more. Would that be of benefit to your employees and company?
Reasons for a Corporate Wellness Program

1. Wellness incentive programs cut healthcare costs.
2. Healthy employees are more productive.
3. People make better choices when they see a financial benefit.
4. Improved employee health reduces sick leave and absenteeism.
5. Wellness programs can boost morale and increase loyalty.

Ultimately, the challenge of corporate wellness programs is the actual execution. Changing behaviors does not happen overnight, and each person is unique. That said, continuous and positive reinforcement, along with strong leadership and team building, will produce a positive and productive outcome. It is important for companies to understand they have a real financial interest in the wellbeing of their employees. Regardless, the ultimate goal is becoming healthier, and both employer and employee need to participate and have a common vision.

Michael Gulyas
The Motivator

Learn How to Get Lean After 50

It is no great secret that the older one gets, the harder it is to get fit and shed unwanted pounds. If fact, depending on your lifestyle, you can actually start having problems starting in your 30s. In the blink of an eye, you are over 50, severely overweight, and suffering from some serious weight-related issues. However, turning 50 is an opportunity to get into the best shape of your life.
Many people over 50 will say they are just too tired to get lean. It is not an unreasonable claim. They have probably reached the busiest time of their lives. When you are over 50, you are likely still in the workforce, helping to take care of grandchildren, and need to look after of your own aging parents' care. Regardless, if done right, getting fit and lean will give you more energy and stamina.
Does getting lean after 50 seem too intimidating? If you follow our suggestions, you will be well on your way to losing weight, becoming fit, and feeling more energized.

Tips to Get Lean After 50

1. Calories - All weight loss programs rely on creating a calorie deficit, when you burn more calories than you consume. This is even true for those "eat as much as you want" diet plans. So, whether it is through calorie counting, eating a nutritionally dense diet, or exercise, you simply need to burn more calories than you are eating.
2. Diet - The best diets are the ones that do not leave you hungry. For this reason, the best path is a diet of nutritionally dense and whole foods. Most processed foods are small portions with high calories and little nutritional value. It may take some work to break an addiction to sugar and simple carbs, but it is well worth the results.
3. Exercise - After 50, in order to lose weight and stay fit, you will need at least 1 hour of intense physical activity daily. The good news is you don't need to do it all at once. You can break that 1 hour up into 3 twenty-minute or 4 fifteen-minute routines. While you may not have a solid hour to commit to exercise, most people can find multiple fifteen- and twenty-minute periods during the day.
4. Strength Training - We don't want to downplay the importance of cardiovascular exercise. However, as we age, lack of muscle strength and bone density have a more debilitating effect. Many people have a fear of getting too bulky. But, it is very difficult to grow large muscles over 50, or at any age, even for the professional bodybuilders.
5. Use a Trainer - A fitness trainer can help you identify and understand your goals. They can help you create an effective plan and assist with the properly use equipment. Moreover, they keep you accountable, supporting you with motivation and encouragement. A good fitness trainer is often the difference between success and failure.

Michael Gulyas
The Motivator

Unique Ways to Burn More Calories. See More Results!

There are some unique ways to burn the calories before you go to the gym. Some of them you do daily or weekly but perhaps not for as long as you should to burn off some significant calories. Here are some fun suggestions for you to try out:

1. Plan to spend at least forty-five minutes pushing a shopping cart full of groceries around at your local grocery store. When you go to the store park far away from the front door and this will give you some extra steps for the day and a heavy cart to push.
2. Do you have a garden? Pulling up weeds for twenty-five to thirty minutes will burn approximately 120 to 130 calories. When you are finished plant some flowers or vegetables and work off more calories.
3. Do you like to shop for clothes? Trying on clothes means you are burning calories and you don't have to spend money.
4. Instead of taking your car to the car wash, clean it yourself and that includes the inside.
5. Does your house need cleaning? Combine two activities, turn on the music and dance and clean.
6. Looks like your living room and maybe your bedroom needs a new coat of paint. Painting those walls will burn at least 200 calories an hour. 
7. A fun activity during the week will help burn of calories and keep you active before going to the gym. Try bowling, golfing, or maybe a quick game of darts with friends. Have fun and burn those calories.
8. If you have stairs, use them. If you don't then avoid elevators and put your legs to work
9. Instead of sitting and waiting for your computer to download, get up and move around.

Our lifestyles have changed drastically in the last twenty years and we have become sedentary. We go to the gym or our exercise classes, but we forget that we should continue a more active lifestyle outside of our regular workout routine. Now is the time to take control, get up and get fit.
Yours in writing,

Michael Gulyas

5 Ways to Burn More Calories and See Better Results

No matter what brings you to the gym, you have something in common with almost everyone else in here: you want to burn the most calories in the least amount of time possible to see better results. You don’t have to put in an extra hour at the gym, you just have to use the hour you do have to its full potential. Here are five ways to do that.

HIIT

As you might know, HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training. These no-nonsense workouts are incredibly challenging, but they’re big on results. Try adding a couple of HIIT workouts to your schedule each week. Our personal trainers can help you design safe and effective HIIT workouts.

Increase the Intensity

Even without HIIT, you can increase your workload within your normal exercise routine by increasing the resistance or incline on a cardio machine, or by making bigger, more precise movements in a fitness class: lift your knees higher, move your arms more quickly, or take longer steps.

Mix It Up

If you do the same workout every day, your body gets really good at it and doesn’t have to work as hard (or burn as many calories) to complete the workout. Change your routine to keep your body guessing — and you’ll have more fun, too.

Don’t Lean on the Machine

Resting your hands on the treadmill or leaning on the elliptical can lead to injury and it prevents you from getting the most out of your exercise. Make your body find its own balance and support its full weight to burn more calories during your cardio machine workouts.

Lift Weights

If you’re losing weight (and not lifting any), some of that weight is going to be from muscle. Lifting weights ensures you keep that strength and definition, which will make you better at everything you do, including your cardio and your daily life. Plus, maintaining even a resting muscle requires your body to use more calories than fat does.

For more ideas on how to burn more calories and get better results with each workout call Owner of Born Ready Fitness Michael Gulyas at (203) 895–8715 and also visit out website at www.BornReadyFitness.com