There’s no better time to talk about maintaining good health, considering the recent impact and aftermath of the coronavirus. While not as sudden as the virus, heart disease is equally disconcerting as it affects more than 12 million people - it kills 1 of every 4 individuals diagnosed with it.
Some of the initial symptoms of heart disease are:
Stress, anxiety, depression
Fatigue
Difficulty focusing on tasks
What’s scary is that these symptoms are so commonplace that most people won’t know there’s anything wrong with their hearts until it’s too late. Further, since adults spend most of their time at work, which can be a major source for all of the above, it falls on employers to encourage the heart health and wellness in their employees.
The thing about heart disease is that most insurance plans include underlying heart diseases as a pre-existing condition that will not be insured against. The American Heart Association suggests that the best loophole to getting insurance despite heart defects is by enrolling in a group health insurance plans which usually offer reasonable rates.
If for nothing else, the cost factor alone could be considered a big enough incentive - treatment and indirect costs from sick days or sick leaves add up to $313 billion every year. Fortunately there are multiple activities and programs your company can promote to ensure you and your staff stay in good shape, inside and out. As an added bonus, healthy bodies lead to more productive minds and better overall performance.
Improving heart health can be as simple as taking a daily walk or eating heart-healthy foods (i.e., avoiding greasy junk food or frozen meals stacked with preservatives, salt and trans fats). But let’s face it, ‘talking the talk’ is much easier than ‘walking the walk’. So here are 3 programs you can start within your company to help your company find the motivation to make healthier decisions.
Create opportunities in your workplace for your employees to take part in physical activities and good nutrition
Promote healthy food choices in cafeterias and vending machines - ask your food distributor to deliver heart-friendly meals and snacks such as nuts, fresh and dried fruits, whole grains and fewer instant/microwavable meals
It doesn’t take fancy hiking trails or a full fledged gym to stay healthy. Encourage your staff to take a few minutes during their breaks to take a walk around the building and get some fresh air into their lungs; 6000 steps a day can do wonders for the heart (and mind).
Elevators are for wimps! This is a basic but oddly efficient example of a quote you can place by office elevators to motivate your able-bodied staff to take the stairs whenever possible. In fact, taking the stairs each day can cut the risk of heart attacks by half!
Consider reimbursing your employees for gym memberships and show your support towards their healthy choices. Or partner with local gyms to provide a discounted gym membership fee to your staff if there isn’t enough office space to hold a full gym. Either way, knowing your paying for their membership may just give your staff the necessary amount of accountability to stick to their fitness goals.
Educate your staff on the steps they must take to boost their heart health.
Provide health risk assessments from their current habits
Offer medical screening
Follow-up with info sessions and counseling
If you’re not quite sure where to start or if you have questions about what preventive measures your group insurance plans cover, don’t hesitate to reach out to the experts at NY Small Health today!
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