health Archives - Page 5 of 8 - Be Well Solutions

Summer Activities to Beat the Heat

We wait all year to enjoy warm, sunny weather outside. While this can be the perfect time for an outdoor workout, sometimes the heat and humidity can impact those plans. We’ve compiled a list of ways to keep up with your exercise habits while beating the heat. Cool Off Indoors If you want to avoid the heat, opt for an indoor workout. This can be a great option when the humidity and heat index are high or if the air quality is poor. Indoor activity options are numerous, whether at the gym or in your home. Try a class like Yoga or Bootcamp, bring the outdoors inside by attending an indoor rock-climbing facility, or put some tropical tunes in your earbuds and pretend you’re at the beach while enjoying your air-conditioned workout session. Just Add Water Summer is the season [...]

Tags: corporate wellness, health, hydration, summer activities, summer safety, wellness|

Mind-Body Fitness

Mind-body fitness incorporates mental engagement with active movement and controlled breathing. This full-body approach to activity focuses on body awareness during exercise and can also include mindful meditation. Let's take a closer look at the benefits of this fitness style and ways you can add it to your current workout routine. Benefits Mind-body fitness is a form of activity that allows the individual to see full-body benefits. When our mind is prepared for and focused on the exercise we're completing, it can help us pay more attention to our movements. We’re more in tune with our intensity, technique, and form. More awareness lowers the risk of injury and increases the ability to experience the benefits of physical activity. Research has shown how this type of fitness can benefit overall health and disease management. Research suggests, “Incorporating approaches such as mind-body [...]

Tags: controlled breathing, corporate wellness, exercise, fitness, health, mind-body fitness, mindfulness, stretching, wellbeing, yoga|

Now Trending: Group Fitness

Feeling bored or stuck with your current exercise routine? Then group fitness might be your answer. This style of exercise is constantly changing and evolving. Due to the wide variety of options, it is easy to find a class of interest. We’ve rounded up and explored some of the newest trends in group fitness. Group Personal Training Group personal training has become a more budget-friendly option for personalized training. The group usually consists of two to five participants, so the cost per person is less than a private session. Since these groups are smaller than a typical group fitness class, you can still have individualized training specific to your goals and needs. Grab a few friends and begin your fitness journey together. Virtual Fitness Classes Exercising with a group can help boost motivation and accountability, but day-to-day challenges can make [...]

Tags: corporate wellness, exercise, fitness, group fitness, health, personal training, wellness|

Breast Cancer Awareness

Breast cancer screening was in the news recently, as the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is planning to lower the recommended age for beginning mammograms. The USPSTF and the American Cancer Society now both agree that screening mammography should begin at age 40 for women at average risk. Breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer in women (behind skin cancer), and the second most deadly (behind lung cancer). Nearly 300,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023. Fortunately, the 5-year survival rate for breast cancer is now over 90%, and it continues to rise. This ongoing improvement is due to a combination of early detection and increasingly effective treatments. Risk Factors and Prevention Risk factors increase a person’s chances of getting a certain condition. According to the National Cancer Institute, these are the main [...]

Tags: breast cancer, corporate wellness, health, mammogram, preventative screening, wellness, women's health|

Mindfulness Meditation

What is the first thing you think of when someone tells you to meditate? Perhaps you think of monks sitting cross-legged repeating “hum” in a Zen garden. This may be the truth for some, but the modern world has taken a different approach to meditation, combining the practice with a concept known as mindfulness. Mindfulness meditation has shown to have long-lasting benefits and can be easily done by anybody. What is Mindfulness Meditation? Mindfulness meditation is an approach to becoming aware of our breath and mindset. It involves examining each breath we take and noticing how our mind begins to wander during this task. As we continue to practice returning to our breath, we are able to build the muscles of attention and mindfulness. We increase our own ability to stay in the present as we guide ourselves to [...]

Tags: corporate wellness, de-stress, destress, health, meditation, mindful, mindfulness, stress, wellness|

Exercise in the Great Outdoors Safely

Summer is just around the corner! The warmer weather can boost motivation for a consistent exercise routine. It’s the perfect time of year for a variety of outdoor activities. There are still some safety precautions to keep in mind. Use the tips below to keep your outdoor exercise safe and enjoyable. Safety First Safety is key when exercising outside. Choosing to exercise in daylight hours and paying attention to traffic will keep you alert on the road. If you’re in a rural or park setting, consider exercising with a buddy or letting someone know where you are ahead of time and when you plan to return. It’s a good practice to bring both your ID, a little cash, and your charged phone with you for any of those “just in case” scenarios. Also, don’t forget sunscreen and sunglasses. Even on [...]

Tags: corporate wellness, exercise, health, hydration, nutrition, summer safety, wellness|

Air Fried Food: Healthy Fast Food?

Potato chips, fried chicken, and French fries overwhelmingly appeal to all the senses with their crispy crunch and flavor. Fried foods are a staple in the American diet because they are fast and convenient. However, these foods have health implications. Fried Food Health Concerns and Solutions: Fried foods are high in saturated fats and trans fats. We know these fats contribute to heart disease, obesity, and type II diabetes. It is important to limit these fats in the diet. Try to choose foods that have healthy fats like nuts, salmon, and skinless chicken. Cooking with oils that contain unsaturated fats like extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil are better than butter and lard. Think of using fats that are liquid at room temperature and not solid. Decrease the amount of fat used while cooking and switch to an unsaturated [...]

Tags: air fry, corporate wellness, health, heart health, nutrition, recipes, saturated fat, wellness|

Iced Tea for Health

What would your life be like without the 1904 World's Fair? Many of our fun food staples hit the American taste buds at the fair, including the hamburger, hot dog, peanut butter, ice cream cone, cotton candy, and iced tea. During that time, iced tea became a staple of American culture. Health Benefits Heart Health and Cancer Risk There are health protecting properties to plants called phytochemicals. Research is constantly being done about how different phytochemicals correlate to health and wellness. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate, usually called EGCG, is a phytochemical found in high amounts in green tea. EGCG has been linked to decreasing inflammation and better heart health . Researchers have also linked a decreased risk of breast, colorectal and prostate cancer with some of the properties in green tea. Nutrition Minerals such as manganese, potassium, phosphorus, calcium and zinc vary [...]

Tags: black tea, drink, green tea, health, health benefits, herbal tea, hydration, hydration for health, iced tea, phytochemicals, RTD, RTD tea, tea, wellness, white tea|

Event: Ohio Safety Congress & Expo

High Risk: Finding Your Wellness Program Purpose Date: Wednesday, March 9, 2016 Our Presenter: Bill Frankel, Executive Vice President and Principal of Be Well Solutions As health issues expand across the country, more and more companies are feeling the burden of an unhealthy workforce. Higher health insurance costs, increased absenteeism, reduced work productivity all affect your bottom-line. Today, learn about: • The Financial Toll on Corporate America o Indirect Cost and Direct Cost of Poor Health • Making a Case for Wellness o Reduction in Risk Factors = Reduction in Health Care Costs • Wellness that Works: Essential Elements o Selecting the Right Wellness Program for Your Organization • 2016: Updates to the ACA, Alternative Standards and Technology • Wellness for YOU: It’s Never Too Late to Begin Your Journey Into Wellness For more information, please visit https://www.bwc.ohio.gov/employer/programs/safety/SafetyCongress.asp

EEOC Update – Wellness

As you may recall, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) had not clarified its position on employer-sponsored wellness programs. In fact, several lawsuits were filed by the EEOC against employer-sponsored wellness programs (e.g., the Honeywell suit). The pushback was based on the Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA). On October 29, 2015 the EEOC issued proposed rules which would amend Title II of GINA as they relate to wellness programs that are part of health plans. Comments on the proposed rules were accepted through the end of 2015. In short, the proposed amendments to GINA are favorable and show that the EEOC does not want to be an impediment to wellness programs. The following changes, in part, are proposed to GINA: A key proposed change in GINA involves incentivized wellness programs. The changes would [...]