 |
Your list of excuses about why you haven’t had time to fit health and wellness into your life is getting shorter. For every reason you cancel a doctor’s appointment, miss a work out, or put off an important diagnostic test, there is a new program in place to, literally, get you back in shape.
Health care and fitness providers throughout the Dallas area are meeting the needs of the over-scheduled, time-crunched professional. Too busy to see the doctor? He’ll come to you. Does the thought of scheduling all the tests and physicals you need this year overwhelm you? Get it done all at one time and at one place. No time for the standard 30-minute cardio routine? Get a complete workout in only four minutes.
See why you’re running out of excuses?
Executive wellness is at the forefront of health care today. Because time is money, you and your staff can’t afford missed work days. Not to mention, it’s expensive to be sick when so many claims are made to your company’s health benefits provider. In a fast-paced, mobile world where every second counts, keeping you and your employees well is priority. Fortunately, health care providers and insurance companies agree and have created worthwhile preventive health maintenance programs tailored for busy executives. When you consider that early detection and preventive care account for the prevention of nearly 70 percent of all illnesses, these are options worth exploring.
PERSONAL EDGE COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH AND FITNESS ASSESSMENT PROGRAM
Baylor Tom Landry Health and Wellness Center
 |
| Baylor’s Personal Edge Program |
OVERVIEW: This is a comprehensive personal health and fitness program that gives you what you need in a timely and private manner. It begins with a thorough physical wellness exam and continues with a 360-degree view of your well-being. The program is designed to provide you with the resources you need to achieve and maintain optimal health. Assessments are conveniently provided in just one visit in your own private, luxuriously appointed suite.
NOW, ABOUT THAT SUITE: Your suite for the day includes an examination room, full bath with shower, and a living area with desk, phone, data port, television, and comfortable chair. You’ll also receive complimentary leisurewear and refreshments.
THE PERKS: Exams performed by renowned internal medicine and preventive health physicians at Baylor; personal consultation time; specific diagnostic testing for men and women; same-day test results; immediate specialist referrals; online appointment scheduling; fitness assessments; nutritional counseling; complimentary spa, personal training, or Pilates service (depending on package); Gold full-day or Silver half-day packages; complimentary valet parking
BOTTOM LINE: Personal Edge assessment can offer you both the knowledge and skills that are the key to living successfully. And well.
LEARN MORE: The Personal Edge is located in suite 3000, on the third floor of the Baylor Tom Landry Health and Wellness Center, 411 N. Washington in Dallas. 214-363-2745. www.bhcs.com/personaledge.
The Texas Club and Premier Athletic Club
OVERVIEW: Two of Dallas’ favorite fitness clubs for more than 20 years, The Texas Club and Premier Athletic Club have launched health and fitness fitness programs specifically designed for busy CEOs looking for a convenient way to integrate fitness into their packed schedules as well as those of their staff members.
THE PROGRAM: Healthy employees boost a company’s bottom line. They experience less sick time, take fewer disability days, and suffer less risk of premature deaths. With this in mind, both The Texas Club and Premier Athletic Club have partnered with high-level CEOs who want to provide their employees with health and fitness benefits by offering free club memberships.
THE PARTNERSHIP: The company pays a monthly discounted fee to the fitness club which covers full-use of all facilities and services for each employee. In addition to having healthier, more focused employees, the company may also qualify for corporate health insurance discounts. In turn, the fitness club will provide a quarterly report so the company can see how many employees are using the club and what services and wellness events they seem to prefer. In order to boost club attendance among employees, many companies who participate in this wellness program tie in bonuses and other incentives to encourage frequent gym use.
THE PERKS: Complimentary training sessions; free parking; daily and executive lockers; complimentary coffee service; massage therapy available; guest passes; full basketball court; heated indoor pool; indoor running track; spa, sauna, and steam room; Circuit Express Studio; racquetball; group
fitness classes
BOTTOM LINE: This program is a win-win for CEOs and their staff members. When healthy and fit, the entire team will feel, look, and ultimately perform better.
LEARN MORE: The Texas Club is located at 800 Main St.,15th Floor in Dallas. Call 214-761-6300 or visit www.thetexasclubfitness.com. The Premier Athletic Club is located at 5910 N. Central Expressway in Dallas.
Call 214-891-6600 or visit www.premierathleticclub.com.
ROM: The 4-Minute Cross-Trainer
OVERVIEW: Manufactured by Alf Temme since 1990, The ROM (Range of Motion) machine delivers equivalent cardio benefits of 30 minutes of aerobics, weight training, and stretching—in only four minutes. Studies show that people improve their cardiorespiratory fitness level by using the ROM as little as four minutes a day, five days a week. Results are noticed within a two-month period.
 |
HOW IT WORKS: ROM’s two exercise stations are engineered to engage almost all of the major muscle groups in the upper and lower body and use them through 80 percent of their range of motion in each four-minute workout.Those who use the machine on a regular basis develop lean muscle and gain strength and flexibility. Other benefits include lower cholesterol and blood pressure as well as balanced blood sugar.
THE BUZZ: Some fitness professionals believe this is the only workout you need, and many of ROM’s faithful users include highly-trained athletes.
TRY BEFORE YOU BUY: You can choose a 30-day trial rental plan, or the ROM may be purchased with a 45-day money-back guarantee. Check for local fitness studios that have integrated the ROM into their equipment offerings and invite members to use the machine at a monthly rate.
BOTTOM LINE: In spite of its $14,615 price tag, the
time-crunched professional with little or no time for the gym may realize this is the most efficient solution for a personal workout at home or as an all-in-one fitness program for the staff.
LEARN MORE: To order, call 818-787-6460. To watch a demonstration video and to learn more about the machine, visit www.FastExercise.com.
HELP IS ON THE WAY
If kick-starting a company wellness plan for your employees is on your to-do list in the New Year, you’re in the right place. Local health care providers and fitness centers are ready to partner with you. Problem is, with so many great options,
making a choice might be the hardest part of the process.
Enter Grizzaffi Darby, one of the largest benefit consultant teams in Texas, whose in-house employee benefit attorneys and human resources experts can handle all of a CEO’s needs under one roof. Grizzaffi Darby designs benefits around the unique needs of a company, and is onhand 365 days a year to create a well-executed benefits plan tailored just for you and your team. The result is a plan that perfectly fits you because it enriches the lives of your employees and helps you attain your business goals, all within your budget.
Although Grizzaffi Darby creates benefits packages from the inside-out covering everything from HR consulting and employee benefits to legal compliance and buyer’s bill of rights, one area the company always emphasizes to its clients is executive wellness.
“Through the years, executives have recognized the economic value of providing a wellness plan to employees,” says Trey Darby, president and CEO of Grizzaffi Darby. “However, in addition to letting employees know they care about their health, they also want to see measurable results and a return on their investment. Well, it’s hard to argue with decreased absenteeism, fewer insurance claims, and a possible reduction on premiums. When we consult with a company about their benefits package, we want to make sure a wellness program is part of their overall wellness strategy.”
Experts at Grizzaffi Darby recommend locally based plans and programs whenever possible. This way, health care and fitness providers can meet employees at their place of work, which takes much of the hassle out of preventive health care. “Fortunately, Dallas has some of the very best, most cutting-edge programs around,” Darby says. “It’s nice when you can deliver a wellness program right to your employees.”
When choosing a wellness program for your company, Darby recommends keeping some of the following ideas in mind:
1. Find out if the program can assign a wellness coach to employees who are at-risk for serious health problems. The coach can offer helpful health and wellness advice and education.
2. Reward good behavior, and make the program fun. One way to measure results and find out of employees are taking advantage of the program is to create a system where they are rewarded for participating. For instance, one company who works with Grizzaffi Darby utilizes a point system where employees who go to the gym, attend a wellness seminar, or take an exercise class get points that will earn them prizes such iPods or even trips.
3. Deliver healthcare to your employees. Choose a program that will bring healthcare professionals to your building for comprehensive health assessments, such as taking blood work, assessing BMI’s, and creating individual wellness profiles for employees. Make the program as convenient as possible.
4. Ask for results. Make sure the program you use has a system that can deliver you with measurable results so that you can monitor its return on investment.
5. Don’t give up. “In order for a wellness program to work, it can’t be a temporary offering. It must be ongoing and constantly
promoted,” Darby says.
