Google Maps Now Offers Bike Paths

Isn't it amazing how quickly new technology can become part of our daily lives? I don't know about you, but it's hard for me to imagine life before Google Maps. Here in the Washington, D.C. area, even long-time residents use the site to plan their comings and goings.

Google Maps isn't just for vehicular traffic, though. It started providing walking directions a few years ago, and now it can suggest bike routes. This video explains how:

While biometric screenings, HRAs, and health coaching are important components of a corporate wellness program, you should never miss an opportunity to encourage your employees to be more active. Why not let them know about the new bicycling feature of Google Maps? (Only 150 U.S. cities are included right now, but I'm sure that number will grow over time.)

And if you're in the District of Columbia, the Department of Transportation has good news for cyclists. Proposals are in the works for bike lanes along Pennsylvania Avenue NW and other streets downtown.

HIPAA Regulations and Wellness Programs

If you're a wellness professional, you're probably all too familiar with the requirements of HIPAA (The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). Although the 1996 law was passed to protect the privacy of health information, its provisions also affect wellness programs. In fact, it makes them possible!

Generally, HIPAA doesn't allow group health plans to treat people differently because of a "health factor." The Department of Labor lists the health factors at its website. But because employee wellness programs are so beneficial, some exceptions are allowed. You just have to follow the rules.

If a wellness program doesn't require participants to meet specific health goals, then you can encourage healthy behavior in a variety of ways. The Department of Labor mentions things like subsidized gym memberships, rewards for attending health education seminars, and the like.

If you require employees to meet health benchmarks in exchange for a reward--such as a reduction in premiums--you must meet five requirements (paraphrased here for easier reading):

1. The total reward must not exceed 20 percent of the cost of employee-only coverage under the plan.
2. The program must be reasonably designed to promote health and prevent disease.
3. Eligible individuals must have the opportunity to qualify for the reward at least once per year.
4. The reward must be available to everyone who is "similarly situated." If it is unreasonably difficult for someone to satisfy the program's requirements (due to a medical condition, for example), then you must create a reasonable alternative standard for that individual.
5. The alternative standard (#4) must be disclosed in all plan materials.

HIPAA rules can be intimidating if you're not familiar with them, but their purpose is to prevent unfair treatment of employees. Let us know if you have any questions. New rules governing health risk assessments are also in the works, so stay tuned to Corporate Wellness Insights for the latest.

Breaking the Sugar Habit

Our friend Art Dwight doesn't mind telling you that he's a recovering addict. A sugar addict, that is. As soon as he cut sugar and simple carbohydrates from his diet, he experienced agonizing withdrawal. You can read the full account of his struggle with the white stuff over at his blog.

Art soon discovered something we've been preaching for a while now: Processed foods are loaded with added sugar (or its cheap cousin, high-fructose corn syrup). MyPyramid.gov, the Department of Agriculture's nutrition website, has posted a list of foods that are most likely to contain added sugars, as well as specific label ingredients to watch out for.

Some of our most popular seminars on nutrition are also the most basic--how to read a nutrition label, for example. While a topic like this may seem straightforward, participants are always surprised by how much they learn. An on-site seminar is the perfect way to provide quality health education, especially since most of your employees have probably never spoken to a registered dietitian before.

So, do you fight a sugar addiction of your own? If so, how have you kept it in check? Let me know in the comments section. And as always, if you're interested in scheduling a seminar or any of our other services, we'd be glad to help.

Extreme Workouts: Stair Climbing

For those of us who rarely take more than a few flights of stairs at a time, it's hard to imagine the determination required to complete the annual "Run-Up" competition.

Each year, participants race up the Empire State Building's 86 floors--a total of 1,576 stairs. The most recent winner reached the observation deck in an astonishing 10 minutes, 7 seconds.

But even if you're not quite ready to scale the Empire State Building, stair climbing can provide an excellent workout. According to a recent New York Times article, it burns more calories than jogging or cycling without an incline. And if you stick to running up the stairs (that means taking the elevator down), stair climbing is surprisingly low-impact.

The Times article notes that, due to security concerns, some buildings in New York City have closed their stairwells except in emergencies. But if taking the stairs is still an option in your office building, why not challenge your employees to give up the elevators for a week? Who knows--you might inspire someone to become the next Rocky Balboa!

Majority of Employers Worried about Workers' Health

A new Towers Watson survey of 507 large U.S. companies shows that employers are increasingly troubled by their employees' health status. Sixty-seven percent of the companies surveyed cited their workers' poor health habits as an obstacle to providing affordable benefits.

When it comes to encouraging employees to make lifestyle changes, more than half of the companies surveyed (58%) said that lack of employee engagement was a significant problem. Although some are offering goodies like free health coaching and incentives for filling out a health risk assessment, out-of-pocket costs are still on the rise--7% in 2009 and a projected 6.5% for 2010.

I think the key to engaging employees in wellness initiatives is understanding the organization's unique culture. The "Field of Dreams" approach doesn't always work--if you build it, they might not come! It's important to choose a wellness partner with experience serving companies of all shapes and sizes. Over the years, we've learned which strategies works best.

If you're a wellness professional, tell us your story. How have you successfully motivated your employees? What works best for your company?

Sitting Can Be Hazardous to Your Health

We're a nation of sitters. We sit in rush-hour traffic; we sit at our desks at work; and we sit in front of the TV in the evening. According to a New York Times opinion blog, all that sitting may put you at risk for serious chronic health problems--even if you exercise.

"Sitting is one of the most passive things you can do," the Times blog says. "You burn more energy by chewing gum or fidgeting than you do sitting still in a chair." Given that it only takes an extra 30 calories a day to gain a two or three pounds in a year, that extra movement is important. Studies also suggest that long periods of inactivity during the day can change the way the body metabolizes fats.

Even as a wellness company, our office sometimes become too sedentary. We have to make time for movement. Some of our employees have replaced their office chairs with exercise balls, which is one easy suggestion the Times blog makes. Why not take a walk around the block during your breaks, or even just around the hallways of your office building?

If you don't mind looking a little silly, you and your coworkers can do what we do--form a conga line and lunge the hallways. If nothing else, it gives our office neighbors sometimes to talk about! This video from the Mayo Clinic will teach you how to lunge with good form.