The Benefits of Wellness Programs
The trend of incorporating wearables in wellness initiatives continues to experience rapid growth as the acceptance of the technology and its effect on well-being increases. More than twice as many employees own an activity tracker today than in 2016 (27% vs. 13%) and having health data on the wrist places an emphasis on individual well-being. Physical activity and exercise were the top issues driving wellness priorities in a 2018 global study of workforce well-being strategies. Combining a wearable device with personalized step goals and daily feedback has been shown to increase activity levels over the short and long term.
The evidence supporting exercise as medicine is overwhelming. The most effective way to prevent disease and improve biometric scores is by adding an effective physical activity initiative to a wellness program. Exercise has a domino effect that not only decreases blood pressure, but also cholesterol, glucose measurement and more. A JAMA article showed the use of wearables is associated with significant increases in physical activity and significant decreases in body mass index and blood pressure.
Employee health has a heavy influence on retention rates and productivity and can fuel business success. A 2016 Gallup poll showed that investing in employee well-being has positive effects on reducing medical/prescription costs, absenteeism and disability claims. As health care costs continue to climb, there is more of a focus on investing in measures to reduce the need for care. Wearables represent an opportunity to impact future health care.
Wellness can have a positive impact on a company’s bottom line and contributes to a high-performance culture. A healthy workforce results in happier employees, which impacts business performance. The value of investing in well-being has never been more clear. Garmin Health provides enterprise solutions that leverage Garmin wearables and the high-quality sensor data they produce for use in the fitness, corporate wellness, population health and patient monitoring markets. Contact us today to find out more.
