Improving Team Performance through Health and Fitness Programs

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Benefits of Nutritional Practices in the Workplace Fitness programs are imperative to improving overall health. However, when fitness programs are paired with poor eating habits workouts can become counterproductive. Our bodies are designed to break down the food we put into it and convert it to energy that enables us to function on a day-to-day basis. Many working Americans neglect their diet because it is difficult to be disciplined enough to find time to prepare healthy meals when fast food has become so easily accessible. Consistently dieting in a poor manner can lead to an energy imbalance and increase the risk for obesity. In addition, poor eating is associated with increased risk for many diseases, including several of the leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes (CDC, 2012). These risks can decrease employee productivity and drive up healthcare costs that can be detrimental to a company’s success. The most common downfall of employees is engaging in the self-defeating behavior of making poor eating choices because of the convenience. Typically, Americans live a very fast paced life and employees are often held to brief lunch breaks making it difficult to find access to fresh meals and as a result, employees end up consuming fatty, processed foods. One way to avoid this is to meal prep. By taking one to two days a week to prepare meals for the entire week, employees can save time, money, and shed pounds quicker. Most pre-prepared meals consist of a type of lean meat such as chicken, turkey, or fish and leafy greens or vegetables on the side. By preparing your meals and snacks at the beginning of the week and bringing them into work, you provide your body with the nutrients that it needs to per... ... middle of paper ... ...trieved from: http://www.webmd.com/diet/paleo-diet. Phoenix Business Journal. (2013). “Workplace wellness: CrossFit gives clients a variety of tools to succeed”. Retrieved from: http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/print-edition/2011/12/09/workplace-wellness-crossfit-gives.html. Pronk, Nicolaas P. & Kottke, Thomas E. (2009). “Physical activity promotion as a strategic corporate priority to improve worker health and business performance, Preventive Medicine,” Volume 49, Issue 4, October 2009, Pages 316-321, ISSN 0091-7435, Retrieved from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743509003296. Robbins, S., & Judge , T. (2013). Organizational behavior. (15th ed.). Prentice Hall. (p. 186, 212-219) Smith, Jacuelyn. (2013). “America’s Happiest Companies”. Retrieved from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/12/10/americas-happiest-companies-2/.

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