How Exercise and Nutrition Impacts the Bottom Line

By Emily Holden, CWCC Member

Impacting the bottom line, isn’t that part of what business is about?  What are factors that contribute to higher productivity? Is there a simple answer to these complex questions? Can diet and exercise impact our productivity, and ultimately our bottom line?

According to the CDC one of the most important things you can do for your health is regular physical activity.  We know that some of the benefits to a physically active lifestyle are: weight control; reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers; strengthens bones and muscles; improves mental health and mood and you actually increase the likelihood of living longer.

“In a review (meta-analysis) of 39 studies linking physical fitness and absenteeism, the studies showed that the average reported impact of fitness programs on absenteeism is between 0.5 and 2.0 days improvement in attendance/yr this equates to a 22% reduction in absenteeism with the institution of a fitness program.  Using the 22% decrease in absenteeism, or 1.3 days/employee, this is an estimated savings of $83,265/year that would be evident in one company under study.  Baun et al. investigated absenteeism in the Tenneco Corporation.  The results indicated that female exercisers had 32% fewer sick hours than the non-exercisers.”

What about dietary choices?  We know that all diseases can be mitigated and at least 75% of all diseases can be eliminated with a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.  And yet sadly only 11% of the US population eats the recommended daily values.  The evidence is clear!  One study that highlights this fact is found in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This study followed 40,000 women health professionals with no previous history of cardiovascular disease for five years. The conclusion that came from this study is that higher intake of fruits and vegetables have a protective effect against cardiovascular disease.

How do we start the day?  The morning sets the tone and yet how many of us do this: “…people [skip breakfast] and their blood sugar or blood glucose levels fall overnight and they wake up and try to perform on low blood glucose, they tend to get really irritable, and they’re so hungry that the next time they do eat, they might overeat.” A healthy breakfast sets the tone for the rest of your day.  Set the tone towards greatness and eat breakfast; you will be more productive!

All of this is great information but where do we start?  Putting together a plan is the best place to start.  Most of us have calendars that keep track of our meetings and appointments. If you open your calendar how much time would be allocated to exercise and wellness promoting activities? How about time for making meals, including breakfast?

If the bottom line is happy, healthy and productive team members then the place to begin is with exercise at least 3 times a week for at least 30 minutes and eating a balanced whole food diet rich in fruits and vegetables.

So we see that exercise and eating healthy are two key factors in overall wellness. But what is wellness? The definition of wellness is: the condition of good physical and mental health, especially when maintained by proper diet, exercise, and habits.  What you we want from your life?  How will you spend your life?  I challenge you to choose wellness.

Emily Holden is a wellness coach with Juice Plus+ nutritional products.  For more information, please visit http://www.healthybodiesusa.com