On-Site Corporate Wellness

Many large companies will actually have an on-site wellness center. Employees can go to these centers to workout, obtain health assessments, and improve their health in other ways without even leaving the office.

Some on-site employee wellness centers are equipped with ellipticals, treadmills, free weights and other exercise equipment. In addition, they may also have a separate group exercise room. Exercise, however, is not the only health advantage that these centers offer. Some offices are complete with massage therapy rooms, on-site physical therapists and even nutrition specialists.

Facilities such as these usually hire program directors to host events, provide health information, maintain the facility and encourage employees to take advantage of the benefits available to them.

Off-Site or Modified Corporate Wellness

Not every company is large enough to have an on-site wellness center and there are many different models for corporate health programs. On-site employee wellness centers are usually for the largest business model, and are the high end of corporate wellness. For smaller businesses only a few employee benefits may be available.

These benefits may include an insurance discount for improving your health. These improvements can include things such as lowering your blood pressure, exercising regularly, and taking steps to control chronic diseases. The benefits companies might offer may also include discounted gym memberships, free weekly chair massages, occasional health fairs, and company sponsored sports competitions. One other benefit that every model of employee wellness may provide is a smoking cessation program. If you’re not sure your company offers any of these then be sure to ask!

Whether you work for a company that is large or small, make sure you are getting access to employee health benefits. If your company doesn’t offer any corporate wellness incentives then don’t be afraid to suggest they start. Not only will it help you as an employee, but it will help them as a company.

1. Cardiovascular health

People in happy relationships tend to have healthier blood pressure levels, as reported in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine. Interestingly, this research reports that unhappily married couples did not have healthy blood pressure levels. So it is not just being in a relationship that makes you healthy; it is the quality of the relationship that is the most important indicator of a healthy blood pressure level.

The researchers also found that sexual intimacy twice or more a week reduced the risk of fatal heart attack by half for the men, compared with those who engaged in intimate relations less than once a week.

According to the journal Biological Psychology, frequent intercourse is also associated with lower diastolic blood pressure in cohabiting participants. Yet other research found a link between simple hugs from their partner and lower blood pressure in women.

2. Anxiety Related Issues

People in long-term, committed relationships are less anxious. Research on anxiety reveals that a loving, stable long-term relationship trumps new romance for reporting low levels of anxiety; and brain scans support this truth. Neuroscientists believe this is because solid, long-term relationships show activation in parts of the brain that are associated with bonding – and much less activation in the parts of the brain that activate levels of anxiety.

Maybe less anxiety activity in the brain contributes to the fact that people in happy committed relationships manage stress better than people not in these relationships. There is a link between good stress management and social support. You cannot underestimate the value of a supportive partner who loves and cares for you when you are faced with stressful situations. We cope better when we have the emotional support of someone who loves us.

Given this information it is no surprise that people in healthy relationships are less prone to depression and substance abuse.  Scientific research shows people in committed relationships report fewer signs and symptoms of depression. Why? Social isolation is directly linked to higher rates of depression. And some researchers were surprised to discover that marriage is directly related to a decline in substance abuse and problem drinking.

3. Healing, Immunity, and Pain Perception

People in positive relationships heal faster. Flesh wounds have been found to heal nearly twice as fast in spouses who had warm interactions with their partners as compared to spouses who had aggressive and hostile interactions with each other.

People in happy relationships have fewer colds. Happy relationships seem to give our immune system a boost so fewer colds are a common by-product of this increased immunity.  Having intimate intercourse once or twice a week has been linked with higher levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin A or IgA, which can protect you from getting colds and other infections.   Scientists at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., discovered that adults who engage in intimate moments “frequently”- once or twice a week had higher levels of IgA than those in other groups.  However, individuals engaging in intercourse “very often” or 3 or more times weekly had lower levels of the antibody.  So sadly, yes, you can have too much of a good thing.

Oxytocin, a key hormone in developing trust and creating lasting emotional bonds, has been linked to decreased pain perception.  This hormone is released in women when they receive tender touch and surges in both genders during orgasm.  In a study published in the Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine, 48 volunteers who inhaled oxytocin vapor and then had their fingers pricked decreased their pain perception by more than half.  The next time a headache is putting a damper on bedroom activity, give oxytocin a chance to work.  You might be surprised.

As the cold and flu season continues to rage on and the stress of taxes closes in you can thank your partner for safeguarding you.

Here’s to your good health this Valentine’s day!

Thanks to all of you who came to our Couples Massage Class, we hope it’s made your Valentines Day a little bit better! Another thank you to Camylle Katherman for contributing this article.

Can you really use thoughts to cure ailments? According to believers of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), not only is it possible, but easier than you might think.  The mind is a very powerful thing. A simple thought can often determine what the outcome of an action will be before the action is even performed.

EFT is a form of alternative medicine aimed at curing physical diseases, pain, and disorders by confronting emotional issues that some believe cause physical symptoms. By going to the EFT website you can sign up for a free newsletter and  can download a free mini-manual.

Emotionally Based Diseases?

According to the EFT mini-manual we have all experienced some sort of emotional trauma throughout our lives. This can begin even when we are babies. Kaiser Permanente Center For Health Research and the CDC performed a study that showed that those who had more emotional trauma in childhood were more likely to have diseases such as cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes later in life.

Now this doesn’t mean that all diseases are caused by emotions. There are certainly physical reasons such as poor diet, injuries, and lack of exercise that can cause diseases. However, those who use EFT believe that those problems may become worse, or may be unable to heal due to emotional blocks. Let us tell you a little more about how EFT works.

The Basics of EFT

EFT requires using psychological techniques called exposure and combining those with cognitive restructuring. According to the EFT Mini-Manual, the psychological technique involves remembering the trauma. The cognitive restructuring is basically learning self-acceptance. These two mental ideas are combined with certain acupressure points on your face and body that you tap while performing the mental exercises.

The basic set-up of EFT requires an affirmation. In the Mini-Manual they show this affirmation:

 Even though I have this _______, I deeply and completely accept myself.

You then fill in the blanks with whatever ailment you are dealing with. An example would be: “Even though I have this pain in my lower back, I deeply and completely accept myself”. They even use it to cure phobias. “Even though I have this fear of public speaking, I deeply and completely accept myself.”

Saying affirmations along with using acupressure points can supposedly relieve pain, lessen phobias, and cure other disorders. Now, I have not yet tried these methods. Furthermore, it is most beneficial with the help of an EFT professional. With those disclaimers I would still encourage you to take a look at the EFT Mini-Manualif you are having chronic pain such as fibromyalgia or any other disorder.

Try it out, and let us know the results! We want to hear what your experiences with EFT are.

The Egoscue method is all about becoming pain free through creating more motion. I have started reading a book called Pain Free: A Revolutionary Method For Stopping Chronic Pain. This book speaks truth.

In the book the author observes that we live in a “modern environment that demands of [the body] less and less motion.” Our bodies are created to perform a wide range of activities and are capable of all kinds of movement. Modern conveniences, however, eliminate the need for many of these movements. We no longer have to hunt and gather food, we can easily drive to destinations, and all of our communications can be done at our computers.

The purpose of the Egoscue Exercises or “E-cises” as the book calls them is to restore proper movement and muscle function. The E-cises are supposed to accomplish 3 goals:

1. Rediscover the body’s natural design
2. Restore function
3. Return to health

Pete Egoscue’s theory is that if you help the body restore its natural functions and movements it will restore itself. He has designed the E-cises to target specific musculoskeletal functions that may be limited for several reasons. Many of the movements are simple stretches and easy strength conditioning exercises to restore function and relieve pain.

If you look on the Egoscue site you will notice that they have under their method tab they have some videos of E-cises you can do. Just pick the area of your body that you’re having pain and they have a few exercises you can do. These all seemed extremely simple to me, and are probably a good place to start. One thing I think is important to note is that they don’t explain why you’re doing these exercises. Some of them seem totally unrelated to the area you’re having pain. Just remember, you’re entire body is connected. Imbalances in one area may lead to imbalances in another area.

I certainly don’t think these are the cure-all, and it will take time. However, if you’re in pain why not give them a try?

This is just one method to relieving pain and increasing motion. I’ll be reviewing other methods throughout the coming weeks so stay tuned! I am also going to try and put together a list of Egoscue clinics in Utah.

Lately I have been exploring different types of exercises. Mainly certain types of yoga and pilates. In the past my exercise routine has consisted of running and strength conditioning exercises. This combination has worked great for me. The running especially has really helped to relieve my back pain.

While these work just fine for me, I feel like there are so many other great exercise modalities I’m missing out on. The benefits to be gained from all types of exercise are amazing, and each type of exercise can help in a different way.

Recently this has become my newest hobby.

I’m quickly realizing that it not only takes a lot of strength, but it requires balance, flexibility, endurance and most importantly mental strength. (We’re going to talk more about mental strength and health in my next post.) It seems that many people who rock climb also do yoga. They understand the connection between the two, and the two types of exercise compliment each other nicely. So I decided that I wanted to try and become more aware and connected to my body.
Throughout this week I am going update with posts that will focus on different aspects of why movement is important. I will also focus on different types of exercise that can increase out range of motion and movement. Stay tuned for the extra posts coming this week, and you should learn some valuable information to help yourself become more pain free.

Tomorrow… the Box Theory.

In order to make these free community health classes successful we need your support! It would be great to teach two classes a month, but that is a little bit overwhelming for the 3 of us at Edgemont Physical Therapy who have been teaching them. This is where the help of the community comes in. If you know of any health professionals in the area (nutritionists, yoga instructors, podiatrists, exercise physiologists, etc) who may be willing to teach a class please let us know! We are not experts on every subject, and  we need the support from others in the Utah Valley community.

Another factor that is going to make these a success is feedback from you! What classes do you want us to teach? What health related subjects do you find important? We want to hear from you!

Keep posted for more information on dates, times, and locations of these classes. We also want to put together a Utah Valley Health Fair soon, and are looking for people interested in joining us. As far as community classes, we have usually taught classes on Thursdays evenings and Saturday mornings. Let us know if there is a time that works best!

Ok, you may have survived Halloween, but this is just the beginning of candy season. Whether you ate all your kids candy, or they ate it there are some things you should now about candy and cavities.

I have always dreaded going to the dentists. Always. I put it off for as long as I think my teeth can stand. Now, here is my confession.

I hate going to the dentist because I always have cavities. Yes, it’s true. I brush my teeth several times a day, but I still get cavities. I was always told to floss more and eat less candy. I really don’t eat a ton of candy, but that is always blamed.

So why is it that candy always gets blamed for cavities? Well, here are a few reasons why candy may cause cavities:

• It is sticky, and stays on the teeth for longer than some other foods.
• It contains sugar that can be broker down by bacteria in your mouth.

Those are the two main reasons, but did you know that some common healthier snacks do the same thing? Raisins, for example are just as bad for the teeth as some candy. They get stuck in the teeth, and they contain a lot of sugar even if it is natural sugar. Potato chips, crackers, and even pasta contains carbohydrates that attract bacteria. These foods are all common snacks, but may provide just as many problems as candy.

The take home message is that no matter what foods you are eating, flossing is important. Whether you eat candy or not you still need to see your dentist regularly, and make sure you floss! Even healthy eating takes a toll of your teeth.

So enjoy the holidays, but remember to take care of your teeth even if you don’t decide to indulge in sweets.