Wellness efforts bring recognition to seven companies

Seven Springfield-area businesses were recognized Oct. 14 by the American Heart Association's Start! Fit-Friendly Companies Program for their efforts to promote physical activity and health in the workplace.

According to an American Heart Association news release, program participants use different methods of encouraging physical activity, better nutrition and cultural enhancements, including on-site walking routes, healthy food options in cafeterias and vending machines, annual employee health risk assessments and online tracking tools.

Participating companies nationwide will be featured Oct. 27 in a special advertising section of Forbes magazine.

Local honorees are: AG Financial Solutions, American National Property & Casualty Co., Associated Electric Cooperative Inc., Integrity Home Care, Jordan Valley Community Health Center, Missouri Rehabilitation Center and SMC Packaging Group.

According to the American Heart Association, adults in the U.S. spend most of their waking hours at work, many times in sedentary careers that amplify the risk for medical problems such as obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. Obesity alone costs American businesses $12.7 billion annually in medical expenses and $225.8 billion in health-related productivity loss.

"Time constraints and job responsibilities are employees' biggest obstacles to exercising," said AHA Corporate Events Director Karl Schmidt, in the release. "That's why the Start! Fit-Friendly Companies Program encourages employers to allow employees to walk while at work. Walking has the lowest dropout rate of any physical activity."

Schmidt noted that studies also show that implementing physical activity programs at work and promoting a culture of physical activity can boost productivity and reduce absenteeism, employee turnover and hard costs.