Comprehensive stretching exercises

I found these via Facebook.

Employer's guide to workplace wellness

A report with advice on creating a healthy workplace.

Key points:

• "...address both the individual risk factors affecting their employees and the organizational factors that help or hinder employees’ efforts to reduce their risks."
• "...create a culture of health, intertwining individual-level health promotion efforts with the overall company goals and objectives and ensuring that both leadership and the workplace environment provide support for healthy choices."
• "Programs are also most effective when they are clearly tailored to the goals and needs of specific populations and provide sufficient opportunities for employee engagement and input."

The report advises readers on:

• "...steps to implementing programs that address common individual risk factors, including physical activity, healthy nutrition, tobacco cessation, stress management, and more."
• "...importance of and business case for targeting these risk factors before providing a step-by-step guide to planning, implementing, and assessing the program."
• "...organizational level factors such as leadership commitment and support, strategic communications, employee engagement, and more.
• "... employers who have built successful wellness programs that have benefited both their employees and their businesses, sharing their insights and recommendations for future programs."

Social support for exercise

This study looked at Nordic skiers and found:

• "The most common forms of social support were verbal such as discussing exercise, invitations to exercise and celebrating the enjoyment of exercise."
• "Physical activity recommendations should incorporate the importance of participation in group activities."

Nordic walkers can learn from other areas of wellness. Nordic walking offers opportunities for social support. Here are some ideas:

• Mastering the classic Nordic walking technique can involve being part of a group getting coached.
• Mastering Nordic walking technique can involve sharing tips with each other.
• Nordic walking with others promotes conversation. While involving more muscles to make walking a full-body exercise, Nordic walkers can still carry on a conversation.