There are many ways to evaluate the health of your employees, but one of the most important measures is cardiovascular fitness. Luckily for corporate wellness managers, you can measure the cardiovascular fitness of your employees with a simple, low-cost fitness test.
Cardiovascular fitness is the ability of the heart and lungs to supply oxygen-rich blood to the working muscle tissues and the ability of the muscles to use oxygen to produce energy for movement. It also is a good measurement of overall fitness and the ability to recover after a strenuous exercise. The more quickly the heart rate returns to resting, the better shape your employees are in.
TotalWellness offers a simple 3-minute step test used to measure cardiovascular fitness. Participants step up and down, on and off an aerobics-type step to increase heart rate. Assessment is based on heart rate recovery (bpm) and benchmarks are provided based on participant age and gender.
Here are five reasons to consider adding a fitness test to your corporate wellness program:
- Extra motivation - Measuring fitness levels regularly can be a great motivational tool to help employees reach their goals.
- Increase participation in health fair - Many employees love to measure their fitness level and find it a fun way to compete with their co-workers.
- Monitor progress - When employees know where they're starting from, they can plan on where they would like to go.
- Reduce risks - Good cardiovascular fitness decreases risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, high blood pressure and diabetes. It's a good measure to keep tabs on.
- Increase productivity - Studies show a positive relationship between regular exercise and employee productivity. This test provides a great teachable moment to encourage and promote physical activity.
By adding a simple, low-cost fitness test to your biometric screenings, you can measure one of the key components of health.