February is the month of love in our culture. Love is a matter of the heart. It only makes sense then, that February is American Heart Month. American Heart Month is sponsored by the American Heart Association, and is meant to be a time set aside to focus on heart health. Heart Month is an excellent time to take a look into the effects of cardiovascular disease, and what you can do to maintain a healthy heart.

When it comes to your employee wellness program, participation and engagement are not the same thing. It’s important to distinguish between the two because the first might boost numbers, but the second will ultimately determine your success.

Do you extend your employee wellness program beyond your biometric screening? Odds are, you get aggregate results from your screening vendor. If you don’t analyze and act on those results, you aren’t taking steps to improve the health of your employees. If you aren’t trying to improve the health of your employees, your wellness program isn’t going to have the effect you’d like.

The cat is out of the bag about the flu shot. As you have probably seen, this year the effectiveness of the flu shot is not quite up to par because of a mutated flu strain that seems to be circulating. That’s not to say, however, that the flu shot is worthless!

In recent years, there has been a huge movement towards providing incentives for employee wellness programs. It’s estimated today that on average, employers provide perks worth $521 per employee that participates in their wellness program. While it’s also estimated that for each dollar, the companies are seeing a significant ROI, the fact remains that some companies simply can't afford to spend that much building a wellness incentive program.

Here at TotalWellness, we believe that incentivizing your program really can improve your engagement. Here are nine ideas for employee incentives that don’t have to break your bank!

Last week we hosted the first webinar, “How to Use Positive Messages to Inspire + Motivate Employees,” of our new 2015 series. Our very own Kenton Hicks, National Account Executive, spent some time going over trends, truths and tips on positivity in the workplace. If you couldn’t make it, here’s what you missed!

Has the cold and snow this winter thrown off your workout routine? If so, have no fear, TotalWellness is here with some fun, alternative winter workouts you can do despite the wintery weather! As a wellness program manager, it’s important to be sure your employees know that staying active is important and possible even in cold, wintery weather. 

Resolutions for self-improvement at the start of a new year are a common American tradition. All too often, however, our resolutions don’t make it through the Spring. Here are some TotalWellness tips to help you stick to your New Year’s Resolutions and become the “New You” you’d like to see in 2015.

As we near the end of another year, we tend to focus on what’s to come. As is true in the health and wellness world, every year brings new discoveries, movements, research and ideas. Let’s take a look backward and remember some of the major health events of 2014.

The holidays are a time for family, friends, fun and food. With those can come stress, weight gain, illness and even injury. To avoid these holiday hazards and remain healthy throughout the happiest time of the year, take our advice below!