Types of Wellness and Fitness Programs

As the broader conceptions of health and wellnessfitness training, programs are tailored specifically
have evolved, so too have the typologies ofto individual needs. Evaluations of the Live for Life
interventions offered by organizations. An earlyprogram have indicated positive effects on
typology offered by several researchersexercise, health behaviors, and employee work
proposed three levels of health programs:attitudes.
Level I: Awareness programs, includingKimberly-Clark Corporation's Health Management
newsletters, health fairs, screening sessions,program is also a benchmark comprehensive
education classes, and other activities that raiseprogram, initiated in 1977. The program reflects
individual awareness of the consequences ofthe company's culture and its belief that
unhealthy behaviorswell-informed, healthy employees are happier,
Level II: Specific programs for lifestylesafer, more productive, and have better
modification, including fitness programs, backattendance records, and that these factors
exercises, and the like, characterized by activeproduce lower health care costs for the
employee involvement in adoptingorganization. Integrated, multidisciplinary teams
health-promoting behaviorsprovide health screening, primary care, exercise
Level III: Programs that create environments inprograms, nursing care, and employee assistance
which individuals can sustain healthy lifestyles overprograms at Kimberly-Clark's various locations.
the long term, including the provision of fitnessFitness facilities include indoor running tracks,
centers at the workplace, making healthy foodOlympic-size pools, nature trails, weights, and
available, and removing unhealthy food from theaerobic equipment. Preventive and educational
workplace.services are provided, which include family
From these three levels, fourth-generationwellness, nutrition education, CPR training, and
programs evolved, variously referred to as totalsport-specific workshops, among other programs.
health programs, comprehensive health promotionHealth and productivity management programs
programs, or health and productivity management(HPM) have three basic goals: (1) to provide
programs. Johnson & Johnson's Live for Lifeintegrative services that promote employee
program represents one of the earliesthealth or assist with injury, illness, or work-life
comprehensive wellness programs. Three keybalance, (2) to increase productivity and morale,
components of the J&J program are healthand (3) to manage medical benefits, risk
risk assessment, creative educational units, andmanagement, employee assistance programs, and
physical fitness training. Health risk assessmentsother services such that they promote health and
may include analyzes of stress management,productivity. Keys to the success of HPM
fitness, nutrition, safety, and ergonomics, and theprograms include health promotion and wellness
assessments are used to identify the individual'sstaff who serve as models of healthy lifestyles,
strengths and weaknesses. In the educationalemployee empowerment, and self-responsibility.
units, a wide variety of media is used to deliverThe distinguishing factor of HPM programs is the
education on such topics as weight management,tie to the mission of the business and articulation
smoking cessation, women's health issues, andof the links between individual health and business
blood pressure management, among otheroperations.
health-related subjects. In J&J's physical