New Basketball-Themed Employee Wellness Program from Health Enhancement Systems

MIDLAND, Mich. - Feb. 1, 2014 - PRLog -- According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3150158/), social support plays a big role in influencing and enhancing health behaviors. In fact, pairing up with a workout buddy can be the deciding factor in whether a get-fit plan succeeds. With this in mind, Health Enhancement Systems (www.hesonline.com) has created an employee wellness program that uses teamwork, accountability, and friendly competition to encourage participants to make better food choices and increase daily exercise. The fun, interactive tournament basketball format engages participants and sets them up for success.

“We’ve taken the enthusiasm of tournament basketball and paired it with simple daily health habits to dramatically improve the fitness and nutrition of male and female participants,” notes Dean Witherspoon, President and founder of Health Enhancement Systems. “By reinforcing those winning behaviors in a group setting -- where team members are accountable to each other -- we increase campaign effectiveness.”

Slam Dunk Wellness (http://www.hesonline.com/slamdunk) rewards participant teams as they “shoot” for 7 important daily habits, including 30+ minutes of exercise, 5 vegetable and fruit servings, 2 hours or less of non-work screen time, eating breakfast within 2 hours of rising, 2-minute time-outs, stretching, and a team workout or meal. There are also 3 weekly habits and a daily Free Throw quiz question to earn additional points.

Monday through Friday, 5-player teams square off against each other, then move on to compete against a different team based on the points each has accumulated. The result is motivated employees who make progress toward their own health goals while also supporting those of their team.

Program features include:

·      A simple, fun, tracking tool to record activities (mobile version included)

·      An interactive message board to ask questions or view posts from Coach Heidi Hoops, a fitness expert

·      Daily tips, healthy recipes, and informative articles to provide participants the support they need to make the best possible choices

·      Links to top physical activity and nutrition resources to further encourage and reinforce healthy changes

·      Customizable program lengths and organization branding options to address worksite wellness objectives and make Slam Dunk Wellness instantly recognizable

·      Easy registration, communication, and evaluation tools to make managing the program simple and efficient

·      Up-to-the-minute participant reports to track effectiveness.

“Eating well and exercising don’t have to be a chore,” states Witherspoon. “With Slam Dunk Wellness, feeling your best can be just plain fun. Participants get the camaraderie of buddies, the thrill of winning points and helping their team, plus a whole new outlook on reaching their health goals. It’s a program that instills a lifetime of positive health habits.”

To view a pre-recorded demo of the program or sign up for a no-obligation private demo, visit http://www.hesonline.com/slamdunkdemo.

The new Slam Dunk Wellness campaign is part of a family of HES employee wellness programs, including Walktober, HealthTrails, 5 on 5, NutriSum: Healthy Weight for Life, Colorful Choices, 10K-A-Day, Get Fit on Route 66, Ola Ala, Spring Into Motion, Le Tour de Fitness, and Great American Fitness Adventure, and more (http://www.hesonline.com/products)