In a perfect world, a company staff never gets sick, never takes days off, is always happy to come to work, and productive every minute of the day….but the world is not perfect. Employees get sick, they call out, everybody doesn’t love their job, and some people still head out for a smoke break a couple of times a day. You could argue that these things are the natural course of events with a large staff, but all of these events cost your company money. What if you could take steps to curb this behavior? More and more companies, and their health care providers, are creating budgets to build employee wellness programs. In many cases, these are outside vendors in the role as independent personal trainers, who are versed in nutrition, as well as other fitness modalities such as yoga and Pilates. Why these? Simply because they represent what many people are interested in or are in need of utilizing.

Educating the uneducated
There is a large swath of an employee base, that while they say, “I know what to do, I just have to do it,” they really don’t know what to do. What does it mean to have a colorful plate of healthy food? What is a serving size? Why is it important to eat protein and avoid saturated fat? Others may need to know their numbers such as blood pressure, BMI, or weight vs. healthy standards. A personal trainer can help with a simple fitness assessment to start. Whenever engaging in these services, an assessment is the first thing that should be done. That will measure these levels. They can provide the information and formulate a plan to address them. While you can’t tell an individual everything all at once, you can implement a plan build upon what the individual has learned previously. If there is anything alarming it may be necessary to see their primary care physician.

Motivating the unmotivated
“I just have to do it.” Remember that. Some people really know to do, but they need a good swift kick in the behind to be motivated. A jolt to take them out of their comfort zone. That doesn’t mean a drill sergeant, but rather someone to encourage and instill a no quit attitude. Many companies look for this quality in their management staff. The ability to motivate individuals to work harder, smarter, and better. As many studies show, employees who are healthier are happier employees and more productive employees. Think of the personal trainer as a form of managerial support.

Achieving the unachievable
In the same way you want your employees to strive to do their best, helping them achieve a goal that once was a dream can be empowering to them to achieve those professional goals. Personal trainers help people move from point A to point B when that person doesn’t know how or lacks the power to make changes happen on their own. Personal trainers put people through workouts, but the also design workout programs. Having a personal trainer on staff can provide a fitness resource to design programs that people will want to do. That is motivating in itself, but what having a fitness professional available for staff can do is keep them on track. Not letting someone veer off the path when it seems to be getting difficult is a huge boost to achieving goals. As Jim Valvano said, “never give up!”

Recouping the cost. No problem.
Finally, whatever the cost is, you will most likely recoup it with improved health amongst the group. By simply monitoring blood pressure, one company managed to lower their cost $157/employee. Multiply that simple example by your employee count. The return on investment ratio for money spent on corporate fitness is $6 for every $1 spent. In general, your first year will deliver your lowest return, but in subsequent years, that will increase as the population continues to seek out the fitness services provided.

Bottom line, gym memberships are great. They are the backbone of many wellness programs, as they should be. You’ve got to encourage movement. But allowing your employees to utilize the one-on-one attention of a personal trainer can pay huge “cherry on top” dividends.
What to look for in a corporate personal trainer