Health, Fitness and Wellbeing Profile

The Health, Fitness and Wellbeing profile provides people with a very good idea of how well the various systems of the body are functioning, particularly the

•      the mind

•      autonomic nervous system

•      immune system

•      digestive system

•      circulatory system

•      elimination system

•      musculo-skeletal system.

On this profile a good score is a low score.

The score of a normal, fit and healthy human being is less than 20. Higher scores are symptomatic of dysfunction of one or more body systems. People with low levels of fitness and high levels of stress usually score well over 80.

For people with a score of more than 80, the ‘background noise’ of their life is becoming louder and louder. It is hard to concentrate on your work when body systems are dysfunctional. We know a fit and healthy group when we see the majority of scores below 50. This was not the case with this group.

By and large, higher scores are usually a reflection of

• low levels of fitness

• an inability to deal with what life and work are serving up to people.

Remember, it is not what happens, but how we deal with what happens that determines our level of stress. 

Classification of average scores: Excellent - less than 40. Good - 41 - 50. Reasonable 51-60. Poor - over 60.

Compared with other groups, this profile is a poor result . The average score was 81 Anyone scoring more than 80 is putting up with a lot of 'background noise'.

Approximately half the participants scored more than 80.

Introduction:

1.  Because only 11 people attended thee seminar these results may not be reflective of the scores that may have been generated by all the people in the organisation.  On the whole, people admitted that were not in good metabolic health - most likely due to lack of aerobic fitness and being over weight.

2.  Participants may have been people who felt they needed a day of personal reflection on the status of their heath, fitness and wellbeing. They are to be commended for attending.

There is an epidemic of metabolic and musculo-skeletal dysfunction within the organisation.

With respect to musculo-skeletal health, the organisation's workers compensation arrangements are in danger of people submitting claims for 'work-related injuries' - which have, as their principal cause, personally-generated musculo-skeletal dysfunctions.

It is highly recommended that all staff participate in a regular 10 minute strength and flexibility session at least 3 times a week.

Even better still it would be good if the local fitness centre could hold regular 'Back-in-Alignment' musculo-skeletal classes, with staff in poor condition being obliged to attend. (After all, the organisation is paying their workers compensation premiums!)

Too many people (70%) reported being over weight. Many were carrying more than 30 kilograms of excess adipose tissue. This is a fair indicator of metabolic health - or lack of it.

40% smoked. The community average is now around 10%. Not only is the habit unhealthy but it knocks a huge dent in the family housekeeping budget.

There is a relatively high incidence of anxiety and depression - caused by the stress of life, coupled with poor metabolic health - generated by (amongst other things) low levels of aerobic fitness. Poor metabolic heath is a key aspect of poor mental health. All major body systems and intimately connected.

One of the benefits of a regular and systematic aerobic fitness training program is ,'you feel better'.

An interesting observation is that, 40% of people said they were in the wrong job and 40% said they were under-appreciated at work. There is work there for managers to lower the level of dissatisfaction.

All in all, these Health Climate Survey results are a call for the organisation to do all within it's power to support a program designed to assist staff to become fitter and healthier.