A selection of healthful foods are made available to associates in the Humana cafeterias.

Two national organizations have given Humana top honors for the company’s work to promote and advance the well-being of its associates.

Humana recently received the American Heart Association’s Fit Friendly Worksite Platinum award for the second year in a row. The award is given to employers that, according to the AHA, “go above and beyond when it comes to their employees’ health” by providing walking and other fitness opportunities as well as healthy-eating options and creating a “culture of wellness.” The platinum distinction is the highest–level award of this type given by the AHA.

“It’s critical for companies to offer employees a wide variety of healthy lifestyle options,” said Ashley Mason, Heart Walk Director for the American Heart Association. “We are pleased to recognize Humana for its dedication to helping employees lead healthy and active lives.”

Humana also recently won the prestigious Best Employers for Healthy Lifestyles (BEHL) – Platinum award from the National Business Group on Health. Winning the BEHL’s top prize means that Humana’s associate well-being initiatives are considered examples of best practices and worthy of emulation by other top employers. The National Business Group on Health works to promote workplace wellness as a way to fight rising health care costs and improve economic productivity.

“At Humana, our pursuit of well-being is much more than an initiative; it is our dream for the customers we serve, as well as for ourselves,” said Human Resources Vice President Tim State. “Every day, teammates across our company are working toward their personal health and well-being goals, and inspiring each other throughout the journey. Our energy and momentum are becoming increasingly visible to the outside world, as shown by this recognition. We can all take pride in these signs that we’re on the right path to bringing our dream to life.”

Dr. Thomas Van Gilder uses a “standing desk” (similar to this one) to help reduce the time he sits each day.

Dr. Thomas Van Gilder, Humana’s National Medical Director for Wellness, is passionate about helping people achieve lifelong well-being. As part of his efforts to encourage greater participation in well-being activities, he will contribute regular blog posts on health and wellness issues and share ideas and insights to lead us forward on our journey to better health. This is his second post. If you missed his first blog post, click here.

We’ve all become familiar with a growing list of things that we shouldn’t be doing if we want to live longer, healthier lives: Don’t smoke! Don’t drink and drive! Don’t overeat! And now …. don’t sit? Are our chairs a health hazard, too? What’s up with that?

Research points to far-reaching negative effects on health
A recent study in the Archives of Internal Medicine compared the mortality risks among those who sit 11 or more hours a day with those who sit for less than four hours a day. It found that adults who sit 11 or more hours a day have a 40 percent increased risk of dying in the next three years, regardless of physical activity, weight, and health status. Another recent study suggests that people who have the “highest sedentary behavior” (that is, those who sit the most) have significantly increased risks of diabetes, heart disease, and premature death.

It is not entirely clear why sitting appears to increase the risk of disease and death, but the benefits of standing and moving more throughout the day are clear: more calories burned; increased energy, improved muscle health; and enhanced metabolism and lower cholesterol.

Taking action
For most of us, the longest periods of sitting occur at our jobs, making the workplace an area of focus for small changes that may make a big difference in your health – and your life.

• Get a pedometer or an activity tracker (such as a FitBit) and use it to measure and motivate yourself
• Take all phone calls standing up (pacing when possible)
•  Take stretching breaks throughout the day
•  Stop relying solely on technology: Meet face-to-face instead of texting, emailing and calling
• Switch to a standing desk or chair that includes active sitting (such as exercise ball or Swopper)

Now that you know the risks and know how to reduce those risks, don’t just sit there. Stand for something—your health, for example!

Dr. Thomas Van Gilder, MD, JD, MPH, is board-certified in internal medicine and general preventive medicine and public health. He currently serves as Humana’s national medical director for wellness, providing medical direction to HumanaVitality and other Humana wellness initiatives.

He previously served as vice president and medical officer for Humana’s Wisconsin market. He has served in a number of leadership positions with other leading companies, and spent more than nine years in the U.S. Public Health Service at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr. Van Gilder obtained a Masters in Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health and is also an attorney specializing in intellectual property. He has written and spoken nationally and internationally on various public health and law topics, healthcare reform, primary care transformation, prevention and wellness, value-based benefit design and onsite clinics.

Every participant in Humana Hope writes a wellness goal on a virtual card in which he or she completes a sentence that begins with the phrase, “I promise myself…”.   Chuck Stephens of Humana’s Enterprise Social Media team explained, “Once you’ve written down your promise, you can then post the Humana Hope card in our online gallery. You can also tag someone whom you’d like to inspire to join you or who might help you keep your commitment.”

Humana Hope has already proven successful with its test audience – Humana’s own associates. “We weren’t sure what kind of response we’d get, but the feedback was tremendous,” Stephens said. “Within two weeks, we had requests for thousands of Humana Hope cards, and we’ve been thrilled to see associates making and sharing promises of all kinds.”

Among the Humana Hope promises made during the pilot program:

• To slow down and enjoy my blessings
• To write a novel
•  To live in the moment, to laugh and love more.
• To continue workouts through Nov., Dec. and Jan. There are no excuses!

Humana is starting the public campaign now in part to give participants some momentum in advance of both the holiday season (when people may be inclined to neglect their long-term wellness goals) and the traditional resolutions of health that come with a new year.

There is no fee to participate, no contest associated with the program, and Humana Hope is open to Humana members and non-members alike.

“With Humana Hope, we want to help people become healthier and achieve lifelong well-being and to create a community around those ideas,” said Stephens.

Many of the participants in Humana’s internal pilot campaign printed displayed Humana Hope cards at their desks, others carried them around as symbols of their commitment. “One Humana associate wrote on her card that she wanted to keep running, and so she folded the card up and kept it with her while running her first half marathon in cold, rainy weather,” said Stephens. “She told us she had a great time and was proud of herself for sticking with it.”

If you want to create your own Humana Hope card, go to: https://apps.facebook.com/humana_hope/.

“There have been times when this neighborhood was labeled as hopeless…this is hope realized,” said Yvonne Edwards, as she watched the final pieces go into place on a new playground at the Parkland Boys & Girls Club in Louisville, Ky. “It’s simply awesome. People with diverse lives – different ages, genders, culture, those from this community, from around Louisville and beyond – brought it all together.”

Yvonne, her husband, Stephen, and 300 other volunteers from the Parkland neighborhood, Humana and KaBOOM! gathered in an empty field on the morning of Oct. 16. By 3 p.m. that same afternoon, this diverse group of individuals had worked together as one team to create a unique community playground, garden and amphitheater.

“We are doing this for the children, but we all benefit,” said Stephen Edwards. “They will see what can be done. When an event touches our children, it touches our future.”

The Louisville playground is one of a growing number of play spaces that Humana, The Humana Foundation and KaBOOM! are building across the country. As part of a three-year alliance that extends a partnership formed in 2011, more than 50 playgrounds will be built across the United States over a four-year time frame.

The Parkland playground was the first to be built in Louisville and the first to be sponsored by The Humana Foundation. The Humana Foundation’s Remy Shu said the Parkland site was chosen after the Foundation presented a $25,000 grant to the Boys & Girls Club on behalf of Humana’s IMPACT African-American Network Resource Group. At that time, Shu said, the Foundation realized that the children in the area had no safe place to play. The Boys & Club itself was reopened only a month ago. The Foundation wanted to provide a community resource, such as the new intergenerational space, that could be used by children and adults to enhance their well-being, reconnect and build memories.

Current and former community members were happy to take part in creating something that they saw as a building block to a better future for a once-vibrant neighborhood that has fallen on tough economic times and has been the site of recent violence.

“I grew up around here, and used to come to this Boys & Girls Club, “said 44-year-old Rod Holt, a Humana associate and member of the IMPACT group who volunteered to help built the playground. “Used to play touch football right here. Facilities like this club and this playground will help give the kids who are growing up here now the opportunity to have a place to go where they can find an alternative to violence.”

Many of the children in the neighborhood showed their support for the project by participating in the Aug. 15 Design Day, where they worked together on a wish list and laid out their vision of what the perfect playground might look like. On Friday, Oct. 19, they will see how the ideas they drew on a piece of paper have become reality when the playground is officially opened during a community celebration at the club.

Related Videos and Articles

• In this video, the residents of the desert community of Thermal, Calif., who named their playground Mirage, explain what it means to them and how it helps build hope for healthier, happier days ahead.
• “Humana leaves a legacy in Charlotte, Tampa”: Humana and KaBOOM! built multigenerational playgrounds in the two host cities for the 2012 political conventions.

Annual biometric screenings can help you develop a plan to make healthy behavioral changes.

As part of an ongoing effort to help people achieve lifelong well-being, Humana will offer a series of articles from personal health coaches and physicians, such as Dr. Thomas James, that offer suggestions and information that can help you develop a plan to live a healthier, happier life. Dr. James’ first article, which appears below, focuses on the potential benefits of undergoing annual biometric screenings.

More and more employers are offering biometric screenings so, like many of you, I recently underwent this annual testing. But what do the results really mean? Well let’s look at the specific areas that are measured and what those measurements can predict about our future health. These predictions are not hocus-pocus but are based upon studies and health histories of real people like me – and you. The screening results can help us develop a plan to live healthier, happier lives.

Tobacco use
I guess we all know that people who smoke are more likely to get lung cancer than those who haven’t smoked in the past six years. But smoking is also associated with other conditions such as stroke and heart disease, chronic lung disease, and multiple other cancers outside of lung cancer. If you add in obesity and diabetes, a smoker has a very high likelihood for heart disease.

BMI (Body Mass Index)
A BMI less than 25 is probably normal, but anything above that would be classified as overweight. In fact, anything above 30 is, frankly, obese. Why does this matter? Think about it: We are asking our hearts to work overtime – and too hard – if it has to pump blood through more tissue than nature intended. It will wear out faster. That’s why people who are obese have a greater chance of an earlier heart attack. Many of us have a tendency to think this is all something to worry about in the future, so we tell ourselves it’s OK to go ahead and eat that tempting treat today because we’ll exercise and eat better tomorrow. But a lot of my patients have second thoughts about delaying making changes when they begin to understand how much their unhealthy lifestyle may be affecting the ones they love. How does it affect them? For starters, it can cause them to worry, increase family health-care costs, limit participation in fun family activities and could ultimately reduce the amount of time we have with our loved ones. If creating a healthier life for yourself is not incentive enough, remembering what it could mean to your loved ones may be the extra push you need to make changes today. It’s never too late – or too early – to exercise and eat a more healthful, balanced diet.

Cholesterol
Medicine used to think that heart disease was all about cholesterol. A total cholesterol level over 200 was bad news. But now we know that total cholesterol is only part of the story. There are those who have high HDL (High Density Lipoproteins or “good cholesterol”) that is so dense it doesn’t stick well to the sides of the blood vessels and less likely to cause hardening of the coronary arteries. On the other hand, the LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein or “bad cholesterol”) can set up inflammation in the blood vessels that makes coronary artery disease more likely. But it is what we cannot measure in the blood that counts the most. That is your genetic tendencies. If you come from families where everyone ate fried chicken and French fries and lived to be 100 then you come from a family with a genetic background that gives you more latitude in what you eat. I don’t. My family has a history of earlier atherosclerosis, so I do pay attention to my total cholesterol, LDL and HDL levels. For that reason, I also try to keep working on my diet, exercise, and weight. Why further stack the cards against myself?

Blood sugar
If we figure that 8 percent of Americans—that is one in 12 of us—have diabetes, and only half of them know it, then that means that there are some 4% or 120,000 people who have diabetes and don’t even know it. The complications of diabetes may take five, 10 or even 15 years to develop once a person starts having high blood sugars. But all of us who see patients know people who have lost vision, had to go on dialysis, or had an amputation. This is not to scare people, but we all should be aware of our risk factors and prevent major problems before they happen.

The knowledge we gain by taking a few minutes to get a biometric screening each year leaves us better equipped to make behavioral changes that allow us to live healthier, happier and longer lives. That is good news for us – and for our loved ones.

Dr. Tom James is Corporate Medical Director for Humana’s National Network Operations. He also chairs the Health Plan Council for the National Quality Forum and is a work-group participant for the AQA,  AMA-PCPI, and MAP Work Groups on Patient Safety and the Dual Eligibles.  Dr. James, who is board certified in Internal Medicine and in Pediatrics, received his undergraduate degree from Duke University and his medical degree from the University of Kentucky, and served his residencies at Temple University Hospital, Pennsylvania Hospital, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He remains in part-time clinical practice of internal medicine-pediatrics and has nearly 30 years of experience in health benefits having served as medical director for several companies, including HealthAmerica, Maxicare, Sentara, Traveler’s Health Network, and Anthem, in the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and South.

Participants from the 2011 National Summer Games compete in a race in Houston.

The National Senior Games Association, the governing organization for the largest multi-sport event in the world for adults over age 50, has announced a new six-year sponsorship agreement with Humana.

“NSGA is proud to call Humana a partner as we enhance our efforts to promote senior health and wellness across America,” said NSGA CEO Mike Sophia. “At the 2013 National Senior Games and beyond, Humana will offer thoughtful and exciting initiatives that will help provide our members with resources and tools to lead healthier lives.”

Humana’s Well-being Tour will be integrated into NSGA events, offering athletes and participants interactive tools that provide a fresh perspective on healthy living. The Well-being Tour offerings include biometric screening stations with personalized results, hydration stations with stationary bike activities and an Xbox Kinect station featuring the “Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2012” interactive game.

“We’re delighted to extend Humana’s relationship with the National Senior Games,” said Alan Wheatley, President of Humana’s Medicare organization. “As we work across Humana to help people achieve lifelong well-being, it makes perfect sense for us to align with an organization like NSGA. The more we can encourage people to stay active and have fun in the process, the better.”

Humana associate Michele Koch uses a walkstation at the office to help her stay healthy.

LifeSynch, a Humana subsidiary, offers extensive health behavior resources, including behavioral healthcare, employee assistance program (EAP)/work-life services, behavioral pharmacy services, health coaches and Web-based wellness tools. As part of their commitment to change health behaviors and improve lives, LifeSynch’s health coaches will be contributing a series of articles that demonstrate how easy it can be to make a healthy change.

Finding the time to get in a solid workout can be a tenuous task for many of us. What if we gave ourselves a new challenge to increase our brain activity, burn calories, increase happiness, and maximize production, all for low to no cost? By taking on this challenge, we could decrease sedentary tendencies and increase our well-being. Studies show that staying active throughout the day is not only great for our health, it is great for our productivity as well. Whether you work at home or commute to the office, there are plenty of options to keep you moving. Consider these 10 concepts and supportive references to make the most of your time at the office.

 1. Stay active even while sitting
Your chair is an excellent platform for building strength and flexibility. A steady four-legged chair is all you need to help boost your metabolism. Some examples of chair exercises and other resources are offered by LiveStrong.com. It’s a bonus if you have hand weights or a resistance band to use.

2. Get out of your chair
Talk to your co-workers face-to-face instead of making a phone call. Walk from one side of the office to the other to deliver a note. If you have a home office, change a load of laundry in between meetings. Shovel your driveway or water your plants during your lunch break. This will increase your daily steps and give you a “brain break” from your work.

3. Forget the elevator
Pretend the elevator doesn’t exist. You will be doing your heart and legs some good by using the stairs to increase your heart rate several times a day.

4. Office support
Form a team with your colleagues. Keep each other accountable by walking together on breaks, tracking team activity, or create new challenges with inspiration from programs like HumanaVitality that may be offered to you through your employer or health insurer. Even co-workers who are physically separated can support each other’s efforts and form a team through office challenges that incorporate great apps and online tools like Humanafit.

5. Stand up
Consider creating or purchasing a standing workstation. Make a point to alternate standing and sitting throughout the day. Get up once an hour to move around and stretch, dance, or even do some standing exercises such as lunges or squats. Some studies suggest that sitting too much can lead to cardiovascular disease and cancer.

6. Keep comfortable shoes at your desk
Keeping comfortable walking/running shoes at your desk may offer encouragement to walk with comfort around the perimeter of the office, a route outside, a quick trip to the office gym or even walking in place. Sometimes all it takes is having your workout clothes or shoes at an arm’s reach to prompt you to get up and get moving.

7. Fuel for your brain
Movement and exercise increase breathing and heart rate so that more blood flows to the brain, enhancing energy production and toxin removal. Note your energy level and thought clarity when you return to work after those exercise-induced endorphins are released.

8. Circuit work
Create a low-cost gym in the office. Take turns rotating equipment around cubicles or office with a small group or on your own. Some exercises that lend themselves well to this might include a balance ball, free weights, resistance band, and chair exercises. Get up and trade equipment with your partner(s) throughout the day. This will prompt those in your group to stay active and keep the boredom at bay.

9. Walk and talk
The afternoon is a time when your body is generally digesting lunch, and the afternoon slump sets in. If you have a meeting, grab your colleague or your phone and hit the pavement, treadmill, or bike while getting some work done.

10. Workplace Wellness
Make sure you know all that is offered through your employer. You might be able to take advantage of health coaches, preventive care screenings, office challenges and office gyms.

Play with one or some of these ideas throughout your workday. See what fits you best and squeeze some activity time into your calendar. Let’s take care of ourselves and our colleagues by integrating health and wellness into our work life. Small changes lead to big results.

Katie Rowe, a learning facilitator and personal health coach/mentor at LifeSynch, a subsidiary of Humana, has an associates degree in healthcare business services and a bachelor’s degree in healthcare management.  She is an active volunteer in her community, focusing on public health initiatives.  In her spare time, she enjoys exercising, vegan blogging, traveling, cooking, and any outdoor activity.

Membership to MyWell-Being.com is free.

Humana’s new online program, MyWell-Being.com, offers tools and expert advice to help people take positive steps toward lifelong well-being.

“In a day and age when we are bombarded with health and wellness information, it’s hard to know where to turn for information that’s of value,” said Bruce Feinstein, Marketing Director at Humana. “MyWell-Being provides members with tangible tools to help them get and stay well on all levels. Our goal is to help foster lifelong well-being so the site concentrates not only on physical and mental health, but also on finances, personal relationships and leisure time.”

The website incorporates the most successful features from the recent REAL Powered by Humana program, which grew to nearly 400,000 members over three years, and growing Facebook and Twitter communities that will continue as part of the MyWell-Being program.

MyWell-Being.com membership is free and includes:

• A complimentary 72-page Well-being for Dummies book
• Original and third-party content including expert articles, videos and daily well-being tips. Topics include fitness trends, cooking healthier meals, travel, music, scrapbooking and more.
• The ability to save content and share it easily with others, follow favorite authors and suggest topics for future discussion through new social media pages
• Interactive online games designed to challenge and increase mental strength
• Access to content across devices (computer, tablet and smart phone

Residents of Tampa, Fla., and Charlotte, N.C., are designing their own unique multigenerational playgrounds, which will be built in conjunction with the Republican and Democratic national political conventions that will be held in those two cities this summer.

The playgrounds are part of a continuing partnership between Humana and the nonprofit organization KaBOOM!, to create neighborhood legacies that promote healthy play and well-being. Each playground has senior and adult-focused elements, such as fitness stations to promote good posture, balance and flexibility, as well as traditional kid-friendly equipment and areas where families can gather for picnics and reunions.

The first step in each of the playground builds is to bring children, seniors and other community members together to compile a wish list and design the elements that will make the space unique and best-suited to their own needs.

Tonja Wilson and her daughter Sarayah participated in Charlotte’s design day on June 12. “This park means a great deal to me because my family will be part of the hands-on experience,” said Wilson. “My daughter will be able to look back one day and show her children what a great project she was part of. This project is a great deal to the kids and seniors. It will be something that they will be proud of for the rest of their lives and to call their own.”

Carmen Fowler, community manager of The Village of Rosedale, where the Charlotte playground will be built on Aug. 4, said the close-knit community often holds social events. “The residents are excited for an area they can all enjoy as a family together,” she said. “The playground will be a wonderful addition.”

Tampa residents met on May 31 to design their customized playground, which will be built Aug. 11 at the Ragan Park Community Center in advance of the Republican National Convention, which will be held Aug. 27-30. The Democratic National Convention will be held Sept. 3-6 in Charlotte.

In addition to the playground builds, Humana is excited to be working in Tampa with the Republican National Convention, Host Committee team and Mayor Bob Buckhorn, as well as in Charlotte with the Democratic National Convention, Host Committee team and Mayor Anthony Foxx, to bring a new version of Humana’s Freewheelin’ program to the 2012 national political conventions. After plans are finalized with each city, Humana will announce details about the program, describing how convention visitors and local residents will be able to have fun, exercise and get around each downtown during the conventions utilizing the Humana Freewheelin’ program.

Related Videos

• Volunteers from Humana, KaBOOM! and the local community team up to build a multigenerational playground in Metairie, La.
• In this video, the residents of the desert community of Thermal, Calif., who named their playground Mirage, explain what it means to them and how it helps build hope for healthier, happier days ahead.
• This playground in Sanford, Fla., gives Midway Safe Harbor Community Center, a new way to actively demonstrate the benefits of an active lifestyle.

The Humana Well-Being Tour is making a special stop this week – alongside an international television star – at the 19th annual Hispanic Business & Consumer Expo in Orlando, Fla.

The Well-Being Tour, a national mobile health initiative, displays a variety of interactive Humana innovations aimed at spreading the message of well-being and demonstrating fun ways to be healthy. This week’s stop, June 8 – 10, will include an opportunity to learn health and wellness tips from Lucy Pereda, host and producer of the long-running and top-rated home magazine syndicated TV series “En Casa de Lucy,” which airs in 18 countries in Latin America and in Portugal.

Other highlights include:

• Free biometric screenings; demos of the Humana-sponsored game “Your Shape” on an Xbox Kinect; and learning the importance of water at Humana’s Hydration Station
• Lucy Pereda will offer a healthy cooking demo and raffle cookbooks, as well as makeup tips
• Performance and autograph signing by the Orlando Magic Silver Stars dance squad

The Hispanic Business & Consumer Expo is the largest business expo targeting the Hispanic market in the nation and has attracted more than 20,000 attendees during the past two years. To get more information, visit their Facebook page.