With February being National Heart Health Month, it's crucial for employers to invest in heart-healthy initiatives and well-being.
Many risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, obesity, and smoking, are preventable through lifestyle changes. By promoting heart-healthy habits among your employees, you can significantly reduce their risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.
Help your employees incorporate several healthy habits into their life to help reduce the risk of heart disease and boost heart health.
Manage Stress: Make sure employees are taking time out of their day to focus on reducing stress. Practicing yoga, meditation and deep breathing are all efficient ways to reduce stress and reduce the risk of heart disease.
Regular Exercise: Just 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a day can help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Taking a walk, strength training, practicing yoga, and even vacuuming or completing chores can be some simple ways to incorporate more physical activities into the day.
Get Enough Sleep: The CDC recommends the average adult get at least 7 hours of sleep a night. A consistent good night’s sleep reduces cardiovascular risks and disease.
Stop Smoking: Smoking cigarettes significantly increases the chances of a cardiovascular disease. If you are a smoker, the most important thing you can do for your heart health is to quit. Many health plans include some form of tobacco cessation programs. Check with your carrier to find out more information.
Eat A Heart-Healthy Diet: Encourage employees to focus on their nutrition. Adding more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and low-fat dairy products to their diet will support a healthy heart. Individuals should avoid an abundance of salt, saturated fats and added sugars in their diet.
Communicate Your Benefits to Employees
At Ascela, we know a top stressor for HR professionals and benefits administrators is the challenge of consistently communicating benefits year-round to your employees. It is important to encourage employees to focus on their mental, physical and financial health by utilizing the benefits available to them. That’s why, it is crucial to create ongoing benefits conversations beyond open enrollment.
To help you communicate benefits to employees more efficiently, we’ve created resources for you to share with your employees throughout the year.
Download our Tips for a Healthy Heart.
Prioritize Employee Heart Health With Ascela
National Heart Health Month reminds us of the importance of cardiovascular health, it's crucial for employers to prioritize employee heart health throughout the year.
By investing in heart-healthy initiatives and partnering with Ascela for comprehensive benefits consulting and services, you can create a workplace culture that promotes well-being while reaping the rewards of increased productivity and reduced healthcare costs.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you make employee heart health a priority in your organization.
This blog post is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice.